Today’s Texas Bicycling News

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Leander athlete survives ‘widowmaker’ heart attack to return to what he loves: riding, flying

Nicole Villalpando | www.statesman.com

Frank Brewer was the picture of fitness. At 71-years-old, the retired Southwest Airlines pilot had been a competitive skier for 50 years and had been a cyclist since he was a child. Last fall, he had been cycling 2 1/2 to three hours a day, five to seven days a week, to get ready for ski season.

On Oct. 30, toward the end of his ride from his home in Leander to Georgetown and back, he noticed it was getting difficult to climb those hills. Back home, he felt exhausted and his arms felt very tense.

Brewer took a shower and was going to try to relax his arms and maybe …

Austin physician rides across Texas for MS cure

Nicole Cobler | www.axios.com

Thousands of cyclists will ride up to 150 miles across the state this weekend to raise money for a multiple sclerosis cure.

Why it matters: MS — a central nervous system disease affecting almost 3 million people globally — has baffled doctors since it was discovered over a century and a half ago.

The disease can advance silently for years, but then attack myelin, the protective coating around nerve cells, and produce lesions that can cause vision problems, muscle weakness and more.

State of play: Nearly 700 riders will start in Austin on Saturday for the Texas MS 150 while others start their ride in Houston. The event concludes in College Station. …

Cyclists: Motorists’ ‘lack of knowledge’ dangerous as close calls caught on video

Author: Bill Churchwell | www.kiiitv.com

Corpus Christi’s ordinance said you must be at least 3 ft. from the cyclist when passing in a car, that distance changing to 6 ft. if you drive a truck. CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Two separate close calls and road-rage incidents with vehicles this weekend — in different parts of the city — proved to be a little too close for comfort for Corpus Christi cyclists.

"One gentleman decided he didn’t like us cycling on the road," Lee Pradia said.

The driver in the video was shown going around a group of cyclists, putting on the brakes in front of them — then proceeding to yell at the riders he felt should get off the road.

"You’re angry, but …

Video: Lubbock to Louisiana: Raising awareness for kidney donations on “The Organ Trail”

By Joshua Ramirez | www.fox34.com

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Mark Scotch made the trek from Lubbock to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at a heroic pace.

“I call it traveling at the speed of life,” Scotch said.

Scotch completed the 1,500-mile journey with nothing but a bicycle and a cause to carry him, all while missing an important piece of himself.

Scotch donated a kidney back in 2021. It went to a man named Hugh in Louisiana.

“The only question was, what’s going to happen with one kidney,” Scotch said. “So that’s where the whole thing kind of came together.”

That’s when “The Organ Trail” was created.

Scotch’s life-saving gift marking the …

Video: Made in the 956: Bicycle World RGV

By: Trey Serna | www.krgv.com

It’s a special year for Bicycle World RGV, a business that’s served the Valley for nearly 45 years.

Henry P. Roberts and his wife Kelly first opened the business. Their son, Tracy, is now keeping his father’s legacy alive.

“My dad ended up buying a business from a person down the street there on Commerce… he turned it into a full-fledged bike shop, and a few days later came here and started this location,” Tracy said. “I actually have grown up from the moment I was born in the business, so I’ve been active with this business pretty much my whole life." …

BMX becoming increasingly popular in Midland

by: Jesse Zaragoza | www.yourbasin.com

MIDLAND (KMID/KPEJ) – Move over football and basketball, a hobby which is relatively new to the area is on the rise and it’s BMX. BMX stands for Bicycle Motocross, and it deals with racing and performing freestyle tricks in either dirt or pavement.

West Texas BMX is a non-profit organization that is attempting to bring more participants into their sport. The sport itself is a perfect family activity because of the wide age range. Riders can begin as early as two years old, by using strider bikes that have no training wheels to assist with keeping balance.

USA BMX says “Nobody sits on the bench” and it strives to be inclusive. This is the exact approach that the West Texas BMX President is showing to potential participants.

Southern Tier CoMotion

By Keith Misegades | www.crazyguyonabike.com

Tailwind and low scrub brush: Del Rio to Langtry

Tuesday April 25, 2023, 59 miles (95 km) – Total so far: 1,898 miles (3,055 km) Shorter text today due to actually being around other cyclists for the first time on the trip. I was on the road a bit later than usual due to a Walmart stop this morning. Routing was easy today, get on 90 west and don’t make any turns. Im fact, I will be on hwy for the next 300 miles till El Paso.

