North to Splendora – July 13th Bike Ride

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I went to Splendora today on my ride. The route was slightly reversed going to Splendora and then looping back through Roman Forest. Usually I go through Roman Forest and then to Splendora. Variety was the main reason but it turns out the light breeze was coming from northwest enacting my “ride into the wind at the start” guideline. This helped my speed once I turned east on FM2090 to get to Tram Road and then back to Roman Forest. Starting at 10:58 (I waited for stage 14 of the TDF to finish) meant the temperature had a head start at 89 degrees. As I rode east on FM2090 a church sign was flashing 101 degrees and I couldn’t argue with it. When I got home my weather station showed 96.6 degrees. The sky was scattered clouds which didn’t provide much relief from the sun except as I was going south on the US59 service road between FM1485 and Community Drive. A cloud was over top and it moved south as I did. I appreciated the slight cooling. I don’t know if it left or I outran it once I got to Community Drive. with the heat and sun I used three water bottles of water and plenty of ice.

Overall the route came in at 40.54 miles. I added 2 miles or so to the normal route when I rode through the Forest Colony subdivision so I could stop at the Stripes station on FM1314. I don’t remember riding or driving through Forest Colony so I guessed which street to turn on and was right to connect to Valley Ranch Parkway on the west side. From there it was a short ride to FM1314 and Stripes.

No flat problem today but I did find that my seat bag is falling apart. A seam is coming loose and a zipper on an outside pocket would not open until I sprayed a WD40 type solvent on it. Then the cloth grip strip on the zipper broke off. I think it is time to replace it. I have a seat bag that I haven’t used but it is not big enough to hold a tube, tire tools, patch kit, money pouch and a multi-tool. I will check at Bike Werks in Kingwood to see if they have one.

No biking tomorrow due to a church meeting. A rest day while I watch the TDF go mountain climbing. The slides below recap the week, month and year standings.

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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for July 12th

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Fixed Touring’s – The Mini-Cat (Alley Kitten)
Bike Friendly Oak Cliff
This Saturday evening, the Fixed Touring guys will be hosting an Alley Kat race at Four Corners Brewing Co.  If you’ve never been to an Alley Kat or don’t know what one is, read their description here, and see the event here:
On July 13 2013 Fixed Touring will embark upon a mission to provide the city of Dallas with a bicycle race like they have never seen!
Full sized bikes racing a compressed Alley Cat, full of obstacles, Challenges and Trivia.
What is the problem with bicycle racing as it is, you say? Well, touring races are very long and fairly uneventful not to mention hard to watch. Criteriums are easier to watch, but repetitive. The Alley-Cat — now…

“90 for Dad Bike Ride” gears for # 5
by Barbara Phillips            /www.archercountynews.com

Archer City High School graduate Dail Neely once again will lead a group of 25 cyclists on a 90 mile route this Saturday in the heat of the summer to raise money for Hospice of Wichita Falls.  The first ride began in 2008 after the passing of his father Melvin Neely of Archer City only days short of his ninetieth birthday, thus named “90 for Dad Bike Ride.”  Though his mother Polly Neely passed away soon after, the ride’s name remained the same, but a special patch created just for her is sewn tightly on Dail’s jersey close to his heart.  The care his father and family received during his father’s illness and later his mother’s, inspired Dale to give back to an organization which gave so much to the Neely family as well as so many others during a difficult time.
Neely’s   original goal was to raise $10,000 over a ten year period for Hospice of Wichita.  Only in its 5th year, $96,000 has…

Thursday Ride at Walnut Creek – Beginner/intermediate ride level
The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group
Thursday, July 18, 2013        5:30 PM
Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
12138 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, TX (map)
Back to normal summer hours
This will be a beginner ride and will be doing around 8 -10 miles.
Chris is willing to lead a faster group so we can have an intermediate group.
Please be there and be ready to roll by 5:30 pm. We meet in the parking lot near the pool in the middle of the island.
Any question please call/text  me at [masked]
Beginner level ride with no drop. …

Shimano to slash number of North American distributors
by Marc Sani        www.bicycleretailer.com
IRVINE, CA (BRAIN) — Shimano American, in a major shake-up of its U.S. distribution network, will cut the number of distributors selling Shimano components from 18 to six effective Jan. 1, 2014.
The decision to streamline its distribution network, said Yutaka Taniyama, vice president of Shimano American’s bicycle division, will ultimately benefit its retail customers.
“Independent bicycle dealers have been and will continue to be our key customer base. By having a direct business relationship with them, we will be more aligned with their businesses, have closer relationships with cyclists, and offer more support and effective solutions to dealers’ challenges in the market,” he said. …

…Steve Matill, director of bicycle sales at Hans Johnsen in Dallas, Texas, said losing Shimano’s business would have an impact on his company’s operations. “It was a good part of our business and a major component line that we offered our dealers. But we’ll figure out what to do; we’ve lost bigger accounts,” he said. …

Area cycling prospect Craddock has talent to compete in premier events
by Dale Robertson        www.houstonchronicle.com

Lawson Craddock’s recent work days have started around 7 a.m. at Mozart’s, the cool coffee joint on Lake Austin Boulevard not far from his apartment. There, after a good jolt of java, he’ll pedal off into the hills west of town or perhaps in the other direction to Bastrop, 40 miles away. It’s not unusual for him to turn the crank hard for… (subscription required for the full article)

LAB rolls out new website and educational video series
by BRAIN Staff            www.bicycleretailer.com
WASHINGTON, DC (BRAIN) — The League of American Bicyclists has launched a new website that includes interactive features to help cyclists connect with local riding clubs, bicycle-friendly businesses, bike educators and other resources in their area. In addition, the League recently released a series of 19 educational videos that are free for public use.

