Going Far on Knobbies – December 6th Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I waited for the sun to come out and the temperature to get up to the promised 70 degrees. Neither happened so at 1:20 I left home on my Motobecane 700HT mountain bike. I did something I never did before: ride my mountain bike on one of my road bike routes. It wasn’t one of the longer routes I ride but 23.97 miles could be the longest ride on my mountain bike. I went to Huffman with the plan to stop at the Huffman Cellular store but they went out of business. I saw the store on my road bike rides but never went close enough to see if they were actually open. Sometime back I did notice that the banner signs they put out by the road were gone but I did not connect that with them closing. So my trip was a bust in that respect. Riding knobby tires on the pavement for extended mileage saps a lot of energy. If I was going to make this a habit I should buy some slicks or less knobby tires.

Since I wasn’t sure how this ride would go I shorten the route a few miles by not going on Fairlake and Old Atascocita roads. I thought my average speed would be higher than the 12.8 mph (SportTracks) I ended up at. Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS.com showed slightly higher averages (13.1 mph and 13.0 mph, respectively) but lower top speeds (17.6 mph and 17.5 mph, respectively) than SportTracks’ 23.5 mph. Mileage totals after the ride: 40.75 this week, 98.65 for December, 6375.8 YTD.

The only excitement on the ride was the two car collision at Strong Pine Drive and FM1960 on the east side of Lake Houston. By the time I rode through the area going east the police and wreckers arrived. After turning around in Huffman and riding back the police and wreckers were starting to clear the truck and car. No one appeared to be hurt but the small car got the worst end of the crash losing the front bumper assembly. One of the wreckers did not help any by driving over the bumper laying on the road.

Warmer weather is in the forecast for Friday, Saturday and Sunday with a cold front arriving Sunday night. Monday’s high might be 52 degrees. So I will se what riding I can get in the next three days.

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Texas Bicycling Daily News Roundup for December 5th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Confronting the Scofflaw Cyclist
By Rick Bernardi, J.D.            www.bicyclelaw.com
You’ve probably seen “the comment.” It goes something like this. A news article reports that a cyclist was injured, or maybe even killed. The cyclist was following the law. The driver was not. Maybe the driver was just being careless. Maybe the driver was deliberately targeting the cyclist for harassment, or worse.

It doesn’t matter, because “the comment” always follows the same logic: “When cyclists stop breaking the law…” Regardless of what actually happened, regardless of the fact that this particular cyclist was following the law and this particular driver was not, some aggrieved motorist feels…

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Texas Cup — Bikesport Cyclocross Challenge
txbra.org

Catherine Hall Moore shows a collegiate rider how it’s done on the run-up hill at Bikesport Cyclocross Challenge. Photo courtesy of Corvin Alstot.

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Trail Work Parties
GHORBA.org
Memorial Park Work Party
Trail: Memorial Park
Saturday, December 15, 2012 – 1:00pm
We’ll be working on Saturday December 15th at 1:00 PM on cleaning up the blue trail as well as improving the drainages and armoring the low spots. We will be assembling at the DOG WASH STATION. As you’ve probably noticed, the blue trail tends to stay wet and muddy MUCH longer than the other trails and this work will fix that problem. We’ll probably…

Carl Barton Work Party
Trail:  Carl Barton
Sunday, December 30, 2012 – 8:30am
December work party at Carl Barton to clean trails.

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New horse in the stable…
by In-Yo-Grill                forums.mtbr.com

Better pics coming soon.

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Tuesday: Intermediate/Advanced Mountain Bike Ride at the Ant Hills
Houston Cycling Club
Tuesday, December 11, 2012        6:15 PM
15200 Memorial Dr, Houston, TX
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

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Lindsey Four Endourance Race:
Tyler Bicycle Club
The TBC is hosting a four hour endurance mountain bike race, The Lindsey Four, at Lindsey Park on Saturday, January 5th at 10:00 am. You can compete individually or as a team. We will have music and food throughout the race. Tim McCellon is the race director for the Lindsey Four and you may contact him through email at Tim.mccellon@gmail.com, if you have any questions.
Registration has begun! Click the link below to download a registration form or go by Elite Bicycles or Simpson’s Adventure Sports and pick up a registration form. Also, the City of Tyler will be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony, prior to the race, at 9:30 am to formally open the trail.

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A bicyclist after my own heart. Just Monday I was daydreaming about the change from fall to winter and the start of the daylight getting longer each day.