The wind was very favorable all today and the first 30 miles went by pretty quickly. I did stop at the Armistad visitor center to learn about that area. The resevoir there is formed by 3 rivers as well as a spring. The spring is the second largest in Texas. At the 30 mile mark, I pulled into the only restaurant at Comstock and saw two bicycles pointed west. Surely, there aren’t others going west as I am. Sure enough, I met …

TNR – WNR The Woodlands, Texas

Thomas Anselmi | strava.com

Afternoon Ride Fort Worth, Texas

Jorge O-M | strava.com

Texas Biking from Twitter

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

April 700 Mile Goal, Check

Texbiker.net Posted on by

No distractions to delay the start of today’s bike ride other than the prologue of the Tour de Romandie from Switzerland. Earlier this morning I had a Zoom call with two people with the Relive app. We talked about how I use their app, they showed me how to add more than one photo to a ride video, and some possible new features. The weather was slightly warmer than yesterday slowly warming up to 74 when I rolled away on my Cervelo Caledonia at 11:28 AM. I needed 31 miles to reach my 700 mile goal for April so I chose the Atascocita – Walden – Spanish Cove Drive route that averages a little more than 34 miles. This took me south and east. With the wind from the east it was some hard pedaling getting to the turn around at Spanish Cove Drive but biking back to Kingwood was easier with a tailwind at times.I finished the ride at 2:11 PM.

The overcast sky kept the temperature in the mid 70’s and I dressed accordingly with a long sleeve jersey and wind jacket. Conditions: Start 74 degrees, humidity 67%, dew point 63, mostly cloudy, wind E 13 mph; Finish 77 degrees, humidity 68%, dew point 65, overcast, wind E 12 mph.

I could’ve reached my goal a few rides sooner but April weather can be fickle. Out of 25 days I biked 19. That is why my goal was 700 miles rather than a higher number. The wildflowers like the weather. One patch was on Fairlake Lane at Old Atascocita Road which can be seen in the video.

4-25-2023 RWGPS April To Date Bike Rides Summary
4-25-2023 RWGPS April To Date Bike Rides Summary

So far in 2023 I biked this route a number of times. I guess it is a good distance and time length for when I leave home. Eight of the ten rides have been on my Cervelo bike leaving two on my Lynskey bike. I rode on a couple streets that I thought were different from the usual route but Strava found 16 matching rides going back to July 2022.

Texas Bicycling Roundup

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Texas MS 150 bicycle tour returns this weekend to benefit fight against multiple sclerosis

By Tom Zizka | www.fox26houston.com

HOUSTON – Thousands of cyclists will set off this weekend for the annual Texas MS 150 charity ride that benefits the fight against multiple sclerosis. Started in 1984, it’s the largest event, of its kind, in the county.

Starting on Saturday, April 29, riders will leave from Houston, Austin, and other locations, to end the day’s ride in La Grange. After spending the night at the county fairgrounds, they will continue north to the finish line in Kyle Field on the Texas A&M University campus.

The longest route will take some riders 180 miles, over two days. …

Bikes go flat suddenly, Texas, U.S.

PavelSpesivtsev | www.bikeforums.net

Hello,

I have a strange flats happening rather regularly. I’ve been living in Texas (Houston area) for the last three years, and every 6-9 months flats happen suddenly when bikes are idle (at rest). Both mine and my spouse’s bikes are affected. Few details:

  • We live in an apartment complex, bicycles are stored outside. I stored them in two places: in the shadow under the stairs and on the balcony where they were exposed to sun in the afternoon. In both places these flats continued to happen.
  • After replacing tubes every time I inspect tires and tubes and see no signs of vandalism or animals. …

Bike saddles: How to pick the right seat for your next ride

Dr. James McDeavitt | blogs.bcm.edu

Now that warmer weather is upon us, many of us will feel the urge to climb on a bicycle. From a safety perspective, there is much to consider – protective equipment, a good quality, well-fitted helmet, reflective clothing and selection of a safe cycling location. One important safety item often overlooked is the bicycle seat. The perineum is the soft tissue between the thighs, commonly known as the crotch. This area is particularly sensitive, with injuries occurring in 30-80% of riders. Injuries range from relatively minor, like skin chafing or transient numbness, to more significant, like skin breakdown, tissue contusion, hematomas and decreased male potency. Most of these risks can be reduced by appropriate selection and alignment of the bike saddle. …

Bicyclist taken to hospital following Sunday night accident in Orange, investigation underway

Author: KBMT | www.12newsnow.com

ORANGE, Texas — A bicyclist was taken to a Texas hospital to be treated for his injuries following a late Sunday night accident.

