Texas Bicycling News and Blog Digest April 10th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Local cyclist on a mission to teach safety to drivers

by KHOU.com staff


HOUSTON – A Houston man is on a mission to teach drivers how to safely pass cyclists on the road, and he’s doing it by riding with a camera and a flag.
“I’ve basically got a flag that sticks out exactly three feet from the…

Q&A with Matrix Challenge Promoter Jeff Lucido

by TexasBikeRacing.com staff


The 31st consecutive edition of the Matrix Challenge, presented by Richardson Bike Mart, is a little over a week away in Dallas. The race is the longest running competitive cycling event in Texas and this year has a few changes. We had a moment to catch up with Jeff Lucido, race director, to ask a few questions about this year’s event.
TBR: The race is switching venues from the famed 8-corner Wilson Historic District. Why the change?
JL: Correct, I can sum it up simply; racer safety.
After last year’s event construction of a new building started at the exit to Turn 8 (Texas St. and Swiss Ave.) of the traditional course. The construction included street cuts for what we assume are underground utility connections. Unfortunately the replacement asphalt covering the hole left a pretty…

I Bike Richardson – Rebecca Ballard

Bike Friendly Richardson

It’s time for another installment of the I Bike Richardson series, where we put a face on Richardson cyclists. We’d like to introduce Rebecca Ballard. She took the time to answer a few questions about biking. Enjoy:
Name: Rebecca Ballard
How long have you been riding?
I’ve been bike commuting for 20 years. I’ve also done triathlons, mountain biking and road riding for fun as well.
How often do you ride?
Not as much as I should. In warm weather I try to ride my bike to work at least a few days a week. I’ll ride to the store or to get a hair cut sometimes, but I’m more likely to walk than ride.
What’s your favorite route? …

SCCCC ACU Road Race – 3/29/14

TechCycling

Collegiate road racing at Abilene Christian University
South Central Collegiate Cycling Conference
March 29 & 30, 2014
http://vimeo.com/91628763

Moonlight Bicycle Madness rolls on Friday, May 9

by Danielle Underferth        beaumonttexas.gov

The City of Beaumont Recreation Division will host its annual Moonlight Bicycle Madness bike ride on Friday, May 9.
This popular annual event is open to riders of all skill levels. The 14-mile course begins and ends at Rogers Park, and includes rest stops, live entertainment and door prizes. Helmets and lights are strongly recommended.
Registration will be from 7 to 9:45 p.m. at Rogers Park, 1455 Dowlen Road. Advance registration is…

LeTourneau students to compete in bike engineering challenge

www.ketknbc.com


Longview — LeTourneau University freshman mechanical engineering student Cody Beaman grew up building bicycles in his hometown of Katy.
“I have always enjoyed building bikes,” he said. “My family and I would buy bikes from Goodwill and rebuild them. This is what I’m doing engineering for. I love building and fabricating.”
In January, Beaman and other LeTourneau University engineering students were…

April 5, 2014 – Tour Dallas – Dallas, TX

www.bicycle-stuff.com

2014 Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour

Scott & White Healthcare

The 2014 Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour will kick off in Waco, Texas on Saturday, September 27 and finish in Fort Worth on Saturday, October 4 with local events held along the way in Austin, Houston, College Station and Tyler.
A maximum of 12 riders will be selected for the week-long ride. Each rider’s life has been personally touched by blood, marrow, organ or tissue donation in some way. During the tour, each participant will ride on behalf of Texans who are in need of a transplant, blood or platelets.
Each fall, donor centers across Texas organize a bike tour called the “Lone Star Circle of Life” to raise the awareness of the need for life-saving donations of blood, marrow, organs and tissues.
Non-professional riders, most of whom whose lives have been touched by donations as a recipient, family member or donor, are chosen to ride in the event. Each day of the tour, the participants ride in honor of a Texan in need of a transplant. Local areas select these honorees from their community.
The eight-day long tour typically covers 600 miles throughout Texas. Local events in communities throughout the route are planned to offer an opportunity to participate by donating blood, registering for the Be The Match Registry and signing an organ and tissue donation card. Recipients, donors and donor families also attend to share their experiences and answer questions. …

Pedernales Falls State Park TRAIL BUILD & RIDE!

