Rain Tried to Get Me

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Another ride to the north today. I selected the New Caney – Roman Forest – Valley Ranch route to go at least 30 miles. I ended up biking 31.29 miles and averaging 15.4 mph.

There must be something about biking to the north. The last ride I got caught in the rain and it happened again today kind of. I made it to Roman Forest Blvd and turned south on the US59 service road. I could see the sky was threatening rain in the distance but as I almost got to the bridge over Caney Creek it started to rain big drops. I thought about riding under the bridge to get out of the rain but the drops were big and not really wetting the pavement so I rode on to FM1485 and the Chevron station. By the time I got off the Caney Creek bridge the rain stopped. As I pulled into the Chevron station because it started to sprinkle a little I rode to the porch area by the door. Not looking down as I rolled to a stop I felt something wet on my calf. I looked down and a medium size brown dog had put his nose lightly on my leg. He was friendly and after inspecting me he sit down by the door. I waited at the Chevron for 10 minutes or more walking out to check on the rain. Each time it sprinkled some but no heavy rain. I did not want to ride south from the Chevron station if rain was coming since there is no place to get out of the rain and the Grand Parkway construction has dirt on the road which would be muddy.

Finally it looked like the rain was not coming so I left the Chevron station riding on the south bound service road. The closer I got to the Valley Ranch turn the sky got darker. I thought I might get wet before I could get to the Stripes station on FM1314. I made it the Stripes station under the dark sky, hearing some thunder in the distance and went inside to get a drink. While I was paying the rain started coming down a lot. I went outside and leaned against the soft drinks and ate my snacks to wait for the rain to stop and the pavement to dry up some. After 32 minutes the rain stopped and the pavement dried off enough to head out. Riding through Briar Tree the roads were wet but no puddles. From there the roads were mostly dry with some damp places near the edge all the way home. I made it home without any more rain falling. No dirty bike and no grit on me.

The weather changed while I rode. It started at 88 degrees and ended at 79. The wind was not a factor being less than 6 mph most of the time. The wind did turn cool after the Stripes downpour and the perspiration did not help any.

Maybe I should’ve started earlier than 10:58. I was watching the Tour de Suisse till about 10:10 and it took some time to get ready. With all of the delays I finished at 2:11.

Mileage standings:

  • 100.89 miles for the week
  • 597.55 miles for June (287 miles to reach my goal for June)
  • 3001 miles for the year
  • Links to Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS

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Texas Bicycling News Digest June 17th

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Southside Mission Ride

San Antonio Wheelmen

Date:     06/22/2014
Time:     08:00 AM-11:00 AM
Location:     San Antonio, TX
Details: Southside Mission Ride (S) [F to R]. Route of 27, 39, 51, and 61 miles. The routes begin at the parking lot of the Visitors Center at Mission San Jose and travel along the lower section of the Mission Trail past historic missions and the SA River before heading into the flat to slightly rolling terrain of southeast Bexar County. Take exit 137 from I-37 South, turn right on Hot Wells and continue 1.7 miles (road curves to the right after crossing RR tracks just past S. Presa), then…

Always be Prepared

by djcurtin        Bicycle Sport Shop’s Offical Cycling Blog

You might recognize the name Jerry Dusterhoff. He is the man behind the book “Bicycle Journeys with Jerry.” Jerry’s also a Bicycle Sport Shop club member and on a recent ride last month was reminded of the old adage to always be prepared. Here’s his account of a comedy of errors. Hopefully it reminds all of us to make sure we’ve got a plan for the typical roadside mechanical–the dreaded puncture–and to make sure we’re up for the challenge by taking a maintenance class like those offered at BSSU.  (You can check out Jerry’s full blog here.)
IT WASN’T GRAVEL
When you ride in a group, in our case no more than two wide, the accepted protocol is to point or yell out obstacles to give the folks behind an heads-up was to what they are approaching. “Glass” “hole” and “gravel” are what most of these obstacles are, with an occasional “car up.” Glass and hole are self-explanatory, but gravel, while it mostly means loose rocks or pebbles, can mean any sort of loose stuff on the ground. I was prepared for gravel. What I got was something else. Can’t say for sure, but in a split-second, I had two flat tires.
At first I thought I had escaped with an easy front tire change out. But then my back tire was…

