Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for January 9th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Cycling Fredericksburg – The Texas Hill Country
www.wheelbrothers.com

Hills – lots of them.  Hills and long, winding roads past fields of wildflowers.  Cycling in Fredericksburg can be a meandering ride or a challenging endurance test; sometimes both.  One thing’s for certain, there’s no denying the beauty of the area.  This is, after all, the Texas Hill Country.

Located about 70 miles west of Austin and 60 miles northwest of San Antonio, Fredericksburg is a popular destination.  Filled with unique shops and boutiques, lots of restaurants, art galleries, wine tasting rooms, and B&Bs, this small town – founded in 1846 by German settlers – offers an entertaining variety of ‘things to do’ for…

DAY 2 (Jan. 2) from Austin-Bryan/College Station: All-Time Personal Bicycle Mileage Record Attempt…95 Miles
By Steven Godfrey        Tour de Life
1st day on the highway, cruising toward a personal all-time bike mileage record of 95 miles…

Knowing that it was going to be an especially hefty day, the biggest bike mileage day of my life, as a matter of fact, I started out from my yearlong Austin home, rolling just yards down to US 290, to take the tour out of Austin and into Texas.

The mission of the day was to bike more than I ever had before, ~95 miles, to reach Bryan/College Station, where my very cool couchsurf host Patrick lives.

I basically had 4 major stops including the final one, all about 20-something miles apart from one another. The stops were in Elgin, Lexington (where I met a nice couple of ladies who gave a…

Losing weight through mountain biking
by Shawn        www.texasmountainbiketrails.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX2WrUrYCyo
Losing weight through mountain biking is both fun and effective. Follow along as I lead you on the road to race weight.
You can find out more about the strategies I have used to lose 30 pounds…

Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew Feb 11 Trail Building Project @ Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
by Il Pirate        Austin Ridge Riders
Do you love riding Walnut Creek? Does riding the high line on the big berm wall before heading across the creek towards the parking lot make you glad to be alive? Do the improvements on the rock bridge crossing warm your heart? Here’s your chance to show Walnut Creek some love and appreciation. Learn about trail building and how to make a trail sustainable as well as what trail projects might be in Central Texas’ future.

The Subaru/IMBA (International Mountain Bicycling Association) Trail Care Crew will join the Austin Ridge Riders Mountain Bike Club and the City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department in February and host a Trail Building School at Walnut Creek Metro. Walnut Creek was selected because of its immense popularity and because the heavy use this trail gets provides lots and lots…

Rail-Trail Sparks Bike Boom in Texas Town
By Jake Lynch            www.railstotrails.org
One very farsighted investment 18 years ago is paying off, big time, for the city of Denton, Texas.

In 1993, Denton officials struck a deal with Union Pacific (UP) to secure rights to an abandoned stretch of freight track running eight miles into the city from the southeast. The line was once part of the renowned Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, also known as the Katy.

Just 38 miles as the crow flies from the center of Dallas, the largest metropolitan region in the southern United States, the leaders of Denton rightly predicted that their city would do some growing in the decades to come, and that growth would require capacity for mass…

San Angelo Bicycle Association Membership Meeting
January 17, 2012
7 p.m.
Hospitality House, across the street from the Harris Avenue Baptist Church, 1026 E. Harris. The Hospitality house is on East Harris Ave across from the west parking lot of the church. It is a red brick house with signage across the front top of the house stating Hospitality House and the club banner will be displayed

The club will be providing beverages. Please bring snacks. Club t-shirts (dri-fit) will be available at this meeting for members to pick up. Each membership comes with one t-shirt. You will need to purchase any extras you may need for $9.95. Extras can be ordered at the membership
drive and be ready for pick up at the meeting.

Leon Springs Leaderless Ride
San Antonio Wheelmen
Date:     01/22/2012
Time:     09:00 AM-12:00 PM
Details: Meet in the parking lot near the Starbucks and HEB in Leon Springs.  From 1604, head west on I-10 and take the Boerne Stage road exit.  Turn left on Boerne Stage, go through the intersection, and make a left into the parking lot. Depending on your route, the maps for the Toutant-Beauregard Ride might be useful.

Mountain Biking in Texas State Parks Picking Up Steam
by Outdoor Hub
Mountain bikers throughout the state ,from novices to experts, are increasingly pedaling the numerous trails found at more than 40 Texas state parks.

