Texas Bicycling News Digest June 24th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Man pleads guilty to robbing Corpus Christi bank

www.sfgate.com

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) — A South Texas man blamed for three bank robberies this year has pleaded guilty to one holdup in which he fled on a bicycle.
A federal judge in Corpus Christi on Tuesday accepted the plea from 35-year-old Robert Perez Jr. of Corpus Christi.
Perez pleaded guilty to bank robbery by force or violence in the Jan. 8 robbery of…

Pedernales Falls State Park TRAIL BUILD, RIDE & SWIM!

Sunday, Jun 29, 2014, 8:00 AM

Pedernales Falls State Park
2585 Park Road 6026 Johnson City, TX

6 Mountain Bikers Went

Pedernales Falls State Park TRAIL BUILD, RIDE & SWIM!READ THE DESCRIPTION CAREFULLY.  MEETING TIMES AND PLACES CHANGE EACH BUILD DAY.EARN PAYDIRT!  Bring your forms.Build, RIDE NEW TRAIL & SWIM!MEET AT Park HQ/Entry Pay station.  Shown as star symbol on this map: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/park_maps/pwd_mp_p4507_0026…

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Social Cycling Austin: Lend Your Legs with Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

www.clientconnections.magnify.net

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Hans Johnsen to distribute Pioneer power meters in the South

www.bicycleretailer.com

DALLAS (BRAIN) — Hans Johnsen Company will distribute Pioneer power meter cranks, computers and accessories in the South: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana.
“Hans Johnsen Company is a welcome addition to Pioneer’s distributor family, priding itself with a ‘hands on’ approach, serving retailers with knowledgeable technical support and responsive customer service. The…

Last Minute Bike Ride

Thursday, Jun 26, 2014, 6:30 PM

Dallas Bike Works
4875 W Lawther Dr Dallas, TX

9 Members Went

Let’s meet for a couple of laps around the lake.

Check out this Meetup →

Juniors Track National Championships kick off Wednesday in Carson, Calif.

www.usacycling.org

Colorado Springs, Colo. (June 24, 2014) – Thirty national titles will be on the line this week as top juniors cyclists from around the nation face off at the VELO Sports Center in Carson, Calif., June 25-29, for the 2014 USA Cycling Juniors Track National Championships.
Cyclists ages 9-16 will compete for Stars-and-Stripes jerseys in multi-race omniums while riders in the 17-18 category will race for national titles in the individual pursuit, time trial, international omnium, points race, sprint, keirin and scratch race. National titles will also be on the line for teams in the team pursuit, team sprint and Madison. See the complete schedule of events here…
…Summer Moak (Katy, Texas/TWENTY16 Junior Development Team)…

Steel is Real

Bike Noob

Occasionally, I’ll see a bike, and just drool over it. Guest poster Don Blount, however, is a man of action. When he wants a new bike, he gets one. And in his case, it’s a custom frame. I’m drooling again.
BlountOnBikingI have been busy with work, family and things that usually take our time and attention. But I still made time to ride my bike. That is, my new bike.

It is a custom, hand-built, steel frame Tallerico bike designed and built by Jon Tallerico of Lodi, California.
And I love it.
It is a wine color with some pearl. So depending on the lighting it can…

The Unbearding

Texas Mountin bike Trails

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kn9hXG6qkaE
Todays’s Bearded Bike Tip is the epic culmination in all things Beard… I call it, The Unbearding.
I lose the beard today, but for the best reason I can think of. Check out my recap of the Bearded Bike Tip and watch as it goes away. …

When someone has a fall

Brazos Valley Cyclists

In my post on Leading a Ride, I mentioned you should keep an eagle eye on someone who’s taken a fall and see to it that they get home safely.
I wrote that remembering an organized ride in which I was injured, then separated from my friends. I made my way to a rest stop and medical area safely, then managed to faint in front of the medical guy. I got sent back to the ride start on SAG support.
We hadn’t planned out what to do if someone had an accident in advance. It wasn’t anyone’s fault that…

TxDOT – Public Hearing – Bicycle Use in DFW – Tomorrow

Bike Friendly Richardson

If you ride a bike in north Texas, you should think about going to the Texas Department of Transportation Public Hearing – Bicycle Use in DFW.
Information from their site:
Where: City of Irving City Hall
825 W. Irving Blvd.
Irving, TX 75060
When: Wednesday, June 25, 2014    5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Purpose: The purpose of this public hearing is to provide information on the bicycle plans, policies, programs and upcoming projects for the Dallas and Fort Worth districts of TxDOT and the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). Also, the public will have an…

