Daily Texas Bicycling News April 23rd

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Memorial ride scheduled for beloved cyclist fatally struck by vehicle

Dan Santella | The Monitor


EDINBURG — Spurred on by the victim’s wishes, friends of an admired University of Texas-Pan American employee killed this past Thursday are planning a bike ride in his honor for Thursday morning.
Bike riders with the “5AM Wake-Up Ride” Facebook group have organized a “Memorial Ride for Eddie Arguelles” scheduled for 5 a.m. Thursday. As of shortly before 8 p.m. Tuesday evening, the ride had 182 pledged attendees. Tony Vargas, a friend of Arguelles who is helping to set up the event, said that organizers are working with police departments from…

Double Lake Trailwork Day

GHORBA

Event category: General
Trail: Double Lake Recreation Area
Sunday, April 27, 2014 – 9:00am
Trail workday Sunday, 4/27, 9am. Meet at the DL Trailhead parking area. Goal is to finish clipping back the race course trails. Free entry for trail workers. I’ll have…

Shifting gears

By Jennifer Reiley        www.thebatt.com

Student feedback sought on bike issues to guide improvement
Transportation Services is seeking student feedback about A&M’s bicycle-pedestrian infrastructure in hopes of improving it in the fall.
Transportation Services contracted Alta Planning and Design, a company focused on improving bicycle and pedestrian layouts for communities, on April 14. Ron Steedly, manager for alternative transportation, said they are offering on-campus forums to provide students with the opportunity to voice concerns about the current biking situation at Texas A&M.
Steedly said Transportation Services was motivated to start developing a plan now, based on the expected growth of campus with student housing developments near campus and the…

Best Bike Shop in the North Texas area

dallas.cityvoter.com

Biking enthusiasts are very particular about their choice in bike shops. Who do you trust with your ride? Voting starts soon! Voting for the Dallas A-List starts April 28 at 8:00AM. Browse all 145 categories and let us know if any of your local favorites are missing.

Group Bike Ride

www.beaumontcvb.com

April 26, 2014
Every Saturday    8:00 am
Colonade Shopping Center
6410 Phelan Blvd
Beaumont, TX 77706
409-656-3372
Three levels of ride, fast-greater than 20 mph; medium, generally a no drop ride 17-20mph; no drop 10-15 mph. Rides generally last 3-4 hours through the countryside around Beaumont and surrounding communities. The no drop group meets closest to Elena’s restaurant at the Colonade Shopping center, the others in front of Goodwill. Rides may start later when weather is colder. Helmets required.

Moonlight Madness Bicycle Ride

www.beaumontcvb.com

May 09, 2014
Registration, 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm. Ride starts at 10:00 pm.
Early Registration: $8 w/out shirt, $15 w/shirt. After May 4th: $12 w/out shirt, $20 w/shirt.
Rogers Park
1455 Dowlen Road
Beaumont, TX 77701
409-860-5065 or 409-838-3613
Visit Website
Enjoy live entertainment, door prizes, and family fun. Helmets and lights are recommended. Beginner level, 14-miles. Course includes rest stops. Rollerbladers welcome. Sponsored by: Parks & Recreation, Beaumont Police Department, Bicycle Sports.

The Art of Acquiring (& Keeping) Sponsorships

By Ted Arnold      texasbikeracing.com

I’ve been lucky to work at and ride for great shops and sponsors, and occasionally work with or for (not ride for) some pro teams. With time, I got to see almost all sides of the sponsorship equation at almost every level. I saw a lot of proposals and pitches—plenty of bad ones, and plenty of good ones. It made me think it was time to write a sponsorship brain dump. Maybe the following advice will improve your current relationship with sponsors, or will help you put together a plan. However, if you don’t want to put in the work it takes to plan ahead, build long-term relationships, and keep your deal going, then I can stop your pain now by saying read no further.
Think about your actions this way: if you treat people well, it becomes your legacy. For those who want to look at the long term, what I’d advocate is a steady, thought-out approach. At the end of the…

Push on to place more bike racks in Heights

By Flori Meeks        www.chron.com

Push on to add more parking for cyclists

Heights resident Mitch Cohen has placed two racks along 19th Street this year that can each store about 10 bikes and will continue raising money for more.
“I haven’t exactly taken over the area with bike racks, but it has been fun,” said Cohen, who manages the Heights’ First Saturday Arts Market and began working on the rack project about two years ago.
This grassroots effort was inspired while Cohen and other organizers of White Linen Nights in the Heights were cycling from business to business in…