From beach and woodland road rides to hair-curling downhill descents in mountain and Hill Country parks, state parks from El Paso to Mustang Island offer bikers of all skill levels a multitude of diverse mountain biking adventures.

“Many trails in Texas state parks provide great opportunities for all levels of mountain-bike riders to test and develop their biking skills, get a good workout, refresh their mind and spirits, spend family and friend time together and experience the great outdoors,” says avid mountain biker Dan Sholly, deputy director of Texas state…

What ten dollars will get you
by Christopher Curnutt        Biking in Dallas

So one night not long ago I’m riding in a part of east Dallas which I am no longer very familiar.  While I recognized the names of the streets, I could not figure out what direction I was riding.  I wanted north but the sun was down so I had to rely on my cell phone GPS…The cell phone with the dead battery.  The cell phone that has a nice compass app that works perfectly…When the battery is charged.  Luckily things worked out for me but I realized an old-fashioned compass was in order.

So the other day I’m in my local bike shop picking up a brake cable for a Fuji road bike that’s headed for the CL auction block and the compass you see below called out to me from a display rack.  I’m convinced this is one of…

Dirt Derby winter session start pushed back to Jan 31
by elliott        Austin on Two Wheels
Dirt Derby that their 1st time winter session has moved from starting this Tuesday to Tuesday, January 31. Apparently, the owners of the Del Valle Motorcross Park have been doing some major course rebuilding, and it will not be ready until later this month. …

 

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for January 8th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Houston Bicycle Club Rides
HBC Pattison Ride    Sunday 1/15/2012
Distances: 32(A), 43(B), 49(A), 55(C) miles
Training ride ( ride hard! ). No hills, but smooth road, mostly paved shoulder, stores at Monaville and Hempstead.  Good food  at Hard Times BBQ after the ride.

Bellville #1 Ride    Sunday 1/15/2012
Distances: 29(C), 49(C), 54(C) miles
Climb the hills around Industry and New Ulm, return via Cat Spring. Seven Bridges is an alternate paved scenic route. Eat at pizza house in shopping center on TX-36, 1 mi south of courthouse. Or better, yet, eat at the BAKERY!! Great sandwiches – even better desserts!

Sealy West Ride Saturday 1/21/2012
Distances: 32(A), 43(B), 48(B), 60(C) miles
Ride rolling pasture land to Bernardo, and Cat Springs. Long route visits New Ulm. Stores in Bernardo and New Ulm.

Fort Worth Bicycling Association Club Rides
Arlington to Mansfield or Alvarado and Back, Arlington TX (details)
Sun, January 15, 2012 9:00 am

The Rusty Chain Gang Ramble, Fort Worth TX (details)
Tue, January 17, 2012 9:00 am

Lone Star Cyclists Rides
Palo Pinto Co Courthouse
Pace: Easy & Touring
Date: Saturday, January 14, 2012 – 9:00am
Location: Palo Pinto Co Courthouse, 520 Oak Str Palo Pinto, TX
28 & 45

Stovall Park
Pace: Touring
Date: Saturday, January 21, 2012 – 8:30am
Location: Stovall Park, 2800 W Sublett Rd, Arlington
40ish & 55ish miles

San Antonio Wheelmen Rides
Upcoming Rides and Events:
Saturday, January 14:  Boerne Ride
Sunday, January 15:  Woman Hollering Creek Ride
Saturday, January 21:  Big Joshua Creek Ride
Sunday, January 22:  Urban Breakfast Ride
Sunday, January 22:  Elmendorf Ride

Being Fit Prolongs Lives
Dr. Gabe Mirkin’s Fitness and Health E-Zine
January 8, 2012
Men who were physically fit in their 40s and continued to exercise regularly ten years later are 30 percent less likely to die and 44 percent less likely to die from heart attacks than men who do not exercise (Circulation, December 2, 2011;124:2483-2490). Fit men who lost their fitness increased their risk for premature death. Other factors that increased risk for dying were higher blood pressure, fasting blood sugar or cholesterol.

