Texas Bicycling Daily News Roundup January 9th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Encouraging Austinites to saddle up
by Nikki Javurek        www.peopleforbikes.org

This year, the highlight of my holiday season wasn’t the food or the presents (although, let’s be honest, the cookies and gift cards definitely weren’t bad), it was being able to be a part of the launch of Austin’s new bike sharing system, Austin B-Cycle.

After months of logistical work and years of planning, Austin B-Cycle launched its first fleet of bikes on Saturday, December 21, 2013.  PeopleForBikes Vice President of Government Relations, Jenn Dice, and I were able to be part of the celebrations to roll out bike sharing in Austin.

Starting bright and early (well, not quite bright, because it’s still pretty dark at 7am in Austin, especially during the winter solstice), Jenn and I, along…

Mountain biking can be a vicious cycle
By Joshua Trudell, For the Express-News

SAN ANTONIO — In December 2011, it was all Bobby Ludwick could do to ride a bike one block.

A former champion rider, he had lost a foot in a car accident the previous February. After months of recovery, he got back on his commuter bike.

“I went one block, and it took 10 minutes,” said Ludwick, a San Antonio resident. “At the same time, I said, ‘I can do this. I can get back to this.’”

With work and a new prosthetic, he’s…

Hit by a car in Austin, TX
by Mkhira2        www.bikeforums.net
First post!

I was riding southbound on a popular cycling road here in town (Loop 360), and a car who was turning onto my road failed to see me and clipped the side of my rear wheel, causing me to crash. He admitted full responsibility. I broke my helmet, sustained a few injuries, and my bicycle is totaled. I’m in good spirits.

I’m mainly writing this post for two reasons:

1) To ask you all to please continue to stay as safe as possible out there. You never know what will happen, no matter how safe you are. Accidents happen.

2) To thank you all. A gentleman driving an SUV who I’ll likely never meet again saw my accident and stopped to help me while I was lying on the ground. He told me he was a fellow cyclist and offered every bit of time and resource he had to…

Masters racers show their mettle on second day of cyclo-cross nationals
www.usacycling.org
Boulder, Colo. (Jan. 9, 2014) — Fourteen Stars-and-Stripes jerseys were donned Thursday as masters divisions ruled the second day of racing at the 2014 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships held at Valmont Bike Park in Boulder, Colo. The podium finishers for the final four divisions of the day had their medals presented by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to cap off another exciting day of racing. …

…Christina Gokey-Smith (Denton, Texas/Colonel’s – Sho-Air) turned in a fantastic race to place second, 28 seconds behind Baum, while Catherine Moore (Waco, Texas/Squadra Di Servitori) earned the bronze medal, 1:05 behind the winner. …

…Robert Llamas (Montrose, Calif./Montrose Cycling Club) took the masters men’s 70-74 title, Ronald Riley (Aptos, Calif.) earned the victory in the masters men’s 75-79 race, and Walter Axthelm (Durango, Colo./Durango Wheel Club) reclaimed his crown from Frederic Schmid (Waco, Texas/Bicycles Outback Racing) in the masters men’s 80-and-over division, after Schmid had dethroned Axthelm last year in Verona, Wis.

We’ve Got it Good…
www.texasmountainbiketrails.com

The following is from Pedro Del Busto, local McKinney TX rider.

It’s interesting that sometimes it takes the holidays, a new job, a life changing experience or something else to make you reflect and put things into perspective. Luckily for me, I do have the holidays and a significant life-event all rolled into the last 30 days to give me a reason to reflect and material to write about.

A few days ago, we finalized what has seemed like a never ending process of agreeing to move to Seattle – the actual move will happen in April, but all paperwork is signed. The headquarters for the company I work for is based there, and I hear the riding is pretty good (I don’t want to sound too enthusiastic about it in case my boss or wife read this and think this is the only reason I’m so excited to move).

