My route rotation pointed to a south route for today’s ride. This meant going on FM1960 over Lake Houston where one east bound lane is closed for road work. My plan put me on the west bound shoulder for about a mile until I got past the barriers. I moved over to the west shoulder and headed east. The light west bound traffic did not present any issues and I switched back to the east bound shoulder as planned. I will repeat this on future rides until the repairs end.
Going south looked like a good idea because the south 8.1 mph wind did not present a problem and should help on the return leg. As I rode I noticed the wind got stronger and when I turned into it my speed slowed. This really came up on southbound FM2100 after turning off Old Atascocita Road. At first I kept biking at 15 to 6 mph but then I looked down at my Garmin Edge and the speed showed 12 or 13 mph and my legs couldn’t give any more speed. This lasted about 2.5 miles until I turned onto Stroker Road going east. Even then the wind did not make it easy to get my speed up but I increased my effort and speed. Once I turned north onto Ramsey Road the wind changed to a tailwind and my speed hit 20+ mph.
The nice tailwind stayed with me until I moved onto Old Atascocita Road headed back to FM2100. The wind presented some resistance but I could keep it in the 17 to 18 mph range. Around the 23 mile point I looked up to see an 18 wheeler going towards me in the other lane. I did not think too much about this but I did grip the handlebar tighter. Good thing. When the truck got almost to me a wall of wind hit me and shoved me to the shoulder. For a second I thought I might go into the grass but just as fast as it arrived the wind wall got blocked by the trailer and I regained control. When I got home I found the wind increased since my leaving to 16.1 mph with 21.9 mph gusts. About 2 hours after my ride I checked the wind again and it increased even more to 31 mph gusts.
With the low humidity (37%), scattered clouds and 93 degrees I rank today as a great day to bike if it wasn’t for the wind battles. The wind can be friendly as well. While I stopped in Huffman at the Chevron station sitting under the fuel island cover the wind blowing through felt great. I almost did not want to get back on the bike but I did. I covered the 37.12 mile route in 2:22:02 at an average speed of 15.7 mph. At some point my max speed got up to 26.1 mph, I guess when I rode with the tailwind. Average cadence was 80.8 RPM. This week’s miles now total an even 100.00 while now shows 642.58 miles and YTD is 2578.35 miles. Links to Garmin Connectdata and RideWithGPS.comdata views.
@TourduRouge      via Twitter
I posted 37 photos on Facebook in the album “2012 Tour du Rouge Day 6” fb.me/1USM9j5hW
@BSS_Austin      via Twitter
It’s hot and the trails should be great for the Wednesday night ride at Walnut Creek with @ATXCyclingTeam. Join us! Wheels down at 6:30.
@realaleride      via Twitter
A few teaser pics from the ride on Saturday! facebook.com/media/set/?set… Thanks again for coming out to ride! cc: @RealAleBrewing
@bikedenton      via Twitter
spotted @Nichels of Midlake wearing a bikedenton shirt at Cinco fest. Too big a smile to not share. http://t.co/sN5VbTAB
@GeorgetownGrand      via Twitter
Nice shot of the Elbowz Racing Elite Cycling Team Shimano Cycling Grand Prix P12 win! fb.me/25q8B6XRw
@AlkekVelodrome      via Twitter
So much new stuff now up on the website! Up to date results, race schedules into July, Flyer and bikereg link… fb.me/ys54l5W5
@BSS_Austin      via Twitter
Super Squarda grabs 2 top 10s in the P/1/2 races @GeorgetownGrand, another in the Cat 2 race, & first and second in the under 23 race! Nice!
@CyclingATXÂ Â Â Â Â Â via Twitter
The weather looks good for some MTBing Wednesday evening. Join Team Brain and Spine Cycling at Walnut Creek, wheels down at 6:30.
@bikedenton      via Twitter
That Penn Dr. commission meeting is likely to be fiery. Strong opinions on both sides. Parking vs bike lanes. Not ideal bike plan start, IMO — Bike Friendly Denton
2012 Bicycle Friendly State Rankings Just Announced
Alliance for Biking & Walking: People Powered Blog
This morning, the League of American Bicyclists released the 2012 Bicycle Friendly States ranking. For the fifth year in a row, Washington continues to lead the nation, with outstanding performance in all categories…
How to Create a Bike to Work Day Event
by jennyrilling         Bike Friendly Richardson
Now that Bike Friendly Richardson has successfully held our very first Bike To Work Day event, we’d like to share the steps we took to make it happen. One of the goals for this year’s event was that it could serve as a template and an inspiration to other bicycling groups, cities, and organizations for next year and the years to…
2012 Real Ale Ride
by donbynum         Don Bynum’s Blog
The 2012 Real Ale Ride is now in the history books (recorded with gallons of muscle burning lactic acid!) and as the pain fades it is becoming a legend that my grandchildren will tell their children around the campfire (providing heat from a ball of solar and wind powered magic, but extremely green, plasma on the cold, still, nights on the plains).
