Fine Yellow-Green Powder – March 16th Bike Ride

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The fine yellow-green powder covers anything outside including my sinus as I ride along. My voice is almost non-existent but I feel fine. I don’t remember the pine pollen being a problem before but maybe I just didn’t connect the dots. The strong wind makes sure to move the stuff around to just about everywhere even our Jeeps parked in the garage. As I ride past cars parked on the street the yellow-green powder tints the paint to unusual colors. The SSW 16 mph wind and 24 mph gusts awaited as I started my ride at 11:24 and they didn’t let up by the time I reached home at 2:21 registering from the south at 15 mph and the same 24 mph gusts. Partly cloudy skies helped the temperature get up to almost 85 degree. I wore my two jersey combination (short and long sleeve) to block the sun some and maybe add some warmth. This outfit was quite comfortable.

I rode north to New Caney and then northwest to Gene Campbell Road. Up to that point the wind was generally at my back but once I turned on Gene Campbell the wind became a force slowing me down. The route totaled 34.47 miles bringing my March total miles up to 303.41, 278 away from my 581 mile goal. With 15 days left in March this looks doable if my sinus problem does not escalate.Year to date miles are 985. Links to RideWithGPS.com and Garmin Connect data and maps.

When I reached Old Sorters Road and FM1314 I stopped at the Stripes store to rest, get a Diet Pepsi and a fish taco. I don’t normally eat like that on a ride but the taco’s are a special for Lent and I was curious about how they tasted; besides the 32 oz drink was a $1 with the taco. The taco was good and added my Kashi trail mix bar as dessert. We are having a few people over for dinner so I didn’t want to eat too much.

The ride start was delayed because I thought the Milan-San Remo race was today but it is really tomorrow an I wanted to watch some of it. I also had organized a Meetup ride with the Houston Cycling Club but all the riders backed out.

The weather looks to be dry and warm for several days so riding should be happening.

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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for March 15th

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Biking boodoggle
Letters to the Editor        FortWorth Star-Telegram
The city of Fort Worth received a $1 million federal grant for a bike-sharing program. It bought 300 bikes at $1,118 each for a total of $335,400. Some very nice bikes are available at Walmart for $99 apiece.

The city also seeks more funding to expand the program. What did it do with the $664,600 left over after the bike purchase? I thought the country was cutting back.
— Connie Howell,
North Richland Hills

Waco OMNI Stage Race March 23-24
bicyclesoutbackracing.net
By Kim On March 14, 2013 In Blog, Calendar With No Comments Permanent Link to Waco OMNI Stage Race March 23-24Permalink

For more info: www.bryanfawley.com

3 Great Courses all within 2 miles of each other. Stay at the host hotel Hotel Indigo and ride your bike to all three events!

Catered packet pick up party at the Jubilee Dealership.
Free reusable bag and pint glass for the first 150 to register! Bicycles Outback is right next door to packet pick up and will be open late to serve your last minute bike needs. …

The New Jefferson Viaduct Cycletrack
Bike Friendly Oak Cliff

No doubt you’ve heard several of the local television stations and news sources do stories about the closing of the Houston St. Viaduct for construction on the upcoming streetcar line.  With that change came a seriously planned reconfiguration of the traffic flow on the Jefferson St Viaduct, it’s younger, and less…

Houston – Double Lake – Big Ring Challenge – 23-24 March 2013 – Come and get some!!
by khighfield            forums.mtbr.com/texas
I need to hang out on MTBR a bit more often. I did a search and couldn’t find much comment about the trails at Double Lake. Well, they are getting great acclaim from the locals down here – they are now the fastest, best flowing trails that you can find. We have folks making the drive week after week and loving them. All this is a prelude to inviting those who don’t already know to…

Thursday Ride at Walnut Creek – Beginner/intermediate ride level
The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group
Thursday, March 21, 2013    5:30 PM
Walnut Creek Park
12138 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX (map)
Back to normal summer hours
This will be a beginner ride and will be doing around 8 -10 miles.

If someone is willing to lead a faster group then we can have an intermediate group also.
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…

BAM!
RGV Cycling

BAM! No, this isn’t about Emeril Lagasse (although I love his food), but rather it’s an acronym for Bike across AMerica. Am I planning to cycle across America? I wish I was, the thought of long rides with your bike packed with camping gear plus weeks of free time is really appealing to me. It something that many of us dream of doing, but in reality only a select few have the opportunity to…

Best Mountain Biking and Cycling Videos of the week 3/10/13
Texas Mountain Bike Trails
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vqZBSzMI6g

A compilation of the best Mountain Biking and Cycling videos found on YouTube during the week of March 4 through March 10, 2013.

Texas Mountain Bike Trails helps new mountain bikers learn tips and find trails in Texas. Stop by and say hi, there is lots of information to learn.

Austin Fit Magazine Showcases Kid Trips with Jim Rankin’s Dog Preacher
Austin Ridge Riders
By Jim Rankin

The March issue of Austin Fit Magazine, and their website, www.austinfitmagazine.com, showcases the 1/26/13 Kid Trips event with Austin Boys and Girls Club at Walnut Creek Metro Park with Jim Rankin’s Trained Traildog, Preacher, herding the boys and girls along the trail. All photos are by Brian Fitzsimmons of Austin Fit Magazine.  Preacher is a Finalist for the AFM’s Fittest Dog Contest because of his many years of trail running with mountain bikers and his riding the bow of my kayak on every paddle trip. This free AFM magazine is distributed by the front doors of many local stores and gyms. Pick one up or visit…

Two days and two really fun rides
from Don Bynum’s Blog by donbynum

Wednesday afternoon, with the temperature about 70 degrees F ( I think it may be measured in furlongs in Europe) under clear blue skies, Peggy and I got out and did a 6 mile meander through several nearby neighborhoods. We went slow and enjoyed the sightseeing.  I love riding with Peggy.  It just makes me feel good.