The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group

Wednesday, April 16, 2014    8:00 AM
Pedernales Falls State Park
2585 Park Road 6026, Johnson City, TX (map)
meeting/staging area will be on CR 201 just east of the power sub-station where the northern most pipeline corridor (labeled “UTILITY R.O.W” on the map) runs next to CR 201.
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.
Building in the morning and riding after lunch will be on the agenda for build/ride days now as there is plenty to ride and it needs to be ridden in and…

San Angelo Bicycle Association

This Saturday is the 2nd Saturday of the month. Trail work. 8am at the South Shore gatehouse.

If The Bike Fits/Gear Up Your Bike

El Paso Bicycle Club

Sunday, April 27
Description:     Meet at 7:30 a.m. at Crazy Cat Cyclery, 6625 Montana (one block west of Airway, north side of street) for goodies and treats. Crazy Cat will offer 10 percent discount on purchases (except bicycles). Presentations will be given at 8 a.m. on what gear to carry on your bike and proper bike fitting (by Frank Scarbrough, a certified Bicycle Fit Specialist). At 8:30 a.m. we will ride to Fort Bliss (bring your driver’s license for ID to enter) and ride the tank trails. 32-35 miles, 14-16 mph pace. Margaret O’Kelley, 915-588-3825 Advanced pace (18-20 mph) group also will leave from Crazy Cat at 8:30 a.m. Chris Hoffman…

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

https://twitter.com/NewslockerTexas/status/454428663405371392

https://twitter.com/milagroswhip/status/454319878590455808

https://twitter.com/danielcurtin/status/454448696147845121

https://twitter.com/IamWillPowers/status/454345099397566464

https://twitter.com/IamWillPowers/status/454344310537093121

https://twitter.com/txbikeracing/status/454266373774909440

https://twitter.com/JuliaBikes/status/454248019920056320

Event Reminders

Leg Fatigue and Gusts of Wind

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I wasn’t planning on riding today but the opportunity came along so I hit the road. My legs were a little tired and the strong wind didn’t help them any. At 2:05 when I started riding the temperature was a very pleasant 85, scattered clouds in the sky but the wind was from the south at 10 mph with 23 mph gusts. As the ride progressed I began to think the gusts were almost constant. The wind did not let during the ride either. At 4:40 when I got back home it was 16 mph from the south with 25 mph gusts. Riding either direction over Lake Houston on the FM1960 causeway was a hand full. The deep profile rims caught the wind repeatedly and I had to keep a firm grip on the handlebar to not be moved around. The wind was coming across the causeway and the traffic did not do much to slow it down.

Riding to Huffman through Atascocita and Walden meant I was going into the wind most of the time. My legs were showing signs of fatigue from the miles earlier in the week. I was surprised I was able to average 15.2 mph over the 31.61 mile route. Once I got west of Lake Houston the route turns north and amongst homes. The wind then came from my back and I was able to speed up some. I am ready for the wind to let up some. Tomorrow the weather should be 80 degrees, partly cloudy, 10 – 20 mph wind.

I did not see any other bicyclists, probably because I started late.

Where I stand on mileage:

  • 135.32 miles this week
  • 289.43 miles in April
  • 488.57 miles to reach April goal
  • 1549 miles year to date

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Link to RidWithGPS map and metrics.

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Texas Bicycling News and Blog Digest April 9th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

EP Cyclists

Mighty Mujer Ride, a total success. No losers or winners just awesome people riding their bikes having a great time.. If you missed this one , no worries Sunday we’ll have an other Cat B MM Ride..o7’o

Double Lake Trailwork Day

Greater Houston Off-Road Biking Association

Event category: General
Saturday, April 19, 2014 – 10:00am
Next Dbl Lk Workday will be on the Saturday morning right before Easter…4/19 at 10am. Note the Saturday workday and the 10am start time.
We’ll meet at the Bike Trailhead Parking Area and then probably drive out past the forest road gate to the sections that haven’t been…