Five of us from the Hillybikers Cycling Gang out here in Llano and Burnet Counties made the trek down to Blanco this year to join with about 1,400 other nutjobs on the ride starting from the Real Ale Brewery in Blanco. Our gang rode the 65 mile route that a couple of us had ridden before. I rode it last year along with a…
Here’s one: Cyclists who ride to participating restaurants get a 10 percent discount on food and drink during Bike to Eat Week, Sunday through Thursday, May 27-31.
Cyclists must arrive at the restaurant by bicycle and may be required to show proof they pedaled (helmet, bike…
Unfortunately, IMBA’s PR machine is twisting the facts and casting aspersions.
In a fund-raising e-letter it sent out to its membership, IMBA claims that “the National Parks Traveler website erroneously asserted that an IMBA-led trail project at Big Bend National Park will be built in an inappropriate piece of backcountry Wilderness. In fact, the trail is adjacent…
The latest news from the USOC
www.foxnews.com
…CYCLING
Daniel Gay (Temecula, Calif.) and Payton Thomas (Grapevine, Texas) topped the men’s and women’s sprint standings of the USA Cycling National Track Calendar after their stellar performances at the…
May Happy Hour
Plano Bicycle Association
Happy Hour News Flash
Procyclist and TV personality, Geoff Godsey, will be attending Wednesday’s Happy Hour. Geoff, a PBA member, is the 2012 Masters Texas State Criterium Champion. Come out to meet him and ask for pointers. He not only donated…
Bring your bike and wetsuit!! TriShop is allowing us to hold our Happy Hour at their store. During this time, you will be able to test drive their training equipment, which includes riding on the Computrainers and swimming in the Analysis Pool**. They are also extending a 20% discount on most items. Come mix and mingle as you browse the store! Following this event, join us at…
Ridley recalls 4ZA carbon stems
via Bicycle Retailer & Industry News
WASHINGTON, D.C. (BRAIN)-Ridley Bicycle is recalling about 105 carbon fiber threadless stems because they can crack or break. So far the company has received one report of a stem breaking in use, resulting in minor injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The 4ZA threadless stems were manufactured in Taiwan and sold as aftermarket products. The affected stems are intended for use with 31.8-millimeter handlebars, are black and have the words “4ZA Cycling Performance” painted on the carbon extension between the steerer clamp and handlebar clamp. The recalled stems range in extension lengths from 90 to 130 millimeters. …
Try A Tandem
www.greaterdallasbicyclists.com
Ever think about trying a tandem? They are great fun for couples and families. This coming weekend, the Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts (DATES) will be at Plano Cycling & Fitness (Saturday, 5/26, 12-4:00pm) and Richardson Bike Mart in Richardson (Sunday, 5/27, 12-4:00pm) to answer any questions you…
This time I did not get lost taking my new exit route from Kingwood. I looked at my route notes a couple of times to verify the streets to turn on and made it to Mills Branch Drive and then onto Loop 494. This route is about 3 miles shorter than my old way so I need to take that into account. Today I wanted to ride at least 30 miles so I went north on US59 to SR242 before turning south. There is a new housing development under construction on the US59 south bound service road south of FM1314. Recently they have cut a new road to connect with Briar Lodge Drive. I use Briar Lodge Drive on most of my rides going north so I rode through the new development. If there is a housing slowdown they haven’t heard about it in Auburn Trails. There were a dozen homes being built on several streets.
Daytime traffic is lighter than when I used to bike in the evening after work. This might change when school recesses on June 1st. Maybe everyone will gather at the pools and not be out driving.
Today’s route consisted of streets not biked before along with some old regulars. The route distance came up to 31.13 miles meeting my goal. The biking weather cover our area with scattered clouds, a variable 6 mph breeze, a low humidity of 36% and 94 degrees at the conclusion of the ride. Whenever I hit the shade I could feel the evaporation working on my jersey. One street along side the railroad tracks after Roman Forest Blvd. offered tree cover almost the entire way to Woodbranch Drive. Quite refreshing.
With the variable breeze I hit a headwind from time to time but I still managed a 15.6 mph average speed with 35.9 mph max speed. I am not sure where that max speed came from but SportTracks shows it. Garmin Connect shows a more likely 20.5 mph max speed. An 81.2 RPM average cadence shows good leg speed. This table breaks out time and distance for speed zones.
With today’s ride the week miles total 62.89, 605.56 miles for May and 2541.23 miles YTD. So far I biked 18 days this month for a total time of 38:43:52.
