Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for December 28th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Head of “The Department with a Heart” Begins Biking
movabilityaustin.org

Recently the City of Austin Public Works Director, Howard Lazarus, had an epiphany: he likes bikes…and he wants to try bike commuting. But Lazarus is quick to tell you he isn’t a “cyclist”, but rather a “person on a bike.”

During a recent trip to Holland to experience their bike facilities first hand as part of the Green Lane Project, Lazarus was inspired to try changing his commuting habits. Lazarus learned, that in Holland, 75% of Dutch people equate cycling with happiness. Lazarus told Movability, “The concept of a healthier and happier lifestyle is a driving force [behind his commitment to bike…

My Only road Bike is a Singlespeed 🙁 Will i be ok in Dallas?
by raceline            www.bikeforums.net
Moving from Flat Houston to Irving in a few months , My question is will i be ok with my ss road bike (48X18) and my ss 29er mtb (32×17) i have grown to like ss best for a great spin , will i be ok with all the hills on the road? and is ss mtb popular in Dallas area?

El Paso Bicycle Club Rides
Monday, December 31
• 9:00 am : Leaderless ride Begin at Rio Plaza. Distance, pace & route depend on riders.

Tuesday, January 1
• 10:00 am : Reset & Resolve Reset your odometer and start your cycling resolutions with a short ride around the valley, followed by black-eyed peas and cornbread (BYOB). Meet at 316 Arboles Dr. (corner of Mora, one block north of Lindbergh). Ride to McNutt, up Airport to Artcraft, La Union to Vinton and back through Valley. 25 miles, moderate. Randy Limbird, 915-328-4110.

Saturday, January 5
• 9:00 am : Rose Garden Ride Meet at Rio Plaza (Upper Valley at Artcraft) and meander up the Valley to the Rose Garden Restaurant in Anthony for breakfast. 30 miles at moderate BIG-friendly pace (15-17). Bob Clark, 204-2531.

Sunday, January 6
• 2:00 pm : Afternoon trail ride Meet at River Run Plaza for 10-12 mile along the river levee and irrigation canal paths. Need wide, puncture-proof tires for these goathead-covered dirt trails. Moderate pace (10-12 mph on packed dirt), all flat. Randy Limbird, 328-4110

Saturday, January 12
• 9:00 am : Gap and back Meet at Rio Plaza. Ride to Vinton and get on the rollers, then ride to Gap and return via Valley roads. Moderate, 40 milles. Linda Price, 433-4188…

Upcoming Violet Crown Club Rides:
Saturdays: The Bagel Ride, Einstein Bros Bagels, 12400 N. IH35. Two groups:
50-60 miles, 70-80 miles. 8:00am (10:00am on 12/29/12)

Special Holiday Rides (3-4 hours each):
Fri Dec 28: Thunderbird Coffee 8:30am
Sat Dec 29: Bagel Ride **10:00am**
Sun Dec 30: Thunderbird Coffee **10:00am**
Mon Dec 31: Thunderbird Coffee 8:30am
Tue Jan 1: Thunderbird Coffee 8:30am

Thursday Ride at Walnut Creek – Beginner/intermediate ride level
The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group
Thursday, January 3, 2013        4:30 PM
Walnut Creek Park
12138 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX (map)
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 4:30 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.

Things to bring:
1.  Good working bike
2.  Helmet
3.  Camel back or something to carry water.

“One Mile Solution” Problems
by Steve A                DFW Point-to-Point
Andy Cline, in his excellent blog, “Carbon Trace,” espouses what he calls “The One Mile Solution.” Put briefly, it advocates simply switching over from motorized to non-motorized transportation for those short, daily trips of a mile or less. Personally, I like the concept. It works well for open-minded people in reasonable health that live in urban areas. And that is also the rub.

Health
More often than not, I stop for coffee on my way home from work. Conveniently, there’s a handicap sign that provides a convenient place to park my bike. While the coffee is a large brand based in Seattle, the store itself is part of a major grocery chain. This particular store has nearly a dozen handicap spots and they are often all occupied. I have no way to know what all the various handicaps consist of, but one wonders how many of these drivers would be amenable to a “one mile solution.” Indeed, my own parents are not inclined to ride to many places that I walk or ride to when I visit them. Ditto for my wife. I’m not sure how we, as a society, deal with this, since reduced exercise due to reduced mobility can become a downward…

What Makes an Epic Mountain Bike Ride
by Darryl            lovingthebike.com
It’s time for another one of our mountain bike monthly features….this time Greg from Singletracks let’s us know what he feels is an Epic Mountain Bike Ride.
What Makes an Epic Mountain Bike Ride
By Greg Heil

The word “epic” has been entirely overused in recent days, and especially in mountain biking circles. It seems like every time I ask a rider how his ride or the trail was, the classic response is either “It was epic dude!” or “Man, it was so gnarly!”