The number of calories the average person burns when he or she sits is called a MET. When you exercise, you burn more calories than you do at rest. Doctors can measure fitness levels by asking a person to run as fast as he can on a treadmill. The faster a person runs, the more calories he burns. If you exercise intensely enough to burn twice as many calories as you do at rest, you are exercising at 2 METS. You use 0.9 METS when you sleep and 18 METS running a…

Riding safely in 2012 with more fun and less injuries by Susan Reeves
by Susan Reeves            Biking in Dallas

Most of you know her as Extreme Susan, for those who don’t we’ll call her Susan Reeves.  She is one of the kindest people you will meet on two wheels, she’s a hoot too!  Susan and I have been discussing some of the recent bike crashes and two in particular were a wake up call for some of us.  One escaped serious injury but his helmet split into two pieces, and the other has an array of broken bones and lacerations yet she’s slowly recuperating.  This subject hits home for Susan, as you’ll read below, so I asked her to write something on the topic. When I asked her to meet me so I could take…

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for January 7th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Today’s news is dominated by the sad news about biker fatalities.

Cycle fatalities uncommon, officials say
By RUSSELL ANGLIN            amarillo.com
russell.anglin@amarillo.com


While bicycle fatalities are fairly uncommon in the Texas Panhandle, officials Friday stressed the importance of driving and bicycling responsibly after a Thursday afternoon wreck killed one Amarillo bicyclist and left another critically injured.

Bicyclists and motorcyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicle drivers in the eyes of the law, Department of Public Safety Trooper Gabriel Medrano said, and they need to be every bit as cautious on…

National cyclocross championship results, Friday
By VeloNews.com
21. Kenneth SMITH (9 – Cat1), (Mansfield, TX) Oklahoma City Velo Club, at 56:08:00
39. Martin SOETAERT (17 – Cat3), (Austin, TX) Team Brain And Spine Cycling, at :@1Lp

News is slow today so I decided to include some bike romance.

StoryCorps captures Central Texans’ memories for posterity
By Ciara O’Rourke        AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Geoff O’Meara was too shy to talk to the pretty lifeguard perched over the lap lanes.

It was the summer of 1996, and O’Meara, an architecture student at the University of Texas, spent nearly every day at Gregory Pool. He tried and failed to say hi. But as September neared, so did his fear that he’d never again get the chance to.

So he left a note on her bike, a red Raleigh locked to the rack outside the pool.

“Hey, lifeguard,” it said. “Sorry I don’t know your name.”

He wondered if she’d like to get a coffee. He promised he wasn’t a creep. He asked her to call or leave a note on the blue Gary Fisher that he parked next to her mountain bike.

She did. Her name was Diane , but she was leaving in a few days to go to school in Colorado. But they kept in touch. Their paths crossed and they parted ways. And in 2005, they married.

The O’Mearas have told the story of how they met numerous times. But on Saturday , sitting inside the Airstream-turned-recording-studio that StoryCorps takes…

RIDE OF SILENCE, May 16
Old Tascosa Cycling Club
Sadly, we will have yet another name to read at the 2012 RIDE OF SILENCE to remember local bicycle riders killed by a motorist while bicycling: DAVID ISOM. This year’s Ride will be on May 16 (Weds.) in Amarillo and 300 other locations worldwide. Please plan to participate.

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for January 6th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Tyler Bicycle Club Meeting, January 9, 2012
Please join us for an important Tyler Bicycle Club meeting on January 9th at First Christian Church. (Corner of Broadway and the Loop). The meeting will start promptly at 6:30 PM.  Park on the Broadway side of the church and enter the building to the left of the sanctuary door (admin area). We will have someone stationed at the door to guide you to the room. There are several items on the B & B agenda that we need help with. Please show up!  Thanks to you all for your support of the club and the the Beauty and the Beast Bicycle Tour!
Agenda items include:
-election of board officers for 2012
-update from the trails and paths committee (Lindsey Park)
-planning of the Beauty and Beast. (exciting updates and several key needs)

Triple Eight recalls 30,000 kid helmets
Bicycle Retailer & Industry News
WASHINGTON, D.C. (BRAIN)—Triple Eight Distribution is working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to recall more than 30,000 kids helmets that do not comply with CPSC safety regulations.

The helmets were sold under the Little Tricky, Triple 8 and Sector 9 brands in bike and sports store and other outlets between August 2006 and November 2011. …

Loving the Commute: Edition #2
by Darryl
This is Edition two of a series on bicycle commuting by guest contributor, Aaron Madrid. These posts are all about Aaron’s experiences as a newcomer to commuting, and he’s here to share it with you.  We’re hoping this series will encourage you to become a commuter yourself?  Be sure to check out Loving the Commute: Edition #1 as well.

