Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup February 7th

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Wheels down: Ambitious national mountain bike series to start in Central Texas

By Associated Press        kxan.com

The sport of mountain biking was born and raised in the United States, which makes it all the more frustrating to American riders that they’ve been lapped by their European counterparts.
USA Cycling is hoping to change that with a new domestic series that will offer the richest cross-country purse in the world and should attract most of the top riders.
The U.S. Cup Pro Series presented by Sho-Air Cycling Group came together late last year, but the details were announced just this week. They include an $81,000 purse that will…

Twenty hours on two wheels – and all for a cure

By Kate Weidaw        kxan.com

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Jim Sisler has been on a roller coaster ride since 2009. That’s when he found out he had colorectal cancer.
After a year of treatment, it went into remission. But a year later, the cancer had metastasized to his liver.
Another year of treatment and six months of remission only led to another diagnosis of cancer in his lung. Now in his late 40s, he’s undergoing chemotherapy again.
His family has been there every step of the way, but it’s hard.
“The questions are: How do you handle and help support the person who is fighting and…

Post-Valentine’s Day Fun Ride

Corpus Christi Cycling Club

When: 7:30 am, February 15, 2014
Where: Coffee waves at 5738 So. Alameda location.
Join us for a 10-20 mile fun ride followed by complimentary coffee and cupcakes. Awards will be given to the best dressed cupid. There will be a group ride thereafter heading to the river for extra miles.
Location: Coffee Waves on Alameda
5738 S Alameda St
Corpus Christi, TX
(361) 986-0xxx…

Fellow cyclist accident is a touching reminder of why we can never back down on safer roads for cyclists

www.wheelbrothers.com

Back in January, Wheelbrothers was notified of a bad road accident involving a fellow cyclist in Houston. While we are always saddened when something happens to one of our own, this accident was especially disheartening as these cyclists did absolutely everything right that day – from their safety precautions to their use of wearable ID’s.
We were fortunate enough to get to chat with one of the riders, Martin Hukle. Wheelbrothers retells the story of what happened to him and Carol that day. Plus Martin offers some great reminders of safety tips for every cyclist to be aware of, for every ride and at every experience level.
Your kids may complain or feel silly wearing that bike helmet, but a recent story brings home how important this—and following other bike safety rules—is.
This incident took place on January 1, 2014 in the Houston area. Martin Hukle and Carol Anduhl were both avid bike riders with years of riding experience and solid safety records. Carol was even a member of a Houston riding…

2014 TMBRA XC State Championship Series Kick Off

www.texasmountainbiketrails.com

This weekend kicks off the TMBRA XC State Championship Series at Rocky Hill Ranch with the Sun and Ski Rocky Hill Roundup. Online registration for the race is closed but onsite registration is still available (it is what I will be doing). The race starts at 9:00 for Cat 3 racing 8 miles. Followed at 10:00 by all of Cat 2, all singlespeed, women’s Cat 1, men’s Cat 1 40 and older and junior Cat 1 racing 16 miles. The last race of the day will feature the Men’s 39 and younger Cat 1 and the Cat 1/Pro race starting at noon for 16 miles. The weather is looking like it will be a great weekend for camping and riding. If you are looking for a review of the trail check out my post from last week, Rocky Hill Ranch Trail Review.
This year the series will run from now until May 18th where the last race of ther series will close out at nearby Bluff Creek Ranch. There are a total of 8 races covering some of the best trails in Texas so be sure to come out and race or cheer at as many as you can. You…

Shiny

An Old Guy On Two Wheels

No hesitation
Didn’t even think twice.  Said yes immediately when a colleague asked for some help.  He was building a custom bike and needed assistance with final assembly.  I even got to build the wheels.
It’s taken longer than we thought.  There were some parts on backorder and some parts that went astray.  And I had to move my shop into the living room.  The garage has…

WCCRT TTR (All welcome)

