…Back to My Dirt Trail… – December 22nd Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

The second day of winter was only slightly cooler than the first one. When I got home from work (earlier than usual) the temperature was 72 degrees with overcast skies. The wind was from the west at 9 mph. When I finished my ride at 6:13 PM the wind had moved to the NNW at 9 mph. I noticed when I turned back towards home the wind was stronger and cooler. by the time I got home the temperature was 68 degrees. Tomorrow the first of two cool fronts is supposed to arrive. Thursday and Friday may be the only days I get to ride until Monday.

Since I got home from work early today I went back to my dirt trail for a portion of the ride. This time I had the 3 pound battery for my headlight on my rear rack since I thought I would not get back before the daylight disappeared. I did not get back until after dark so it was good to have the battery but you can sure tell it is back there when you are going over bumps and ruts in the dirt. The Motobecane 700HT MTB did great in the dirt but it was not that challenging.

A few minutes after I pulled into the garage at the end it started to rain lightly but not for long. The clothing lineup for the ride was a long sleeve jersey, road shorts (I assume these are worn each time in the past descriptions), and half finger gloves. The last 3 to 4 miles were a little cooler than I prefer since I was headed into the NNW wind.

The mileage report:

  • December miles 184.86
  • YTD miles 5118.18

12-22-2010 Ride Information and Map

Additional charts, weather and map.

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Head for the Hills Bicycle Ride – Chappell Hill, TX

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Head for the Hills Bicycle Ride
Presented by Rotary Club of Washington County
Chappell Hill, TX
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Online Registration Closes Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 1:00 AM ET
This is a ride not a race, so come get your heart pumping with both the exercise and the exhilarating scenery.

Registration fees are non-refundable and non-tranferable, even if you don’t ride or the event is canceled due to weather.  However, if you qualified for and/or purchased a t-shirt, it(they) will be mailed to you.
Long Route 62 miles 8:00 AM $25

Intermediate Route  43 miles 8:15 AM $25

Short Route  26 miles 8:30 AM $25

Package pick-up at Northwest Cyclery Thursday, March 24,  from 11:30 am -7:00 pm.
(Highway 290 at Jones Road,)
Help Eradicate Polio
After 20 years of hard work, Rotary and its partners are on the brink of eradicating this tenacious disease, but a strong push is needed now to root it out once and for all. It is a window of opportunity of historic proportions.

Head for the Hills

December 21st Texas Bicycling News and Information

Texbiker.net Posted on by

HBC Houston Sans Car Ride
Sun 01/02/11
9:00 AM
Gail Wellenkamp
This is an informal, leader led ride, at a leisurely pace ( Ride speed:  11 to 14 mph )  for those who want to know Houston  and many of its special places, by bike.  Learn basic bicycle commuting…

West Texas Cyclocross Series 2010
Date: December 26, 2010
Location: Palo Duro Canyon, TX
Contact: Hawke Morgan505-259-6885
Details: Informal, non-sanctioned cyclocross “practice races.” No prizes, no entry fee. Probably PDC, Starting at Chinaberry Picnic Area. 2:30PM

Fort Worth Bicycling Association
Next Meeting Jan 3 at 7pm
Instead of having a speaker we will be having a bike gadget “show-and-tell” of sorts. We are asking everyone who is attending to bring in their favorite bike gadgets to show off. This should be good timing since a lot of us will be getting new gadgets for Christmas. This can be anything from components, computers, GPS’s, lights, pedals, cleats, shoes, accessories, and even clothing, jackets and gloves. This will be an interactive information sharing session so we hope all will come prepared to participate. more info.

El Paso Bicycle Club
www.elpasobicycleclub.com
JANUARY Ride Schedule (the link above is the full list)
10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 1
Hangover cure
Ride from River Run Plaza, 1071 Country Club, to Anthony Country Club with John on his fixy. Moderate pace, 30 miles. John Walton, 747- 8699.
9 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 2
Leaderless ride
Meet at River Run Plaza, 1071 Country Club. Ride with the ghost of 2010 to the border and back. Moderate, 30 miles, …

VIOLET CROWN® NEWS
2011 TXBRA Road Race Calendar
Feb 5 & 6 Bike World Alsatian Country III, Castroville
Feb 12 & 13 Tour of New Braunfels
Feb 19 Walburg Classic Road Race
Feb 20 Pace Bend Road Race
Feb 26 & 27 Mineral Wells Road Race
Mar 5 & 6 La Primavera, Lago Vista
Mar 12 Rhapsody Denton Crit
Mar 13 Jesuit Ranger Roundup, Dallas
Mar 19 & 20 Fayetteville Stage Race
Mar 26 Ronde Von Manor
Mar 27 Ronde Von Manda

New Richardson Trail-Way Master Plan Map
from Bike Friendly Richardson by dickdavid

Richardson Trail-Way
We’ve been meaning to post this, but haven’t had a chance. The City of Richardson has posted an updated trail map. This time, instead of just calling it the “Bicycle Route Plan,” they are now calling it…

Life’s Two Wheel Simple Pleasures in Plano Texas
from Biking In Dallas by Christopher Curnutt
We wanted to explore some bike trails that we’d never ridden,  so one afternoon we headed north to Plano, Texas.  The Plano Bike Trail online maps are a bit confusing to say the least and …

States try to counter Supreme Court’s minimum-price ruling
by USA Today
Yet, retailers such as Mulder, who sells bicycle parts and accessories at his Ypsilanti store and online, say shop owners should be able to set their own …Mulder said if his company, which sells bike supplies mostly through the Internet, is pressured “to price things exactly the same as everyone else, the competitors…

Cyclists Gear Up to Push Safe-Passage Laws
by Tristan Hallman, The Texas Tribune
But few tickets don’t mean the laws aren’t working, said Robin Stallings, the executive director of the Texas Bicycle Coalition. “This bill has always been more about education and less about punishment,” Stallings said. …

Musings of a Wannabe Wanderer: December 18 and the Ding Dong Ditchers
by texas canoeist
The bike ride was an hour away from home, up in Denton County, and it was an all -day affair. While at a resting stop, I checked my voicemail and saw that my colleague had called. “Bryan, I need you to call me back as soon as you get this . …

…Winter is Here and 80 Degrees… – December 21st Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

The first day of winter is here and 80 degrees or more was too. By the time I got home from work and left for my ride the temperature had dropped to 72 degrees. No extra clothing required for this ride (well I did wear a long sleeve jersey and a short sleeve one). With clear skies, full moon and a light 9 mph SSW wind the ride was good. At times when I get the winter cold blues I think I need to go to Australia for the winter but with 80 degrees in Houston I can save the airfare. Christmas lights are in full force but the icicle lights look out of place and should be melting with the warm weather.

I was going to replace the halogen lamp in my headlight but I did not have the correct bulb. A stop at Lowe’s tomorrow should take care of that. Today I was reading a European mountain bike magazine and they had a review on some lights. It seems to be confusing on how bright a light will be and their numbers and pictures did not help show the distance the lights would throw a beam. I am wondering if a LED bulb in my headlamp will be as bright or brighter than what I have now. The LED’s draw less power so my battery might go two days between charges. I will have to check out the choices at Lowe’s.

The miles update:

  • December miles 168.25 (I may make 200 yet)
  • YTD miles 5101.57 (made it!!)

12-21-2010 Ride Data and Map

Additional charts, weather and map. (Click on the picture to enlarge)

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