The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group

Austin, TX
3,937 Mountain Bikers

Meet other local mountain bikers to organize rides, review trails, gear and trade tips. All skill-levels welcome. We’ll try to organize rides that fit all experience levels. M…

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The Warm Up

Bike Noob

I went out Sunday morning with a group I’d never ridden with before. We left from Mellow Johnny’s bike shop in downtown Austin and headed south. Four of us showed up for the so-called “Mid-Century Ride,” named because you had to be at least 50 years old to take part. We four were all men, all more than 60 years old.
The ride leader took us on a circuitous route to get out of downtown. We wound our way through tight turns, almost stopping, almost putting feet down. Finally, after taking some sidewalks through a city park, we reached a north-south residential street, and could ride freely.
Except that I noticed something. Our free riding was still pretty slow riding. I understood that we had to ride slow getting out of downtown — it was just too congested with the turns and the pedestrians. But…

A new day for BikeHouston

Spoke & Word

BikeHouston makes progress in first quarter of 2014
BikeHouston is gaining momentum. With the arrival of Executive Director Michael Payne there is activity on all fronts. Upon arrival it was recognized that BikeHouston needed a clear campaign for communication with the Mayor and City Council. In mid January BikeHouston launched its Goal Zero Fatalities Campaign. Thanks to the efforts of Advisory Board member Dan Morgan and a diverse group of cyclists who have taken their time to speak to City Council we have made good progress. On March 26 Mayor Annise Parker announced that the City of Houston would partner with BikeHouston to implement the Goal Zero Fatalities Plan. This represents a major step forward for Houston cyclists.
Three words are center in this campaign: Engineer, Educate and Enforce. The Mayor has stated the city’s commitment to…

Bell County: Police Memorial Bike Ride Honors Fallen Officers

www.kwtx.com

KILLEEN (April 23, 2014) The “We Remember” Memorial Bicycle Trek Across Texas passes through Killeen and Belton Friday as a group of San Antonio police officers makes stops in every community in Texas where officers have died in the line of duty.
The officers will spend Thursday night in Killeen and then will ride Friday morning, with a police escort, to the Killeen Police Department, where they will present a memorial flag to the family of slain Officer Bobby Hornsby at around 8 a.m.
Hornsby, 32, died in a shooting in July 2013 at a Killeen apartment complex.
He was a four-year veteran of the Killeen Police Department and a member of the…

Rocky Tuesday. Barton Creek Greenbelt. Intermediate Pace. Hard Terrain.

Tuesday, Apr 29, 2014, 5:00 PM

Barton Creek Greenbelt – Trail’s End/Hill of Life
1710 Camp Craft Rd Austin, TX

7 Mountain Bikers Went

Note the 5pm start time.  The next four weeks will be the same start time due to my work schedule.  We will drop back to 6pm or so for the four weeks that follow.This is not a ride for beginners or even budding intermediates.  The terrain is rocky, dangerous, difficult.  This is a drop ride meaning that if you are unable to keep pace, you may be …

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Ride into spring with Tyler’s bicycle trails

by Kristen Chapman Reporter        www.ketknbc.com


Tyler, Tx ( KETK) — The Texas Trails Network honored the city of Tyler’s Parks and Recreation Department with the “Great Texas Two Step Award”.This award was presented for the development of the “Lindsey Park Mountain Bike Trail’.
KETK spoke with Stephanie Rollings from Tyler’s Parks and Recreation, who said, “It’s all about making a quality of life better here in Tyler you know at the least cost to the taxpayers”. The 10 mile trail was completed in January and constructed entirely by volunteers. Rollings said, “We worked with multiple partners in that project. The Tyler Bike Club, the County Court at Law, the county had a lot to do with it. They provided a…

Young Gun in NC : a Texas Junior’s Crit Report

by Chris Degenaars        texasbikeracing.com

Chris is 15 years old and races for the Park Place Development team. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisDeg18.
This past Friday I competed in Winston-Salem, North Carolina for my last time here in NC at the WSCC Amateur races Friday morning. We arrived Thursday evening to pre-ride the course and get settled in…although the Strava link that was given, was inaccurate, we did our best to follow it. The course was 1.4 miles, so more of a circuit than a criterium, had one U-turn and one roundabout. There was a quick (semi-steep) uphill coming out of a downhill, tight U-turn then it tapered out to a slight incline for another 500 or so meters, flattening out far back from the roundabout to turn into a downhill, then an uphill finish about 300 meters after the roundabout. The slight uphill finish favored us juniors who had restricted…

MAY IS BIKE MONTH: CELEBRATE WITH US!

