Texas Bicycling Daily News Roundup for September 15th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Day 7: Snyder to Robert Lee – 68 miles – Troublesome Tires and Awesome Desolation
by Jim Fox                Cycling Across Texas

As I started to pack up the panniers this morning, I gave the bike a look-over to make sure it was ready for another day of travels across Texas. As I looked at the rear tire, I saw that it was nearly completely flat. I immediately noticed that not only the tube was flat, but the tire was completely trashed. Threads were showing all around it and there were some small chunks of rubber missing out of it. Fortunately, I bought a brand new tire just days before the ride started. I had it packed in my luggage. I really didn’t expect to have to use it, but I also knew that my existing tires had some miles on them. The back tire definitely gets most of the punishment with road bikes…and especially with road bikes that are loaded down with panniers. I swapped out the tire and decided to keep the old one as a just-in-case back-up, but it’s so wore out that I’ll have to be in a rather desperate situation if I ever need to put it back on the bike. The brand of tires that I use are very well known for being extremely tight-fitting on the rim when they are first installed. Tire levers help, but the tires are usually so tight when new that they just nearly don’t fit over the rim. But with a bit of muscle they usually…

Flat Creek Crossing Ride Day September 29
by Teoteoteo        forums.mtbr.com
After a load of hard work bike all parties involved the owners of Flat Creek Crossing have graciously agreed to let Mellow Johnny’s host select ride weekends at the ranch. The first is September 29. Base details below for full details follow link. Hope you can come out and enjoy the property.

Arrive between 8:00AM and 12:00PM and ride until 2:00PM. No riders will be allowed to enter the ranch after 12pm. There is a $7 ride fee, (fee applies for non-riders also) of which all the proceeds will go to Child Inc. Registration is held the day of, on site. All riders are required to wear a helmet at all times and all riders under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. …

Michigan woman, 76, to embark on bike tour to Texas
www.cyclocamping.com
When it comes to embarking on a bicycle tour, there are no age restrictions to be mindful of and you don’t need to be a professional cyclist. Riding is one sport anyone can do from any walk of life, as a 76-year-old woman from…

State Park a focal point for outdoor sports in Concho Valley
By Bill Cullins                www.gosanangelo.com
SAN ANGELO, Texas — If San Angelo State Park had not been created in 1995, mountain biking, hiking and trail running as we know it today would not exist in the Concho Valley region.

The park’s 50-plus miles of scenic trails are the focal point for local mountain biking and trail running.

Even though Paleo-American hunters roamed this area as far back as 18,000 years ago, the development of trails on what is now state park land did not start until…

The Sky Said Let’s Ride – September 15th Bicycle Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

The weather forecast said 50% chance of rain but the sky said let’s ride. After two wet days this week I thought the forecast might be accurate but it turned out not so. So at 9:56 AM I rolled out the driveway to start the north and west route up US59 to SR242 and west to FM1314. The pleasant 76 degree temperature at the start definitely felt fall like and when I got back home at 1:30 the 87 degrees still felt like fall.

When I stopped at the Start Stop Exxon station in Porter at the 36 mile point in the ride sitting in the shade felt cool as the light breeze blew over my soaked shorts and jersey. I wrung out my wrist bands two times during the ride so the coolness did not stop or slow down the perspiration. While I drank my Diet Pepsi at the Star Stop I gazed at the big fluffy clouds in the sky to the north. The many shapes floating by reminded me of a fall day.

Today’s route totaled 45.31 miles. With the light breeze and cool temperature my average speed came in at 16.1 mph with a max speed of 21.8 mph. Average cadence was 81.8 RPM. The three stops on the route accounted for the 45:27 not moving while the riding took 2:49:17. Two stops got rid of extra perspiration with the last stop in Porter a true rest stop. When I resumed the ride in Porter heading south on the US59 service road the warm air and sun felt good after sitting in the shade for a while.

Today’s ride put me over the 5,000 mile mark for the year at 5024.14 miles. I never reached this point so early in the year. September miles total 306.88 and this week stands at 160.15 miles. I am not sure I will ride tomorrow with a 60% chance of rain in the forecast.

Links to Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS.com.

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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for September 14th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

New to cycling; Looking for great people to cycle with! (White rock area)
by TheSwa            www.bikeforums.net
Hey fellow Texans!
So I just recently swapped my old, used, beat-up, flat-barred Trek bike for a brand new Cannondale synapse Road bike! Having ridden my new bike recently, I’ve decided to go out and find new people to cycle with. (Problem is, I’m not very good at it!)

I’ve lurked for awhile on the forums and have finally decided to get serious about cycling. I’ve read a few group rides posted here and there online, but I’ve really wanted to find people personally who would enjoy showing a new cyclist a few trails and other routes around Garland or North Dallas. (I’m not in any way particular about the place, just as long as it’s less than an hour away…

FWMBA Wildflower prep and planting begins this Wednesday!
www.fwmba.org/forum
Happy fall everyone! We are starting a project to add some more beauty to our already fabulous Fort Worth trails, Gateway and Marion Sansom Parks. Beginning in just a couple of weeks, we’ll start a wildflower planting project that should lead to some very scenic riding in the spring. Below is a schedule of events, all relatively short work days. Please come out to any or all of these if you can!

Schedule
• Seed ball creation at Nikki and Andy’s; come and go whenever you can; dinner and drinks provided
o Wednesday, September 19, 6-9 pm
o Sunday, September 23, 5-8 pm …

Wanted: Bicycle Thief
by KRIS Corpus Christi News
CORPUS CHRISTI – Police are asking for help identifying a man caught on video stealing a mountain bike from a physical therapy office on Deepwood Circle this week. On Wednesday, the suspect just walked up to the office, picked up the bike and placed it …

Hiding from the Rain – September 14th Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

After two days of riding in the rain I decided to try a different approach so I rode my Motobecane 700HT MTB on the Kingwood greenbelt trails. No rain today and the shade on the trails felt refreshing. I checked the weather in Dallas (61 degrees) and San Antonio (69 degrees) before I started at 12:27 PM. The temperature here was 84 to 89 degrees while I rode. The mostly cloudy sky and calm wind held the sun at bay but I still wore sunscreen. My plan was to ride easily but I pedaled briskly for riding my mountain bike.

My trail route covered 17.50 miles at a 12.1 mph average speed, a 19.9 mph max speed and 74.5 RPM average cadence. The trails were empty. I don’t remember encountering one person. I finished the ride at 2:00 PM with 1:26:37 time moving and 5:26 time stopped. I went on some trails I have not been on for a long time riding north on Mills Branch Drive. I rode this street many months ago but in the opposite direction. I did not realize the greenbelt trail went all the way from Kingwood Drive to Northpark Drive.

Mileage stands at 114.84 for this week, 261.58 for September and 4978.84 YTD. Link to Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS.com.

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