I rode north on today’s bike ride thinking it would be a shorter version of the New Caney – Tavola – Valley Ranch route. But it turned out to be a little longer than the 36.5 mile average of the previous 7 rides this year covering 37.39 miles. This was a good start for August bike rides which has an 800 mile goal just like June and July. I rode my Lynskey Helix bike for the first time since the triple saddle switch over a week ago. The Lynskey now has the Fizik saddle. I was a little concerned about the saddle angle since the Lynskey seatpost doesn’t adjust the tilt. It didn’t feel as good as the saddles on my other bikes as far as the angle goes but it was okay. It seemed to tilt down a little more than I prefer and put more pressure on my hands.
To get ahead of another scorching hot day I rolled away at 8:37 AM. I wanted to start a little earlier but that was soon as I could. I managed to finish at 11:54 and the temperature was 96 degrees. Weather: Start 87 degrees, 69% humidity, dew point 75.1, mostly cloudy, wind SW 4 mph; Finish 96 degrees, 47% humidity, dew point 72.5, a few clouds, wind SW 4 mph. As I write this at 2:49 PM it is 97.5 at my home weather station. About half an hour ago it was 100.5.
As I approached FM 1314 on the frontage road two motorcycle constables came from behind me with lights flashing and sirens blaring. Before that a pilot escort truck passed me on the left with a low clearance pole on the front and lights flashing. In my mirror I could see a LARGE LOAD coming and moved to the crosswalk island from the road. Good thing I did because the truck was indeed very wide (check the video) and took up most of the road as it prepared to turn left under the freeway. A huge transformer on the trailer with more wheels than I could count crawled passed with another truck pushing from the back. No idea where it was heading.
Large transformer at FM 1314
After that the rest of the bike ride was pretty normal. I stopped twice to refill my water bottle with ice, first in New Caney and then at the 7 Eleven on FM 1314. Riding through shade was a pleasant feeling from the hot sun. The breeze felt cooling.
8-1-2023 SportTracks 2023 Rides Summary New Caney-Tavola-Valley Ranch
8-1-2023 SportTracks Ride Summary New Caney-Tavola-Valley Ranch
In 2014, a small band of business and civic leaders began working on a project that would create a 50-mile loop of hike and bike trails around Dallas. Nearly 10 years and $90 million later, they’re approaching the finish line.
In the fall of 2014, Dallas commercial real estate executive Jeff Ellerman was out cycling with his longtime buddy, oilman Larry Dale, when he had an epiphany. “We had meandered through the Design District and got to the Trinity Skyline Trail on the river bottom,” Ellerman says. “It’s beautiful with great views of the city, but it’s a chasm that has separated the haves and the have-nots forever. And we said, ‘This is ridiculous. You have miles of opportunity to the north and the south.’”
Not long afterward, Ellerman ran into Mike Rawlings, the then-mayor of Dallas, and talked with him about the need for an expanded trail system. Rawlings agreed and said it would take a public-private partnership—and …
Melissa Sims of Houston Ghost Bikes looks over a memorial for Sajid Barajas as balloons are released in his memory on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022 in Houston. The city is on pace for 19 bicyclist fatalities this year.
A fatal crash late Friday cemented what cycling advocates had been warning about for months – Houston is going backwards when it comes to erasing roadway deaths of bicycle riders.
"With few exceptions, trying to share the road on Houston’s streets is like swimming with sharks,” BikeHouston Executive Director Joe Cutrufo said, in an email. “There’s no protection, there’s no goodwill, there’s no accountability.”
Around 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Houston Police said a 56-year-old man was …
A new one-mile extension of the Violet Crown Trail system is now open in Southwest Austin. The extension provides an 11-mile uninterrupted trail from Barton Springs to near MoPac and Williamon Cannon Drive.
The trail is generally 10 to 11 feet wide, ADA-accessible and composed of both concrete and stabilized granite. With the completion of this segment, the Violet Crown Trail is now contiguous from Zilker Park to Slaughter Creek. Once fully complete, the trail will …
The Laredo Police Department hosted its first ever Bike Rodeo and Summer Safety Fair on Friday, July 28 in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation.
The event was held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Slaughter Park located at 202 N. Stone Ave. Dozens of bikes were given away to lucky winners after LPD received bike donations from 27 different sponsors. A free bicycle helmet …
WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) – With Hotter’ N Hell just less than a month away, cyclists are trying to train with high temperatures rising well over 100 degrees.
“The big thing is fluids you start drinking all the time,” said Marion Helmick, Hotter’N Hell Cyclist.
Marion Helmick started riding Hotter’N Hell at the age of 62 now a few years later, Helmick has learned to deal with the heat by taking in fluids and adjusting her training times.
“Hot weather, it’s not hot weather preparation starts really early. Make sure you …
UPDATE: The victim in a hit-and-run has been identified as Daryl Taylor, 46, of Lufkin. A Crime Stoppers tip came in on Sunday that has led authorities to believe they have identified the suspect vehicle involved in Taylor’s death. …
Opinion//Letters to the Editor | www.expressnews.com
Re: “City still pushing Broadway revamp,” Front Page, Thursday:
I see that despite Texas Department of Transportation turning down lane closures on Broadway for bike lanes, the city is back at it.
The city has spent millions to encourage development around the Pearl, which wasn’t needed. And closing lanes will create traffic jams causing wasted fuel/energy.
In addition, the new high-rise buildings house professional people. Can you see professionals riding a bike to and from work in the triple-digit heat wearing a suit and tie?
As Beril Saygin, biology and Plan II senior, crosses the finish line of her bike ride from Austin to Anchorage, Alaska, alongside her teammates, she’s not just biking for herself.