Although we’ve been thinking about moving for a long time, it never got to more than talking about it for a few minutes and continuing with our lives in McKinney. So, I never really thought about not being in DFW and all that I would miss about it. Clearly, family and…

Wideload
An Old Guy On Two Wheels
Those tireless folks at FedEx just made my cargo bike that much more cargo.  Yes, Mongo is now a wide load.

Oblate Trail Ride
Team McAllen Cycling
Saturday, March 29th, 2014 at 7am – 12:30pm
Location: Brownsville’s Immaculate Conception Cathedral

Save the Date for the 2014 Oblate Trail Ride!
Saturday, March 29, 2014

Routes are…

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

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Tweets

https://twitter.com/MitchellGSides/status/421426207800827904

I was one of the 1600 making this ride. I rode 1988 as well.

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup January 8th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Sunday, January 12th: Ride-Along with Bikes Across Borders
By Thomas Butle

Since 2001, Bikes Across Borders builds bikes out of scrap parts, rides them into Mexico, and donates them to social justice orgs there.
We welcome you to join our bike-tour for a day from Harlingen to Brownsville. There will be a feast afterward at the Brownsville Bike Barn (624 Madison). If you would like to join for the ride to Monterrey, message one of the event hosts.
–Ever been curious about self-supported cross country bicycle touring?
–How about organizing with a big (~25) touring group?
–Get all your questions answered as we cruise!
Feel free to use this page to network a carpool.
Stay tuned as this page updates with meetup and route info! More Evening Event(s) in Brownsville TBD! …

DORBA DIRT DAYS AT BOULDER PARK
Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association
Sunday, January 26, 2014    1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Boulder Park
6808 Pastor Bailey Dr Dallas, TX 75237, Dallas, TX (map)
Come out and learn your way through Boulder Park mountain bike trail!
All levels are welcome, we will break up into groups according to riding ability.
Helmets are required…

Sister Grove trail workday series 2014
Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association
Saturday, February 8, 2014    7:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Sister Grove Park
11110 County Road 562, Princeton, TX (map)
First posted trail work day of 2014! A lot of work was done last year, making SG fun to ride again, but winter has been harsh, and will probably necessitate branch clean up and dirt work. We are still working on trail improvements from last year (signage, rut repair, cutting down some large trees) but…

Bike University
January 24th & 25th, 2014 at the Westheimer Sun & Ski.
Sun & Ski is calling all cyclists! Whether you’re on a racing team, training for the BP MS150 Ride or just learning how to ride a bike, Sun & Ski invites to you to attend its annual “Bike U,” for free clinics, food, refreshments and more, January 24th and 25th, 2014 from 6-10 p.m. at Sun & Ski, 6100 Westheimer Rd.
“Bike U” will feature cycling-specific clinics designed in helping you prepare for…

2 men arrested in robberies near Terry Hershey Park
By Dale Lezon        www.chron.com
Two men have been arrested in the sexual assault of a woman and several robberies in recent weeks on a hiking and biking trail in west Houston.
Damontres Darnell Mitchell and Jassan Rashaad Hughes, both 18, are each charged with one count of sexual assault and two counts of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, according to the Houston Police Department.
Police said the pair is suspected in the sexual attack and robbery of a woman Jan. 3,- at 989 Eldridge as she was jogging in Terry Hershey Park. They also are suspected in six other robberies at the park dating back to Dec. 14. In each incident the men brandished a weapon and…

Why I Ride…
www.wheelbrothers.co
We are thrilled to have Lisa Hanson Tilley as a guest today. Lisa has a great story about the very thing that pushes us to do more each and every day and how sometimes all it takes is the feeling of accomplishment to make you want to just go one more mile.

Lisa Hanson Tilley

Thank you for sharing your story Lisa.