League of American Bicyclists

Whether you bike to work or school; ride to save money or time; pump those pedals to preserve your health or the environment; or simply to explore your community, National Bike Month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride.
Established in 1956, National Bike Month is a chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling – and encourage more folks to giving biking a try! Here are some important national dates for May this year:
May 7: Bike to School Day
May 11: Cyclofemme
May 12-16: Bike to Work Week
May 16: Bike to Work Day
May 21: Ride of Silence

Bent Wheel Bash

TMBRA.org

April 12 & 13
Buck Creek Trails/Police Academy
Abilene, TX
Results

HBC Urban Challenge Ride Ride

Houston Bicycle Club

Sunday 04/27/14 9:00AM
Distances: 40 to 45 miles
The Urban Challenge Rides are in-town group rides, faster and longer than the EZ Rides, each time taking you to different parts of the city. You should be able to maintain a pace of 15 mph for a distance of 40 to 45 miles, usually with one rest stop.

DATES Round and Round the Lake Ride

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts

When:     May 21, 2014 06:15 PM
Where:     Alfonso’s Italian Restaurant – Dallas
Ride Start: Alfonso’s Italian Restaurant, 718 N Buckner (at Northcliff), Dallas
Meet Time: 6:00 PM
Ride Time:  6:15 PM
Ride Leaders:  Ernie & Regina Coose
Distance: Two loops around White Rock Lake
We’ll saddle up in Alfonso’s parking lot, then take Northcliff to the lake. We’ll ride two clockwise loops around the lake, in a DATES group or at a pace of your own. After the ride, please join us at Alfonso’s for…

ARTCRANK: Austin

by djcurtin            Bicycle Sport Shop’s Offical Cycling Blog

Are you ready for ARTCRANK? Do you know what ARTCRANK is? Rather than explain it to you, Patrick Murphy, ARTCRANK’s Media Director got us the lowdown from the Founder and Creative Director of the show, Charles Youel. In short, ARTCRANK is an exhibition of bicycle-inspired posters that showcases talented local artists and lets visitors purchase affordable, original artwork while also expanding the cycling community. You can find out more about ARTCRANK at artcrank.com and about this Friday’s show on Facebook here.
Here’s the backstory on ARTCRANK!
Answers by Charles Youel, Founder and Creative Director of ARTCRANK:
How did ARTCRANK start?
The seeds of the idea for the show started germinating in 2006. I was working for an advertising agency in Minneapolis, and basically just needed a creative outlet that didn’t involve clients, budgets, meetings….

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

https://twitter.com/txbikeracing/status/458983354436571136

https://twitter.com/PeggyAlger/status/458967547531247616

Event Reminders

FM1485 Construction – Chip’n Seal

Texbiker.net Posted on by

After watching the La Fleche Wallone race from Europe I got an earlier start biking. My first attempt to leave was at 10:25 but about 500 feet into the ride I realized I left my cell phone at home so I circled back to get it. The purpose of today’s ride was to check out the road construction on FM1485 east of Loop 494. The warning signs have been up for a month or more but no work is visible from Loop 494. The sign says the work is for 6 miles. This reaches to the east fork of the San Jacinto River. I want to ride around the north side of Lake Houston in the future and this road is the primary way to do it.

Heading east on FM1485 the first signs of construction was the approach and exit to the bridge over Caney Creek. The asphalt had been ground off leaving the ruts of the grinding head. This can be tricky riding over but my tires fit in the grooves and no problem. The next bridge goes over Peach Creek and it had the same treatment. Coming up the hill from Peach Creek I could see traffic backed up. Earlier I saw two signs warning of one lane traffic but there was none. This time the signs were correct. After stopping for several minutes the east bound traffic started moving. I pulled over into the left lane with 3 or 4 vehicles behind me. In a few hundred feet I hit chip’n seal  which did not appear to be too old. This went for about two miles. The right lane was chip’n seal as well and once I cleared the construction equipment I moved to that lane to let the traffic behind me pass. I think I rode about 2 miles on the chip’n seal from Peach Creek Baptist Church to East River Baptist Church just before the street I would turn on. All the time I was thinking “I hope this is not the final surface for FM1485”. At East River Baptist I had to wait for the oncoming traffic to clear. Once they were gone I headed to Willaby Road to turn left and go to Roman Forest. As I approached Willaby the road had a new 3″ coat of asphalt in the right lane and my questioned answered.

