Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup

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MTB Collegiate Championships – Day 3 of Racing
UT Cycling

All Level Ride @ Walnut Creek Fall/Winter hours
The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group
Sunday, December 1, 2013        1:30 PM
Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
12138 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, TX (map)
We set up under the trees in the parking lot near the swimming pool. Look for the ARR Banner.

New Fall/Winter hours to help when the weather gets colder.  Starting 12/1 we go to 1:30 pm.

We know that this time change doesn’t work for everyone so we hope you considering hosting a ride for yourself and those who might want to ride at a different time or on a different day.

You do NOT have to be a ARR member to attend most…

Club Picnic and Southside Lions Park Ride
Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club
Saturday, November 23rd:  All club members are invited to get together for a day of riding, fellowship and fun at the Southside Lions Park (4600 Pecan Valley Road).  A 16 mile ride at 9:00 am will kick off this event followed by a picnic under Pavilion #2 (located by the lake) beginning at around 11:15  The club will provide sandwiches, water and any deserts left over from the Frolic.  Feel free to bring your favorite side dish.   We do ask that you…

Sweatin’ Burnt Orange Bike Tour 2013
By Texas Cycling

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Texas Bicycling Daily News Roundup

Texbiker.net Posted on by

El Paso bicycling event to help domestic-violence survivors
By Daniel Borunda / El Paso Times
The El Paso County Attorney’s Office is hosting bicycle rides this weekend to benefit survivors of domestic violence.
The “Cycle for Change: From Surviving to Thriving” bicycle tour will start at 8 a.m. Sunday at Eastwood (Album) Park, 3110 Parkwood. The tour features 12-mile, 20-mile and 50-mile courses.
The event seeks to raise awareness about the recovery phase for victims of domestic violence. It is hosted by the…

Save the Date: Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest!
www.texasmountaintrail.blogspot.com

Beginner, intermediate and advanced mountain bikers eager to ride our great Big Bend trails–including Big Bend Ranch State Park’s EPIC ride (rated as such by the International Mountain Biking Association)–should put the Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest on their calendar for next year, February 13-15.
We’re definitely beginners and we had a terrific time on ride, accompanied by Texas Parks and…

Corinth Cycling Club
Sat Nov 2 – 7:30am – Harden Dental Team Ride

Sat Nov 2 – 7:30am- Corinth Cycling Group Rides

Sun Nov 3 – 7:30am – Sunday Group Ride

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Adapting My Route and Soreness

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Sitting on the sofa this morning before 8 AM I picked up my tablet and started scrolling through the Texbiker.net event calendar. I did not realize how many rides were on today’s agenda. As I was looking I thought maybe I should’ve gotten up earlier and went on a ride but the 54 degrees outside reminded me of my 60 degree rule: I usually don’t bike when it is below that mark. I am a temperature wimp.

So I waited 12:08 before starting from home. I wanted to ride to the north but I remembered the new Kroger Marketplace store opens today and my route goes up the service road past the entrances. Then I decided to take the back route out of Kingwood. This would put me north of the Kroger by a couple of miles on Loop 494. Then I recalled the Community Drive US59 overpass was torn down at the beginning of October. Should I try riding west on Community Drive to the US59 northbound service road? Curiosity got the better of me when I arrived at the stop light on Loop 494. Biking on Community Drive I could see the dirt mound of the approach to the removed overpass. As I approached the service road from Community Drive I saw the shoulder was reduced to allow the two lanes through the construction area. When I reached the driveway to the East Montgomery County Improvement District the shoulder returned to the normal width. This was about 300 yards or so. From then on the roads were like they used to be.

My body was sore after yesterday’s ride. Two weeks off the bike lets the muscles go weak. My butt lost some saddle conditioning as well. At the beginning of October I adjusted the handlebar and brake levers to reduce the stretch. I thought I fixed this but with the sore muscles I felt stretched again. For the last 12 miles or so I did not put my hands all of the way on the brake hoods. I even looked at the mark I used to position the handlebar to see if it moved but it was where I set it.

Heading to the north to New Caney and Gene Campbell Road the wind was generally favorable. There were a few sections that I slowed down but not for long. The wind became a problem after I left the Stripes station on FM1314. The roads were to the south and the SE wind provided plenty of resistance. I was glad I did not go on an organized ride because it would have been more miles. A pain reliever may be needed.

When I came to the Northpark Drive intersection out of Oakhurst three Houston Police cars blocked the street to the right. In the grass among several trees a Chevrolet pickup rested. I think the side was dented up and I saw some scrape marks in the street where the truck may have hit the curb. Another pickup with a trailer was past the one in the grass and several tow trucks hovered around. Instead of riding in the street like I normally do I took the bike trail down the median around the scene on Northpark.

This route took me 35.57 miles at a 15.3 mph average speed. Until the Stripes station rest stop I averaged higher than that. October miles now total 260.23. I hope to get close to 400 but the weather will need to be nice. Rain could be in the picture tomorrow.