“The videos are modern and professionally filmed that anyone can watch for free,” said Carolyn Szczepanski, director of communications for Women Bike, a program of LAB. “They are especially a great resource for bike shops that…

July Safety Clinics
Plano Bicycling Association
July is PBA Safety Month.  As part of our effort to increase safety awarness and improve the safety of our rides, two of our local bike shops will be conducting ride saftey clinics in July.  Plano Cycling and Fitness will conduct their clinic on July 15 and Richardson Bike Mart will conduct their clinic on July 20. Different safety topics are covered in the two clinics, so…

Ray’s Discovery About His Allez
by djcurtin                Bicycle Sport Shop’s Offical Cycling Blog
“Not Entry Level”

That is the title of Ray’s latest blog post over on “Bike Noob.” Ray, also known as “rainycamp,” is a 60-plus road bike rider from right here in Austin, Texas. He’s been riding for sometime, but like all of us, he learns something new all the time. His blog’s title reflects that–he still considers himself a newbie. On Bike Noob Ray shares his riding and cycling-related experiences and his recent post, “Not Entry Level” caught the eye of one of our riders: David Wenger. David, as you may know, is a member of our elite…

BikeTexas Planning Survey: Early Results
BikeTexas.org

You spoke—and we’re listening! Over 1200 Texans responded to BikeTexas’ planning survey. We’ll have the full report ready in August, but here are some early results:

• Cycling is a recreational activity for most respondents, but over 60% also ride their bikes as part of their commutes

• 95% believe BikeTexas should continue to serve as the lead group for statewide bicycle advocacy

• 89% of respondents say BikeTexas should play a lead role in local advocacy or help to…

Public Input Meeeting for Cedar Park Bike Park
Austin Ridge Riders
Attention Bicyclists!  The City of Cedar Park will be hosting the third public input workshop for a new bike park on Wednesday, July 17, 6:30-8:30 in the Multi-Purpose Room in Building 3, City Hall Campus, 450 Cypress Creek Road. Please attend the meeting and give them your input.

Night Rider Family Bike Ride August 3 – Round Rock TX
Austin Ridge Riders
The City of Round Rock’s Parks and Recreation Department will hold the inaugural Night Ride Family Bike Ride from 9 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Aug. 3 at Centennial Plaza in downtown Round Rock. Festivities begin at 7 p.m.

About the ride
The Night Rider Family Bike Ride is a non-competitive family bike ride and block party at night through Round Rock. Night Rider is a unique, exciting ride and party.

It is not a race! Bicyclists will be allowed to ride at their own safe pace. Police support and volunteers will be along the route.

Early registration $10 per rider or $15 on the day of the event. (Non-Resident Fees Apply)

Glow-in-the-dark bike gear and flashing lights are encouraged. First 400 Night Riders receive a drawstring bag and glow-in-the-dark gear! …

Greater Dallas Bicyclists Rides
Sunday, Jul 14, 2013
Event           Location     Date/Time
9 AM Skill Builder By Request

8:00 AM
9 AM Sunday Roll – Spr/Sum

NE Corner Preston and Royal           9:00 AM
Tuesday, Jul 16, 2013
Event           Location     Date/Time
5:30 Mesquite Ride

Poteet High School parking lot NW corner of Galloway and Americana           5:30 PM
6:30 Mesquite Moderate

Poteet High School           6:30 PM
6:30 TEBR – REI Dallas

REI Dallas           6:30 PM
Thursday, Jul 18, 2013
Event           Location     Date/Time
5:30 Mesquite Ride

Poteet High School parking lot NW corner of Galloway and Americana           5:30 PM
6:30 Thursday Night Ride

Forest Lane and Central Expressway Office Depot parking lot, SW corner of Forest and Central           6:30 PM…

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Plan A, B and C – July 12th Bike Ride

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Two rides in one happened today. This is not what I planned though. The ride started off as a normal ride going south on W. Lake Houston Parkway before I swung west and down to Eagle Springs. So far so good. From Eagle Springs I went to Walden at Lake Houston and then across Lake Houston and I was still biking right along. To vary the route I went on E. Lake Houston Parkway north from FM1960. There sure are a lot of direction names in the streets. Turning east on Smith Road I was still doing great. The temperature was not real hot and there was patches of shade until I got to FM2100.

I made a right hand turn onto FM2100 and rode about 2/10ths of a mile and I noticed my rear tire go soft. Fortunately I was only about 2/10ths of a mile from the Huffman Chevron station where I stop frequently. Taking a break to cool down I figured I would fix the flat when I finished my drink and snack. This is where ride #2 starts.

