Texas Bicycling Daily News Roundup February 15th

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Riding our bikes into the sunset
By Kathleen            bicyclesoutbackracing.net

Before we began dating, we spent a lot of time together.  Our worlds came together for the first time when Matt began working at the Blinn College Learning Center with me.  We sat behind the help desk together waiting to offer students help with their schoolwork.  Our…

Bicycle Brewery Tour, February 17th
Bike Friendly Oak Cliff
We all know that beer and bicycles fit like mustard and hot dogs.  It just feels right!  So, now that Dallas’ craft brewery scene is exploding and opening up new…

HBC Around The Loop Ride
Houston Bicycle Club
Sunday February 17, 2013    9:00AM
This is a challenging in-town ride similar to the Urban Challenge Rides, but farther. We’ll be circling the city near or outside Loop 610. Experience the many faces of Houston and see the downtown skyline from every angle. This is a leader led ride, but you should be able to maintain a 14 to 16 mph pace with three rest stops along the way.

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts
The February edition of the DATES-Line Newsletter is published and available for download from the newsletters page. This month’s edition includes the following:
Fresh DATES
Upcoming Rides
Ben Wheeler Ride
Southwest Tandem Rally
A Cycling Tip
Ride Report
Christmas Lights Ride
DATES Annual Dinner and Meeting
Calling All Potential Ride Leaders
DATES Rides & Activities

Adopt a Highway – Community Service Day
Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club
Saturday, March 16th:  Meet at 9:00 a.m. at the entrance to Government Canyon State Natural Area on Galm Road.  Bring your family and friends for our litter pickup along two miles of Galm Road.  Remember to wear long pants, sturdy shoes and your yellow volunteer HCBTC T-shirt.  If you don’t have…

The Racing Post February Edition
Features
4 FCS Cycling Women’s Elite Team
8 A Picture, A Story
11 Team Focus: River City Market Racing
13 Product Review: Look Keo Flex
16 Wedded Cycling
18 Product Review: Swiftwick Socks
19 MSU’s Sam Croft
21 Texas CX Championships
24 My Winter Break
26 The Mindset of a Winner
29 First Race: Gettin’ Ready
30 Off Road Series in Texas
32 Your First Rally
34 Palo Pinto NYD Ride
35 One year of racing with the Watt Posse
39 Ride Preview: Tour Dallas / Race Dallas
42 Good Bye Bob Pfarr, Jr.
43 Team Focus: Fiat of McKinney / Bicycles Plus Masters Team
46 Product Review: Fiat 500
Regulars
2 Plan Your Road Trip
6 West Texas Wind
9 RBM Raly Report
10 Tales From The Track
11 Tri-Talk
12 The View From Back Here
14 Scholastic Cycling Update – Q & A
20 Love Your Ride
22 Coach Speak
25 Mileage Junkie
33 Girlfriend Rider
36 Think!Fiance ~ Preparation = Reward
38 RBM  What’s New At The Shop
40 Junior Spotlight
44 Gear Girl

Texans Take on the World
txbra.org

Texas was well represented in Louisville at Cyclocross Worlds!
Photo courtesy of Lee McDaniel.

Hike-and-bike trail users asked to share memories
By Pam LeBlanc            Fit City
Longest run? First kiss? Bike ride with your grandad?

Users of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail are encouraged to jot down their memories of the 10-mile trail around Lady Bird Lake on a 35-foot board that will be temporarily installed on the north side of the river, just south of the YMCA. …

Cyclists in Suits
Posted by Marc Mumby        BikeDFW.org

Every two years in Texas, we get a unique opportunity to talk about cycling with people who can make a difference.

Save the date, take the day off and take a road trip with a bunch of friends to Austin to participate in your democracy. You’ll meet the people that represent you and, most importantly, let them know that you think more effort to accommodate bicycling is important for the future of your community and…

Fredericksburg Cyclists Club
A Ride Captian’s Note To Newer Riders

The other day I sent out an email announcing the “No Drop” rides will begin the first weekend of April 2013 with Phil English leading that group.  That email generated a lot of response from some new riders and one question came up I wanted to answer for everyone. The question was, “What do I do when I show up for my first club ride?”

I had that very question in mind before my first ride.  Now, when I get…

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Another Ride on the Trails – February 15th Bike Ride

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I wasn’t sure if I would get to ride today between some chores I needed to do and the cool temperatures but by the time I ate lunch the temperature moved up to 68 degrees, warm enough for a mountain bike ride. The chores were completed so I donned my usual cool weather wardrobe: long sleeve and short sleeve jerseys, shorts, leg warmers and windbreaker jacket. It was warm enough to wear half finger gloves. Mostly cloudy skies kept the sun from warming things up too much and the light 5 mph variable breeze didn’t cause much of an issue either.