With the construction on FM1485 I will delay the ride around north Lake Houston for a few weeks. Once it is finished the road should be nice and smooth again to at least the east fork of the river where Harris County begins.

I expected to lengthen the route I rode on 10/29/2013 by going through Forest Colony and Auburn Trails on the return section to Kingwood. In October the distance was 35.5 miles and today I biked 37.29 miles. Normally I do not go through Auburn Trails because I end up on the south bound US59 service road and it shortens the by a mile or so. With today’s longer ride this was not a problem.

Stopping at the Stripes station on FM1314 for about 30 minutes allowed me to recover and ride a good pace the rest of the way home. I averaged 15.7 mph against a 9 mph south wind. The temperature was 77 at the start and 84 when I finished at 1:30. The sky was partly cloudy. When I was at Stripes one man asked if the wind was a problem and I said not really, it has been harder on other rides.

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Daily Texas Bicycling News Digest April 22nd

Texbiker.net Posted on by

El Paso driver gets 10 years in bicyclist death

www.valleymorningstar.com

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A West Texas driver has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for striking and killing a bicyclist in a 2009 daytime wreck.
A jury in El Paso on Monday sentenced 29-year-old Araceli Nava, who was convicted last week of manslaughter.
The case involved the death of 47-year-old Gustavo Vega. The victim on Aug. 29, 2009, was riding his bicycle on the shoulder of a road when he was hit by an SUV in a midmorning accident.
Prosecutors say Nava had been…

El Paso woman sentenced to 10 years in prison in bicyclist’s death

By Adriana M. Chávez \ El Paso Times

The family of a bicyclist struck and killed by a motorist in 2009 said Monday they finally felt justice was done after waiting almost five years for a jury’s verdict.
Last week, a state district court jury convicted Araceli Marrufo Nava, 29, of manslaughter in the death of Gustavo Vega, 47. Nava had been accused of hitting Vega while driving a Nissan XTerra SUV in the 15100 block of North Loop Drive about 10 a.m. on Aug. 29, 2009. The same jury on Monday sentenced Nava to 10 years in prison and recommended she pay a $10,000 fine.
Vega had been riding his bicycle on the shoulder of North Loop when he was struck by Nava, who admitted to 911 dispatchers that she had been drinking and using her phone and falling asleep while driving.
When 346th District Judge Angie Juarez Barill announced the…

Hill repeats at St Ed Park with 512-Racing p/b AJ’s Cyclery

Tuesday, Apr 22, 2014, 6:00 PM

Location details are available to members only.

2 Mountain Bikers Went

Hill repeats to work on hill endurance and line selection.Ride at your own riskHelmet requiredFunctional mountain bike required

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City of Tyler recognized by Texas Trails Network

www.tylerpaper.com

Various local entities have received recognition from the Texas Trails Network, the city of Tyler announced.
According to a news release, Texas Trails Network recently honored the Tyler Parks and Recreation Department, the Tyler Bicycle Club, Smith County Court at Law No. 3 and All Saints Episcopal School with the “Great Texas Two Step Award” for their work with the Lindsey Park Mountain Bike Trail.
Based on the nomination, the trail was constructed by volunteers and opened in January 2013.
“Community partnerships and involvement are important in our community,” Parks and Recreation Director Stephanie Rollings said in a statement. “This award is an example of how working together brings success.”
About the time that the trail was being developed, Tyler Bicycle Club members sought permission to use Smith County Jail inmates as part of their labor force. Bicycle club members Billy Hibbs Jr. and Trey Bryant also received permission from the Tyler parks board for use of the land.
Trail work was significantly moved forward through assistance from Smith County Court at Law No. 3 Judge Floyd Getz, according to a news release, and…