Austinite & Former 7-Eleven Rider Needs Our Help

by Jeff Cutler        texasbikeracing.com


Russell Scott is a cyclist. Since his first cycling century at age 13, he hasn’t looked back and has spent more hours on a bike than many of us can fathom. In fact, to say Scott has had brushes with fame would be selling him short. Just looking at the 1986 media guide for the 7-Eleven Racing Team is a testament to Scott’s early career.
Names like Frankie Andreu, Bob Roll, Davis Phinney, Eric Heiden and Chris Carmichael jump out at you. Scott actually came up through the amateur ranks with Andreu and was invited to ride with the Senior Men’s Team – the first U.S. bicycle racing team to race in the Tour de France. Though Scott never…

Jersey designs make a statement

By Joy Sewing        www.houstonchronicle.com

If Foster Wheeler’s tuxedo-design cycling jersey grabbed attention at last year’s BP MS 150, expect the team’s faux burgundy smoking jacket to really turn heads at the annual ride this weekend.
An estimated 13,000 cyclists are expected to ride in the 30th annual BP MS 150, which starts in Houston Saturday and ends in Austin Sunday after an overnight stay in La Grange. The ride is expected to raise $18.5 million for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
“We went formal last year, so we wanted to go a bit casual. We had so many people recognize us in the tuxedos and came up to us at the rest stops to look at the design,” said team…

NW El Paso hike and bike trail to honor woman’s memory (Video)

by Pilar Arias        www.kvia.com

EL PASO, Texas – A new Northwest El Paso hike and bike trail will soon be named in honor of a woman who lost her life after a hit and run several years ago.
In October 2010, Elizabeth Hernandez was hiking along Transmountain near Resler with a friend before she was hit and killed by a car.
In a couple months, the new Loop 375 Transmountain Hike and Bike Trail will be named in her honor.
The busy automotive thoroughfare is also a favorite for hikers and bikers in Northwest El Paso. Several years ago, mother of three Hernandez was hit by a car in the area. She lost her life, and a friend was severely injured.
“She was a great person, you know? Very young and beautiful and…

Alkek Velodrome

************** Date Change for The Sprint ***************
The Texas Cup event, The Sprint is being changed from April 12 to May 3. In the past, we’ve held the event on the same weekend as the MS150 but this year it appears to be too much to overcome and the registrations are quite low. So, we have moved it back to May 3rd so we’re not competing with another major event.
We will still have racing this Saturday. We are moving the May 3rd Atomic TT (non-Texas Cup event) to this Saturday April 12 at 2pm. So…

Trail Maintenance

San Angelo Bicycle Association

SA State Park South
FM 2288 – San Angelo
Date(s) – 04/12/2014
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location
SA State Park South
Categories
Volunteer
Join the volunteer crew to do trail maintenance on the second Saturday of every month. Meet at the South Shore Entrance at the San Angelo State Park.

Loop Group Ride

San Angelo Bicycle Association

Great loop group ride tonight. We had about 12 riders. Riders of all ages and ability showed up. The group started out together and gradually broke into small groups based on ability. One of the tandems (there were two) started early and took the longer 27 mile loop while the rest of the riders started just a few minutes after 6pm chasing the tandem. Some of the group turned off at Mikulik Rd to shorten their route to 25 and 20 miles. It was a safe ride with no accidents and a great time of fellowship, learning and exercise. The wind was in our favor on the way out and was giving us some resistance on the way in. Its…

Looking for Dirt – Mountain Biking Barton Creek Greenbelt

Turnin’ Cranks


Put a little edit together from some footage taken while mountain biking Barton Creek Greenbelt in Austin, Texas. Just playing around with different shots and putting a fun little vid together.

Ride to MotoGP with Tim Johnson and Pete Webber

by joeyTWOwheels        texascx.com


Are you on the list for the CX Clinic this Saturday? The one with Tim Johnson and Pete Webber?
Well, unless you were on social media the day of the announcement, you might not have had the chance to sign up before it was sold out.
Fear not, friends, now you can ride on Sunday with the national and world-class stars of cyclocross.
Ride to the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas
This Sunday, April 13, you are all invited to come ride bikes, watch the…

April 12th and 13th Rides!