Woodlands Cycling Club

Saturday, February 15, 2014, 07:30am – 10:30am
Meet at the Ashlane YMCA, wheels down at 7:30 am. This is a race team training ride, pace will be fast – but can also break into different groups of ability. There will be regroup points for brief stops to come back together as a group.
Although it is a race team training ride, all are welcome to come out and ride to experience riding with the race team. While we do look out for one another, know the route and be prepared – each rider is expected to be responsible for him/herself. We observe all the same safety protocols of the club – be prepared to stop at all stop signs, etc.
Ride route: MapMyRide
The lake route (counterclockwise) is: woodlands parkway to Honea Egypt road to Honea Egypt Community road to Sendera Ranch road to Fishcreek Thoroughfare to McCaleb road to hwy 105 (right turn) to FM 3083 (left turn) to longmire road (left turn) to…

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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup February 6th

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Woman accused in fatal hit-and-run of Houston cyclist appears in court

By Carol Christian        www.chron.com

Margaret Renee Mayer, 35, accused of fatally injuring Montrose bicyclist Chelsea Norman, appeared Thursday in court. She is charged with failure to stop and render aid.
Mayer was arrested Feb. 5 and is free on $30,000 bond.
As a condition of Mayer’s bond, Judge Brad Hart ordered that if she drives she must use an intoxilyzer in the vehicle. Her next court date is March 21.
Norman, 24, was gravely injured in the crash about 10:20 p.m. Dec. 1 in the 1600 block of Waugh. She was pronounced dead Dec. 4 at Memorial Hermann Hospital.
According to court documents, a woman who…

“Roll Models” Ride for Fitness

by Matthew        bike4heck.com

Wow it’s been a while since I’ve posted. It’s also been a busy few months. We had a death in the family back in November (Tina’s Grandmother), then Christmas, a camping trip here or there, and also…. We are expecting a baby! (Due in Aug. 2014)!
Well, I found this video today and really like it. It shows many of the groups and rides we have been on/ride with.
I love that it is showcasing cycling here in San Antonio as…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJp1eRELBg8&feature=player_embedded

Bike journey turns harrowing in West Texas

By LINDSAY WEAVER Odessa American

ODESSA — In their younger years, Cindy and Stephen Weber of Mount Vernon, Wash., loved to take long biking trips together.
They always wanted to go cross-country by pedal, but as life happens — with the demands of jobs and raising four children — they finally got their opportunity to set out after 34 years of marriage.
They sold their home in Washington, quit their jobs and…

‘Vigilante’ cyclists hunt for stolen bikes

By Kevin Schwaller

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A self-described vigilante group says its mission is to find stolen bicycles in Austin.
It’s Facebook group states: “Our Mission is to protect every cycle and cyclist from the grasps of the worse people on earth- BIKE THIEVES”
Michael Johnson calls himself president of the Sith Lord Vader Squadron — it’s a Star Wars reference.
“We consider ourselves a cycling organization,” said Johnson. “Last year we recovered 47 [bikes]. This year we recovered four.”
Johnson says the S.L.V.S. has more than…

It’s My Park Day at Walnut Creek

The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group

Saturday, March 1, 2014 9:00 AM to Sunday, March 2, 2014, 2:00 PM
Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
12138 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, TX (map)
Meet in the Pool Parking Lot
In partnership with the Austin Parks Foundation
(APF), Austin Ridge Riders will be holding a trail work day event.
There will be several groups working on various trail projects including the installation of tables and benches as a part of the ARR $30,000 grant from the APF.
Additional crews will be working on continuing to repair damage from the October floods as well as other trail projects.  Groups…