Team Brain & Spine Summer Picnic and Rides
Host:Â Austin Cycling Team
512-569-3289
When:Â Saturday, June 2 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Where: Zilker Park Pecan Grove2100 Barton Springs Road Austin, TX 78704
More…
grandpajerald      @grandpajerald      via Twitter
Britton’s 1604 ride, May 27 th. 100 miles,police escort , around 1604
Austin Bike Zoo’s Midsummer in Motion
www.digitalstreetinc.com
In the tradition of Wheels of Wonderland and An Oddity Odyssey, the pedal-powered puppets of the Austin Bike Zoo will join with some of Austin’s best actors, musicians, and circus artists to present a circus-commedia-Midsummer-Night’s-Dream-for-the-whole-family . . . ON BIKES! The Zoo will once again…
Austin Police Department Offers On-Line Bike Registration
www.digitalstreetinc.com
APD now offers all citizens the ability to register their bikes on-line on the APD website. This may be of particular interest to people that bike to work.
APD reports that in the two-year period from 2008-2010, more than 3,000 bikes were stolen across the entire city. However, people rarely register their…
CyclingATXÂ Â Â Â Â Â @CyclingATXÂ Â Â Â Â Â via Twitter
Yup from Austinbikes, NEW AND IMPROVED! (We got our AC fixed, finally.) Thanks for those who braved the…
Texas4000Â Â Â Â Â Â @Texas4000Â Â Â Â Â Â via Twitter
Learn more about 2012 rider Taylor Foreman and her story. To hear other inspiring ride dedications @ Hope Day May 26
Volunteers Needed
www.lonestarcyclists.org
There are still several opportunities to volunteer with the Tour d’Italia.
Tuesday, June 5th we will be having the packet stuffing party and will need lots of help folding t-shirts and stuffing the new reusable bags.
Thursday, June 7th we will meet at the storage shed to load all of our gear onto a truck that will carry it down to Italy. The time and location of the storage will be announced.
There are also plenty of opportunities to volunteer the day before and the day of the tour down in Italy.
Bike to Work Conflict
by Steve AÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Dallas Point-to-Point
Last week, during “Bike to Work†week, I received the email shown above from the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
I’ve received a number of such items from time to time, but this time, I pondered the matter a little, and THAT caused me to wonder about things. For example, what is the cutoff between “regular†and “older†adults? Are “older†adults that ride their bikes to work supposed to stop, heeding the direction to limit outside activity or are they supposed to ride their bikes in order to cut air pollution? Or are they only supposed to do that until they…
Everything you wanted to know about bike counting but were afraid to ask
by Elly         Taking the Lane
Last week I wrote that if we want to see a major increase in bicycling in the U.S., we are going to need to get mathematical about it. (This morning provided some vindication for the idea in the form of an article about a team of mathematicians who are doing something similar with public health.)
The problem of applying math to bicycle transportation, though, is that our data sucks.
We aren’t unlocking the secret to bicycling success in the US, and that’s in part because we aren’t asking the right questions, which is in turn because we are restricted to the data available. Mostly this is the census data, a…
Georgetown Grand Crit Race Weekend Results for TB&S
teambrainandspinecycling.com
Good job to all who came out and represented the team by racing, cheering, or both! Was really a fun time at a great venue!
Age Based TB&S Results:
W 30-34:Â Jenny Park 1st
W 35+:Â Kim Ciolli 2nd
W 45+:Â Kelly Martinez: 2nd
M 35-39: Jason Bentley 10th, Jeromie Payne 11th
M 40+:Â James…
Pics From The 2012 WildRide! Are On SuburbanAssault.org
by dickdavid      Bike Friendly Richardson
This past weekend, we got to participate in the 9th annual Richardson WildRide! Against Cancer benefitting the Methodist Richardson Cancer Center, home of the Lance Armstrong Shaped Beam SurgeryTM program. This year, Jenny and her husband James and I rode the 40 mile route.
Seen at the Dallas Ride of Silence 2012
by Christopher Curnutt      Biking in Dallas
This was a somber event. There were a few speakers at the beginning of the ride, then after a quiet loop around White Rock Lake two lines of cyclists were formed where the ghost bike was walked between them. That was the most compelling moment for me. Here are a few images from the event.
Levee work followup #2
by ajpwilkerson      Brazos Valley Mountain Bike Association
Our BTU liaison call me back (very prompt!) The work will start on Tuesday and will be done on Thursday. THE EAST LOOP IS TO BE CLOSED TUESDAY THRU THURSDAY. THE WEST LOOP IS TO REMIAN OPEN. The equipment doing this work throws wood chunks everywhere. On Friday, the trails will be open again. You may have to hike a bike at a few locations. The contractor is aware of the trails and will try to keep the entrances open The new non-BVMBA cut trail across from BMX will be taken out. I have questions about all of…
Quadriplegic’s cross-country bike ride stops off in San Antonio
by Jeff Vaughn / KENS 5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Video
SAN ANTONIO — A man paralyzed from the neck down is riding a bicycle across the country. His west to east coast trip of more than 3,000 miles had Mark Stephan pedaling through San Antonio Monday.
We caught up with Mark Stephan of the Stephan Challenge. Stephan, who is from Chicago, is riding his recumbent bicycle across the country. …