Epic adj.
3. heroic; majestic; impressively great: the epic events of the war.
4. of unusually great size or extent: a crime wave of epic proportions. …

Frisco MTB Trail Loop Information
by sooner1            Shawnee Trail Cycling Club

by Mark James, Asst Trail Steward, Frisco NW Community Trail
Ranger Loop

The original trail, Ranger , is an outer loop that covers the perimeter of the property for the most part. The trail is 2.5 miles in length and is suitable for all skill levels of riders. Although there are two dips, they can be navigated by walking your bike without too much effort if you are not comfortable with riding them. What the trail lacks from a technical perspective is made up by the fun factor. If you are up for a challenge it is a lot of fun to work on your speed. Time your lap and work on improving each time you ride. As the trail gets…

CX Shenanigans No. 21
by joeyTWOwheels            Texas Cyclocross
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQSt93nWM5Y

Waco was, in a word, RAD. The course was amazing. If you missed it, plan on it for next year. Here’s some pics. And some more. And some videos curtesy of Bryan Voytilla and Joey Machado (in that order):

 Tweets

https://twitter.com/JuliaBikes/status/284699541322752000

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for December 27th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Major Update to the Video Contest
AustinBike.com
There were those that were concerned that their video skills would be far surpassed by their riding skills – great on the trail, but not good for a contest.  So why bother going through all of the work and effort to create a video that didn’t stand a chance.

So we have decided to alter the focus of the event – in the light of the Sundance Film Festival, welcome to the Pedaldance Film festival.  And all that enter are going to get something.  Read on, it gets good.

We want everyone getting involved, so the focus is now on getting everyone together, watching some videos, and, most importantly, drinking beer.  To that end, Austinbike.com and UPG are going to buy the beer.  Everyone that enters a video gets a free beer and…

Waco Bicycle Club Saturday Ride
Where:   Olive Branch
When: Saturday 08:00 AM
What: Road/all levels
Distance: 37, 55 and 68 miles
Everyone meet at the new Olive Branch restaurant. click here

Ride departs at 8:00am every Saturday of the year. Those that want to meet at the Olive Branch before the ride for a coffee or even breakfast – awesome! During daylight savings time, the ride goes south on a fixed route, rain or shine. This will allow riders that arrive late, or that would like to join in somewhere along the route, to do so. After daylight savings time, the ride goes north on a fixed route, rain or shine. It will be open to all levels of road riders and will have set routes.
Saturday South Ride 37 miler. To view the route on “map my ride”: click here
Saturday South Ride 55 miler. View the route on “map my ride”: click here
Saturday South Ride 68 miler (affectionately referred to as the Spindoktor’s Renegade Ride)View the route on “map my ride”: click here …

With the low light with us now these gloves might come in handy.

These DIY Biking Signal Gloves Make Sure Every Car Sees Your Hand Signals
Alan Henry     lifehacker.com

Whether you’re biking or driving, everyone has to share the road, ideally in a safe way so no one gets hurt. These DIY signal gloves aren’t the prettiest around, but a little reflective tape on a pair of warm gloves will make sure any car on the road sees your hand signals and knows when you need to change lanes or turn well ahead of time.

Instructables user harmless_matt used a pair of mittens that have flip-up fingers so he could wear the gloves fingerless when he wasn’t biking, and then bring down the signals for use when he was moving around down. Just extend your hand out so the reflective arrow catches the…

Dill Road Adventure
Fort Worth Bicycling Association Club Ride
Saturday, December 29, 2012 10:00 am
The weather looks sunny and very cool.  Come join John and Susan for Dill Road Adventure.  10:00 am start
Routes
69 mile route
55 mile route
47 mile route
38 mile route
23 mile route

New Year’s Day Ride
Lone Star Cyclists
Pace: Touring (varied pace with frequent stops averaging 12-15 mph)
Date: Tuesday, January 1, 2013 – 9:00am
Location: Bike Center of Mansfield, 121 W Debbie Ln, Mansfield

Weather permitting, let’s start the New Year off the way it should be: with a bike ride! This route will take us southwest to I-35 (just south of Burleson) and back to Mansfield on two-lane country roads. Tim Williams will design a shorter route based on this one that will enable those who wish to get back sooner to do so.

Lunch: To be determined
Distances: 57 miles with a shorter cut-off to be determined
Ride Leader: Determined on-site

STCC Big Hangover Ride – New Years Day!
by sooner1                Shawnee Trail Cycling Club
Do you have your New Years Eve all planned out?  Big Party?  That special someone?  More party?

So what’s up the next morning?  We have put together a way for you to have a fantastic kick off to the New Year!  Starting at 9:30am, you’ll have a chance to get out and spin away those questionable decisions.  We’re having a great ride with a local start location, guaranteeing you won’t miss a minute of your favorite football game.  We’re offering at least two groups and distances, trying to keep the length of the ride down to keep the day enjoyable.

