Texas Bicycling Daily News Roundup August 29th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Google Maps for Android adds turn-by-turn navigation for bicyclists
by Antuan Goodwin            reviews.cnet.com
A new version 6.11.1 update for the Google Maps Navigation app fills the navigation void for pedal-powered users.

Google Maps for Android has offered turn-by-turn directions for automotive use since 2009. It wasn’t long until walking navigation was added in 2010. Finally, transit direction made the jump to turn-by-turn navigation back in June of this year. Today, with the version 6.11.1 update to the…

Light at the end of the tunnel? Maybe.
by BRAIN Staff            www.bicycleretailer.com
I finally got my hands on the National Sporting Goods Administration’s (NSGA) 2010 report on the US Bicycle Market.

In addition to being some of the most exciting news we’ve seen in 20 years (more about that in a minute), it’s also by far the easiest to interpret … mostly because instead of digesting the whole report, I got a pre-release copy of the Gluskin Townley Group’s analysis, as written by Brad Edmundson. Even better, you can get your own copy for free: just scroll down to the bottom of the post for ordering information.

So what makes the 2010 report so exciting? Simple: it looks like maybe, just maybe, all the hard work we’ve been doing as an industry to grow the market for enthusiast cyclists might…

who is going to HHH?” update
Posted by: cbuddy2005                                   www.bikeforums.net
I was doing my first ever century that day and was at the rear all day–which was perfectly fine by me.  Went from the couch to HHH in 3 months.  Did fine, except at mile 85 when the guy said they were closing all the rest stops from then on and we were going to be unsupported!  I was alone and had nobody to call should things go south.  I was fully fueled and watered when I made the turn into that wind.  by now it was cranking around 30mph sustained.   Long stretch of riders going 6-8mph on the flat!  And I was passing them–barely.  Not to mention the storm brewing behind us may have been pulling air into it causing a greater headwind for us.
It was a survival ride at this point.  I made it 2 more stops before I started cramping in an inner thigh 😥

It was about 4pm by this time and I had no choice but to stop–just didn’t train for that many hours on the bike.  Hands, feet, rear were all fine.  Wanted to finish but I wasn’t going to walk with leg cramps and as mentioned before…

Safe route from Fort Worth (trinity trails) to downtown Dallas?
by rachmaninoff            www.bikeforums.net
Hi, I would like to know if anyone could map out, or know of a safe route cycling from Fort Worth (using the trinity trail system) to Dallas?

Help Support these Cancer Fighting Cyclists, September 8th!
Bike Friendly Oak Cliff
The General’s Guard has had a mission that most of us can personally relate to:  cancer sucks and they want to kick it’s ass, period.  That’s what they’ve been fighting for several year’s, ever since one of their members originally started the cycling team to commemorate his fallen General to cancer.

Michael Martin and his friends, including Rev. Daniel Kanter of the First Unitarian Church of Dallas, will be hosting their…

September meeting, Monday, September 10th.
Austin Cycling Association
Do you love trailer food or wish you could try it? Come join us for a replay of last year’s very popular trailer food ride. We will begin with a short membership meeting to present the slate of nominees for the 2013 ACA Board of Directors. Additional nominations from the floor may also be made at this meeting. After the meeting, there will be a leisurely ride to some of the…

Planning to do some racing in 2012-2013? Don’t forget your Paydirt!
by Laura Scagno        Austin Ridge Riders
You can find the form here: http://www.tmbra.org/paydirt/paydirtform.pdf  and also attached to this entry.

2012-2013 Program – Get Started Now!

The Bicycle Sport Shop’s PayDirt© Program is offered in conjunction with the Texas Mountain Bike Championship Series to encourage mountain biker’s involvement in the maintenance and building of trails, a mountain bikers’ greatest asset. The mountain bike racing community has a vested interest in improving our awareness of the trail resources we have and forging strong relationships with land managers and other trail users. The promoters of the Texas…

Rocky Hill Ranch News for this coming weekend – Saturday/Sunday September 1 & 2 at 10 a.m.
by Il Pirate         Austin Ridge Riders
News from Rocky Hill Ranch – More information on the RHR Facebook Page
Just want everyone to know that RHR has many trees on trails after the storm and there only a few trails that are totally clear. Limited riding this weekend and for the next week as we do the work to clear all trails. So, for this weekend trail fees will be waived if you want to come ride what is clear. We will be out cleaning up all weekend with some…

change afoot
by bikedenton
When I started this website, five years ago, I thought of it as a social experiment — writing about something I considered dearly important to Denton — something I saw in other towns and loved them for it. Easy, everyday biking, everywhere. If I wasn’t moving away to seek it out, why not fight and write for it here? I thought “if it makes a difference, then great. If not, I’m sure I’ll learn some things along the way.” I was attracted to biking normalcy and culture other places. I wondered if Denton had it in spades, would more people stay after graduating from…