Steiner Ranch Cycling

Saturday was a great day of riding.  We had Steiner Ranch Cycling Club riders representing at Spokes n’ Spurs (Paul Cardarella) and at the inaugural Texas Grande Fondo (Bill Foster).   We also had 10 riders show up at C&C for the weekly ride out Parmer.
Sunday’s ride was cancelled due to weather.
The club kits should be here soon.  one to three weeks left until we get our awesome kits.
MYSTERY RIDE – Saturday April 12th at 8:30am at Cups & Cones
As many of you know this weekend is the MS150 ride so let’s wish those participating in that ride a great weekend of riding.  We will also have our…

Rolling My New Tires To Fort Worth’s Mallard Cove Park

Durango Texas


Today I rolled my mechanized wheels to the park closest to my abode, that being Mallard Cove Park, to roll my non-mechanized wheels on this beautiful spring day in Texas.
Yesterday and today’s main theme has been tire woes.
A few days after I last rolled my bike wheels in Gateway Park I saw that the…

Mid Main First Thursday Party is for BikeHouston

BikeHouston

Eat, shop, rock is Mid Main’s theme for their special First Thursday nights each month. On Thursday May 1 you can add the word cycle here because Mid Main has chosen BikeHouston as their benefiting charity. That means 5% of sales that evening to make Houston a better place for cyclists. Experience the best Houston has to offer when it comes to eating, drinking, shopping, and having a great time. Arts, books, jewelry, fashionable clothes and lots of more. Music will be abundant and you can also take a shot at the…

Tweets

https://twitter.com/JuliaBikes/status/453889725892284416

A Dog Sprint on Roberts Road

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Today’s route went to the north. Taking the Adams St. exit from Kingwood I circled back to Kroger to see if they sell Eco85 at their fuel center. No Eco85. From there I went north on the US59 service road to Porter then over to Loop 494 via FM1314. I wanted to go east on FM1485 a short distance to Roberts Road to check out the road construction sign at the railroad tracks. Between Loop 494 and Roberts Road the only construction was over the rail tracks. I guess the serious construction must be further east. I turned left onto Roberts Road. I cannot remember the last time I have been on this street and it will probably be awhile before I return. Around half way back to Loop 494 I attracted a large dog and had to go into dog sprint mode to outrun the dog. Fortunately I had a good head start and the dog gave up before he got near me.

Once I was back on Loop 494 I continued to Roman Forest Blvd. Lately I have not biked into Roman Forest using this street but today I wanted to see how the construction is going on the new Tavola community. A couple of new streets go south of Roman Forest Blvd. and they were digging a big hole between the railroad tracks and these new streets. This might be a water feature when they finish.

So far the wind had not been an issue and moving over to the south bound US59 service road I started to get some headwind but not near the wind on yesterday. Staying on the service road I rode to Valley Ranch. Taking Valley Ranch Parkway to FM1314 I stopped at the Stripes station with the Garmin showing 23.99 miles. The sky was clear and the sun felt warm as I sat on the concrete eating my snacks and a Diet Pepsi. The temperature was 78 when I started the ride at 1:16 and by the time I got home at 4:19 the home weather station showed 83 degrees.

This slightly modified route totaled 35.42 miles and I averaged 15.6 mph. My miles now total:

  • 257.82 miles for April
  • 103.71 miles this week
  • 1518 miles year to date
  • 520.18 miles to reach the April goal

Yesterday I forgot to report on the flat I had at 26.95 miles. I was riding north on W. Lake Houston Parkway when I ran over a jagged piece of concrete. I knew as soon as I hit it would be a pinch flat. I pulled into the stores at Kings Crossing and over to Berry Bar Yogurt. They have some outside tables and chairs. Looking at the rear tire there was a white/gray spot on the tire and I wondered if this was the impact spot. Getting the tube out it didn’t take long to find the snake bite. Putting the tube back in after patching it (first try was successful) the patch lined up with the white/gray spot on the tire. I pumped the tire up and headed home. The tire stayed aired up and I topped off the pressure before today’s ride. The rear tire now has two patches, front tire none.

Tomorrow I will probably not ride. The weather for the next several days look perfect with 80 degrees and clear skies.

Links to Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS maps and metrics. I see Garmin announced the Garmin 1000 today. The price is almost as big as the model number. It has a long list of features but I will be staying with the Edge 510. This could be a good time to find Edge 500 units on sale.

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