Texas Bicycling Daily News Roundup December 19th

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Oasis Adventures
Lone Star Cyclists
Pace: Touring with a Fast Pace Option (Touring is a varied pace with frequent stops averaging 12-15 mph)
Date: Saturday, December 28, 2013 – 8:30am
Location: The Oasis / Lynn Creek Marina, Joe Pool Lake, 5700 Lake Ridge Parkway, Grand Prairie

Distances: 29 and 50 Miles

These routes will take us east of Joe Pool Lake and into Dallas, Duncanville, and Cedar Hill (and several others on the longer route). We’ll return across Joe Pool Lake with appetites whetted for a…

Encouraging employers to add bike parking
by Zoe Kircos        www.peopleforbikes.org

In our office, we spend a lot of time talking about bicycle infrastructure. Protected bike lanes, buffered bike lanes, conventional bike lanes, multi-use paths, pump tracks, bike parks, singletrack, you name it. If you can ride a bike on it, we’re talking about it. You know what we don’t spend enough time talking about? Bike parking.

I could ride a gold-plated, state-of-the-art, grade-separated protected bike lane from home to work every day and if I was stuck hunting around for a…

A tale of two bike events: photo essay
Bike Denton
November 16th proved to be an awesome day for Denton bicycling events with the 2nd Annual Bicycle to Recycle Tour and the Golden Triangle Alleycat Race.

Both events started on the Square and ended socially at East Side Social Club. Christopher went with the race and Devin the Recycle Ride. Here’s what we saw:

[*Most Recycle Ride photos courtesy of Alana Presley with the City of Denton]

Update: It took Dallas police one day to find Mary Suhm’s stolen custom-made Dallas-themed bicycle
By Robert Wilonsky        cityhallblog.dallasnews.com

Update at 3:13 p.m.: Mary Suhm just texted with this follow-up: “DPD found the bike!” So happens our Scott Goldstein was in her office when she got the call. He writes, “Make sure to include she literally screamed with joy when she got the phone call from DPD.”

It’s still not clear what condition it’s in or if any arrests were made. All we know for sure it…

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No Where to Hide

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The third day riding in a row showed how tired my legs were. I selected the Atascocita – Walden – Huffman route to stay over the 30 mile per ride mark. The route totaled 32.63 miles at 14.9 mph average speed (Golden Cheetah’s calculation). Garmin Connect slowed me down to 14.5 mph which is probably correct. My legs struggled almost the entire ride and the wind seemed to be in my face no matter which direction I rode.

Apparently one other rider wanted to be out today. We briefly passed on FM1960 at Fairlake Drive when he started to cross FM1960 to ride west.

I try not to start out with the weather so I am burying the lead to this paragraph. I did not leave until 1:44 because I waited for the rain on the radar to move out. Up to that point the rain was to the north of Porter and south of Atascocita. It rained lightly several times at my house but the sun would break through. I finally decided to try riding telling my wife I might call her for a rain rescue. All went well with no rain until I was riding west on FM1960 on the causeway over Lake Houston. As to be expected when I got to the middle with no where to hide I could see the rain coming towards me. I rode into it and for a hundred feet or so it felt like sleet. By the time I reached the west side the rain stopped, of course. I think this is the first time to ride in sleet. Riding on the causeway I was glad I had a windbreaker and long sleeve jersey but I could’ve used leg warmers. The temperature dropped several degrees but warmed up once I got off the causeway. The streets were wet until I was north of the San Jacinto River on West Lake Houston Parkway.

Friday the weather turns wet but in the 70’s with the next cool front coming Saturday. Biking in December can be challenging and this month is no exception.

Mileage marks: December 243.66 miles, year to date 6229 miles.