Tuesday: Intermediate/Advanced Mountain Bike Ride at the Ant Hills

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2014, 6:15 PM

15200 Memorial Dr
15200 Memorial Dr Houston, Te

2 cyclists Went

This will be a medium to fast pace ride through the Ant Hills of Hershey Park! Bring WATER, spare tube/tire, snacks, etc…Helmets required. Call if you are going to be late so we can wait for you. Wheels rolling by 6:30! See you there

Check out this Meetup →

Tweets

https://twitter.com/FightCancerYes/status/481430272895123456

https://twitter.com/txbikeracing/status/481453531577061376

Event Reminder

Maybe I Should Sing In The Rain

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Another day biking in the rain. Again it caught me or rather I caught it from Huffman to home. Before leaving home at 9:43 I checked the weather radar and there wasn’t one spot of rain showing. By the time I arrive at the Huffman Chevron around 21.5 miles into the ride dark clouds had gathered. I went inside the Chevron station to get a drink after going through 8  paper towels trying soak up all of the sweat I had generated up to that point. While I was inside the light rain moved in. The timing was better today since I was already where I could stay out of the rain.

It didn’t last long and by the time I finished a Kashi bar, cookies and the drink the rain was gone and the roads were drying out. I looked at the weather radar on my phone and there was a big patch right where I was heading but I thought it might be gone by the time I got there. I pulled out of the Chevron station going west on FM1960. The clouds ahead didn’t look too threatening and the shoulder was drying out except for one spot where the water was out into the main right lane. I swung wide left to get around with no traffic coming.

Continuing on to Pinehurst Trail where I would turn right I started to feel a few light drops as I made the right hand turn. From there to Kings River Drive I rode in a light rain. It felt good and was less moisture than the perspiration I was creating so I kept riding. On Kings River Drive the rain stopped but the streets were wet from there to the last mile from home. I got home at 12:45 and washed the Stradalli. Not long after I was inside I started to hear thunder but no rain fell.

Earlier in the ride while I was going east over Lake Houston a group of bicyclists were headed the other direction. I think they were in a hurry to beat the rain. I waved but no returned it. I saw several riders on the way out of Kingwood and they all waved back.

I rode a longer “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman” route today to get an extra mile in my quest to reach 885 miles for June. This longer route was 33.51 miles long and I averaged 15.4 mph. With the damp weather I don’t know if I will be able to ride each day left in June.

Wednesday weather: 89 degrees and a 60% chance of rain.

Mileage statistics:

  • 81.93 miles this week
  • 793.51 miles for June (92 miles left to reach my goal)
  • 3197 miles year to date
  • Links to Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS

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Texas Bicycling News Digest June 23rd

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Search for Missing Bicyclist Underway at Lake Grapevine

www.nbcdfw.com

Authorities from several agencies are searching for a missing bicyclist on the trails at Lake Grapevine’s Murrell Park. Flower Mound police say 30-year-old Wesley Andrew Hixson, of Roanoke, got separated from his riding partner on the North Shore Trial, he was last seen at 10 a.m. Saturday. “This trail is so rugged  you can be riding with someone and be separated from them because of the windy up and down turns,” said Flower Mound Police Capt. Richards Brooks. Police say Hixson crashed his mountain bike prior to…

 

Body of Missing Cyclist Found Monday Afternoon

By Ellen Bryan        www.nbcdfw.com

The body of missing cyclist Wesley Andrew Hixson, 30, was found just after 2 p.m. Monday, in a ravine northeast of Twin Coves Marina, Flower Mound police confirm.
Rescue crews had spent all weekend looking for the bicyclist, who disappeared Saturday, June 21, at Murrell Park in Grapevine.
Hixson’s friends said they were out biking on the trails when Hixson crashed.  The accident happened around 10 a.m.  According to police, …

 

Transportation trends, challenges emerge at Dallas conferences

By BRANDON FORMBY, Transportation Writer        www.dallasnews.com


North Texas is a car-loving region that’s also home to the nation’s longest light-rail network. And in the past week, Dallas has served as the epicenter for national discussions about how transportation solutions are devised and implemented.
A cadre of professors, architects, politicians and technology executives talked about how transportation works — or doesn’t — in cities during last week’s New Cities Summit and the ongoing U.S. Conference of Mayors.
And even though the country predominantly moves by automobile, many of the conversations focused on public transit and biking.
“The fact that we’ve given our soul to the car is…

