Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for September 24th

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Cyclesomatic 2012: iBike Rosemont, October 8th – 12th
Bike Friendly Oak Cliff
Not many of our events inspire more than this one.  None of our events we do mean more.  And , none of them have made more of a difference in a child’s life than iBike Rosemont.  This event has led to the actual first and completed buffered bike lane in the city of Dallas to date.  Want to start an iBike program at your local elementary school?  Reply to this post with your name and email address. …

Group Rides Webinar
League of American Bicyclists
Tuesday, October 2, 2012 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM EDT
Our panel of ride leaders and ride coordinators will discuss all aspects of a successful ride program, including planning and scheduling, communication, ride leader recruitment and training, and pace and safety issues.  Panel will include Steve Diamond of the Morris Area Freewheelers and others to be announced. This webinar is sponsored by BikeStoreGuys.com.

Why Cyclists Annoy You
Even though most aren’t a#$%^&*s like Jim Saksa
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
(Newser) – Jim Saska freely admits he is an “asshole cyclist.” “I’m that jerk weaving in and out of traffic, going the wrong way down a one-way street, and making a left on red. I’m truly a menace on the road,” he writes on Slate. But most cyclists aren’t, so he feels bad when people decry cyclists as a species. Recent studies show that cyclist misbehavior is way down, as are cycling accidents—even though more people are biking. So why do so many drivers hate all cyclists?

This next post will add a touch of class to your home.

Bike Chain Chandelier
By John Baichtal            blog.makezine.com

Facaro, the Etsy boutique of metalworker Carolina Fontoura Alzaga, sells beautiful chandeliers made from reclaimed bicycle parts. [via Arden]

Transportation Services to launch bike-share program
By Julie Blanco                www.thebatt.com
As a college student, the decision to purchase a bicycle can seem like an expensive commitment, particularly if one isn’t sure the bike will be used enough to justify the purchase.

Luckily for students at Texas A&M, Borrow-a-Bike, a short-term bike lease program from Transportation Services, will soon be available.

Students and employees who choose to participate in the new program can borrow a MaroonBike for a short period of time. Bicycles that are leased are due back the next day by 10 a.m. If the student borrows a bicycle on a Friday it must be returned the…

Biker Rides 10 Mile Race With Kitten in Her Bra
by Laura Simpson            www.care2.com
Written by Marjorie Monroy of Texas

One very hot summer day in June in Texas, I was out with my cycling club on a 50 mile ride through the countryside near Pearland.  We were near the end of the ride and going at a pretty good pace, around 20 to 22 mph and one of the girls I ride with asked me if I noticed the kitten.  Not thinking I heard her correctly, I asked her what she meant. She said, “the kitten on the side of the road back there.”  Well, that’s all I needed to hear. I pulled out of the pace line and went back.  At first I didn’t see anything, so I laid my bike down and started to walk in my bike shoes.  I saw some huge buzzards eating something and had a horrible feeling in my stomach.  Thankfully when I got closer, they flew away and they…

Doping: A Great Movie Someday
by Ken                Texas Racing Life
When I think about all the years of doping scandals, I think the whole situation would make one hell of a movie, if people in the US cared about cycling. I have no problem admitting that I am a recovering Armstrong freak; I first entered the sport because of his impressive wins during the Tour de France. I KNEW he wasn’t doping and vilified anyone that said otherwise. I hated dopers and yelled about how much they are ruining everything. I hated people that would question Lance’s domination. It was easy to hate foreigners like Basso or Ullrich when they got popped.

When Floyd tested positive, I simply couldn’t believe it. I look back now and marvel at my ability to circumvent evidence and truth. I wanted to believe these heroes were clean. When Floyd came clean and admitted everything, I HATED him. How could he make up such…

What You See in Reverse – September 24th Bike Ride

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Getting the first ride of the week in I decided to ride one of my routes in reverse. I started at 10:58 under scattered clouds, 9 mph SE wind and 82 degrees. When I finished at 1:51 the temperature rode to 93 degrees. On this route I spend a lot of time with a tailwind or at least it felt like one. As usual when you ride in reverse you see things in a different direction and you wonder how I missed them before. The last five miles I rode on Ford Road and Mills Branch Drive. I ride these streets but this is the first time I rode in this direction. The ups and downs on these streets seemed easier than my normal direction. One thing I noticed is the abundant road debris on the north bound shoulder of FM1314 compared to the opposite direction. Hopefully I did not pick up any tube seeking wire. I will check my tires.