Loving the Commute: An Interview With Mike Kumlin
by Aaron Madrid
Mike Kumlin is a New England resident that I met several years ago at my first New York Comic Con. We became friends thanks to twitter and other various social networking sites and eventually he gave me my first opportunity to try on my writing legs. Since then we have stayed pretty close. Mike’s decision to get off the couch and get back in shape was one that inspired me to do the same. Mike’s advice was invaluable when I got…

The first one about the water bottle freezing is foreign to me but I guess that could happen somewhere in Texas.

10 Worst Mistakes to Make Winter Riding
by Singletrack.com
We’ve all done it: overestimated the temperature outside, hammered up a climb in the cold only to freeze in our own sweat on the descent, put on that extra pair of socks in an attempt to keep feet warm only to have all blood circulation cut off from the tight fit, accidentally stayed out after the sun had dipped below the horizon. There are hundreds of ways to mess up a winter ride with more dire consequences in the winter than the summer.

There are a few classic mistakes, that when avoided, can greatly enhance a winter riding experience. This is by no means an exhaustive list of things that can go wrong, and each point has a dozen variations, but the next…

College Active Transportation Safety
by donna@biketexas.org (Donna Hoffman)
BikeTexas’ College Active Transportation Safety CATS Course

Texas colleges and universities are promoting walking and cycling. They are solving parking problems, accommodating economic abilities, addressing sustainability and air quality concerns, and encouraging active, safe and healthy lifestyles for students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

Texas has the third highest number of annual bicyclist fatalities in the U.S.  The majority (70%) of those fatalities occurred in urban areas.  College students moving into urban areas to begin post-secondary studies are more economically and socially inclined to walk or cycle – some of them for the first time and…

This has past but I wanted to recognize the event.

Celebrate the Fort Worth Avenue Bike Lane Fundraising Campaign! Friday Jan 6
by The Announcer Guy
It just goes to show you that public and private sector partnerships can make things happen. Hopefully this effort will become a blueprint for others that want to see cycling improvements in their own neighborhoods. …

Dear Angry Bearded Man …
By Pam LeBlanc        Fit City
I hope your day gets better.

It can’t be pleasant starting your day (a Friday, for goodness sake!) by shouting obscenities at a couple of folks riding their bikes along Winsted Lane.

I know, I know. It was 6:30 a.m. and you hadn’t had your coffee yet. Maybe your girlfriend kicked you out of bed. Maybe you were even late to work.

That might explain why you roared south on Winsted in your late model car, traveling well above the speed limit. …

Early regiment got in gear with trek
By Bill Cullins            San Angelo Standard-Times
Do you think you’re a strong cyclist, able to ride long distances in harsh conditions over rough terrain? Could you do a long bike tour carrying camping equipment and food on your bike?

If so, try replicating the ride that a group of Army soldiers in the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps did in June and July 1897.

As part of a “field test” to determine the effectiveness of bicycles for transporting infantry troops long distances, this group of hardy cyclists rode, pushed and carried…

Biking community pushes for safer roads

AMARILLO, Texas – On the heels of a tragic incident, Amarillo’s biking community continues to push for safer roads.

46-year-old David Isom and 47-year-old Anna Isom of Amarillo were riding their bikes together Thursday when a car struck them, claiming David’s life and leaving Anna hospitalized at Northwest Texas Healthcare, where she remains in critical condition.

Amarillo’s Share The Road chapter president, Kenneth Graham, says it is the fourth fatal…

NICA High School Cycling News Round-up
By: Cycling News
…In 2012, three new leagues will each run a race series: Minnesota, Texas and Utah. This rapid growth is expected to double the number of student athletes to more than 2,000 overall. NICA plans 32 races in 2012, 21 camps for student athletes, an expected 220 teams, and an expected 690,000 hours of student athlete participation. …

Charlie writes “
Old Tascosa Cycling Club
Yesterday was another sad day for bicyclers in our area. I happened to ride upon the accident and saw firsthand just how tragic an accident like this can be. I woke up this morning thinking about what we can do as a club to make our area more bicycle friendly. A few suggestions are: have more frequent meetings with programs, outreach to local civic clubs to provide speakers for club meetings, try to get to speak at small towns along our regular bicycling routes so that we can communicate to the farmers and ranchers who we share the secondary roads with. The terrible accident yesterday won’t stop the national trend of having more and more bicyclers on the nation’s roadway. OTC will continue to grow and we need to grow our programs to meet the needs of our membership. We’re about to be put on the map as Adventure Cycling completes the Route 66 bicycle route mapping. By next summer, we should start seeing “thousands” of bicyclers coming through the Panhandle on the Route 66 tour. This means the…