Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for December 24th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Christmas DAY RIDE…. show off your gifts – 15-17 mph pace to San Marcos
Austin Cycling Meetup
Tuesday, December 25, 2012    10:00 AM
starbucks
9600 Escarpment Blvd, austin, TX (map)
Hey, Who wants to show off their new XMAS gifts?? I was thinking of heading south to Buda, Slaughter to Brodie to Manchacha to 1626 to twin creeks to old san antonio to buda. I will Provide a map at a later date, but distance of at least 50 miles… wondering how many might like 75 miles??

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El Paso cyclist’s journey will take him from top to bottom of Western Hemisphere
By Victor R. Martinez \ EL PASO TIMES

Just buy a ticket.

That simple piece of advice from a close friend has opened the world to University of Texas at El Paso graduate Andres “Andy” Esparza.

“The world is a beautiful place and you just have to set your mind to get out and experience it,” Esparza said. “We have life and we should enjoy that life as much as we can and do exactly what you would like to do.”

In Esparza’s case, that means cycling from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, in…

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VioletCrownATX
Annual Christmas Eve VC group ride. Great turn-out this morning. Made it out to the tractor graveyard in G-Town-

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All Level Ride @ Walnut Creek Fall/Winter hours
The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group
Sunday, December 30, 2012        1:30 PM
Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
12138 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, TX (map)
We set up under the trees in the parking lot near the swimming pool. Look for the ARR Banner.

Cooler weather hours are in effect starting on December 2nd!!

It has been a little bit chilly in the mornings so it is time to change the start time of our ride to 1:30 p.m. Look for a change back to mornings sometime around March 10, 2013.

We know that this time change doesn’t work for everyone so we hope you considering hosting a ride for yourself and those who might want to ride at a different time or on a different…

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Sunday All-Level Ride at Walnut Creek
Austin Ridge Riders
Sunday, December 30, 2012 – 13:30
Sunday, January 6, 2013 – 13:30
Cooler weather hours are in effect starting on December 2nd!!
It has been a little bit chilly in the mornings so it is time to change the start time of our ride to 1:30 p.m. Look for a change back to mornings sometime around March 10, 2013. (Spring/Summer hours starting time is at 9:30 a.m.)

We know that this time change doesn’t work for everyone so we hope you considering hosting a ride for yourself and those who might want to ride at a different time or on a different day.

You do NOT have to be a ARR member to attend most club riders. You will need to sign a waiver and wear a helmets when riding.

This is for all levels of riders, which will break into groups according to ability. Beginners are welcome, and there will be no drops. Meet in the parking lot by the swimming pool. The route will make it easy for…

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Dust Bunny Rides for Jan/Feb
Fort Worth Mountain Bikers’ Association
Hi ladies,
Start the new year off right by joining us on one of these great rides!

Tuesday “night” rides at River Legacy starting at 6pm:
Jan. 8
Jan. 22
Feb. 12
Feb. 26

Saturday morning rides starting at 10am:
Jan. 19 — Cedar Hill State Park
Feb. 9 — Northshore
As always, these are beginner friendly, no-drop rides. Check this post for updates.

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Upcoming Rides
Lone Star Cyclists
Urban Action, Short and Long
River Legacy Park, 703 NW Green Oaks Blvd, Arlington
Saturday, December 29, 2012 – 9:30am

Venus Ventures
Venus Town Square
Saturday, January 5, 2013 – 9:00am

Ride Out of Midlothian
Midlothian SE Corner N 8th St and W Ave E. Park on the north side, away from the Farmer’s Market.
Saturday, January 12, 2013 – 9:00am

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When Bicyclists are Banned, Some Texas Roads Cause Rage
By Dave Fehling            stateimpact.npr.org

exas cities are trying to reduce traffic congestion by promoting bicycling. Austin is adding bicycle-only lanes on city streets. Houston voters recently approved $166 million in bonds partly for hike and bike trails.

But on some roads in Texas, bikes are banned, raising questions about just where bikers have the right to ride.

In the city of Anna just north of Dallas, a stretch of FM 455 has been off-limits to bicyclists since 2006 when the city council deemed the two-lane road too narrow and dangerous to…

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Christmas Lights on Our Bikes
Plano Bicycle Association

Three Hells Belles and a token gent enjoyed the Deerfield Christmas lights on their bikes. They met some snowball throwing penquins and four local sports heros singing carols.

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Tweets

https://twitter.com/BikePaulie/status/283386479869321216

https://twitter.com/BikePaulie/status/283183129986990080

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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for December 23rd

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Another South Llano post
by texasflyfisherman            forums.mtbr.com/texas/
This place is great…seriously. For most folks coming from San Antonio or Austin it’s about a 2 hour drive. I am blessed in that I live up towards Kerrville, so it’s barely an hour for me. Either way, it’s still worth the drive.
I Spent the first hour on the doubletrack in the front that borders the river. Nothing to technical or steep at all…pretty benign actually, but man it’s fun to haul ass on this section. The back country is tougher, with a few fairly steep climbs and descents. I didn’t find the ride “technical”, and I am a total newbie….but a few of the climbs were pretty stout. Scenery is gorgeous….place is freakin’ HUGE, and even better….NOBODY was there. I saw not one other…

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No Chip Seal Here
by alchemyrider                alchemyrider.me
I bought my first bike in Houston.  My early solo rides were on the few bike trails along the Columbia Tap to Trail and Brays Bayou.  Then I met the Six Thirty group.  The majority of our group riding was done on city streets.  In most cases there were no bike lanes.  Where there were bike lanes you tended to stay out of them.  I remember Washington Avenue having a bike lane in name only.  What had been designated as a bike lane was badly rutted filled and with debris.  So we took our chances toward the center of the lane.