‘Why I Ride’ As seen in The Racing Post…

Getting on the bike allows me to clear my mind and lets the details of the day fade into the background for just a little while. Instead, I focus on the sunshine and the Texas wind and hills ahead of me. It’s a chance to remember who I am from the inside-out, and to surprise myself on a pretty regular basis as to who I can be when I challenge myself. It has transformed me physically, mentally, and…

Paceline
Fort Worth Bicycling Association
Our most recent Paceline (the club’s online newsletter) was added 1-4-14 and is available

TMAA Monthly Meeting!
TMAA – Team Member Activities Association (San Antonio, TX)
January 20 @ 5:30 am – 6:30 pm
Details
Date:    January 20, 2014
Time:    5:30 am – 6:30 pm

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

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Tweets

https://twitter.com/LA_Underhill/status/421072005476020225

https://twitter.com/MitchellGSides/status/421035273703944192

 

Texas Bicycling Daily News Roundup January 7th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Bikes and vehicles can share the road
Express-News Editorial Board
SAN ANTONIO — Few topics inspire more passion than bikes vs. cars.
Many drivers want cyclists off the roads, even though they have a right to be there. Many cyclists feel threatened by drivers, only to invite danger by running stop signs, hogging lanes and riding the wrong way on roads.
Despite the high-volume rhetoric, bikes and vehicles can share the road. The city of San Antonio should remember this as it evaluates plans to improve a stretch of Theo Avenue and…

January 11th and 12th Rides!
Steiner Ranch Cycling Club
Saturday we had 11 riders and we really had a great time.  We all stayed together all the way downtown and on the way back 4 of us came back via Shoal Creek and 7 of us came back via Bee Caves.  We booked over 60+ miles on that ride.

Sunday only 2 people showed up because it was COLD.

Since all rides were cancelled this past weekend let’s try the same routes out this weekend.   The extended looks good with temps in the 60’s / 70’s.   I hope everyone has a great Turkey Day!

STRAVA HIGHLIGHTS

The Strava highlights for last week by category are as follows…

Bike Lanes / Facilities    » APD’s on the bike lane
bicycleaustin.info
Today at 7:40 am, APD police patrol 1467 was sitting on the southbound bike lane in the 1200’s block of Webberville Road while its driver-officer was busy scanning the speed of the passing motorists.

I imagine he was doing so to protect us all from the dangers of speeding parents driving their offsprings to school while texting and/or trying to have breakfast at the wheel. Perhaps that might be deemed a laudable task; but forcing cyclists to move to the regular traffic lane —occupied by those very same drivers— seems unwise, at least to me.

It probably is just my limited understanding of human behaviour once…

Cycle Academy
The Ghisallo Foundation
Start Date: 2014-01-01
End Date: 2014-12-31
Status: ACTIVE

Background
Since the spring of 2011, the Ghisallo Foundation has provided youth bicycle programming as part of after-school programs, bike rodeos, and maintenance shops, as well as an earn-a-bike program and a Bike Club. These public programs are designed to foster bicycle riding, safety, maintenance skills, mechanical and problem-solving skills, and leadership skills in interested youth. Our goal is to develop self-sufficient cyclists who can then share their knowledge and skills with their peers.

In our experience conducting these programs, we encountered a lack of cycling education materials for multi-session courses for a wide range of youth ages as well as adults. There is a need for programming that is age-group relevant and reading-level appropriate; is self-contained and self-paced; addresses safety and maintenance as well as riding proficiency; and that provides skills progression as the cyclist advances. The curriculum should also include a defined reward and recognition system so that cyclists may clearly determine their level of…

School Based Bicycle Programs
The Ghisallo Foundation
Start Date: 2014-01-13
End Date: 2014-12-31
Status: ACTIVE

One of the principle outreach programs undertaken by The Ghisallo Foundation is the School Based Bicycle Program at Elementary, Middle and High Schools within the Austin Independent School District (AISD). These free public programs are designed to foster bicycle riding, safety, and maintenance skills, mechanical and problem-solving skills, and leadership skills in interested youth. Our goal is to develop self-sufficient cyclists who can then share their knowledge and skills with their peers by developing the skills and confidence to ride safely in multiple environments. A comprehensive course outline based on our Cycle Academy framework provides the…