Inspecting the rear tire didn’t take long to find the problem. A piece of metal was sticking out of the tire opposite the valve. This is the culprit:

Rear tire invader

Rear tire invader

As I loosened the tire from the rim and pulled the tube out the metal stayed in the tire casing. I had to use a plastic tire tool to push it through far enough for me to pull it out the rest of the way. Several days ago I had a thought that I should check the glue in the patch kit in my seat bag but I forgot to do that. Needless to say the tube was dried out and no glue came out. So I moved to plan B; replace the tube with the spare in the seat bag. So I put the tube in the tire and mounted it back on the rim. Starting to pump it didn’t take too long to see that the tube was not holding air. At first I though the pump was not working but it was okay. I now realized the spare tube also had some kind of a hole so I am back to not being able to patch the spare tube either.

Plan C is next except I saw an email on my phone that said AT&T was having problems with their wireless network in the Houston area. Plan C is to call my wife and ask her to bring a floor pump, bike toolbox and a spare tube. Thankfully I was able to call her and about 25 minutes later she arrived. To be safe I asked her to stay until I got the tire fixed. That was a good idea as the first new patch kit I opened had a problem; the glue was dried up in it too. Finding another new patch kit (glad I bought several of them) and the glue was still good. So I started to patch the original flat tube but as I turned the tube around I saw the medal piece had went through both sides of the tube. In the past I have not had success patching a tube like this. So I threw that tube away (it had several patches already) and grabbed the new tube my wife brought. Finally I got the tire back on the rim, aired it up and was ready to bike back home. I told my wife everything was fixed and she could leave. If you look at the interval times below, interval 5 lasted 2 hours, well over the others. That is why I call this two rides in one.

Back riding now I could tell the temperature increase from earlier and when I got home the weather station showed 99 degrees with 36% humidity. This accounts for the lack of sweat on the second ride. Prior to the tire fiasco I was pretty sweaty but the 11+ miles from Huffman to home was a lot drier. The full route was 35.19 miles at a 16.1 mph average speed. When I checked at 30 miles I averaged 16.2 mph so I only lost .1 mph on the side streets in Kingwood. I almost beat my wife home because she stopped at Burger King for lunch.

The moral of this story: check your patch kit for dried up glue often, especially in the summer heat.

Now that I am home I will see if I can fix the spare tube that would not hold air in Huffman.

Links to Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS.com maps and metrics.

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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for July 11th

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Last Friday Bike Ride in June – 200 Bike and 95 degrees… 14 miles!
by Matthew        bike4heck.com

Video by Cooksterz. I didn’t attend this ride.

Fit City
Check out this photo by Jim Hicks of cycling at Circuit of the Americas. A public ride at the track is planned for Aug. 31 as part of the upcoming Tour of Austin

LAREDO TX MTB Highlights

From LA BOTA to MORALES to TAMIU to da POOL all in Laredo Texas

Woman who ran for yell leader sentenced in bicycle thefts
Eagle Staff Report        www.theeagle.com
A Texas A&M graduate who ran in 2012 to become the first female Aggie yell leader pleaded guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor theft for stealing two university-owned bikes about two months after the election.
Samantha Ketcham, 21, was placed on deferred adjudication for two counts of theft of between $50 to $500, a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to…

Peach Pedal Bike Ride changes Routes
www.wc.edu

The Peach Pedal Bike Ride that annually attracts more than 2,000 cyclists will roll on as usual during the Peach Festival July 13, but on somewhat different routes. Organizers have made changes to this year’s ride to improve safety.
“The biggest change is the beginning and the end of all routes will move off Bethel Road,” said Brent Baker, ride director. “Now they will go down BB Fielder Road and then to Tin Top Road.”
All routes – now 70 miles, 47 miles, 34 miles and 11 miles – will travel through the…

Main Plaza’s summer schedule heats up with Cycle-In Cinema
By Emily Bamforth        blog.mysanantonio.com
Pee Wee Herman won’t be the only one riding a bike at the movies tonight.
Main Plaza will host the first of the SATX Pedal Power Cycle-In Cinema series this week, kicking off with “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.” At the outdoor event, the movie screening is powered through bicycling.
Ashley Quinn, programs manager at Main Plaza Conservancy, said the idea was inspired through a festival completely powered through bicycling in…

Kid Trips Event – Boys and Girls Club of Austin at Walnut Creek 7/20/2013
Austin Ridge Riders
Kid Trips will be conducting a ride for the Boys and Girls Club of Austin at Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park in N. Austin on Saturday July 20, 2013.  We’ll meet in the main parking lot in front of the pool at 8:00 a.m. The ride starts at 9:00 a.m. Adult volunteers are welcome; just bring your mountain bike and a helmet!

Please contact…

Cycling to raise awareness of the deaf-blind community
www.wkar.org

Listen
DeWitt resident Janna Rowan is planning to cycle 1,200 miles to raise awareness for the deaf-blind community. The journey will take her from Michigan to Texas.

Rowan is a certified deaf/blind interpreter. She spoke with Current State host Mark Bashore about her plans for the September trip and her motivations.

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