…So on to the point of this article. BikeDenton is changing hands (and feet). We’re moving our family to Portland, OR in two weeks because I accepted a new career there. I’m turning this site over to two people: …

“Vulnerable on the Open Road”
by Ron Callahan                www.bikeworldnews.com
Last week, the USA Pro Challenge bike race passed within 20 feet of the Colorado headquarters of People for Bikes. A few days later, their town is still buzzing from the historic event, and pro bike racing remains on our minds.

While safe roads matter to everyone on a bike, professional cyclists spend more time on them than almost anyone. These talented, world-class athletes may seem super-human at times, but they are human like any of us—vulnerable on the open road. …

Recreation calendar, camps, clinics: Aug. 29
www.mysanantonio.com
Bicycling: Today, 8 a.m., Wheelers Senior Ride, 30 miles, Floore’s Country Store, Helotes. 210-643-0314.

Bicycling: Saturday, 8 a.m., New Berlin Ride, 22, 34, 43 and 70 miles, Brietzke Station, New Berlin. 496-696-8247. …

Wimberley High School band will host bike ride for fundraiser
By Ciara O’Rourke            www.statesman.com
SAN MARCOS — Boosters for the Wimberley High School Spirit of Texas Band are trying a new way to raise money for the music program by riding bikes.

The inaugural Spirit of Texas Ride starts at 8 a.m. Oct. 7, with 10, 20, 40 and 63 mile routes through the Hill Country. Appropriately, it starts and ends at Wimberley High School.

As the Wimberley school district faces budget cuts, Boosters Vice President Traci Maxwell said fundraising responsibilities have increasingly fallen on parents.

“Last year they cut our band program $20,000, so we are trying to make up some of those things the money would have gone for,” she…

Hotter’N Hell Hundred: The rest of the ride
by Roy and Christine        Pedal Pushers

…This guy has it all figured out. He has a wind shield to assist with his aerodynamic posture. But perhaps best of all, he brings his own shade. …

Isaac’s Wind Arrives – August 29th Bicycle Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Hurricane Isaac landed yesterday in south Louisiana which means the folks to the west should not get much rain but wind is another matter. When I checked the weather at George Bush Intercontinental Airport before starting my ride today 16 mph wind from the north showed up. I left on the ride at 10:20 AM to a nice blue sky and 85 degrees. Humidity was acceptable at 55%. Once out the door I noticed the north wind felt stronger than 16 mph. As I rode through the houses to my exit route to US59 I could tell when I rode south the wind pushed me along nicely but whenever I turned into the wind I bogged down. The first 12.7 miles of the route went into the wind and my average speed for those miles was 13.7 mph and 14.0 mph. This did not look good to get my overall average speed up to 15 mph.

At Community Drive I turned west and the wind buffeted me from the right side but I could ride at a good speed. Prior to that sometimes when I checked the Garmin Edge 500 computer the speed showed 12.2 mph. When I finally got to ride south I changed to a lower gear to take advantage of the stiff tailwind. The recorded max speed is 22.8 but I saw 23.1 mph on the Garmin. Over the 28.47 mile route my average speed was 14.7 mph thanks to making up some of the lost speed. When I got home the IAH weather reported 20 mph wind with 25 mph gusts all from the north. The temperature increased to 93 degrees and the humidity was a dry 38%. No wonder I moved so slowly.

Other ride statistics:

  • 1:55:51 riding time, 6:45 time stopped
  • 75.3 RPM average cadence (hard to turn the pedals into the wind)
  • 88.08 miles this week
  • 712.72 miles for August
  • 4647.68 miles YTD
  • Link to RideWithGps.com map and metrics
8-29-2012 Bike Ride Data and Map
8-29-2012 Cadence-Distance
8-29-2012 Elevation-Distance
8-29-2012 Home Weather Station End
8-29-2012 IAH Weather End
8-29-2012 Speed-Distance
8-29-2012 Splits-Time

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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for August 28th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