Tweets

https://twitter.com/dallas_racing/status/420550737651716096

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup January 6th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Rad Reportage: 2014 Texas Cyclocross State Championships Photo Gallery
prollyisnotprobably.com

Ride for Reading El Paso

Fronteras 330: Bicycling in the Southwest – Foster & Pearson
KRWGnews

Fronteras: A Changing America (Ep. 330) Monica Ortiz Uribe has a discussion with Bennet Foster, President of Velo Paso and George Pearson, League Cycling Instructor #2614 about bicycle safety and future plans to make the area more bike friendly. More information about…

Houston Ghost Bikes
www.criticalmasshouston.com
The Houston Ghost Bike Facebook page is about keeping track of all cyclist who has passed away from car related incidents, poor streets related incidents, & crime related incidents against cyclist.

The page will keep track of cyclists death, names, location, news article, vigil events, court trial dates, and…

San Antonio Cycling Club Ride Schedule

12
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM:
Lonesome Oak Ride, 26 or 33 miles
13
14
9:00 AM – 11:30 AM:
Leon Creek Trails, Mainland Trail Head
15
4:30 PM – 7:00 PM:
Port SA Afternoon Ride
16
9:00 AM – 11:30 AM:
Leon Creek Trails, Mainland Trail Head
17
9:00 AM – 12:30 PM:
The Amigos Ride

Texas student taking summer bike ride
krvn.com

Picture Cutline: (l to r) Bill Wallace, Ashley Wallace, Louise Dannehl, Jerry Dannehl.
Ashley Wallace, of Austin, Texas will be going on a cancer bike ride this summer called the Texas 4000.

Her father is Bill Wallace, who is from Lexington. He is the brother of cancer patient Louise Dannehl.

Ashley Wallace says the Texas 4000 is a bike ride from Texas to Alaska.

“So Texas 4000 is the longest charity bike ride in the world. It’s twice the length of the Tour De France. And it’s about 90 students from the University of Texas at Austin riding their bikes from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska to raise…

Bayou City Outdoors
www.wheelbrothers.com

Date: January 25, 2014
Event: Bayou City Outdoors

About the Ride: This is a very social ride (we chat a lot) and all levels of riders are welcome. We will start the morning off with a leisurely coffee at Onion Creek and then cruise through 2-3 markets to shop for fresh produce, sauces, jams, and bread. This is a 12-15 mile ride that lasts about three hours so bring plenty of water and a backpack to carry your goodies!

Plan on sticking around after the ride to enjoy lunch at Onion Creek Cafe.  They are a locally owned eatery and one of the first of it’s kind.  Good food, good brews and…

City of McAllen Arbor Day Challenge
www.wheelbrothers.com

Date: January 25, 2014
Event: City of McAllen Arbor Day Challenge

About the Ride: This past year, the City of McAllen, Keep McAllen Beautiful, and Texas Forestry Service organized our first annual Arbor Day Challenge.  This year, we teamed up again to bring you an exciting, family-friendly event that will play an important role in “planting” the future for trees in our city.

This coming year, on January 25th, 2014, Keep McAllen Beautiful will be hosting the second annual Arbor Day Challenge.  We invite you to come out and participate with the rest of your community!  Get active, celebrate trees, and…

Bike crash temporarily sidelines Fit City
www.austin360.com

By Pam LeBlanc
I’m really bad at sitting still. Which means, of course, that I’m really bad at injuries.

Saturday, I was riding my new dual suspension mountain bike at the Slaughter Creek Trail with my husband and some friends when I hit a patch of jagged limestone and got slammed to the ground. Just like that my right leg and arm looked like I’d gotten into a wrestling match with a dozen angry house cats.

The fall won me a trip to the minor emergency center, where the doctor ordered…

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

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Tweets

https://twitter.com/danielcurtin/status/420079378966384640