This route ended up at 33.42 miles. At the 30 mile point I checked my average speed and saw 16.2 mph. With the remaining streets and stops I figured it would be difficult to maintain that number and it dropped to 15.9 mph according to SportTracks but Garmin Connect calculated an even 16.0 mph. SportTracks was generous with my max speed at 22.1 mph while Garmin Connect showed 20.7 mph. Average cadence was 82.8 RPM. Except for some areas on Ford Road this route presents a smooth road and long streches between traffic lights so I can maintain steady speeds and cadence. No real change in elevation either. September miles rose to 513.27 and YTD stands at 5230.53 miles. All but the first split was 15 mph or more.

The table also shows the meager change in elevations. Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS.com metrics and maps offer similar information.

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Texas Bicycling Daily News Roundup September 23rd

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RIDE LIKE A GIRL End of the Season Post Ride Party at Walnut Creek on Monday, September 24
by Il Pirate            Austin Ridge Riders
At 8ish (earlier if the ride is cancelled), we will tap the two kegs being provided (Thanks to ARR and Dawn, the Goddess Herself.) In the unlikely event of a cataclysmic rain event that prevents anyone from coming to our party, the kegs will most likely end up at the R & I on Tuesday at some rideable trail.

This party is for the RLAG riders and Ride Leaders and all our Sponsors, Friends, Significant Others and friendly mountain…

November Club Ride @ Reimers Ranch
Saturday, November 10, 2012 – 09:00
Austin Ridge Riders
Reimers has been the site of numerous improvements over the last year. If you haven’t been out there lately you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the new pavement, outdoors showers, nice restroom facilities and the pavilion. And the pump track is fast proving to be a favorite!

You do not have to be an ARR member to participate but we’d love to have you join. ARR Members in good standing will be reimbursed the day fee and if you are unsure about your membership status, please email arrwebsite@gmail.com and we will check and let you know. …

Good News Lutheran Church Pumpkin Patch Ride
Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club
October 20, 2012 8:00 am
11020 Old Corpus Christi hwy, San Antonio, TX
Meet at 8:00 a.m. in the church parking lot.This is a 32 mile ride with some rolling hills going south towards Floresville. Stay after the ride to stroll through 100+ pumpkins in all shapes and sizes. Food will be available to purchase. Free Hayrides, Maze, Moon Jump, Car & Motorcycle Show. Have your family meet you after the ride to join in the fun. The church is located on the corner of 181 South and Old Corpus Christi Road For more information contact ride leader Sandy Barsun at…

Support for bike lanes crosses political lines
by Julie Bird / Staff Writer            www.ntdaily.com
Getting Democrats and Republicans to find political harmony on any issue is no easy task, but according to a recent poll, there’s one thing almost everyone can agree on: bikes.

The national Princeton-conducted survey, commissioned by the advocacy group America Bikes, found that 80 percent of Republicans and 88 percent of Democrats, as well as 83 percent of all respondents, supported maintaining or increasing federal funding for bike paths, bike lanes and sidewalks.

“What I found most significant from the survey was that 12 percent of all trips [Americans take] are either biking or walking, but only 2 percent of the Congress budget for transportation goes to bicyclists and…

https://twitter.com/OrthoTexas/status/250036409384173568

Pleasant Day Riding the Dirt – September 23rd Bike Ride

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With all of the sun and scattered clouds I took off on my mountain bike to ride the trails in Kingwood. Since the rain stayed away the dirt trails are dry. So I picked three trails parallel to drainage bayous. The first one runs from Nortpark Drive to Kingwood Drive. From there I crossed over Kingwood Drive and continued south to the bridge over the bayou into Trailwood Village. The metal bridge with wood plank floor emitted an interesting sound as I rode with the knobby tires. Starting after church at 11:50 the temperature ranged from 88 to 92 degrees. The light breeze did not penetrate the trees very well so I relied on my movement to move some air to help keep me somewhat cool. The picture gallery shows what the dirt trail portion of the ride looked like.

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The route was not that long at 13.82 miles in SportTracks but Garmin Connect tallied 14.4 miles. The average speed differed as well at 11.9 mph (SportTracks) and 12.4 mph in Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS.com calculations. Now that the week’s riding is over the mileage standings:

  • 172.97 miles this week
  • 479.85 miles for September
  • 5197.11 miles YTD

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