Monday Social Ride

Brazos Valley Cyclists


The Monday Social Ride has been going strong for at least 12 years, since I moved to College Station in 2002.  I still remember my first social ride.  This was before the days of Google Maps on the phone, and I was terrified of getting lost and separated from the group.  I stuck behind the group leader like a burr, and I paid careful attention to how we’d gone in case I needed to retrace my steps.
I didn’t need to fear, I wasn’t dropped, but the next week the previous ride leader couldn’t make it.  Someone else needed to take over.  I said I thought I could remember most of the route if someone would help me.  I’ve been the unofficial “Fearless Leader” ever since.  :)  It’s been an…

Bike-Friendly Friday Breakfast

Brazos Valley Cyclists

June 20 @ 7:00 am – 9:00 am
Join us for bike-friendly discussion over breakfast at the Blue Baker on Dominik Drive before school or work.
Venue
Blue Baker
201 Dominik Dr, College Station, TX

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The Wind vs. My Legs

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Riding to Huffman today my legs were not willing or able to counter the stiff wind. I left home at 11:21 and the wind was from the south at 17 mph with 23 mph gusts. The temperature was 88, 48% humidity under mostly cloudy skies. No rain today although there were a couple of stray rain clouds showing up on radar. Before leaving I walked out to the garage and thought to myself the humidity and temperature were already up there but when I check my home weather station I was surprised it was only 88. By the time the ride ended at 2:16 it was 94 and 39% humidity. The wind dropped down some to 9 mph from the SSW with 17 mph gusts.

Before biking today I watched the Tour de Suisse on BeInSport live. The country scenery  is beautiful and HD TV shows it in detail.

I varied the usual route to Huffman some at the beginning and the end. The route totaled 31.3 miles. The 14.6 mph average speed reflects the difficulty I had riding with the wind conditions. There was only one 5 mile segment that I averaged over 16 mph. The rest were 15 mph or less. I am wondering if I might be over training.

While I was stopped at the Huffman Chevron lo and behold the Amtrak train came by. (Click on the image to enlarge it)

Mileage standings:

  • 69.59 miles this week
  • 566.25 miles for June (319 miles to reach my June goal)
  • 2970 miles year to date
  • Links to Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS

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Tomorrow’s weather is forecast to repeat today.

Texas Bicycling News and Blog Digest June 16th

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Spring in East Texas: First Overnight Trip to Bonham State Park

by Mark Brown        bikeovernights.org


The purpose of this trip, besides having fun, was to prove out my method, packing, and fitness for longer trips later this summer.
We decided to drive and park at a friend’s house so we could keep the distance down to about 50 miles for this first trip. I was up at 5 a.m. getting breakfast and coffee and then heading out to get Jeff, a friend I met while doing a cycling tour of some breweries in downtown Dallas a few months ago. He’s a regular commuter and has done a few short tours in the past.
We then swung by to get another friend of mine, David, who I’ve worked with for the past…

Memorial Park all-riders ride.

Sunday, Jun 22, 2014, 7:00 AM

Memorial Park
3290 Federal El Paso, TX

8 Cyclists Went

Sunday, June 22: Memorial Park all-riders ride. Joint ride with EP Cylists, who will help co-lead the rides. Meet at Memorial Park in Central El Paso. 7 a.m. groups will go over Scenic Drive and ride to Upper Valley, NM 28, then return via Anthony Gap and NE El Paso (60 miles). 18-20 mph group led by Blanca Harp,[masked]; 20+ mph group led by Xavi…

Check out this Meetup →

Trans Am Bike Race cyclists stretched across the West

by Gene Bisbee            www.bikingbis.com


The Trans Am Bike Race is 9 days sold and the remaining 38 cyclists in the unsupported bike race are spread across 1,975 miles of the western United States.
Michael Hall, 33, of Harrogate, UK, is leading the race as he approaches Larned, Kansas, with 2,456 miles behind him. He’s followed by Jason Lane, 32, of Ontario, who just passed through Scott City around noon Monday and has covered 2,361 miles.
Together with Ed Pickup, 23, of Salisbury, UK, they’re the only ones who are out of the mountains. From the trackleaders map, it looks like a couple of other will be hitting the plains soon.
Among those is Italy’s Juliana Buhring, 32, who leads the women and appears to…

All Level Ride @ Walnut Creek Spring/Summer hours

Sunday, Jun 22, 2014, 9:30 AM

Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
12138 North Lamar Boulevard Austin, TX