Pedernales Falls State Park Trail Building Day

The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group

Sunday, February 16, 2014    9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Pedernales Falls State Park
2585 Park Road 6026, Johnson City, TX (map)
It’s a big park please click the map link below
MEET AT 9 am at Park Headquarters.  After meeting up, we will relocate to where the park entrance road crosses the pipeline corridor to begin building.  If you are running late, look for a bunch of cars parked along the park entrance road and listen for chainsaws.
Austin Ridge Riders trail building project to bring new trail at the park.
NO TRAIL BUILDING EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Austin Ridge Riders will provide tools & guidance for volunteers, as well as a prize…

Ride 2 Recovery cyclists to stop in Tomball March 23

www.yourhoustonnews.com

More than 200 injured veterans and active duty military cyclists will stop in Tomball as part of the “Ride 2 Recovery Texas Challenge” on Sunday, March 23.
Tomball will be the group’s first stop in its multi-day ride from Houston to Fort Worth.
The “Ride 2 Recovery Challenge” provides physical and mental rehabilitation for our nation’s injured veterans and healing heroes with cycling as the core activity. As a part of the rehabilitation program, the service men and women are provided…

Paceline Newsletter

Fort Worth Bicycling Association
Our most recent Paceline (the club’s online newsletter) was added 2-3-14
http://www.fwbaclub.org/docs/paceline/02-14.pdf

February 8th and 9th Rides!

Steiner Ranch Cycling Club

NEW KIT FITTING PARTY Please join us February 26th at The University of Texas Golf Club in Steiner Ranch in the bar area.  We will be doing fittings from 6pm until 8pm.  If you want a kit show up for the fitting or make arrangements with Tom Delaney at delaneyt@earthlink.net to drive out to his area for an alternative date to get fitted.  The kit looks awesome and we are making final touches.  Brandon O’Keefe has been our designer and he is making some final tweaks for us.  We are moving forward with Descente and we are going with the top of the line pro kits.  Tom Delaney is our contact there.  We have solidly committed 5 sponsors and trying to…

Monday Evening Ride

Pedal Pushers

Every Monday during the season.
San Angelo, Texas
NOTE: This was prepared last year just before I hurt myself again and then went on a vacation. I was still experimenting with my new GoPro and hope to use it a lot this season.
We were scheduled to go to Wylie for an organized tour this past weekend. However, the weather did not cooperate for a ride. Rain, cold, sleet.
So I thought I would experiment and put together a compilation of our routine Monday evening group rides. As mentioned in a previous post, I am starting to take videos with a GoPro Hero 3. What a learning curve it has been…and is still.
Our routine ride starts at the Mary E. Lee Park (the beach) at Lake Nasworthy. We normally ride straight into Spring Creek Park. However, as we were beginning this…

Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest 2014 UPdate

www.desertsportstx.com

Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest 2014 UPdate
Author: Desert Toad; Published: Feb 6, 2014; Category: Current Events, Mountain Bike Event; Tags: Festival, Mountain Bike; No Comments
Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park
Lajitas Trail System
Lajitas Trail System
Big Bend Ranch State Park
Big Bend Ranch State Park
The CHIHUAHUAN DESERT BIKE FEST is around the curve…February 13-15, 2014!
NEWS of the WEEK
Pre-registration is at 312 riders today (up from 189 pre-reg in 2013) with only a few more days to register at bikereg.com. Pre-reg will close Feb 8th at midnight CST (aka Feb 9th at 2:00 AM EST) Reminder…there is a cap at 500 registrants!
Onsite Registration Schedule:
Wed, Feb. 12th at Desert Sports in Terlingua from 1 pm – 6 pm.
Thu – Sat, Feb. 13th – 15th at the Maverick RV Park in Lajitas…

Forums » Justice Issues / Collisions  » New, tougher laws for hit-and-run in Texas

by MichaelBluejay        bicycleaustin.info

In September, the penalty in Texas for serious hit-and-run was raised to the same level as intoxication manslaughter: 2 to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.  This is supposed to close the loophole that gave drunk drivers an incentive to flee, since the penalty for hit-and-run was less than it was for intoxication manslaughter.
In theory.  I doubt very many people knew the relative levels of the various penalties, and a drunk driver who just killed somebody isn’t the best person to suddenly start evaluating their…