We also rode on the farm-to-market roads outside Houston.  There was less traffic on them, which was a plus.  They tended to be chip sealed, which was a minus.  Chip seal has a layer of aggregate embedded in the bitumen or asphalt.  On that surface we were…

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New Year’s Day Family Ride
Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club
Ingram Road Park and Ride
January 1, 2013 10:00 am
Let’s start out 2013 with a leisurely bike ride (or go as fast as you can safely), with plenty of time to sleep into the New Year. The ride will start at 10 a.m. from the Ingram Park Via bus station (410 & Ingram Rd.).  This ride on the the Leon Creek Trails Trail-head to its end at the Valero Trailhead (at IH 10) is approximately 24 miles in length with shorter route options. The trails are mostly flat with a few small rolling hills. Bring the family, kiddy trailer & tandems. We will have lunch (to be determined) after the ride where we can share our New Year’s Eve stories.  For more information contact ride leader Heidi Lynn at…

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New Year’s Day Ride
San Antonio Wheelmen
Date:     01/01/2013
Time:     09:00 AM-12:00 PM
Location:     Cibolo City Hall
Cibolo, TX
Details: Cibolo Ride (NE) [F to R]. Routes of 20, 27, 39, 51, 66 and 71 miles.
Meet at the City Hall parking lot in downtown Cibolo. From I-35 North, turn right on FM 3009 (Roy Richard Drive, exit 175) to FM 78; turn left and then left again on Main Street in Cibolo. City Hall is just off of Highway 78.
Contact: Cliff Hickel…

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Plano Bicycle Association, Texas Medical Association expand joy of Cycling to needy children
by WB admin                The Wheel Brothers – Cycling in Texas
Groups Donate 40 bicycles, helmets to Boys and Girls Clubs of Collin County, City House

PLANO, TEXAS – December 21, 2012 – The Plano Bicycle Association (PBA) and Texas Medical Association announced today that it is donating 40 new kids’ bicycles and helmets to needy children at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Collin County and to City House both of which are located in Plano. The helmets were made possible by a matching grant from the Texas Medical Association through its Hard Hats for Little Heads program.

Through a partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Collin County, City House and the assistance of PBA members and the Texas Medical Association, the PBA was able to purchase, assemble and deliver new bicycles and helmets to help less fortunate children in our community.  Without these bikes, these…

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Tweets

https://twitter.com/Donowens/status/282944097801601024

https://twitter.com/WetDogRacing/status/282949198708621312

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Fallen Limbs – December 23rd Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

The strong winds last Thursday brought down a number of trees and limbs on the trails. I had to ride around at least 4 trail blockages. The overcast sky threatened rain but none fell. The 18 mph gusts managed to wrangle their way into the woods surrounding the trails making the 73 degrees feel cooler than I expected. I almost did not wear two jerseys but I figured if I overdressed I would just sweat more and lose an extra pound or two.

Riding my mountain bike offered a change in scenery and riding style from the road bike route.I did come upon three other bikers on the trails, one of them I passed twice. Otherwise it was dog walkers and a family taking their cockatoo bird for a walk on the trails. Today’s route totaled 17.52 miles at a 12.8 mph average speed. See the second slide below more ride metrics. Some of the trails are old asphalt so my hardtail mountain bike got bumpy at times. With all of the falling leaves those bumps can be disguised causing some unexpected bounces. My hands continue to enjoy the new handlebar and multiple hand positions.

Warm weather is expected again on Christmas Eve but Christmas Day afternoon and evening some colder weather is supposed to arrive bringing Wednesday to a 52 high and 30 low. I will see if I can get some riding in this coming week.

Other data links: Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS.com.

[wppa type=”slide” album=”72″ size=”auto”][/wppa]

 

Texas Bicycling Daily News Roundup December 22nd

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Big Bend?
by sinfony78                forums.mtbr.com/texas
Anyone do any biking out there? Thinking of making a drive from Houston. Will it be worth it?

by  kpomtb
Big Bend Ranch State Park and the Lajitas trails are lots of fun. No riding the trails in the National Park, but you can ride the jeep roads. The best time to go is President’s Day Weekend for the Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest. Desert Sports puts on the festival and has all the info you need on rding in the area. …(more replies)

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8:00am – Harden Dental Team Ride
Corinth Cycling Club
When: Sat Jan 12, 2013 8am to 11am  CST
Where: Ronny Crownover Middle School
Event Description: This is the weekly training ride for the Corinth Cycling/Harden Dental race team. This is a 62 mile loop on an established route. Expect a fast pace and be prepared to fix your own mechanicals. There are no stops on this ride.

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Texas Fort Trails cycling tour needs input for San Angelo event
San Angelo Standard-Times
SAN ANGELO, Texas — Organizers of the Texas Fort Trails cycling tour (texasfortstrail.com/) want to bring their event to San Angelo in 2013.

Their cycling tour is planned for Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 12-14, with check-in and registration on Oct 11. Organizers expect 250 or more cyclists to participate in the 2013 event.

The organizers need your input regarding the specific routes for each day of the tour to ensure that cycling visitors enjoy great routes and have a chance to experience the rural beauty of the…

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Tweets

https://twitter.com/BikePaulie/status/282459301413523456

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