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Texas Bicycling Daily News Roundup December 18th

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Science Center exhibit explores just what makes bicycles roll
By Elizabeth Veltre            www.post-gazette.com

With its 58-inch front wheel, the Penny-Farthing Columbia Expert may hold the record for the largest wheel on a non-motorized vehicle. The Drombosky Tall Bike pushes the height limit even farther with its adjustable, telescopic frame that can stretch to more than 6 feet tall.
These are just a couple of the 62 models displayed at the Carnegie Science Center’s newest exhibit, “BIKES: Science on Two Wheels.” Spanning two centuries of innovation and design, the show draws a diverse group of patrons ranging from hard-core cycling enthusiasts to parents sharing memories of their first bike with their children. The exhibit, which runs until Jan. 1, also introduces the underlying scientific principles that have transformed the bicycle into…

2013 Collegiate Club Membership Contest Winners Announced!
www.usacycling.org
USA Cycling is pleased to congratulate our Collegiate Membership Contest Winners for 2013, and announce this spring’s new membership contest:
Established Team with the Most Growth in 2013: University of Arizona, with 20 more members than 2012
Biggest New Team for 2013: University of Texas at Dallas, with 17 members
The final totals for 2013 can be found here. The winning teams each received a hefty supply of Gatorade products and new for this year’s contest, cases of Bonk Breaker energy bars!

…Biggest New Team in 2013: University of Texas at Dallas, 17 members
Interview with Zack Sutton- Club President

UTD cycling team
What instigated the formation of the team? Who was behind it and what did it take to make it happen?
I would say that the team was formed more out of “need” than “want”. With ample cycling resources in north Dallas from miles of paths and trails to dozens of group rides on the weekends, it’s an ideal location for a developing collegiate club like ourselves. I myself had been racing collegiately for a few years before arriving at UTD, but met our…

Route Advice – El Paso to San Antonio
by pterellm711
Has anyone cycled from the border in El Paso to San Antonio? If so, which route is best? I-10, or 180E/62E?? Considering road conditions, amount of places to eat and rest along the way, bike shops…. We will then be going through San Antonio, then Houston and into Louisiana and would love advice for that as well! …(responses)

Bicyclist’s death was caused by ‘multiple blunt force injuries,’ medical examiner says
Jury sees accident reconstruction data, autopsy photos.
By Walt Nett    A-J MEDIA
A Texas Tech graduate student who was killed 18 months ago when a drunken driver struck her bicycle near University Medical Center died of “multiple blunt force injuries,” the county’s medical examiner testified on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

Sridhar Natarajan stated that position after explaining the details of at least six autopsy photos of Britta Silvia Schneider. The 32-year-old graduate student from Germany, who was working toward…

Gran Fondo: Texas TMCO charity bike ride names TWFG Insurance Services as title sponsor
by Ethan Ryder        tickerreport.com

The Woodlands, TX. (12/18/2013) –  The Gran Fondo:  Texas TMCOâ„¢ charity bike ride, one of the most successful rides leading up to the BP MS150 ride, has a new title sponsor.  TWFG Insurance Services, headquartered in The Woodlands, has signed on as the title sponsor for the next three years.  “We are very excited about our partnership with TWFG Insurance Services” said Eric Powell, Chairman of the ride Steering Committee.  “It brings together two outstanding organizations for the purpose of benefitting the Texas Medical Center Orchestra and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society,” said Powell.  Richard “Gordy” Bunch, CEO of TWFG Insurance Services stated “TWFG is dedicated to helping the community in positive ways.  Our partnership with the Gran Fondo: Texas TMCOâ„¢ is one more way that we can give back to the…

Britton’s Jungle Bell ride 12/17/13 Windcrest,Texas(San Antonio,Tx.)
Jerald Rolls

Sample of Jungle Bell bicycle ride 12/17/13 Windcrest,Texas looking at the lights

5th Annual HANGOVER HUNDRED K on New Years Day.
Oak Cliff Bicycle Company
We’re coming to the end of another wonderful year, and as we do every year we are gonna start the next one of right too, with good friends, exercise, beautiful journeys, and BIKES! We will take you on a 63ish mile route with some great country roads and lots of picturesque scenery away from the city and traffic. If you haven’t come out with us before we’d love to see you this year. Here is the…

Driver hits woman on bicycle in West Harris County

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A woman riding on a bicycle was hit by a car Wednesday in West Harris County. …

December 21st and 22nd Rides!
Steiner Ranch Cycling Club
Triple B’s  – Saturday December 21th at 8:30am at Cups & Cones

The Triple B’s ride is approximately a 52 mile bike ride that will roll out from Cups & Cones at 8:30 am morning. The ride is scenic and it follows around the lake via lime creek and volente and there is about 2,100 feet of climbing.