DORBA Sister Grove BBQ and helmet light ride

Saturday, Jul 19, 2014, 7:30 PM

Sister Grove Park
11110 County Road 562 Princeton, TX

1 Members Went

Tentatively scheduled. Thinking of setting up a rain-date for the July 26. Chime in now if you’re interested. BBQ chicken and snacks, tea and root beer, then ride the trail at night with helmet lights. You need a helmet, helmet light (or powerful bar lights if you prefer), rear flasher, water supply (camelback or bottle cages). You can refill easi…

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Walnut WEDNESDAY Workday

Wednesday, Jul 2, 2014, 5:30 PM

Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
12138 North Lamar Boulevard Austin, TX

1 Mountain Bikers Went

Trail Workday NoticeName: Walnut WEDNESDAY Workday, Wednesday, July 2nd from 5:30PM to 8:00PMWhat: Walnut WEDNESDAY WorkdayWhen: Wednesday, July 2nd from 5:30PM to 8:00PMWhere: We will meet in the pool parking lotWhat will we be doing: We will be working on a full scale trimming sessionaround the Root Drop (both sides), and if enough peop…

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Bike ride

Friday, Jun 27, 2014, 6:30 PM

Katy Family YMCA
22807 Westheimer Pkwy Katy, TX

1 Katy bicyclist fun riders Went

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Jul26 Sister Grove BBQ and helmet light ride

Saturday, Jul 26, 2014, 7:30 PM

Sister Grove Park
County Road 562 Princeton, TX

17 Participants Went

Date looks good. I’m posting it. Thinking of setting up a rain-date for the July 26. Chime in now if you’re interested. BBQ chicken and snacks, tea and root beer, then ride the trail at night with helmet lights. You need a helmet, helmet light (or powerful bar lights if you prefer), rear flasher, water supply (camelback or bottle cages). You can re…

Check out this Meetup →

Tour of Austin Cancelled

by Nicole Ortega        texasbikeracing.com


The 6th year of The Tour of Austin (TOA) has been recently and reluctantly cancelled. With plans to make this year grander by adding more vendors and having two days at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), things sounded promising during the beginning stages of organization. Having last year’s TOA pan out as a huge success, COTA was excited to host it once again. Although TOA has always struggled to attain sponsors, Andrew and Holly Willis were ready take this project on once again. They drew up an agreement and sent it out to COTA in May of 2013, where it went over well. Holly and Andrew were hopeful TOA had finally found a home after years of bouncing from venue to venue and losing money for the first three years.
They started having meetings to discuss details with COTA, but the holidays came around and progression started to slow down. An agreement had not been finalized just yet, and everyone was still…

Head across the Gap and Back

Sunday, Jun 29, 2014, 7:30 AM

Rio Plaza, 6205 Upper Valley Road
at Artcraft (parking lot next to Little Caesars_ El Paso, TX

6 Cyclists Went

7:30 a.m. Sunday, June 29: Meet at Rio Plaza and ride the rollers to O’Hara Road and cross Anthony Gap to War Road and return same route. 45 miles. 18-20 mph, Derek Posey,[masked]..

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Fit City

Hopped a train for the ride home today. Car is now packed … Six bikes and tons of humans!

 

USA Cycling announces Spring 2014 Collegiate Academic All-Star class

www.usacycling.org

USA Cycling is pleased to announce the inaugural spring class of Collegiate Academic All-Stars! The Spring 2014 class of riders is composed of 41 riders from 22 different schools. All collegiate cyclists face the challenge of balancing school while racing, and the Academic All-Star program seeks to recognize those that go above and beyond by achieving top grades in the classroom while also competing at USA Cycling Collegiate National Championships.
Many of the riders recognized in this year’s class not only competed at the 2014 CapTech USA Cycling Collegiate Road National
Championships, but also finished highly in the individual events with riders such as Allie Dragoo, Griffin Easter, Michelle Khare and Zack Noonan finishing on the podium in their respective Individual Omniums.  In addition to this, BMX athlete Felicia Stancil was the national champion at the 2014 USA Cycling Collegiate BMX National Championships. Congratulations to all of this the year’s all-stars! …
…Jessica Prinner – Midwestern State University …

 

1400 Miles video

The Violet Crown Sports Association


Here is a short video of the 1400 Miles ride that Davis Tucker spoke about at the June 2014 Violet Crown Club meeting. “Pushing Cadence,” a short documentary film, that tells the behind the scenes story of 1400 Miles. A Bike Ride from Austin to Denver to start the conversation between stubborn men about getting checked for…

Saturday June 28th [Scenic] and June 29th [Social/Ladies] Rides!