11 Mountain Bikers Went

New Spring/Summer hours to help when the weather gets warmer.  Starting 3/9 we go to 9:30 am.We know that this time change doesn’t work for everyone so we hope you considering hosting a ride for yourself and those who might want to ride at a different time or on a different day.You do NOT have to be a ARR member to attend most club riders. You wi…

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DATES Round and Round the Lake Ride

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts

When: Jun 18, 2014 06:15 PM
Where: The Bath House at White Rock Lake in Dallas – Dallas
Category: DATES ride
Description
DATES Round the Lake Ride
Hosted by Keri Bloomer and Stuart Rogers
Wednesday, June 18th
Ride start:  Bath House at White Rock Lake
Meeting time: 6:00 pm, Ride time: 6:15 pm
Distance: two laps around the lake, pace determined by the group
Dinner after at…

White River Road Rally 2014

West Texas Recumbent

Unfortunately our small community had to great rides on the same day! My choice was White River Road Rally which I did last year and Tour de Muleshoe a ride I have also done a couple of times. The first time I did the Muleshoe ride was on my  trike and I came in last 🙁
So the community was split on the rides and my club was also split seems half went to White River and the other rode the Muleshoe.
White River Road Rally was just as tough if not more this year due to…

Saturday June 21st [Triple Bs] and Sunday June 22nd [Steiner Steakhouse] Rides!

Steiner Ranch Cycling


Saturday was the Avery Ranch Loop and there was about 16 riders and it was a fast ride.  The group split when there was a flat tire and about 4 riders stayed back.  The second group picked up a couple more riders on the way and we all came back together.  Bob Brown was riding with the faster group and when he got to a stop light he started feeling dizzy and his heart rate monitor was showing some really high numbers.  Thomas drove back and picked up Bob and took him to urgent care.  He then went to the hospital where he has been for the past couple days.  I think they determined that he was having atrial fibrillation.  His heart is strong but it is beating abnormally so they are working to get it back to where it should be.
Sunday a few of the guys did a father’s day bike ride and went out for some coffee.  It was…

Saturday July 19th Ingram Park Ride

Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club

Wheels Down at 7:30 a.m.  Join us for 24 miles of highly shaded paved trails.  Come and and enjoy the company and the wild life.  For Information contact Heidi Lynn at 842-2383 (cell) To get to Ingram Park and Ride from northwest; take 410 west exit Ingram Rd make a right on Ingram make an immediate left at the first red light. Park and Ride is on the right hand side across from Joe’s Volcano.  Coming from the Southwest take 410 east exit at Ingram Rd make a left on Ingram second red light opposite Ingram Mall make a left. Park and Ride is…

Art in public places: almost-useless bike racks @ new West Austin pool

bicycleaustin.info

The new “portal” to the West Austin (Enfield and MoPac) pools is really cool looking–except the bike racks are not functional.  I have a normal bike and it didn’t fit properly into the front-wheel slot, and it was impossible to lock my bike to the rack with a U-lock.  You would need a cable to lock, and a very long one to grab your back wheel too.  The supposed bike parking is not “functional” like the dedication plaque inset into the ground says.
According to the City’s Art in Public Places web site (policies page) http://www.austintexas.gov/department/aipp-policies, “For each AIPP project, a Selection Panel of visual art professionals is established for the…

It pays – in peaches – to ride a bike

By Pam LeBlanc        www.austin360.com

Add this one to the “things you’d never notice from your car” file.
The other day, while pedaling west from the Austin American-Statesman along the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, I rode past a row of peach trees laden with fruit. Unlike the peach tree in my backyard, which is covered with flowers early in the spring but turns into a buffet for the neighborhood squirrels in the ensuing weeks (literally, out of 200 or so baby peaches, I ate exactly zero, and yes I have a few choice words for the dastardly rodents), these trees are covered in peaches. They are firm and…

Bicyclist to travel from Wisconsin to Texas

By Cala Smoldt/Staff Reporter        www.aledotimesrecord.com


The Aledo Times Record welcomed an unusual visitor through its doors Monday, June 16. A man seeking to fill his empty water bottles had no idea he was walking into the office of a newspaper when he said he was on his way from Wisconsin to Texas…. on bicycle.
Daniel Ring, 25, from Bristol, Wis., is on the trip of a lifetime as he bicycled his way through Aledo on day 6 of his trip to Granbury, Texas. Daniel said he has traveled about 216 miles so far, and he’s back on track after losing his way on a road incorrectly mapped and is subsequently 3 days behind…

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

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