Today was a change of pace ride – August 19th Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Today was a change of pace ride on my Motobecane 700HT mountain bike. The community I live in has about 60 miles of greenbelt trails (with the drought they could be called brown belt trails). I wanted to keep in touch with my MTB and today was an opportunity to actually ride in some dirt, very dry dirt in fact. Riding a mountain bike seems different from a road bike. I notice some muscles feel different and the choice of hand positions is much less. To top it off I dismounted at one point and smashed my knee into the rear rack. This was not what I planned on for using different muscles. I sometimes am hesitant to ride on the trails because of the number of people you can encounter and they always seem to appear at tricky places to avoid them. There were a number of people on the trails today but no problems or surprises.

With the heat (84 degrees at the start and 93 at the finish) it was nice riding in the shade most of the time among the trees. Clear skies and a light breeze continue the string that has been going on forever it seems. Yesterday it was 106.4 degrees at my home weather station. Humidity is very low for southeast Texas but with the heat we have been experiencing this is not surprising.

Today’s ride was 16.8 miles at a 11.0 average speed. One nice hill generated a max speed of 24.4 mph. August miles are 335.28 and year to date miles are 3773.93.

Tomorrow I will be back on my road bike.

8-19-2011 Bike Ride Data and Route Map

 

8-19-2011 Home Weather Finish

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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for August 18th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

This weekend there will be plenty of bike racing to watch: The Vuelta a Espana starts on Saturday, the USA Pro Challenge is on Sunday and now the Pro Criterium from Grand Rapids, MI.

Watch the 2011 Pro Criterium National Championship live online!
www.usacycling.org
Can’t make it to Grand Rapids this year? You can still watch the nation’s best crit racers compete for the coveted Stars-and-Stripes jersey at the 2011 USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championship!

Pro Crit Nationals will be streaming live online on Saturday, August 20, at 11:45 a.m. EDT.

El Paso Bicycle Club Ride
B/IG group – The BIG Century
Description:     100 miles of pure cycling fun starts at 6 am Artcraft and Upper Valley riding to Ft Seldon NM. You must have prequalified with the 63 or 80 mile ride beforehand. Absolutely no riders will be allowed to join the group mid distance for the safety and fairness to all who have trained for this ride. Pls arrive 15-30 mins before take off time. Margaret O’kelley 915-588-3825

A new pedal manufacturer arrives: Garmin. Will the pedals take you home if you lose your way?

Garmin Brings Power to the People with Vector
from garmin.com

Vector Once you start using a power meter and seeing the benefits of power-based data, you quickly realize that you want power from every ride that you do – on every bike, from every event. The data becomes so valuable to you, that a ride without power is almost a ride that didn’t happen. And so, most cyclists are suddenly wrestling – struggling – with how to get power on every one of their bikes and from every type of riding situation. That is why we bring you Vector. …

Finally there is an affordable Garmin bike computer if $149 is your definition of affordable.

Garmin Edge 200 Cycling GPS Lets You Review, Relive and Plan
from garmin.com

Edge200 – It is an all too familiar situation when you get home from a bike ride and wonder aloud, “I am exhausted, exactly how far did I just go?” or: “I was flying down that hill, I swear I must have been going 30 mph!” Well, now we give you an affordable solution to know those answers during and after your ride. …

When I was riding a bicycle as a young boy my hometown required a license for bicycles. I do not remember how strictly this was enforced though.

Seen at shop: old bicycle license
by bikedenton
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6073/6054524057_d475cea4a2.jpg
The idea of bicycle licensing comes up cyclically, and I won’t go into the details, because it’s been well covered here, here, here, etc. But it was kinda fun to see a relic of the past on this bicycle that somehow…

You can get some bike clothes and not pay any sales tax this weekend.

Back-to-school shoppers get ready to save on annual sales tax holiday
by Fort Worth Star Telegram
… leather goods other than belts and apparel; athletic pads; personal flotation devices; rented clothing; safety clothing and glasses; and bicycle, cleated and golf shoes. Have more to add? News tip? Tell us By Scott Nishimura Texas’ annual sales tax …

KRTS, Livestrong Foundation sponsoring Marfa 100 cycling event
MARFA – Marfa Public Radio (KRTS/93.5 FM) and the Livestrong Foundation welcome riders to the second annual Marfa 100 on Sept. 10.