Orange Police Department Sgt. Nick Medina told 12News it happened in the 2200 block of 16th Street around 9 p.m. At this time, it is unknown what type of vehicle was involved in the accident with the bike.

Following the incident, the …

Corsicana hosts Texas State Criterium & Time Trial Bike Race

Ron Farmer | www.corsicanadailysun.com

The Texas State Criterium & Time Trial Bike Race two-day event was held in Downtown Corsicana Saturday, April 22 after the Veterans’ Parade and in Dawson Sunday, April 23. This event was sponsored by the Corsicana & Navarro County Chamber of Commerce, Corsicana Visitors Bureau, Corsicana Main Street, and Navarro County Office of Emergency Management.

Texas State Criterium Time Trial Championships 2023

www.topviewsports.com

TX-ChampsResults23

Spreadsheet

Upcoming Rides

Chasing Watts | chasingwatts.com

All Day Cycling Church Loop Tuesday, April 25, 2023 @ 6:30 PM

PW – Tuesday Tuesday, April 25, 2023 @ 6:00 PM

Trek Memorial Tues Tuesday, April 25, 2023 @ 7:00 PM

Justice League Tuesday Night Ride Tuesday, April 25, 2023 @ 7:00 PM

Tuesday Night EH Ride Tuesday, April 25, 2023 @ 6:30 PM

Morning SBux Crew (Tues) from Dulles Tuesday, April 25, 2023 @ 8:00 AM

CA Tuesday WLY-TCJ-Clay Tuesday, April 25, 2023 @ 6:30 PM

MCC Tuesday Morning Ride Tuesday, April 25, 2023 @ 6:30 AM

Tuesday Night Shop Ride | Pearland Bicycles Tuesday, April 25, 2023 @ 6:00 PM

TUE Group Ride | MTHCC Tuesday, April 25, 2023 @ 5:30 PM

UBG 26 mile Wednesday Night Wednesday, April 26, 2023 @ 6:30 PM

NWCC Hump Day Ride Wednesday, April 26, 2023 @ 7:30 AM

The Boot ReBooted Wednesday, April 26, 2023 @ 6:30 PM

Sugar Land Wednesday Worlds Wednesday, April 26, 2023 @ 6:15 PM

Trek Wed. Night Wednesday, April 26, 2023 @ 6:00 PM

All Day Cycling Church Loop Wednesday, April 26, 2023 @ 6:30 PM

ADCC WEDNESDAY TEMPO Wednesday, April 26, 2023 @ 6:30 PM

CCC Gravel Wednesday Nights Wednesday, April 26, 2023 @ 6:30 PM

Active Cycling Ride Wednesday, April 26, 2023 @ 5:30 PM

Trek West U Bridges Thursday, April 27, 2023 @ 6:30 PM

ADCC, WHAT’S MY AVG THURSDAY Thursday, April 27, 2023 @ 6:30 PM

Bridgeland Ride Thursday, April 27, 2023 @ 6:30 PM

Thursday Night Shop Ride | Pearland Bicycles Thursday, April 27, 2023 @ 6:00 PM

Morning SBux Crew (Thurs) Thursday, April 27, 2023 @ 8:00 AM

MCC Thursday Morning Ride Thursday, April 27, 2023 @ 6:30 AM

Beginners Ride | Trek West U Thursday, April 27, 2023 @ 6:00 PM

Look Pro Go Slow Thursday, April 27, 2023 @ 7:00 PM

Urban West Thursday Thursday, April 27, 2023 @ 6:30 PM

RRR-Saturday Saturday, April 29, 2023 @ 8:00 AM

44 Mile Sat Group Ride | Pearland Bicycles Saturday, April 29, 2023 @ 7:30 AM

UBG Saturday – 23 miles Saturday, April 29, 2023 @ 8:00 AM

NWCC Zube park Rides Saturday, April 29, 2023 @ 7:30 AM

NWCC Coffee Ride Saturday, April 29, 2023 @ 7:30 AM

R3 Ride 33! Saturday, April 29, 2023 @ 8:00 AM

Richmond to Fulshear Saturday, April 29, 2023 @ 7:30 AM

Chappel Hill Gravel Century Saturday, April 29, 2023 @ 7:30 AM

CCC Road Ride Saturday, April 29, 2023 @ 7:30 AM

PW – Ride to Wallis Saturday, April 29, 2023 @ 7:00 AM

JL Sunday 30 Miler from PJs Sunday, April 30, 2023 @ 7:00 AM

CCC Gravel Chappell Hill 55 (with options) Sunday, April 30, 2023 @ 7:30 AM

Sunday Miles 2.0 Sunday, April 30, 2023 @ 7:30 AM

UBG Sunday – 35-50 miles Sunday, April 30, 2023 @ 8:00 AM

Southern Tier CoMotion

By Keith Misegades | www.crazyguyonabike.com