Forums » Other » Police arrest two for taking bait bikes downtown

by MichaelBluejay        bicycleaustin.info

This is slightly dated, but in December, APD did a sting where they left a (presumably unlocked) $2000 Trek at 6th & Sabine, and waited for someone to take it.  They made two arrests, in two different instances.  Since the bike was valued at over $1500, it’s a State Jail Felony (180 days to 2 years in jail).
Something about this doesn’t feel quite right.  The kind of person who takes a super-expensive unlocked bike one time is likely usually not the same kind of person who makes a habit out of cutting locks on bikes and hauling away as many as he can.  I’m not worried about the…

Forums » Rides and Events » Bike Trails Open House & Bike Rodeo

by AusTexMurf        bicycleaustin.info

City of Austin Public Works Department
Bicycle Program
Gear Up & Get Ready!
Bike and Urban Trails Plan Open House & Bike Rodeo
Saturday, February 22 | 10 AM to Noon
Rosewood Recreation Center & Tennis Courts
1182 N. Pleasant Valley Road, Austin, Texas 78702
Bring the kids for this family-friendly event!
Get a FREE bike check up & maintenance, courtesy of the Ghisallo Foundation
Enjoy…

B-cycle opens more stations, offers discount to ACC students

By Pam LeBlanc        www.austin360.com

Students and staff of Austin Community College get a cut on memberships to Austin’s new bike share system, officials announced today.
Under a new partnership with Austin B-cycle, they can purchase a 5-month semester membership for $25 – that’s half of the regular cost – by…

Everman to Mansfield and Beyond

Lone Star Cyclists

Pace: Touring with a Fast Pace Option (Touring is a varied pace with frequent stops averaging 12-15 mph)
Date: Saturday, February 22, 2014 – 9:00am
Location: Everman Post Office, 500 S Forest Hill Dr, Everman (NW corner of South Forest Hill Drive and Shelby Road)
Distances: 26 and 43 Miles
The club will meet at the Everman post office Saturday morning and explore the roads that lie between I-35W and US-287 southeast of Fort Worth. We’ll head to Mansfield, drop down to Rendon and Retta, and skirt Burleson on our way back to Everman. Pretty roads and hilltop views will…

TMBRA Pace Bend Race: registration, kid’s kup and preride

The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group

Saturday, March 15, 2014
9:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Pace Bend Park
2011 Pace Bend Rd N, Spicewood, TX (map)
We will be in the RV area. Don’t forget to register on BikeReg.com
2014 Texas XC MTB State Championship Series…

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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup February 5th

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Hit-and-run charge filed 2 months after cyclist’s death
By Dane Schiller, Dug Begley        www.chron.com

Prosecutors filed a hit-and-run charge Wednesday against a Houston woman who they contend was drinking and driving when she fatally struck cyclist Chelsea Norman in early December.
Norman’s death galvanized the city’s bike riding community and spurred calls for justice and answers.
In a document filed by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Margaret Renee Mayer, 35, is accused of intentionally not stopping her car after hitting Norman, who was riding home at about 10:20 p.m. on Dec. 1 from her job at Whole Foods Market in Montrose.
Norman, 24, was gravely injured but alive when she was found sprawled on…

Cyclist in body brace, distracted driver off the hook after Farmers Branch crash
By SCOTT K. PARKS        www.dallasnews.com

Corky Rawdon never saw it coming.
And now he’s one of the latest victims of distracted driving in North Texas.
Rawdon, 64, was enjoying a Saturday afternoon bicycle ride near his home in Farmers Branch. He was pedaling in the right-hand lane of Valley View Lane near Oran Good Park when a white SUV rear-ended him.
“The next thing I know I’m on the ground,” he recalled. “I intentionally moved my arms and…