Approaching the Solstice
by Steve A                DFW Point-to-Point

This week marks an annual milestone for cycling commuters in the DFW Metroplex. You see, this week marks the earliest sunsets of the year. While the moment that dawn officially appears will continue to appear later until well past the solstice, as of Friday, sunset will OFFICIALLY start appearing…

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Capture your biking adventures with the Bikepod
by Connor Livingston                www.techi.com

Cruising around on our bikes, exploring the great outdoors has become a great pastime for some of us, while others choose to use it as an environmentally friendly mode of transportation. If you own a smartphone or DSLR camera you can now capture your biking adventures, no…

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Texas Bike Clubs
pinterest.com

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Ring in the holiday with fun runs, Jingle Bell bike ride
By Alissa Mejia                Corpus Christi Caller
It’s time to get out your Santa hats and antlers, dust off your bells, find your elf socks and charge your batteries. With Christmas run and ride season starting, you cannot only show your holiday sprit, but perhaps even burn off a few sugar cookies in the process.

…Jingle Bell 5-mile bike ride: 6 p.m. Dec. 11 at The Episcopal Church of Reconciliation, 4518 Saratoga Blvd. Cost: Entry fee is a donation to Bikes For Kids.

Tour one of Corpus Christi’s best decorated neighborhoods, and be part of the show yourself. A helmet, front and rear bike lights are required. Bike decorations and costumes are encouraged. An outdoor gathering with food and drinks will follow the ride. …

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Cross-country trip full of beautiful surprises
Jackson man completes lifelong goal of biking across U.S.
By Miller N. Resor, Jackson Hole, Wyo.        www.jhnewsandguide.com
Greg Smith’s Adventure Cycling group pedals along the highway outside Alpine, Texas, en route from San Diego to its destination in Florida. For Smith, the trip fulfilled a lifelong dream of biking across the country.

On Nov. 17, Greg Smith completed a lifelong goal by dipping the front tire of his road bike in the Atlantic Ocean two months after his back tire emerged from the Pacific.

Smith said he had always wanted to make a cross-country bike trip and finally this summer decided he would not put it off another year.

“I had talked about doing it with friends over the years, but it never happened,” he said. “This summer I…

…He had expected Texas to be a barren wasteland, “nothing but desert.” Instead he found the route —  that started in El Paso and passed through Del Rio, Austin and Navasota — to be the most beautiful section of the entire trip.

While staying at a hostel in El Paso, the group ate at a grungy…

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Help BikeTexas Get Ready for the 2013 Legislative Session
www.biketexas.org
My heart is heavy today. In the past two months, we’ve seen one cyclist death after another in Texas. Cyclists like Iris Stagner, who was a BikeTexas board member, a commuter, a racer, and a personal friend. Iris lobbied for Share the Road signs in Palo Pinto County and made a trip to the Texas legislature during the 2009 session to ask her representatives to support the Safe Passing Bill. Iris was a safe rider who obeyed traffic laws, but her life was tragically cut short in September when an inattentive driver struck her from behind. To date, the driver has faced no charges.

We all have stories like this one of a friend or loved one who did everything right but was still killed while cycling. Many Texas roads were not built with bicycles in mind, and worse, drivers are not being held accountable for killing cyclists. Like you and other cyclists across Texas, I am tired of the pain of losing friends. This fall, I’ve…

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OTC Christmas Party!
by mwilhelm                    www.oldtascosacycling.com
Rage-n-nugget writes “OTC Christmas party@the garden room@sunset center suite 79 @7pm, 12/11, the club will provide a smoked brisket, and we ask that you bring your favorite side dish or desert, drinks and beverages will be provided by Sun Adventure! White elephant gift exchange, limit 5$. ”

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Johnson Branch State Park
by Shawn McAfee                Texas Mountain Bike Trails
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L19L8CLbL3s
Johnson Branch mountain bike trail

Located on the north corner of Lake Ray Roberts Johnson Branch State Park is one of the more remote trails located in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex. This trail is just across the lake from Isle Du Bois State Park, another challenging trail with many similar features.

The trail is very tight through the trees and fairly densely wooded singlerack, and large portions of it just like IDB are extremely rocky. While no individual section is “expert”, there are numerous climbs filled with very loose, rocky and rooty terrain. These sections are mostly found in the “red” section, they can be extremely challenging and will tire many riders out. Fortunately if you find yourself dragging too much at any point on…

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Tweets

https://twitter.com/BBQ44/status/276526910660554754

https://twitter.com/FtWMntBikers/status/276433289705828352

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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for December 4th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Off Season Update: December Racing Post
By Kim
Click here for Dec issue of The Racing Post

The team has been busy since the State Road Race at Fort Hood last September. Off season is a time to take care of things that you’ve been neglecting all race season. The 3K rule comes to mind during the winter months: Keep moving, Keep it fun, and Keep doing it!