So, come out and join your ride buddies.  Everybody welcome, but non-members can avoid that pesky…

Race Preview – Holiday Hustle + The Most Awesome CX Race Weekend – Dec. 29-30, 2012
by joeyTWOwheels            Texas Cyclocross
We’re so Euro, we’re racing cross in December, yo.

Weekend promoter Jeff Lucido had himself a holiday and finally got in the sweet sweet details for TexasCX.com. Like Santa, we deliver:

2012HolidayHustle3New course in TXCX. Is there any other venue on the calendar that you can compare it to? Seems hard to compare it to anything, especially with Sunday being called The Most Awesome CX Race.
The weekend consists of two race venues. One completely new and the other a re-design of a course used last year. The Saturday course has some good long flowing sections and a few technical climbs. The Sunday course is pretty much not flat except for a nice section of long road which will have the start/finish area. Both courses contain singletrack sections but Sunday’s course contains two sections, one uphill and…

Tweets

https://twitter.com/JuliaBikes/status/284425516503678976

https://twitter.com/bikenoob/status/284326273273167872

 

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for December 26th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

NEW TIME – Tuesday Ride at Walnut Creek – Intermediate ride level
The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group
Tuesday, January 1, 2013        1:00 PM
Walnut Creek Park
12138 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX (map)
Getting dark earlier so starting this at 1:00 pm so we have time to get a full loop in.

Please be there and be ready to roll by 1:00 pm. We meet in the parking lot near the pool in the middle of the island.
Any question please call/text  me at [masked]
Intermediate level ride with no drop.
Ride at your own risk and helmets are required!

Houston Bicycle Club New Years Pot Luck Lunch And Ride Ride
Tue 01/01/13
Ride starts at 8:30 a.m.  Lunch at 11:30 a.m. Join us for the annual New Years Day pot luck feast. Start with a leisurely in-town ride. Then bring out your best dish for the traditional pot luck lunch!  Turkey, ham, and drinks provided by the HBC. Many attendance prizes will also be awarded. Start the new year right with riding buddies and great food!
Meet: West University Place Community Center, 6104 Auden – on the corner of Rice Blvd. (2 blocks east of Weslayan).

Tuesday: Intermediate/Advanced Mountain Bike Ride at the Ant Hills
Houston Cycling Club
Tuesday, January 1, 2013        6:15 PM
15200 Memorial Dr, Houston, Te (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

Rider Phil Hillis Shares His Black Friday Ride Experience And Pics
by dickdavid            Bike Friendly Richardson

Apologies in advance. I meant to post this closer to the event, but things got a bit busy in December. We got a great note from one of the participants in this year’s Black Friday Ride, and we wanted to share it. You might recall, Phil was the guy on the motorized bicycle. Here’s his note:

Not exactly sure who to address, so I’ll just say howdy guys. I just wanted to express the pleasure I had riding your Black Friday ride yesterday. I thought you had a really nice group of friendly riders, and I want to thank you for allowing me to attend.

This was my first official bicycle ride, but hopefully not my last. I’m 59 years young, and after riding 10 miles from Farmers Branch to get to the starting point, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to…

Tweets

https://twitter.com/BikeTexas/status/28406364409705267

https://twitter.com/FtWMntBikers/status/284061028461989889

https://twitter.com/FtWMntBikers/status/284059564914135040

https://twitter.com/SierraClubATX/status/284008008000864258

 

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for December 25th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Relocating to Kyle/San Marcos Area
by SHV                www.bikeforums.net
Hi,
I will soon relocate to the Kyle area, and ride a road bike- but I’m used to riding on nice, flat bike paths. I don’t mind street riding if the shoulder is wide and clean enough.

Can anyone recommend any good ‘after work’ style flatter road rides, 10-15 miles or so, in the Kyle/Buda/San Marcos area?

by alpha_bravo
East of I-35 is considerably flatter than the West side which is where most of the contours are. With that said, there’s nothing too hilly. The first place I would ride is River Road. Park in the Gruene city lot and head out. It’s beautiful riding along the river and even though there isn’t a shoulder I’ve found traffic to be super patient and accommodating even in the busiest time of year. There are some dips and humps but it’s…

 

Spoetzl Brewery Ride in Shiner, Texas
Biking for Biggies
Wednesday, December 26, 2012        9:00 AM
Kerr Creek Park and Disc Golf Course
1920 Saint Joseph Street, Gonzales, TX (map)

We will leave Houston for Gonzales, Texas around 9am, park at Kerr Creek Park and Disc Golf Course in Gonzales and ride approx 17 miles to the brewery in time for the 1:30 brewery tour. …

https://twitter.com/dkcholo/status/283697471694192640