Six new MetroBike Shelters opening

By Kate Weidaw        kxan.com

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Commuters who ride MetroRail have a new option beginning Tuesday.
Because more and more people are biking to the station, Capital Metro has come up with a solution so that commuters don’t have to bring their bikes on the train.
It’s called a MetroBike Shelter.
It’s a fully enclosed bike-lock area that can only be accessed by purchasing a card. The idea is to give commuters a safer option for leaving their bike.
Plus, according to CapMetro officials, bikes take up enough room for four people to stand. And since the trains are standing-room-only many mornings and evenings, the hope is to…

Flat Creek Crossing Ranch Open Ride

Saturday, May 3, 2014, 9:00 AM

Flat Creek Crossing Ranch
County Road 201 & Ulrich Road Johnson City, TX

21 Mountain Bikers Went

Flat Creek Crossing Ranch is open to the public on Saturday May 3rd for mountain bikers, come out and ride.This is a notification that the trial is open to the public, not a ride call with a specific leader. If you don’t know the trail and want a guide for your ride post up in the comment box and someone will join you.Gate fee is $10, proceeds b…

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Spring DADA Bike Swarm and Uptown Ciclovia

Bike Friendly Oak Cliff

There’s always an opportunity to ride a bicycle in our great city of Dallas, TX, but these two upcoming events are expecting a big bicycle crowd to take part!
Let’s roll!
First up, the Spring edition of Dallas Art Dealer’s Association or DADA will host another Bike Swarm in conjunction with their bi-annual gallery tour.   Here are the details: …

Ride With Richard at MuensterFest!

Cycling Center Dallas

If there’s a fun time to be had up in the Red River area, it can be found in Muenster!
This weekend’s Ride With Richard will be at the Muenster GermanFest! It’s got everything!
Great Roads
Varied Terrain
Wind
Bier!
We’ll be riding the 40 mile route, and once again, we will be STARTING FROM THE BACK OF THE PACK. The course will look like this: …

Upcoming Rides

El Paso Bicycle Club

Saturday, April 26
Vamos a Vado-8:00 am
Sunday, April 27
If The Bike Fits/Gear Up Your Bike-7:30 am
Tour de Optimism-8:00 am
Tuesday, April 29
B/IG Interval Training-5:45 pm
Wednesday, April 30
Wednesday Night Ride -5:15 pm

This Week’s Activities

Fort Worth Bicycling Association

Burleson and Beyond
Thursday, April 24, 2014 9:00 am
Burleson: Commerce Street     69ºF
The Rusty Chain Gang Romp
Thursday, April 24, 2014 9:00 am
Benbrook: YMCA     70ºF
Bike Out Hunger – Weatherford
Saturday, April 26, 2014 8:30 am
Joe Pool Lake
Saturday, April 26, 2014 9:00 am
Grand Prairie: Lynn Creek Marina     88º/69ºF
Muenster Germanfest Rally
Saturday, April 26, 2014 11:00 am
Wedding Celebration Ride
Saturday, April 26, 2014 11:00 am
Benbrook Lake Pavillion #1     90º/68ºF
County Road Cool Breeze
Sunday, April 27, 2014 9:00 am
Arlington: Sublett and 287     87º/63ºF
The Rusty Chain Gang Ramble
Tuesday, April 29, 2014 9:00 am
Fort Worth: Columbus Trail City Building…

Upcoming Rides and Events

San Antonio Wheelmen

Saturday,4/26:            Toutant Beauregard Ride
Sunday, 4/27:             Southside Mission Ride
Saturday, 6/14:           Annual Summer Picnic
Friday, 7/4:                 Independence Day Ride

Tyler Bicycle Club Advocacy Committee Meeting

Tyler Bicycle Club

On Monday May 5th at 6:45 pm, the TBC Advocacy Committee will be meeting after the TBC Board meeting. This is a preliminary meeting to form the committee, so anyone who is interested in serving on the committee or has ideas about cycling advocacy in the Tyler area is encouraged to show up. Information about the meeting is posted in the calendar.
Billy Hibbs, a current member of TXDoT?s Bicycle Advisory Committee and fellow cyclist, is hosting a meeting at Heartland Secruity Insurance Group
auditorium, one block north of the Chili’s on Loop 323 and across the street from…