Hills ease off: Camp Wood to Del Rio Sunday April 23, 2023, 80 miles (129 km) – Total so far: 1,839 miles (2,960 km) With the easing of the hills, it is now time to do a few more miles. Today’s routing was easy and only had two turns; sure glad I didn’t take a wrong turn since there wasn’t much in the way of services. But, back to last evening. It did rain quite a bit and was glad I was in a motel after having my legs punished for the 36 hard miles yesterday. My thigh muscles and left calf were sore this morning from the effort.

At the motel last evening, a nice couple by the name of James and Flavia Muttera rolled up. They are riding Bike Friday bikes with rear geared hubs. Unfortunately, they’ve had a few mechanical issues that caused them some strife along the way, but they …

Texas Biking from Twitter

Monday Can Be A Bear: Software, Battery, Compensating

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Monday’s can be a bear. A computer program I use daily started not working correctly. I dread calling customer support so I tried chat first but the person was not able to fix my problem so we switched to a phone call. Trying numerous things and failing the step that worked was re-installing the program. All of this took a couple of hours delaying the start of today’s bike ride plus waiting for the temperature to go up a couple more degrees. I got ready to ride and thinking of a route to ride I changed from my first choice and settled on the Kingwood – FM 1485 – Kingwood one because of the late start.

Finally getting my Lynskey Helix bike on the road at 12:57 PM I noticed the power meter was not sending data to the Bolt computer. I circled back home and checked the battery. It was dead so I replaced. Glad I ordered new batteries when the Quarq power meters were added to my bikes. Now I was ready to ride.

It was a little chilly at the start because the sun had not broke through the clouds. I dressed for the chill with a long sleeve jersey and a wind jacket. It took about 15 minutes of riding to get my body heat flowing and the chill didn’t bother me. Weather conditions: Start 69 degrees, humidity 59%, dew point 54, overcast, wind E 8 mph; Finish 73 degrees, humidity 57%, dew point 57, mostly cloudy, wind E 8 mph.

Over the weekend I switched the BiSaddle that used to be on my Cervelo Caledonia to the Lynskey Helix to see if it was more comfortable. I also wore a new pair of Primal shorts today and the BiSaddle was much more comfortable than the other one.

In the SRAM phone app I learned of a setting called “Compensating” and enabled it. My understanding was that the gears would adjust the rear gears by 1 or 2 gears when I shifted from the small chainring to the large chainring. I tried that near the end of the ride and it sent the chain off the large chainring onto the crankarm, FAILURE. I need to learn more about how this works. I was able to get the chain back on the large chainring and then shift back to the 35×13 gears to finish the ride at 3:41 PM.

I altered the route on the way back to Kingwood to avoid the schools on Briar Berry Lane by returning to the US59 southbound frontage road from Valley Ranch Parkway, riding south to Auburn Trails and back to Briar Berry Lane to continue into Oakhurst. This didn’t impact the ride distance from the average for this route but Strava didn’t find any matches. Today’s 33.15 miles moved me to within 31 miles of reaching my April goal of 700 miles.

4-24-2023 SportTracks Recent Ride History Kingwood-FM1485-Kingwood
4-24-2023 SportTracks Recent Ride History Kingwood-FM1485-Kingwood
4-24-2023 Strava Ride Summary Kingwood-FM1485-Kingwood
4-24-2023 Strava Ride Summary Kingwood-FM1485-Kingwood