Race Against Cancer! Ray Porter Memorial 6 Hour
www.texasmountainbiketrails.com

SATURDAY, February 8th!
Don’t miss the second annual Race Against Cancer at Tyler State Park this Saturday February 8th.
In light of our communities recent loss, this year the Big Pig Cancer Foundation has officially renamed the event in honor of local endurance, mountain bike legend Ray Porter who passed away on December 27th after being diagnosed with Cholangiocarcinoma on November 13, 2013. Ray and his wife Gina have been active supporters of the Dallas / Ft. Worth mountain bike community for many years and now it is our time to give back and support “his girl”. …

Highland Lakes Mountain Biking team members follow own paths
DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR        www.dailytrib.com

BURNET — At some point, two guys — likely — came across a dirt path while pedaling their bikes, looked at each other, smiled and headed off the road. It probably happened hundreds, even thousands, of times, but, eventually, that little side trip led to the creation of modern mountain biking.
It’s something members of the Highland Lakes High School Mountain Biking team experience every time they hit the trails, whether during competition, practice or just a ride.
“With mountain biking, you can pick your own path,” said team member and…

Next Monthly Meeting – West Texas Cycling Association
Date: February 10, 2014
Time: 7:00 PM
Host: Randy Muslow

Where:
4703 S. Loop 289
Conference Room
Lubbock, TX

Even in cities with setbacks, consensus for protected bike lanes keeps rolling
Michael Andersen, Green Lane Project staff writer        www.peopleforbikes.org

Bluebonnet Lane in Austin, Tex.

The sign that a new idea is succeeding isn’t when it scores some early victories. It’s when it experiences setbacks … and survives.
Here at Green Lane Project HQ, I’m pleased to say we’re having trouble keeping up with all the protected bike lane projects popping up across the continent. Though we’ve just updated our database of proposed, planned and built protected bike lanes in the United States, cities of all sizes seem to be doing their best to make it obsolete as soon as possible. And as I went through the news from January, I noticed an interesting trend: even when bike projects suffer setbacks, advocates and…

Race Volunteers Needed!
Texas A&M Cycling
We are looking for volunteers for our race on March 1 and 2! We need all the help we can get so we can continue to host a successful event. Anybody is welcome to help, you’ll just need to do a quick, online, certification training. To sign up, complete the form on…

Rudolph’s Revenge 30 Mile Single Speed Spin Fest
www.bigpigracing.org
Overall, this race had everything, and the set-up and support was top notch.  The first 5 miles were flat and fast crushed granite greenbelt; from there it took a turn onto pavement into a couple of lung burning climbs, and some nice downhill sections for about another 5 miles.  Then you get to the Isle du Bois (IDB) trail, which is some of the most technical single track in North Texas.  Rock gardens are the norm, with some sandpits thrown in to really test your skills, but overall the trail flows really well.  10 miles of this with a good bit of elevation gain and loss and then we headed back the way we came through the pavement hills, and finishing on the superfast greenbelt.
I was 1 of only 6 crazy enough to attempt the race on a single speed, and unfortunately did not pick the correct gearing at all (34×22).  I was way under geared for the greenbelt and hills, but felt great on the single track.  For the first 5 miles, I was trying to keep pace with my teammate and eventual first place finisher, Mr. Big Pig himself.  He was pushing a much stronger gear (34×17), and it took a lot just to…

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Texas Bicycling News February 4th

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Interview – Plane Great Ride 2014 – Mongomery, TX
www.wheelbrothers.com
It’s that time of the year again Wheel Brothers! Time for the Plane Great Ride 2014! Neil Moore was kind enough to share a little about this ride with us. With amazing scenery, Plane Great is one you will not want to miss.

Why join your ride?
We think we have some of the best routes around.  If you like beautiful scenery and lots of support then this is the ride.