“I’m riding for the fact that even when there seems like there’s nothing, there’s always hope,” Saygin said. “Anyone can bring hope. You don’t have to be a doctor to do that.”
On July 28, the 2023 Texas 4000 (T4K) team completed their 70-day bike ride of over 4,000 miles from Austin to Anchorage to help raise money for cancer research. The …
Texas Biking from Twitter X
We're on pace to double last year's ? death toll.
What is the next mayor going to do to ensure this doesn't happen again?
A fatal crash late Friday cemented what cycling advocates had been warning about for months – Houston is going backwards when it comes to erasing roadway deaths of bicycle riders. https://t.co/ZDoLdRzLIw
Last week Strava notified me by email that I lost the local legend on FM 2100 south of where I bike most often. This reminded me of two routes that include the segment and I thought it would be good to end July biking on one of them. The routes: Kingwood – Stroker Road – Kingwood and Kingwood – Hare Cook Road – Kingwood. I rode the first route last on June 3rd for 44.91 miles and the second last ride was April 19th going 47.53 miles. Usually I ride north on Monday but I went south this today. I would make the route decision on Stroker Road at Miller Wilson Road.
104 degrees forecast for the afternoon motivated me to start the ride at 8:21 AM to get back home before the hottest time of the day. 83 degrees as I rode away on my Canyon Endurace. I carried extra water using the CamelBak and a water bottle. I might’ve emptied the icemaker to fill both of them.
The discarded broken sectional sofa at Ramsey Road and Old Atascocita Road that was there the last time I rode there was gone. I was planning on taking a break on it! Not really.
The ride was going smoothly when I got to Stroker Road and saw a road work sign. Harris County Precinct 3 workers ground off the old asphalt leaving grooves and a rough bike ride. Riding west on Stroker Road I saw flashing lights ahead when Miller Wilson Road arrived. Should I go straight on the rough road or turn left? I turned left and that decided the route was Kingwood – Hare Cook Road – Kingwood. Miller Wilson was much smoother until I made the right turn onto Hare Cook Road. The Hare Cook Road surface wasn’t ground down but heavy truck traffic took its toll leaving dips and cracked asphalt to the concrete approach to FM 2100.
Up to that point I had not stopped. On FM 2100 I stopped at the Fuel Max station for a rest break. I sat in the shade taking in the light breeze, eating a couple of granola bars to get me to the finish, and drinking cold water from the CamelBak. I emptied the water bottle back on Ramsey Road. The sun was hot and the time in the shade energized me until the next stop at the Exxon station on FM 1960 at E. Lake Houston Parkway. I stood by the Canyon for several minutes in the shade before rolling out again. There were 3 Houston Police cruisers at the Exxon beside me with the officers talking among themselves.
Back on FM 1960 headed west I rode over Lake Houston, onto Atascocita Shores Drive, and Kings River Drive. At the Kings River Pool I stopped at the benches not too far from the pool to get some shade and drink more water. After a few minutes I was back on the Canyon for the 5 1/2 miles to the finish at 12:34 PM. 47.41 miles for the bike ride and ending July. My home weather station said 98 degrees when I walked into the house. Later it hit 102 for a few minutes. I made it before it really got hot.
Weather during the bike ride: Start 83 degrees, 77% humidity, dew point 74.7, mostly clear, wind SW 3 mph; Finish 98 degrees, 43% humidity, dew point 71.6, mostly clear, wind S 3 mph.
July bike rides close out the month 992.3 miles. My goal was 800 miles. I didn’t ride yesterday after church because of the heat but if I had July would’ve been 1000 miles. 992.3 miles is the highest month this year and back to September 2022 when I rode 1003 miles.
The pedestrian was struck and later died at a local hospital, police reports.
LUFKIN, Texas — A person has died after being hit by a vehicle around 6:15 a.m. Sunday on Abney Avenue in Lufkin.
The person’s identity is currently being shielded by the family’s request.
The man was riding his bicycle westbound in the 900 block of Abney Avenue when a speeding black SUV crossed all three lanes and stuck him, according a release from City of Lufkin Communications Director Jessica Pebsworth. …
Took the MTB today. Workout was 9x5min Sweet Spot. Took it easy Z2 to Lime Creek then started efforts. BUT then got a pop up that the derailleur battery was low so had to conserve shifts!! Picked 34:18 which let me ride the ups at target power then would ride the brakes on the descents to not spin out.
Knocked those out then headed to Brushy Creek to explore. CHUNK!!! OMG! Burned a few shifts and got to 34:20 but still ended up walking a few steep ones, leg’s top end not there. LOTS of fun looking enduro lines! Road a few but backed off as I was toast at this point and didn’t want any bloody knees.
Back in the road/hike-n-bike for the 15mi ride back to Domain at 34:16.
Board exam studying has kept me off the bike this summer, and it shows! Couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ride with my dad on these beautiful country roads. Back to training in mid-August. (“Stand Up” | Jethro Tull, 1969)
It’s a transformative project so big it’ll stretch all the way from Austin to San Antonio. But it won’t be powered by gasoline or run on rails. And to traverse it, it’s your feet that will do most of the work.
It’s called the Great Springs Project, a 110 mile trail that will start at Barton Springs in Austin and will go on to San Marcos Springs, then on to Comal in New Braunfels and then at the Blue Hole in San Antonio.
While each of those Springs are located in cities, that trail’s primary path will run in the …
Sunday Morning Group Ride. Stopped by @JitterzCoffee for a Campfire Latte and a muffin. Of all the coffee shops I've been to, this is "Home" to me… pic.twitter.com/wbQ6LPTc8Z
Charges should be more than stop & rendered aid! Too many ppl getting slaps on the wrist for fatally hitting pedestrians & cyclists. @COSAGOV#sapdhttps://t.co/21650dbdlB