El Paso Bicycle Club Rides
Saturday, September 1
Mesilla-Hatch-8:30 am

Sunday, September 2
Westside Fingers-7:30 am

Mesilla Holiday Ride-7:30 am

Wednesday night ride-5:45 pm

B/IG Training Ride-6:00 pm

Saturday, September 8
Fort Davis Tune-Up-7:30 am

B/IG Century-6:30 am

The September club meeting of the Fort Worth Mountain Bikers’ Association will take place at Backwoods (2727 W7th Street, Fort Worth, Texas 817-332-2423) on September 4, 2012 at 7:00pm. Meet upstairs at 7:00pm.
Topics of discussion will be. . . .
– DORBA Fall Series race date planning at MSP – September 9, 2012
– Gateway Park Workfest – Saturday, October 6, 2012
– Greenbriar Great Outdoors featuring FWMBA kids mountain bike skills clinic – October 13, 2012
– FWMBA/DORBA Campout at the Solavaca Ranch – Friday thru Sunday, October 26-28
– TPWD RTP Executive Director, Andy Goldbloom’s visit to FWMBA-Land
– FWMBA Coffee will be available for sale ($15). Bring your cash and trade it for coffee!
– Progress report on the Gateway Park storage facility
– FWMBA Membership updates
– FWMBA Financials
– More to come!

Public Bike Parking Facility Beautification (Rosewood & 11th)
The Ghisallo Foundation
ID: 2012-0010
Start Date: 2012-8-27
Status: ACTIVE
The City of Austin has recently installed, specifically through the Neighborhood Connectivity Division of the Public Works Department, high capacity bike parking facilities both on-street with bike corrals and off-street with bike islands in the public right-of-way (ROW). These installations have focused on capacity, ease of access, and site location based on cyclist use patterns. The Ghisallo Foundation desires to further enhance these new facilities with adjacent xeriscaped pocket gardens…

Ride Out of Midlothian
Lone Star Cyclists
Pace: Touring
Date: Saturday, September 1, 2012 – 7:30am
Location: Southeast corner of N 8th St and W Ave E, Midlothian
Meet by the log cabin. Be sure to park on the north side, away from the Farmer’s Market.
Google 32.484162,-96.9943
Distances will be 30 and 72 miles
Our ride leaders will be determined on-site
Map links will be uploaded prior to Saturday

Ride Out of Lynn Creek Marina at Joe Pool Lake
Lone Star Cyclists
Pace: Touring
Date: Saturday, September 8, 2012 – 7:30am
Location: Lynn Creek Marina, 5700 Lake Ridge Parkway, Grand Prairie
Google 32.631271,-97.040842
Distances will be 43 and 60 miles
Ride leaders will be determined on-site
Map links will be uploaded prior to the ride

Product Recall: Eecycleworks Recalls Bicycle Brakes Due to Fall Hazard
www.bicycle.net
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Bicycle brakes
Units: About 400
Distributor: eecycleworks LLC of La Cañada, Calif.
Hazard: The bridge of the brakes can crack, posing a fall hazard to riders.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received two reports of brakes cracking, one of which resulted in scrapes and bruises. …

Emergency Hydration Tip
by Chris Mathews        Plano Bicycle Association
Caught short of liquids on a long ride? Then take this tip so you don’t get caught in a pinch.  Remember, if you want chocolate milk, use a black cow.

Calf Cramp – August 28th Bicycle Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Took a somewhat shorter ride today to fit my schedule. 27.34 miles going south through Atascocita and Walden on Lake Houston. Passed by several schools with children running around the playgrounds. Plenty of noise from the children; the two seem to go together. The weather continues to be summer with scattered clouds, 83 to 92 degrees, 49% humidity. The wind was strong enough to be a problem today at 13.8 mph from the north.

Now that I have been retired for more than a year it is not so strange to ride during the day when most everyone works. The traffic appears less at least while I ride. No other bikers out along my route. My average speed fell below 15.0 mph to 14.9 mph (Garmin Connect calculates my average speed at 15.0 mph) with 20.4 mph max speed. Average cadence was 77.8 RPM. Last evening I did something to cause my right calf muscle to cramp so I babied it some during today’s ride. The cramp is still tender but improving. Massage helps and walking is not a problem.

Today’s numbers:

  • 1:50:10 riding time plus 4:29 time stopped
  • 59.61 miles this week
  • 684.25 miles for August
  • 4619.22 miles YTD
  • Link to RideWithGPS.com map and data
8-28-2012 Bike Ride Data and Map
8-28-2012 Cadence-Distance
8-28-2012 Elevation-Distance
8-28-2012 Home Weather Station End
8-28-2012 IAH Weather End
8-28-2012 Speed-Distance
8-28-2012 Splits-Time

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