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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup

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‘Le Tour de Woodlands’ cycling event a huge success
woodlandsonline.com

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — The second annual “Le Tour de Woodlands” cycling event presented by Pentagon Freight Services was a big success with more than 400 riders cycling on two separate courses. The event was hosted on Saturday, October 19 with the long and short courses beginning and ending at The Woodlands Township. Each participant received an event t-shirt and fun family activities and refreshments followed the ride.
“We are thrilled at the success of this event. It was wonderful to see so many families, individuals and cyclists come together to not only have fun but to support the important work Interfaith of…

Austin Council Ends 24 Hour Hike And Bike Program
www.keyetv.com
The Austin City Council ended a pilot program Thursday to keep the city’s hike and bike trails open 24 hours.
The City of Austin kept three hike and bike trails open 24 hours during the pilot program: the Ann and Roy Butler trail that circles Lady Bird Lake, Johnson Creek Greenbelt Trail, and Shoal Creek Greenbelt Trail.
An average of six officers patrolled the miles of trail by bike and horseback, though they…

Meet a #TXCX Local – Kevin Fish
Minor Baker         texascx.com

Kevin Fish putting the hammer down at Webberville CX.
With Spooky Cross upon us it is time to answer a few questions with another Texas CX racer, or should I say crusher of souls. This week we asked a few questions of the guy we have seen at the front of every P/1/2 race this season, Kevin Fish. Thanks for taking a few minutes to sit down with us and talk cyclocross.
Tell us about your rig:
Currently I’m riding my Fuji Altamira 2.0s but my two Felt F2Xs will be in soon and I will be riding Felt for the rest of the season.
What team will you be racing with this season? …

Cameron Park Mountain Bike Trail, Waco Texas
by Shawn McAfee            www.texasmountainbiketrails.com

This trail review is made possible by information from AustinBike.com.

There are few good reasons to make the trek to Waco, but this one is definitely top on the list. Cameron Park is a network of trails that runs along the river right in the center of Waco. It’s heavily wooded and the foliage includes a lot of bamboo for that exotic look.

The trails are well-developed and well-maintained. If you like to climb, you will love Cameron Park. If you hate to climb, you will respect it. The payoff for a lot of the climbing is some phenomenal downhill runs. The trails are designated with green, blue and black markings, just like a ski slope. Someone has obviously spent a lot of time making these trails into some of…

Bullis County Park Ride
Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club
Saturday, November 9th:  Ride starts at 9:00.  This is a 32 mile ride that takes you from Bullis County Park through Bulverde North  to RT46, and east to Stahl Rd.  It is a perfect slice of the hill country, scenic with rolling hills.  There is a shorter 19 and 25 mile option, for those who  don’t want to do the full distance.   There are several gas stations along the way, which gives the group several options for rest stops. Directions:  Take 1604 to Blanco Road north.  Go approximately…

Cyclist dies after being struck by pickup in Edinburg; driver facing intoxication manslaughter charge
Ildefonso Ortiz | The Monitor        www.themonitor.com
EDINBURG — An Edinburg man is facing intoxication manslaughter charges following a morning wreck that led to the death of a cyclist from South Dakota.

Edinburg police responded to the 1300 block of West Canton Road, just east of the intersection with Sugar Road, for a wreck involving a pickup truck and a group of cyclists, said Lt. Oscar Treviño, Edinburg police spokesman.

Preliminary information points to a group of cyclists traveling west on…

Memorial Park Master Plan public input meeting
GHORBA.org
Tuesday, October 29, 2013 – 6:30pm
Please consider attending the first in a series of public forums to discuss the long-range Master Planning process for Memorial Park.

Tuesday, October 29
6:30p – 8:30p
Houston Arboretum and Nature Center
4501 Woodway Drive

For those of you who want to attend but can’t make it, there will be further opportunities in November, December and January (dates to be announced soon). If you don’t care to attend a meeting but would like a voice in the process, stay tuned for our Memorial Park Public Input microsite (launching soon) where you…

Lost: My Trusty Bike Pump
by Ray Garza        RGV Cycling
Yesterday, while at the movies, I got sad when I realized that I lost my bike pump. Not any bike pump. but my favorite, trusty, Topeak Road Morph G bike pump. That pump has been with me for several years and it has gotten me and others out of countless flat tire blues. It was dirty and a little dinged up, but worked like a champ. After doing some moonlight madness cycling the other night, I think I left it on the bumper of my car and drove off. Such shabby treatment and I’m ashamed.

What makes it my favorite? Well, three things come to my mind. One, it has a built-in pressure gauge. No more guessing and tire pinching to see if I’m at the right pressure. Most people would say be…

Student Cyclist Competing at National Championships
BY: Rana McDonald        West Texas A&M University

CANYON, Texas—West Texas A&M University student Doug Todd hopes to pedal his way to a podium finish Oct. 25-27 at the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships at Beech Mountain, N.C.

Todd, a senior mechanical engineering major from Canyon, is president of the WT CyclingDoug Todd Club. He qualified for a top tier starting position at the national championships after several wins at various weekend races this fall.

“Doug has been racing almost every weekend this semester,” Dr. Matt Jackson, Bell Helicopter Professor of Mechanical Engineering faculty sponsor of the cycling club, said. “He’s competed with the top…

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