We will bike out from Steiner Ranch and make the climb out to the 620 via the Steiner Ranch Steakhouse route then head down the 620 and make a left on Anderson Mill Rd. and then another left on 2769 (turns into Volente Rd) and head into Volente Village.  When we get to Volente Village we will make a right turn up the…

Steve’s Cleburne Cludge
Lone Star Cyclists
Pace: Touring with a Fast Pace Option (Touring is a varied pace with frequent stops averaging 12-15 mph)
Date: Saturday, December 21, 2013 – 8:30am
Location: Chaf-In Restaurant, 209 W Henderson (US Business 67), Cleburne

Distances: 31, 45, and 58 Miles

Meet in the parking lot behind the Chaf-In Restaurant. Steve Bales welcomes you to join him for breakfast at the Chaf-In prior to the ride. He’ll be there at 7:15 AM. For more information on the Chaf-In, see http://chaf-in.com. Their number is 817-645-3772.

Let’s join Steve as he heads southeast from Cleburne and…

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Narrow Trail Bridge Excitement

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I rode to the north today going up US59 to New Caney and then turning south on the service road until I went west into Valley Ranch. The legs were not as strong today probably from the effort in yesterday’s ride. Leaving home at 1:01 helped me to avoid most of the traffic from schools until I got to White Oak Middle School in Briar Tree. I was going to go around the traffic backup but decided it was better to wait my turn when the parents moved into the school parking lot. This was a good idea when one impatient driver came around a bunch of cars in the left lane getting stopped by the turning cars and almost veering into my lane.

At this time of the year I don’t expect to see too many other bikers but today I came across two. The first was a lady in Oakhurst riding a road bike with aero bars. She pulled past me quickly and I watched as she turned onto a side street. I was dressed in a lot more clothing than she was. I had two jerseys (short and long sleeve) and a windbreaker. She wore a tank top and shorts. I skipped the leg warmers today and generally this was okay once I got warmed up. The temperature did not quite get as high as forecast with 68 at the start and 67 when I finished at 3:46.

The next biker almost was a collision with me. I was returning home on the trail along Kingwood Drive. The one narrow section is the bridge sidewalk just east of the Houston Fire Department station. As I approached my side I could a rider coming my way but I thought he was far enough from the other side of the bridge that I could get through. All was well until I exited the narrow sidewalk. The sidewalk dumps into a gravel street and I knew he was coming but he didn’t see me. I stopped to let him pass me. He came off the trail on the other side of the street and realized I was there. He braked his mountain bike and a cloud of dust came up. To make things more interesting, this side street almost never has any traffic except today when I pickup arrived as we did. Fortunately the driver was paying attention stopping for the other rider. Once he passed the driver waved me on. Based on previous encounters at this place I watch to see if anyone (biker or pedestrian) is on the bridge or approaching. The east exit has some tall bushes which block the view so I stand to get a better view.

Going on this route came to 32.25 miles. When I started the wind was a light breeze but by the time I finished it was 16.1 mph. I noticed going south in New Caney the pedal effort increase and my speed dropped. The southbound service road did not offer much protection from the wind. My average speed was a paltry 15.2 mph according to the Golden Cheetah program. Garmin Connect was not quite so generous reporting 14.7 mph. I almost made it to 6200 miles for the year but came up short at 6197 miles. December miles moved over 200 to 211 miles.

Thursday weather looks promising with 72 degrees and overcast sky. Rain arrives Friday.

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