Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for September 10th

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Dr. Gabe Mirkin’s Fitness and Health E-Zine
September 12, 2010
Cycling Does Not Cause Bone Loss.
During a six-day bicycle race, the bones of world class bicycle racers become stronger (Physiologie Appliquée, Nutrition et Métabolisme, June 2010).  Bones are constantly changing.  Certain cells called osteoblasts take calcium into bones to make them stronger, while other cells called osteoclasts take calcium
out of bones to weaken them.  During the race, hormones produced by osteoblasts to strengthen bones increased (osteocalcin increased by 300 percent, and C-terminal telopeptide…

Retail giant Performance Bicycle is partnering with People for Bikes in a U.S. campaign to encourage public funding for bicycling infrastructure and making communities friendlier places to ride. People for Bikes was created by the cycling industry’s Bikes Belong foundation. It’s striving to collect one million signatures to raise awareness and support for cycling initiatives. Performance will promote the campaign on its website and in more than 90 stores nationwide. Or you can sign the pledge at http://www.peopleforbikes.org/pledge.

Rail Trail/288 bike-ped bridge input meeting
from Bike Denton by bikedenton
Denton Parks & Rec invites the public to comment on plans for the bike/ped bridge over Loop 288, Monday, Sept 13 at 6PM, Denton Civic Center Community Room, 321 E. McKinney St. This is your chance, folks, to comment on this bridge that will parallel the commuter train bridge and link the rail trail across six lanes of highway traffic. …

September 2010 Rides, Events and Announcements
from Biking In Dallas by Christopher Curnutt
Dallas Bike Plan Public Meeting
Thursday, September 23rd, 5-8pm
The draft Bikeway System network plan will be available for public review and input. Attendees will be encouraged to provide feedback on the alignment of the proposed on-street and off-street portions of the network, as well as the facility type assignments for the on-street portion of the overall network. An introductory presentation will provide an overview of the methodology for creating the proposed Bikeway System network, and will show the various draft street profile types that have been developed for the Bike Plan in connection with the City’s Complete Streets Initiative. …

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?
from Biking In Dallas by Toni Youngblood
Just over six months ago, I gave up driving in favor of bicycle commuting.  I’d been a fan of the social rides around town since the spring of 2009, and I fancied myself a little …

Bike plan meeting draws large turnout
by Newstreamz San Marcos
The major goals of the bike plan are to: 1) Promote bicycle travel by the Texas State community, 2) Develop a master plan of bike and pedestrian facilities, …

San Marcos meeting

Masters cyclist from Racine sets world record, takes four national titles
by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (blog)
Competing in the 55-59 age group, in Texas last weekend, she set a new world record to win the 500-meter time trial and scored firsts in three other events: …

Rita Kacala

Red Cross Ramble – Sugarland, TX

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Red Cross Ramble – Sugarland, TX
While you are waiting for the 2011 Tour du Rouge, come join us for a new Red Cross fundraiser ride.

* You’ll be riding a new course in southwest Houston
* There will be rest stops every 10-12 miles with food, drink and facilities.
* Lunch and entertainment at the finish line
* Your entry helps support the American Red Cross in their effort to help others.

Ride Date: October 30, 2010
Start Time: 8:00 AM
Start Location: George Ranch (Directions to George Ranch)
Distances: 25, 46, 77 and 100 miles
Registration Fee: $ 30.00 per rider until October 18 then $35.00 per rider

With your registration fee you get:

* the fully supported ride
* rest stops every 10-12 miles with drinks, food and facilities
* lunch at the finish line
* SAG support
* police control at hazardous intersections
* mechanical support (hopefully no one will need it)
* first aid support (just in case)
* a long-sleeved Red Cross Ramble tee-shirt

Daily News Roundup September 9th – Texas Bicycling

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Alice St hit-and-run update
from Bike Denton by bikedenton
We now have a description of the car that intentionally backed over a cyclist on Alice St on Aug 30:  “White, Mazda 4-door, unknown model, driven by a middle-aged, white, male”

The description is vague, but it’s better than nothing, so keep an eye out, especially in the Alice/Egan area.  This driver is obviously dangerous, so if you see him, avoid confrontation and call the police.  That assault could have easily become murder, had the cyclist been fatally injured. …

2010 Texas cyclocross race calendar announced | Austin On Two Wheels
by elliott
The folks over at TXBRA recently released the upcoming calendar of cyclocross races in Texas. Outside of the Dirt Derby, cyclocross racing will begin mid-October as part of the Texas Custom Bicycle Show and run through mid December. …

Plan for Amarillo’s Future
by KFDA
Rounding out the highest priority goals is increasing pedestrian and bicycle safety. Along with each of those goals, they also presented plans with what …

First H.S. Mountain Bike Race Texas High School Cycling League …
by League Director
Only seven racers entered the first high school mountain bike race in Texas last weekend at the Camp Eagle Classic Mountain Bike Festival but the buzz of the weekend was that high school mountain biking is finally getting started. …

Sassy & Thin in 2010: Starting the day right and new commitments…
by Olivia
Bike Around the Bay is a fully supported two-day, 150-mile bicycle ride around Galveston Bay. The ride starts in Anahuac, Texas, and continues along a scenic route that includes many fascinating sights and highlights. …