Sheri has been dedicated to her Black Out classes at Pure Austin Fitness. She enjoys the abuse and knows that utilizing non-bike specific muscles will help keep her balanced. You can find her out on the road doing long rides to prepare for the early season stage racing. Most importantly, Sheri is avidly working at increasing her karma on Reddit.

Claire has been playing in a men’s basketball league. She likes the challenge and enjoys the pick-up game atmosphere. She and Michelle recently went head to head in a half court game in Waco. Michelle played D1 basketball in college, and even though she hasn’t picked up a…

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Bionicon C-Guide
www.AustinBike.com

Nobody likes chain drops, but at the same time nobody really wants to go through adding a chain guide to their bike, even if they have the right tabs on the frame.  They can be finicky to install and setup, they add weight and the cost is pretty significant relative to just stopping to pop the chain back onto the crank rings.  The Bionicon C-Guide attempts to rectify this with a relatively inexpensive device that can easily be installed, addressing the issue of chain drops. …

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6 Rules of Night Riding
by Shawn            Texas Mountain bike Trails
We are just about to Christmas and winter is under way. If you’re like me you’ve probably had enough of the short days and no chance to ride during the week after work. During the summer you had 4 more hours of daylight to soak up some single-track and get dirty. Now, you just feel fortunate to get a ride in during the weekend.

Well, luckily there is another option. For anyone with a heart of iron and more balls than brains there is always night riding.

I’m going to show you everything that you need to know to mountain bike at night and conquer the trail.

Biking at night is exciting, different and occasionally frightening. Using artificial lighting to pick your way through a tight and winding trail can get pretty hairy. Logs and trees that you may have seen 30 time…

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Meeting Sparks Positive Developments for Bike Safety
By Iris Dimmick                www.therivardreport.com
Public service announcements, draft state legislation and even sting operations were discussed at a meeting Monday centered on enforcement and awareness of the Vulnerable Roadway User Ordinance [PDF] and road to traffic equality. Also known as the “Safe Passing” ordinance, it requires motorists to stay three to six feet away from bicyclists.

The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD), San Antonio Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the non-profit advocacy group BikeTexas, Tri-sition Area bike shop, city officials and other stakeholders attended the small “brainstorming meeting” that was brought about, in large part, because of the…

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Race Preview – Cyclocross Scuffle – Sat, Dec. 8, 2012 
texascx.com
Let’s race in Capital City!

Er, let’s race near the airport in Capital City!

Weekend number nine in the prestigious TXBRA calendar brings us back to time-tested, locals-approved Moya Park. This event has been held for ten years in the pecan groves just south of Austin Bergstrom. It’s a solid venue for families with much to see and do.

Team Seton Brain and Spine rep, James Sides, gives us the skinny on one of our favorite courses.

How will your race compare to previous years?
It will be the same great format with slight changes to the course to keep it interesting.

Are we going on the bridge? Man, that would…

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Photos from the December 1 Armoring Project at Walnut Creek…WOW!
Austin Ridge Riders

Thank you R.R. Ochoa for taking the photos and letting us use them. Great work eveyone. Thanks to Rich Szecsy for organizing the project and for all the fine folks who volunteered!

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Beginners Ride
Fort Worth Bicycling Association
This month’s beginners ride will be on Dec 22nd. Start time moving to 10 am so we can let it warm up. If it is going to be in the 40’s or lower all day, or wet ride will be canceled.

Our most recent Paceline (the club’s online newsletter) was last updated 12-4-12.

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Achilles Heel
by Steve A            DFW Point-to-Point

Many times I’ve extolled the virtues of the mighty P7 headlight I use on my morning commutes. It is brighter than any light I’ve seen that is twice the price. What’s more, it has outlasted any Cateye light I’ve had. Still, it does have its own weakness; its Achilles Heel.