Wearing my regular gloves I decided to take my RCA video camera to get more use to using it while I ride. While I am using the mounting bracket on my mountain bike I don’t think I will use it on my road bike. The reason is that it sticks up too high and seems to pick tire noise easier than when I hold it in my hand. Granted the hand held videos shake more but I also can tell when the camera is on which I cannot do easily on the bracket. Maybe the more I use the bracket I will figure out how to solve these problems. I will upload the video to Youtube.com later and add it to this.

Riding my Motobecane 700HT MTB today on the Kingwood trails I wanted to go at least 15 miles and I managed to ride 17.85 miles at a 12.4 mph average speed. If February had 30 days I would be on target to reach my 369 mile goal for the month with 182.15 miles for February. But with only 28 days I am behind so I need to get busy. Tomorrow the Humble Lions Ride is not far away but the temperature is only supposed to reach 59 which is below my 60 degree cutoff. At the start of the ride it could be in the low 40’s, definitely below my tolerance level. My next likely riding day will be Monday which could be in the low 70’s but with a 40% chance of rain.

See the slides below for other data. Links to Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS.com.

[wppa type=”slideonlyf” album=”91″][/wppa]

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for February 14th

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Ode to the Bike: Spinning from Stress to Serenity
People for Bikes Blog
It’s going to be one of those days. You just know it. The first inkling came at midnight when you were startled awake by the shrillest alarm ever invented. What on earth? Oh yeah. You remember the three-year-old contentedly standing quietly next to the clock earlier in the day. You should have paid attention.

Your day hasn’t even started and the kids are fighting, the coffee is gone, and the dog has barfed in the heating vent. Again. Weatherman says there’s a fifty percent chance of rain, but you already know that on a day like today, those odds are higher. You’re already running late when you notice the front of your bike listing in a manner that smugly…

Hike and bike a new rail-trail from the Blackland Prairie to the Piney Woods
By Laurence Parent            www.texashighways.com


After running across a brief story on a new rail-trail in northeast Texas, I had to investigate. The 130-mile trail—open to cyclists, runners, walkers, and even equestrians—extends from Farmersville in eastern Collin County to New Boston just west of Texarkana. It travels through seven counties and 19 rural towns. Some sections are paved, some are gravel, and some are the original rough railroad bed. As someone who has written a Texas hiking guide and taken photographs all over the state, I wondered why I’d never heard of it.

It turns out that developing a project like this is a slow process. The idea for the Northeast Texas Trail began in the 1980s when the Santa Fe Railroad discontinued service on the tracks. In such instances, sometimes the right-of-way is sold to adjoining landowners and…

Moving to DFW area from UK
by bish            forums.mtbr.com/texas
Well, happy (sunny) days. Moving to the DFW area with work. Bringing my bikes too (even happier days) What’s the riding like? Will 5 inches of travel be enough/too much? Is it a busy scene?

by 50calray
Welcome to Texas!

The DFW area has one of the largest MTB interest in the state. There is about a dozen trails in the area and you’re generally within 15-30 minutes drive time away from one. As for travel, 5″ is more than enough for most trails while also being over kill on some. Check out DORBA for a list of…

Bicycles And Spouses
by Shawn McAfee            Texas Mountain Bike Trails
Happy Valentines Day everyone!
Bicycles and Spouses: A working combination?

For those of you that know me, or even those of you who just follow the TexasMTBtrails facebook page, you know that I’m nuts about bikes. I love bikes about as much as anything else in the entire world.

But there is one thing that I love more than my bikes and that’s my wife Amanda.

We got married in October of 2011, so we are right at the year and a half mark and I am definitely the luckiest man alive. Not only does she put up with my current bike addiction, but she even lets me entertain the thoughts of buying a singlespeed and cyclocross bikes. Can’t get more…

Race Results for Sun and Ski Sports Presents the Rocky Hill Roundup
Smithville, TX            www.usacycling.org
Cross Country on 02/10/2013

Men – SS Open
Place  Points  Name City, State Time USAC # Bib Team
1 420.57 Jason Betz Baton Rouge, LA 01:20:45.000 263143 142 (W)reck.less Racing
2 432.95 Robert McGuire Austin, TX 01:22:22.000 133554 146 Bicycle Sport Shop
3 445.33 Alex Garza San Marcos, TX 01:22:43.000 299037 143 Hub Racing
4 457.72 Richard Hellberg Dallas, TX 01:22:56.000 366128 144 Dallas Bike Works
5 470.10 John Petrosky Houston, TX 01:23:05.000 214208 175 Tile Roofs of Texas/Bike Barn
6 482.48 Scot Pemberton Stiener Ranch, TX 01:24:52.000 114557 147 VooDoo Racing
7 494.86 Nick Carter Austin, TX 01:31:48.000 378309 162 OMW
8 507.24 Fred Willemsen Round Rock, TX 01:32:38.000 243606 148 Team Bicycle Sport Shop
9 Steven Thompson 01:34:40.000 159 BIG PIG RACING
10 532.01 Winfield Haggard Jr Houston, TX 01:37:07.000 308865 176 Tile Roofs of Texas/Bike Barn
11 544.39 William Lamb Crawford, TX 01:52:25.000 364869 145 Bicycles Outback p/b Jubilee Mitsubishi
Men – SS 2/3 – 0-99
Place  Points  Name City, State Time USAC # Bib Team
1 521.49 Mark Wise Houston, TX 01:28:16.000 160025 401 Bike Barn
2 526.76 Chris Trevelise (1 – Cat3) Austin, TX 01:30:35.000 224871 360 Orange Seal
3 532.03 Charles Pipes Brownsboro, TX 01:31:14.000 393344 347 SimpsonSports.com