Austin Hill Country Bike Ride | The Organic Climber – Blogging …
by OrganicClimber
This past Saturday, I went on my first bike ride since moving to Austin. I teamed up with a group ride that left from Mellow Johny’s  bike shop in downtown Austin – the shop is owned by Lance Armstrong. I was torn between two different rides they offered, one of them being a slower paced ride that explored the bike routes of Austin, the other being a faster paced ride that leads you outside of town through the scenic hill country. I ended up opting for the second ride, because I figured…

Austin Hill Country Bike Ride

Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS Celebrates 10 Years of Cycling to …
by shawnpwilliams
“This year’s routes will take riders through some scenic North Texas countryside and offer a few challenges as well,” said David Minehart, LSRFA event manager. “We have fully supported training rides monthly to help cyclists prepare so …

Frustrated by anti-cycling attitude
by The Cross Timbers Gazette (blog)
I moved to the Cross Timbers area over 30 years ago and our family has enjoyed many thousand miles cycling together in North Texas and neighboring states.  Now retired and 76 years old, I still cover over 6,000 miles a year on the bike.

In a nation plagued with obesity and Texas being high on the list, I feel saddened by the Bartonville anti-cycling attitude.  Other towns like Flower Mound, Lewisville, Grapevine and even Dallas are building hike and bike trails to meet the community’s interest in cycling and promote health.

The recent press and TV coverage of the Bartonville situation has failed to point out that the problem is mainly the result of widening FM 407 by eliminating much of the shoulder on each side…

Spokes for Folks Wrench Day | DORBA
Event Date & Time:
Sun, 10/17/2010 – 8:00am – 12:15pm
Next Spokes for Folks Wrench Day!
Pass on the joy of cycling by rebuilding donated bikes to give to kids and adults in need.  We will be repairing bikes on Sunday October 17, 2010 from 8 AM until noon or there abouts. No experience necessary, if you have not repaired bikes before, come on out and we will team you up with experienced Spokes for Folks volunteers.  If you want to help but prefer other duties, come help us organize parts, clean bikes, or check bikes post-repair.  It will be a rewarding experience and you will have a great time with the fantastic DORBA members, the North Texas Mountain Bike Patrol, other volunteers, and at…

Durango Texas: Village Creek Is Way Out Of Its Banks In Arlington
by Durango
This flood is the worst I’ve seen since I’ve been in Texas. It will take a long time for the River Legacy mountain bike trails to recover. When the river recedes it does not take all the water with it. The water stays in the low spots. …

Pounding the pedals to promote event
New ride aims to foster growth of Tour du Rouge
By DALE ROBERTSON
Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle
It’s said the time to retire is when you have enough and you’ve had enough, and Alan Bazard met both criteria when he took his leave from Shell this summer after 31 years. Only 53, the now former IT project manager said he’s “going to see where my dreams lead me.”

To be sure, he’ll be pursuing them on a bicycle.

Bazard said he took up cycling “16, 17 years ago” just to get some exercise. His love of the sport grew to the point that his new “job,” post-Shell, will be his ASB Cycling Company, an online business…

Colonial National Parkway – September 9th Bike Ride

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Today I was blessed to ride the Colonial National Parkway in Williamsburg, VA. In the late 1980’s we vacationed in Williamsburg but I did not know about the Colonial National Parkway. According to Wikipedia.com the parkway was built between 1930 and 1957. The road surface is different from what I am used to riding on; concrete with large rock aggregate on the surface. This creates a textured surface but one not as severe as the “chip and seal”  TxDOT uses. The parkway runs from Jamestown to Williamsburg to Yorktown. I rode the Williamsburg to Yorktown section today. The National Park Service link above highlights the bicycling features of the parkway. One of the major ones is that commercial traffic is not permitted. The terrain is mixed with some hills and flat portions. Traffic was not a problem since there are three lanes and the traffic that I encountered always moved to the center to pass.

The weather was beautiful: 73 degrees, clear, light 2 mph wind from the east with gusts to 5 mph, humidity was 54%. When I first started the temperature was about 62 degrees but with the hills I was warmed up quickly.

No other bicyclists were on the route with me. I did see a rather unusual sight when I stopped to take pictures at Mill Pond. A man drove a van up to the turn off area and backed up to the woods. A few seconds later I saw a raccoon scamper down the embankment towards Mill Pond. Then I noticed the man putting a trap back in the rear of the van. I suspect he was relocating the raccoon from his yard to the pond.

I managed to get lost trying to find the on ramp to the Parkway and then when I returned to Williamsburg I made a wrong turn and was lost getting back to the hotel.

Today’s ride statistics:

  • miles 29.85
  • riding time 2:05:01
  • average speed 14.2 mph
  • max speed 24.7 mph
  • average cadence 75 rpm
  • max cadence 112 rpm
  • elevation gain 672 ft., elevation loss 681 ft.
  • min elevation 0 ft., max elevation 100 ft.
  • September miles 144.47
  • YTD miles 3889.02

The gallery pictures below are from my ride on the Colonial National Parkway. The naval ship is docked at the pier that is part of the naval base. The sign in the picture explains the dock’s purpose. I liked the look of the brick arched bridges over the parkway.

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