The P7’s battery is its weakness. Well, not the battery, exactly, but the Velcro that is supposed to keep the battery attached to the frame and hence the light. I have now lost this battery three times and have also doubled back to find it three times. There is something to be said for buckles or snaps. A light whose…

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Tweets

https://twitter.com/JuliaBikes/status/276081940958953473

https://twitter.com/JuliaBikes/status/276026113040465920

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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for December 3rd

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Sylvan Avenue Bike Lanes Proposed
Bike Friendly Oak Cliff
Public meeting December 10th, Salon Las Americas, 1004 Ft. Worth Avenue, 6pm

Bike Friendly Oak Cliff needs every able bodied person to attend a public meeting December 10th at Salon Las Americas, 1004 Ft. Worth Avenue, 6 pm to review plans for converting the six lane Sylvan Road to four lane, with bike lanes and sidewalks.

A group ride to the meeting is planned for 5:30 pm at Oddfellows in the Bishop Arts District.

Real momentum is finally starting to build for the 2011 Dallas Bike Plan, especially here in Oak Cliff.  In late summer we opened the first buffered bicycle lanes in Dallas on Mary Cliff near Rosemont Elementary, last month we opened the first complete street on a stretch of Bishop Ave, we’re only days away for the…

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Madrone Ride Pics – 12-2-12
www.AustinBike.com
While the day started off grey and misty, the trails were in excellent shape and we had a large group of riders who came out to sample the trails. Tobin did a great job of leading the ride and even though we had a few long regroups, the group managed to stay together for the length of the ride.

At the end of the ride, cold beer and grilled sausages were a welcome finish.
Location: Madrone Trail – Canyon Lake

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HBC Brenham Ride
Houston Bicycle Club
Saturday 12/08/12     9:00am
Distances: 33(B), 40(B), 50(C), 59(C) mile
Varying hills, some require low gears. Quite a nice ride, particularly in the spring when the wildflowers are blooming. Stores at Long Point and Burton. In Brenham, stop at Must Be Heaven (113 W. Alamo) for Blue Bell.

Meet: About 75 miles from Houston. Take Hyw. 290 north past Hempstead, Chappell Hill, and go about another 10-12 miles to Brenham. Follow signs to Blinn College. Park in the lot at College.

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2012 Ride Like A Girl Build @ Bike 4 Kids at Mellow Johnny’s
Austin Ridge Riders

During what has become an annual tradition, ladies and friends from the Ride Like A Girl Program participated in the JB and Sandy’s Bikes for Kids Christmas Program hosted by Mellow Johnnys. (More photos)

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December Newsletter Published
Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts
The December edition of the DATES-Line Newsletter is published and available for download from the newsletters page. This month’s edition includes the following:

The Hilly Chili Ride
DATES Annual Meeting
Calling All Potential Ride Leaders
Halloween Ride
Southern Tandem Rally

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Alamo Christmas Tree Ride
Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club
Start:  December 23, 2012 5:15 pm
End:   December 23, 2012 7:00 pm
Venue:  Jim’s Restaurant
Address: 4108 Broadway, San Antonio, TX, 78209
Get in the Christmas spirit by joining us on this ride to see the Christmas tree on Alamo Plaza and enjoy the downtown Christmas lights on the way.  Decorate your bikes to add to the light displays.  Also, please make sure you have good front and tail lights on your bike, since part of this ride will be at night. This 15 mile ride starts at 5:15 PM from the parking lot of…

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Lancaster Loops
Lone Star Cyclists
Pace: Touring (varied pace with frequent stops averaging 12-15 mph)
Date: Saturday, December 8, 2012 – 8:30am
Location: Lancaster, on the Square (NE corner of Dallas Ave/Hwy 342 and East 1st Street)
The Lancaster Town Square address is 159 East 1st Street (Google 32.593194,-96.756222).
We’ll re-visit some of David Chamberlain’s routes although some roads have changed since he did his maps 10 years ago.
Distances: 31 and 54 Miles
Ride Leader: Determined on-site

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Houston Vistas
by Ken                Texas Racing Life
“We swore we’d never take pictures, pictures only prove you can’t convince.”  -The Format

Long 5 hour rides used to scare the pants off of me.  The slight but enduring pain of tempo always made me feel self conscious of my ability to complete these marches.  They are vital to competing at road races, and I would begrudging drone through them weekend after weekend. Yet I’m always amazed at how the body can condition itself, and now it’s what I crave and look forward to after a week of 2 hour interval rides.

Last week Bill Fiser and I traveled 20 minutes south to Pearland, and met up with Michael Pincus for a 5.5 hour soirée.  In doing this, we saved ourselves the trouble of riding from downtown through decreasingly urban roads to the open countryside.  In Houston, this can take up to an hour each way.  He said he knew good roads, and putting all my trust in him, we embarked, me not having the slightest clue where we were…

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Tweets

https://twitter.com/MarcHSchroder/status/275339500979355648

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