Today (Thursday), I rode the 17-1/2 miles over to Llano to meet a friend I had not seen in 29 years. Mark Belcher and I worked at a small computer start-up back in 1984 and had not had any contact since until recently when I tracked me down via Linked-In on the internet. Mark was in the area for some vacation time with his sister and her family and suggested that we have lunch, so I agreed, picking… wait for it… yes! The Berry Street Bakery in…

Social bike ride, cycling discussion with police chief set for March 21
from Fit City by Pam LeBlanc
Want to pick Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo’s brain about cycling and bike safety?

The Austin Cycling Association and Please Be Kind to Cyclists have organized a social ride and discussion with Acevedo from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, March 21.

The fifth annual Chat with the Chief begins with a short bike ride that departs Bicycle Sport Shop, 517 S. Lamar Boulevard, at 6 p.m. The group will return to the shop for drinks and…

Luis Acosta puts the hammer down at The Driveway. (Photo: Jim Hicks)
from Violet Crown

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Train Stopped Blocks All Crossings – March 15th Bike Ride

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After my ride on Wednesday I must have breathed in too much pine pollen. My sinus stopped up and I sneezed a lot. So I did not ride yesterday to give my sinus a chance to recover which they did almost. I was surprised that they dried up so quickly. Usually I am off the bike for 5 to 7 days. I still do not have all of my voice back so I am whispering some.

With that in mind I thought today should be an easy day to be sure I was well enough. I selected a northerly route going to Community Drive and then Valley Ranch, Briar Tree and Oakhurst. I tried some new streets in Oakhurst without knowing for sure where I would end up but I found my way to the usual exit. To add some miles I went on Sorters Road past Lone Star College and then turned towards the back of Kingwood Medical Center. All was going well until I approached the railroad tracks at Kingwood Drive and Loop 494. It looked like something unusual might be going on with a Houston Police cruiser sitting in the intersection but the traffic on Loop 4494 was going through. Not long after I stopped to wait for the light to change the crossing arms came down and a slow moving train appeared. The train engines went past and a bunch of cars and then it stopped. Not too long after that the HPD cruiser moved out of the intersection leaving everyone to wait. I saw a couple of sheriff deputies drive south on Loop 494 and then another HPD cruiser with red lights flashing came along. Waiting for about 5 to 10 minutes the cars in front of me started turning left onto Loop 494 probably thinking they could around the train. I went with them but only to the Kings Manor crossing which was blocked as well. As I was waiting amongst the cars a lady driving by had her window down and told me the conductor said it would be another 30 minutes before the train would get moving. I don’t know if she told anyone else but a few of the cars standing in line to go into Kings Manor left. I got off my bike and sat in the shade listening to the crossing alarms constant ringing. About 3:47 the rain started moving so I got on my bike to get ready to cross the tracks and get on my way. This is a major problem with Kingwood. Trains can block all of the western entrances and exits leaving only one way in on W. Lake Houston Parkway to the south. This doesn’t happen often but it ties everything up when it does. It is a problem for the Houston Fire Department so they are going to build a fire station west of US59 for access.

My route today was not exactly what I planned ending up at 29.46 miles at a 14.9 mph average speed. The weather was picture perfect with 78 degrees at the start and 83 when I finished. The sky had a few small white clouds and the 9 mph south wind did not present any problems. I wore a long sleeve jersey under my short sleeve jersey mostly to keep the sun off my arms. Nice to have that reason rather than the chill. Links to Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS.com data and maps.

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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for March 14th

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Student to bike 4,500 miles in charity ride
by Chris Marshall         www.ultimatespringtx.com

When Brent Bulger was a student at Klein High School a few years ago, he never expected that, five years later, he would be on the brink of a 70-day, 4,500-mile bike ride from Austin to Anchorage, Alaska.

However, that is the exact situation he finds himself in today, however, as he continues to prepare himself for the Texas 4000, a charity bike ride that has been run annually since 2004 as a way to raise money for cancer research. The ride, which was started by cancer survivor Chris Condit, has raised more…

Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, Sat March 16th 10am
by sooner1            Shawnee Trail Cycling Club
Richardson Bike Mart & Shawnee Trail Cycling Club are bringing the first of three installments of Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day for 2013.  To be held at the Frisco NW Community Mountain Bike Trail, Saturday March 16th from 10 am to Noon.  This is a great…

Ghisallo Foundation Racing Team
Wheelbrothers
1. Who founded the club and how did it come to life?
The Ghisallo Foundation racing team came to life like most clubs do: a group of friends who were already racing and traveling together wanting to actually be on the same team together. Although it started with a clear focus on community service and improving the bicycle community beyond the race track, its role has grown with the formation of the Ghisallo Foundation.

2. What is your cycling clubs mission?
Our mission is to expand cycling through community service and bike racing. The team contributes a significant number of volunteer hours to both the Ghisallo Foundation’s projects as well as other groups. In…

El Paso Bicycle Club Ride
10:00 AM – April 7, Sunday
Hueco Tanks Ride
Description:     Come for this annual event (pray for better weather than previous years)! Meet at the wash about a mile before the entrance gate into Hueco Tanks park for a bike ride and picnic (leader supplied), along with options to hike and climb to look at pictographs. If you want to enter the park call (915-857-1135 or 1-800-792-1112-Option 3) to reserve an entrance spot. The ride will be about 25 miles at a Moderate pace. Either climb to the Border Patrol checkpoint or enjoy the wide shoulders of Montana. B/IG friendly ride. Patty Van Tine 915-667-0202

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