Steiner Ranch Cycling Club

Saturday we did the Triple B’s and had about 17 riders in attendance.  We all stuck together for most of the ride.  The group did split but it was because one group wanted to do more distance.  So we had a 55 mile group and a 45 mile group with it splitting pretty much down the middle.
Sunday was the Steiner Ranch Steakhouse ride.
Tour De Cure  Please make sure you join our Tour de Cure team which we do every year and it has been tons of fun.  Cycling, Food and Beer and all for a great cause: http://main.diabetes.org/goto/TeamBeef
Farmers Market  www.512MarketKitchen.com is a food delivery service that sources its ingredients from local farmers and it is prepared by an Austin chef.  The best part is that you can place your order online and pick it up each week on the way home at www.resolutefitness.com and pop it in the oven and you can feed your family for…

Independence Day Breakfast Ride

Plano Bicycle Association

Join us for a ride to Barbecs at White Rock Lake for breakfast on the 4th of July!
This is NOT an official PBA ride
Ride starts at the NW corner of 15th and Independence in Plano
We roll out of Plano at 7:00 AM
We stop for breakfast at Barbecs
Riders may choose to skip breakfast and ride back to Plano
A few riders need to bring cable locks
Barbecs only accepts cash (US Dollars)
Rolling Avg – 17.5-18.0 MPH

3nd Annual CPR Ride and Summer Picnic

BikeAustin

Come join us for the 3nd Annual CPR Ride and Summer Picnic, aka the Third Annual Memorial Ride and Picnic for the Formerly Late Stanton Truxillo. This ride and picnic, with a free, hands only CPR class at noon, was inspired by the life and brain saving CPR administered by a good Samaritan when ACA member Stanton Truxillo suffered a massive heart attack on an ACA ride on August 4, 2010.
The picnic will be from 10:00am to 2:00pm on Sunday, August 4th in the Martin Park Pavilion in southeast Austin next to the Martin Neighborhood Pool.  It will be a cook-out for $8.00 per person and the deadline for signing up is Friday, August 2nd. Directions to the park are: drive east on…

Another cyclist dies along Highway 21

Brazos Valley Cyclists

Sad news to report today – The Eagle has reported that another bicyclist has died from injuries after being hit by a pickup truck along San Jacinto Way, also known as Highway 21.
At the Bryan/College Station Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting earlier this month, one of the items provided to attendants was a map of accidents and fatalities in the Bryan/College Station area. Highway 21 stood out as a major problem in that regard, with 5 bicycle or pedestrian accidents over the…

Ride in Galveston.

Saturday, Aug 23, 2014, 8:00 AM

Galveston-Port Bolivar Ferry
1000 Ferry Rd Galveston, TX

5 Katy bicyclist fun riders Went

A fun getaway to Galveston!  Take the ferry over to Bolivar Peninsula, ride the island. Come back and ride the seawall in Galveston. Finish up with lunch and margaritas!If you can drive and carry extra bikes, please let me know.My cell # is[masked]1. Head east on Interstate 10 Frontage Rd E toward Mustang Ln0.3 mi2. Sharp left onto Interst…

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Tweets

https://twitter.com/FtWMntBikers/status/481267500265394177

https://twitter.com/BBQ44/status/481198252432191490

https://twitter.com/JerryDusterhoff/status/481025196263219203

Event Reminders

Rain Sprint in Oakhurst

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Today was a rain sprint ride. Up to about 41 miles I was creating the moisture; sweat. At that point the sky let loose and rain fell catching me away from a place to get out of it. I wanted to ride 45 to 50 miles so I chose what I call the “SR242 – FM1314″ route. I rolled out the driveway at 9:45, a little earlier than last week because no European bike races are on TV. The weather forecast called for 94 degrees and a slight chance of rain. It was 83 degrees under a partly cloudy sky with 60% humidity. The light breeze barely stirred the leaves on the trees.

I thought while I was riding I would check on three projects and take pictures. Biking north on Loop 494 the first project was the Adams St. resurfacing. I didn’t expect any work but I saw signs on Loop 494 warning of road work ahead and a flagman. When I got to the Knox St. railroad crossing I pulled up on the tracks and saw a large 18 wheeler dump truck loading asphalt into the spreading machine. Also the asphalt compressor and a front end loader were moving around. You can see the work in the first 3 pictures in the slide show below.

