Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for June 11th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Dallas’ Centralink Shared Bike Lane Network is Open
BikeTexas.org
Dallas city leaders pose at the new CentralinkDallas took another step forward in its bike plan this month by opening Centralink, a new network of sharrows in downtown that connects the Katy Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, and many neighborhoods.

PegasusNews reports:

On June 1, the city [debuted] a network of shared car/bike lanes downtown called the Centralink with a communal ride on the new paths called Ride-the-Link. Centralink adjoins the popular Katy Trail, a 3.5-mile concrete path along the west side of downtown, with the more recently built Santa Fe Trail, a…

Cedar Park Board Advisory Meeting Wednesday June 19, 2013, at 6:00 p.m.
Austin Ridge Riders
Attention bicyclists!   Posted Date:6/6/2013 9:00 PM

Cedar Park Recreation & Parks will host a second public design workshop regarding the planning and design of a bike park to be possibly located at Elizabeth Milburn Park. Mike Mclntyre, Landscape Architect/ Bike Architect from Action Sport Design (ASD) now Stantec (San Diego, CA/ Boston, MA), will be conducting the workshop at the Cedar Park Recreation Center on Wednesday June 19, 2013, at 6:00 p.m.  The first workshop was held in May.

This public workshop will give local bicyclists an opportunity to provide input into the design process, discuss desired type/ style relating to bike park design, and will…

Tweets

https://twitter.com/BikePaulie/status/344509399429165057

https://twitter.com/BikePaulie/status/344449542332248064

Rain Got Me Twice – June 11th Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

In my quest for route variety I rode north on Loop 494 and then east on FM1485 to Casey Ridge and then some back streets into Roman Forest. I don’t ride this very often for some reason. The back streets at Casey Ridge can be rough and sometimes I think the dogs could be a problem but they never are. Riding through Roman Forest brings me out on US59. At that point I turn onto the southbound service road and head back to Kingwood. This route came to 34.51 miles, a little shorter than normal because I turned east on Northpark Drive to get out of the rain under the US59 overpass. I did manage an average speed of 15.5 mph.

Earlier I dodged the rain on the US59 southbound service road as I approached Valley Ranch by darting under the gas pump canopy at the Texaco station. I waited there about 10 minutes before resuming my ride south. While I waited I could hear thunder to the north and wondered if the rain was coming or moving away. It turned out that the rain stopped about 1/4 of mile south of the Texaco station and the streets were dry. As I got closer to Porter and FM1314 the rain drops reappeared but only lightly. I stopped at the Star Express Exxon station to get a Diet Pepsi but they changed the fountain machine to Coke products so I settled for ice and water to get me back home.

The rain drops almost disappeared as I headed toward Northpark Drive on the south service road. About a mile from Northpark I could see there was rain ahead and I sped up trying to beat it to the US59 overpass. I didn’t make it so the rain got me pretty good as I rode under cover. Again I waited for the rain to stop which it did leaving the streets wet. With the heat and some sun the road started to dry out some and I started on the way home south on Loop 494. Turning into Kings Manor the streets were drying out. By the time I rode onto my street the rain signs were gone.

With the rain the temperature range was 86 to 89 although I think it was hotter until I hit the rain. Humidity must have been high because the sweat was pouring off me whenever I stopped.

I continue to make progress on my June goal of 524 miles reaching 319.56 miles today and 2759 miles year to date.

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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for June 10th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Dallas official says businesses need at least two bicycle parking spaces if city’s ‘serious’ about complete streets
By Robert Wilonsky        cityhallblog.dallasnews.com

A Dallas City Council committee signed off on a long-in-the-works plan that will require every future business in the city to provide at least two bicycle parking spaces. Also, according to the plan that went before the Transportation and Environment Committee this afternoon, existing business that add more space — and, thus, need more parking spaces — will also have to provide bike racks.
“This is important if we’re serious about adopting these bike plans and complete streets,” said David Cossum, the assistant director of…

Michelle Hayner rocking it at Tulsa Tough
Velossimo Racing Cycling Team

 

Southside Lions Park Ride
Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club
Saturday, June 29th:  Ride starts at 8:00 from the Southside Lions Park (4600 Pecan Valley Road).  We will meet at the greenway trailhead.  To get there, turn left as you enter the park from Pecan Valley Road. This is a 40 mile out and back ride along greenway trails that lead to the dog park just inside of McAllister Park.  Riders wishing to do the shorter 18 mile ride can turn around at SAMMC.  There are some short stretches of packed gravel so some may wish to bring an off-road or hybrid bike although you can ride these stretches on a road bike.  Lions park is a…

Faulkner Mountain Bike Trail, Tyler, TX 5-31-13
by Bills96TA

First test of the Contour Roam 2 my wife got me for my birthday. I had to compress it from the original 720p I recorded as it was just a huge file. Something on my bike is rattling that I will have to figure out as that isn’t the camera, I think its the safety lanyard that…

Livestrong bicycle team stops in Mount Pleasant
www.dailytribune.net
The longest annual charity bicycle ride in the world, the Livestrong Texas 4000 team, rolled through Mount Pleasant on Friday just six days after departing from Austin on the way to their final destination of Anchorage, Alaska.

While in Mount Pleasant, the 2013 Livestrong Texas 4000 Team celebrated and shared hope, knowledge and charity with friends and family before continuing on their 70-day journey.

Undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Texas at Austin have braved the rain, sleet, wind, snow, heat and will pedal over 4,500 miles in support of the fight against cancer.

The First Presbyterian Church of Mount Pleasant welcomed the riders from UT. The students spent the night at the church with the church providing…

Hosted Ride Leader Class – Sunday June 23rd
Austin Cycling Association
The next Hosted Group Ride Leader session is scheduled for Sunday June 23rd from 2:00 till about 5:00.  The class will be held at the office of Bike Texas located at 1902 East 6th Street.

Completion of the Ride Leader session will allow ride leaders to create, post and lead Hosted rides.  Class content includes a segment on safe riding in traffic, group safety, group ride management, and a section on how…

Tweets

https://twitter.com/JuliaBikes/status/344199427919081472

I Went Mindless – June 10th Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Yesterday we got badly need rain but I was at a church meeting and my Jeep Wrangler had the top down. It almost became a swimming pool. I drove home in the rain to add more rain collection. Once I got home I pulled the drain plugs and some of the water went out. The floor mats are rubber so they hold water in. Thankfully today the weather heated up to 92 degrees while I biked. I parked the Jeep in the driveway to help the drying process so the seats are mostly drive and the other wet places are getting dryer.

Biking got underway at 1:46 under mostly cloudy skies with a light breeze. By the time I got home the wind picked up to 18 mph. Riding west over Lake Houston on FM1960 the kept pushing me toward the guardrail. I thought I was holding my own until another bicyclist moved past me on the left and I watched as he pulled away. Turning onto Atascocita Shore Drive brought some relief from the wind and it did not really bother me too much during the last 8 miles going home.

My biking sometimes gets mindless. Today I knew the route I wanted to take but I started off going the wrong direction so I improvised to get back on the route. I hope this is not a sign of senioritis. I went south through Atascocita, Walden at Lake Houston and then to Huffman on the east side of Lake Houston. The ride over Lake Houston on the causeway was stinky again with the rain starting the bug fermentation up. The west bound shoulder is pretty much stink free. The ride totaled 32.40 miles averaging 15.4 mph.

I saw a couple of other bikers today maybe because school is out for the summer. Getting across Kingwood Drive on the way home was much quicker without the school traffic.

June miles: 285.05. Year to date miles: 2725.

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