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

Tuesday, Apr 29, 2014, 6:15 PM

15200 Memorial Dr
15200 Memorial Dr Houston, Te

4 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

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Thirteen cycling officials pass USA Cycling National Commissaire Clinic

www.usacycling.org

Colorado Springs, Colo. (April 22, 2014) — Last month, 13 cycling officials successfully passed USA Cycling’s National Commissaire clinic at the national governing body’s headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Held March 3-9, the clinic featured instruction and testing, and was taught by international commissaires Noreen Landis-Tyson, Randy Shafer, and Wayne Pomario. …
Cyndi Smith (Houston, Texas)…

Erwin Park Dirt Duels!

by Shawn McAfee        Texas Mountain Bike Trails

If you’re following what Kevin Lee from The Spinistry and I are doing with Lone Star XC you may have heard about the crazy new race format we are trying in May.
This new format has been lovingly named The Dirt Duels, and it is a short track sprint wrapped into a double elimination tournament. You race head-to-head on a 1 mile course to outsprint your opponent while spectators jeer and…

Choosing a light for night riding; things to keep in mind besides lumens

by Shawn McAfee        Texas Mountain Bike Trails

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nyuGz3ewTH4

Pedernales Falls State Park TRAIL BUILD & RIDE!

Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014, 8:00 AM

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

2 Mountain Bikers Went

Pedernales Falls State Park TRAIL BUILD & RIDE!Build and RIDE NEW TRAIL that Austin Ridge Riders is building at the park.EARN PAYDIRT!  Bring your forms.10 MILES with 1000′ of climbing are READY TO RIDE FOR TRAILBUILDERS TO EVALUATE BEFORE IT”S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.  Here is a gps of what’s more-or-less rideable at this point: http://connect.garm…

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St. David’s South Austin Medical Center to Give Away Free Bicycle Helmets

impactnews.com

In order to ensure Bastrop residents remain safe, the St. David’s South Austin Medical Center trauma department will be giving away youth and adult bicycle helmets (while supplies last) and injury prevention materials from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, during Yesterfest in downtown Bastrop.
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, more children ages 5 to 14 are seen in…

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

Event Reminders

Law Enforcement Officer Day

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Today’s route was a lengthened version of my typical Atascocita – Walden – Huffman ride. I tacked on the extra miles by riding east of Huffman on FM1960 to the Liberty County line. At the turn around point I then came back on Huffman-Eastgate past the Hargrave HS to FM2100 then south to FM1960. The ride totaled 37.57 miles and I averaged 16.1 mph. The new experience today was pedaling in the big chainring for the first time. I have a compact crankset (50 x 34 teeth) and for some reason I have not shifted to the 50 on any ride. As I started east on FM1960 at Atascocita Shores Drive I shifted to the 6th cassette gear and then to the 50 up front. I expected my legs to bog down but I was able to keep the power going and my speed increased to 20+ mph all the way across the causeway. When I turned onto Fairlake Drive the road starts to undulate  some and I dropped down to 19 mph until I got to FM2100. At that point the road is flat allowing me to increase the speed some. As I headed FM1960  I heard a train whistle and at the Huffman crossing I saw the Tuesday Amtrak go past on the way to New Orleans. A week ago I attempted to be at a crossing to take some pictures but the train was a no-show.

On FM1960 I rode to the Liberty County line still using the 50 and 6th rear cassette gear. I stayed in that gearing until I was back on FM2100 riding south to FM1960. I wanted to ride to the Liberty County line to check the road surface. I used to ride to Dayton on FM1960 but stopped several years ago because TxDOT put chip’n seal on the road. Looking at the short section past the county line it appears smooth asphalt replaced the chip’n seal. I may test this out going further east to where the railroad overpass is.

I will proclaim today law enforcement officer day. While I stopped at the Huffman Chevron for a break I saw two DPS state troopers and five Harris County deputy sheriff cars. Later I saw a Houston police cruiser and a Harris County Precinct 3 constable. When I turned onto Fairlake Drive earlier a state trooper had a pickup truck pulled over and as I left the Chevron station the same trooper had another pickup pulled over at the station. I should have felt very safe.

Riding home from Huffman I maintained a good speed with the wind only at 3.5 mph from the NW. I wore short and long sleeve jerseys today but probably only needed the short sleeve one. The temperature when I started at 11:51 was 78 and 84 when I finished at 3:00. Partly cloudy skies allowed the sun to help warm things up. The next several days are supposed to be in the mid 80’s.

I am making progress to reach the April 778 mile goal. I am at 609.56 miles leaving 177 to go. 78.08 miles this week so far and 1869 miles year to date.

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