From there I took E. Knox St. to the US59 north service road to ride to Porter and FM1314 back to Loop 494. This adds some distance to the route so I could reach the 45 mile or more. I stayed on Loop 494 until it ends just south of Roman Forest Bvld. where I returned to the north service road. When I got to Roman Forest Blvd. I stopped to take two pictures of the Tavalo Lake under construction at the entrance to Roman Forest and now Tavalo.

Up to now I was making good time and averaging 17+ mph from mile 5 to mile 15. No real wind resistance helped. Leaving the Tavalo Lake site I rode to SR242 and turned to the west to ride all the way to FM1314. I ran out of water before getting to FM1485 requiring a stop at the Chevron station to get ice and water. Their ice machine dispenses 1/4” or 3/8′ square cubes which fills the water bottle nicely. I added some water and went outside to sit on a bench to cool down some. I never did find any paper towels to soak up some of the perspiration though.

About a half mile after I turned onto SR242 the next project to check on came up. I have been watching the Grand Texas project for sometime looking for some activity. At least this time it looks like they have stirred up a little dirt but the same two excavators were sitting there not moving. The last two pictures in the slides are what I saw.

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Having cooled down and hydrated at the FM1485 & SR242 Chevron (there are other stations around here, Chevron just seems to be where I need to stop) I resumed biking on SR242 to FM1314. The breeze didn’t slow me down too much (22.59 mile point at the Chevron) as I averaged 16.4 mph in the 20 to 25 mile leg. I was still sweating strongly and the passing traffic helped move some air to help cool me some. My wicking jersey was full of sweat and my bandana was soaked as well letting sweat run down my glasses even when I tried to divert it.

FM1314 arrived and I tuned left to head to Porter (around 27.4 miles). In my mind I calculated how far it was to the Stripes station where I would take a break coming up with a little over 9 miles. The wind didn’t slow me down for the ride to Stripes with intervals 5 and 6 averaging 16.4 and 16.9, respectively. Up to this point the sun was still shining through mostly cloudy skies and the temperature felt hot. The Stripes station came into view and I moved across FM1314 to get there. The calculation I made was off a 1/2 mile or so. Stripes had paper towels and I got 8 of them and went to the shade to wipe some of the sweat from my eyes and arms. I went inside to get a 32 oz drink (they are on sale for $.99) and came back outside to sit in the shade. I pulled out a Kashi bar and a package of Cinnamon Pop tarts. Eating these I started to look at the sky to the west and saw it was getting a darker shade of gray. As I ate the clouds got darker and moved to the southwest. I finished the drink and Pop Tarts, wipe down the Stradalli for sweat thinking I better get going to stay in front of the rain.

Staying in front of the rain worked for a couple of miles through Briar Tree but as I got to Oakhurst the wind picked up and the temperature dropped telling me rain was not too far away. I still thought I had a chance to get in front of the rain as I raced through Oakhurst. It worked until I almost made it to Northpark Drive on Rock Creek Drive. The rain started to come down hard and I decided to take Northpark to US59 and get under US59 out of the rain. As I approached US59 the traffic light for Northpark turned red but no cars were coming so I darted across the service road to get under US59. About then the rain picked up and so did the wind. It was dry there but all of the pigeon dung makes it smell some and a mess to walk around in bike shoes. I waited there over 30 minutes hoping the rain and wind would stop. Finally the rain became a drizzle and the wind let up some and I took the service road south to Kingwood Drive. The road was soaked with puddles but the wind was the biggest obstacle. I was cold from my wet clothes and the wind was already cool. I was glad when I made the u-turn under US59 at Kingwood Drive and headed north on the service road and into Kings Manor. From there until I got to my street the light rain continued but my street was only damp in places where the tree limbs did cover the street. I pulled into my driveway at 2:56. Later after washing the Stradalli my home weather station had 79 degrees.

I reached my goal riding 48.42 miles today and averaging 15.7 mph. Up until 41 miles no rain but there on it was wet. Tuesday the weather forecast calls for 80% chance of rain and 89 degrees. I don’t know if I will get any biking in but I will try.

Mileage standings:

  • 48.42 miles this week
  • 760 miles for June (125 miles to reach my goal)
  • 3164 miles year to date
  • Links to Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS

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