more results…

Bicycle Theft and Prevention – What to Know!
By Luke Slavens
Lewisville Police Department
Ahhhhhh, the never ending bicycle thefts! They become rampant this time of year with Spring just around the corner. In the United States an average of 250,000 bicycles are annually reported stolen, not including the ones that go unreported. Now that’s a lot of bicycles!

Whether it’s someone looking to score a joy ride across town, a schmuck looking to make some cash to support his habit, or just a punk trading up to a nicer ride. These are the primary reasons bicycles are stolen, accompanied by the “opportunity” and a false sense of security in our little wonderlands. Thieves are out there; they are lurking and always looking for that opportunity. One only…

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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for February 13th

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Weekly Road Bike Ride-Medium/Fast Paced
Houston Cycling Club
Monday, February 18, 2013        6:30 PM
Terry Hershey Park
15200 Memorial Dr, Houston, TX (map)
Look for silver Nissan Titan . Robert Hopper [masked]

This is a weekly road bike ride.  The total distance will be between 20-23 miles.  The ride is a straight shot to Katy’s Fry Rd on a well paved path.  No need to worry about red lights or traffic because there aren’t any.  The pace will be 18 + mph.
Don’t like pulling?  No problem, just draft and enjoy the ride!
C’mon out and join us ! …

Tuesday: Intermediate/Advanced Mountain Bike Ride at the Ant Hills
Houston Cycling Club
Tuesday, February 19, 2013        6:15 PM
15200 Memorial Dr, Houston, TX (map)
Look for group and ask if it’s us! call me, Jeff @ [masked] if you have any questions or are going to be late.

This will be a medium to fast pace ride through the Ant Hills of Hershey Park! Bring WATER, spare tube/tire, snacks, etc…Helmets required. Call if you are going to be late so we can wait for you. Wheels rolling by 6:30! See you there…

Mount Lakeway Workday – 2-17-13
by Mr Bacon Jr         AustinBike.com
Mount Lakeway workday! This Sunday, February 17th, from 1-5PM. Meet on Trophy Drive at the trailhead if you want motorized transport out. Or ride your bike to the top and meet us there. Bring gloves, water, and post work refreshments.

We think we will be all the way down the backside of Mount Lakeway with a good turnout, so come out and help build one of the best trails in Austin!

New Austin Bike Skills Park
by John            AustinBike.com
No, not mine, the city of Austin’s park.

Interested?  Then get involved.  There are a lot of people working to help make this dream a reality, so if you’d like to see this happen, click here to learn more: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?filter=lf#!/AustinBikePark

How much protection from liability do they need?
by Charles Kuffner            Off the Kuff
The electricity industry is among the biggest of the big spenders on lobbying the Texas legislature. So when bills are introduced giving the industry extraordinary protection from law suits, you can bet somebody’s going to cry foul.

“It’s a very unusual bill,” says Andrew Wheat at Texans for Public Justice, a corporate watchdog group in Austin.

Wheat’s talking about HB 404, introduced by a Republican representative from Houston, Sarah Davis. The bill is almost identical to HB 258 introduced by fellow Republican from Houston, Jim Murphy.

Both lawmakers say their bills are to allow the construction of hike and bike trails in Harris County on utility-owned rights-of-way, those big ribbons of green that cut across cities. Though primarily for the tall transmission line towers, the rights-of-way would make perfect places to build trails. (Houston voters recently approved…

Bike shops ride westside cycling trend
By Lindsey Peyton            www.chron.com

More west Houston residents are opting to leave the car in the garage and reach for a bike, and that makes an opportunity for several local shops dedicated to meeting the needs of local cyclists.

The store owners, often bicycle enthusiasts as well as entrepreneurs, closely follow trends in a business they find both tough and rewarding. They know that success depends on a passion for cycling – and that a few years’ experience in the business does…

Schlumberger Cycling Club 2013 Sealy Training Ride by et al

Walnut Creek Workday Sat, March 2nd 9:00AM to 2:00PM
Austin Ridge Riders
Saturday, March 2, 2013 – 09:00 – 14:00
What: Walnut Creek Workday
Where: Meet at 9:00AM at western edge of the parking lot. There will be waivers there, and at the worksite.
What to bring: Gloves, shovels, and water
What we will be doing: If you miss us at the parking lot, we will be at the ROOT DROP to fix the erosion and return this back to its original form, as well as shore up the banks to minimize future erosion. We will also be working on the opposite side to fix the erosion…

Fort Worth Mountain Bikers’ Association
Fat Tire Festival

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