How long has your ride been around?
Ten years.
What was the motivation behind starting the ride and who benefits from it?
We had a growing BP MS150 team (Continental Airlines Team) and during a downturn in the airline industry we lost most of our company support.  We had a lot of members that were passionate about cycling and the causes we support so we decided to try putting on this ride.  Some of the proceeds fund our logistics cost for the…

Faulkner Park, TT#4, 4 Pedals of the Rose
Tyler Bicycle Club
We have a new date 2/23, for the rained out lindsey TT. Don’t forget every TT you enter puts your name in a hat for a drawing to win a Trek 19.5 Rig SS a $1400 value.

Bike Across Texas 2015
by BikeAcrossTexas        www.bikeforums.net
I’m starting a ride next year that will traverse Texas, starting in Orange at the Sabine River, and finishing in El Paso at the Rio Grande. This ride will coincide with the BPMS150 Houston to Austin, starting 2 days before, and continuing on the Tuesday after.
This ride will pass through the piney woods of east Texas, Coastal plains, Texas Hill Country, and on through West Texas through the Chisos Mountains. We’ll have bike transport and sag support. I’m working on accomodations.
This will be purely non profit. Motivation for this ride will be for the personal challenge of riding 850 + miles in 10 days.
I’d like to hear from those who have an interest in participating in this “bucket list” magnitude event.
Roy Olsen…

Intro: Southwest to Southeast USA
By Katie Farynaz        www.crazyguyonabike.com
We decided to do this bicycle trip to hopefully avoid most of the winter weather, visit as many family and friends as possible along the way, and just for the fun of it.
The plan is to travel by bus from Denver, CO to Albuquerque, NM then pedal to Sierra Vista, AZ for Thanksgiving with family. After Thanksgiving we’ll head east through New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. After Florida we’ll go north through Georgia and finish up in South Carolina or North Carolina.

Day 61: League City to High Island, Texas

Jack & Adam’s Bicycles Is Moving!
by Jack & Adams Bicycles
Jack & Adam’s Bicycles is moving! That’s right, after 10 years of business and 7 years in our current spot, we will be moving exactly 200 meters to our new location. We are expanding all sections of our shop: bigger swimming selection, bigger bike selection in Road, Triathlon, Mountain, & Lifestyle, and a bigger running selection. The new store will also have a Daily Juice recovery lounge, 2 showers, an indoor…

3T recalls Cervélo bikes with Aduro Aero bars
by BRAIN Staf        www.bicycleretailer.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. (BRAIN) — In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada, 3T has announced the recall of 2012 and 2013 Cervélo P5 bicycles fitted with 3T Aduro aerobars.
The forward extension mounts can detach from the base bar while riding, causing the rider to lose control and posing a risk of injury. 3T has received 28 reports of incidents, including one report of a broken collarbone and four reports of abrasions.
The recalled Aduro bars were manufactured between January and July 2012 and…

Accelerator Summit
www.austincycling.org/events
May 3 & 4 – Details coming soon.
Bike To Work
Bike to Work Austin – May 16th, 2014. The mission of Bike 2 Work Day is to attract new bicyclists to commuting while rewarding those who already use their bikes to commute. Commuters improve our community by decreasing traffic congestion and reducing air pollution. Cycling commuters also arrive at work in better health and more alert.

San Angelo Bicycle Association
This Saturday, February 8th will be the second Saturday of the month. That means trail work, no really we mean it this month. We still need to do some fill in work along the fenc… about 20 hours ago – View on Facebook

B-cycle eyes station at H-E-B Central Market
By Edmond Ortiz        www.mysanantonio.com
San Antonio’s bike-share program, B-cycle, is looking at an area in front of H-E-B Central Market in Alamo Heights for one of its next stations.
Alamo Heights Public Works Director Pat Sullivan told City Council voted Jan. 27 that San Antonio Bike Share, the non-profit that operates B-cycle, approached the city about the possibility of building a station at 4821 Broadway.
Sullivan said a double rack station and…

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