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

Texbiker.net Posted on by

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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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for September 22nd

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Day 13: West Columbia to Home – 66 Miles – Busy Bee, Clifton By The Sea, and Welcome Home
by Jim Fox            Cycling Across Texas
I woke up early this morning, but I didn’t get on the road until about 10am. I had a bit of a headwind from the north and northeast, but it wasn’t too bad. Most of my route today would be along highway 35. First to Angleton and then to Alvin. What remained after that would be roads that I’m very familiar with and ride on regularly.

I made it into Alvin by about 12:30 and realized that I had all afternoon to ride the remaining 30 miles to home. With plenty of time, today was not a day for ‘lunch on the run’. I’d find a sit-down restaurant and relax a bit. There are plenty of restaurants in town, but there is one in particular that’s been a favorite of mine for about 15 years…The Busy Bee Cafe. My route along highway 35 went right next to there, so I figured it was meant to be…Busy Bee, here I come. After about 12 drink refills and a good sandwich, I was on the road again. (Note to self: go back there sometime and have some homemade pie.)

Another 10-12 mile ride and I would be in Dickinson….home of the Gatorzillas, FIRST Robotics Team, #2936. I stopped in at the school for a few minutes to say hello to the team and then got…

Early Morning Houston Ride
by texaggs                www.bikeforums.net
I have to do most of my training at 4 or 5 in the a.m. I was trying to see if anyone knows of any group rides at that time. I prefer it to be on the west side of Houston since that would be closer to home.
Thanks.

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Mount Locke Race
by Roy and Christine            Pedal Pushers

Destination: McDonald Observatory
Mount Locke Race
Sunday September 16, 2012…