This 62-mile/100K charitable cycling event will benefit the ongoing fight against cancer and contribute to the cultural enrichment of far West Texas.

The Marfa 100 course will start at 8:30 a.m. at the Capri Events Center on U.S. Hwy. 90. From there, the ride proceed will proceed west through Marfa and then turn south on Ranch Road 2810. Riders will go about 30 miles to the turnaround point/hospitality station, then back to the Capri along the same route. …

Memorial Park Criterium #11 2011
by Ken         Texas Racing Life
So, TOTALLY different strategy carried out at the crit.  Most of the year, I had been racing aggressively for fitness, getting in breakaways, and spending a lot of time in the wind.  This strategy was working.  I was gaining fitness and still having fun. Admittedly, this is not the best way to get results.  Last night I made a decision that I wanted some SWAG, so I went for the primes. …

Record Heat Expected So I Rode Early – August 18th Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Yesterday afternoon the temperature hit 105.6 degrees at my home weather station. According to the weather people it could be hotter today. This another reason to ride early in the day which I did today leaving at 9:23AM. It was 84 degrees when I left and 94 when I got back. The humidity yesterday was 26% when the 105.6 was reached. Today when I was heading west on the way back home the dry 5 mph breeze from the west felt cooling and I pedaled slowly to extend the time to enjoy this. Riding in the shade was also cooling and the morning shadows extended over the road in many places. Today’s ride was 24.79 miles at an average speed of 14.3 mph. My max speed was a slow 19.8 mph. Average cadence was 77.0 RPM. I was hoping to get the average speed up to 15.0 mph but two 5 mile sections pulled the average down. The first one is difficult to get the speed up due to traffic and the route I have to take to get to the “open” road. The second one was on a bike trail I don’t normally take and riding fast is not good because of the curves and oncoming traffic.

Tomorrow I will ride my mountain bike for a change of pace and route. This will be slower and shorter but different.

August mileage update:

  • August miles 318.48
  • Weekly miles 98.03
  • Year to date miles 3757.13

8-18-2011 Bike Ride Data and Route Map

 

8-18-2011 Home Weather Finish

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Texas Bicycling Daily News Roundup for August 17th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Support TPWD
from GHORBA        by Veljko Roskar
TPWD, always on the Texas Legislative chopping block, had a particularly rough time this past session. Your support through anwering a survey questionnaire shows that Texans highly value their State Parks.

TPWD receives federal Recreational Trail Program funding through TxDOT, who has cut Recreational Trails in the past as part of other painful decisions in federal recission requests.

Owosso High School grad bikes home from Texas for 50th reunion
By CHRISTINA GUENTHNER, Argus-Press Staff Writer | 1 comment

Fifty years after graduating from Owosso High School, Lois (Hart) Crawford isn’t slowing down.

In fact, the 68-year-old, along with her husband Doug, is on the journey of her lifetime — riding her bike from the couple’s home in Baytown, Texas, to…

Have bicycle, will travel
Man follows heart to next fork in the road
from www.reporternews.com
BRECKENRIDGE — Bicycle Bill has a destination: Colorado. He’s just not sure when he is supposed to leave.

“I tell people I’m going to Colorado, and people ask, ‘Are you going to ride your bike all the way?'” He laughed and looked to the blue sky overhead.

“The town knows me as Bicycle Bill, the soul that rides the bike constantly and for the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.

His real name is William Louise Wood, and he lives in an old trailer just inches outside of town. Slender with a…

The Mountain Bike Whisperer – The DORBA North Texas Fall XC Series with Scott Holmes
This addition of MBW Radio is all abut the DORBA North Texas Fall XC Series mountain bike races. DORBA Race Director, Scott Holmes highlights the 2011 race venues, start times, classes, the importance of USAC permitting and licensing and the search for new water hand-up ladies.