Daily News Roundup August 14th – Texas Bicycling

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Dallas bicyclist dies after being hit by pickup before Lubbock …
from lubbockonline.com
A bicyclist preparing to compete in the Lubbock Senior Games on Friday was killed when she was hit by a pickup near Ransom Canyon just before the event started.

Michelle Armstrong, 55, of Dallas was riding westbound on an improved shoulder of FM 3523 when she weaved into traffic at about 8:30 a.m., DPS Trooper Brent Collins said.

A 27-year-old Lubbock woman driving west in a 2004 Ford F-150 swerved in an attempt to avoid hitting her, but still struck the cyclist. …

Criterium racing in Riverside Park
Originally published August 14, 2010 at 4:42 p.m., updated August 14, 2010 at 4:55 p.m.
from www.victoriaadvocate.com
A few weeks ago while out on a bike ride with my husband and our friend Lee, Lee mentioned the idea of bringing back criterium (bike) racing down in Riverside Park. A few years back, a group of cyclists would hold weekly criterium races at the park, which were never really publicized, but known to those who were a part of the local biking group, Road Ambassadors of Texas. …

August 14th Bike Ride – Kingwood to Crosby to Summerwood to Kingwood

Texbiker.net Posted on by

[iframe http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/44495952 465 548]

After missing last Saturday’s ride I thought I would try a route that I have not done before or at least exactly like this. So I chose to ride a modified route from the Humble Lions February ride. A couple of the differences were that I started in Kingwood instead of Humble and when I got to Crosby I did not take the route to the east of US 90. This route is interesting in the variety of settings. From suburban city to country with cows in the field scenes this route covers them all. Grass farms around Crosby were soaking up the sun and I could recent signs of grass being harvested.

On Old Astascocita Road and Ramsey Road I met oncoming cyclists returning from their ride. I don’t know what time they started but I left at 7:32 so they must’ve gotten a earlier start than that. Pictures of most of the riders (click on the picture to enlarge it).

The picture at the end is the Shell station in Summerwood. I was resting there when a man came out of the store and we talked about my route and how he runs but then bikes to cool down. He was telling me about the loop in Eisenhower Park which is close to Duessen Park which I rode through to get to the station. Next time I ride this route I will take the loop through Eisenhower Park to check it out. I was wondering how the traffic would be on W. Lake Houston Parkway from the station to FM1960. It was not a problem with the traffic giving me a wide berth. While the route is very flat (at one point I was only 3 ft. above sea level) the bridge on W. Lake Houston Parkway over the railroad tracks was a challenge after 42 miles or so. I had to go down a couple of gears to maintain some speed.

Around the 21.2 mile point I was startled by this rather large dog racing towards me from the left and then suddenly deciding to try and stop with paws and claws sliding on the pavement. I had no trouble sprinting away from him. He must have changed his mind when he got close enough to see me. I was heading into the wind so I had my head down and was not noticing things off to the side.

The weather was mild at this time of the day with the temperature at 81 degrees when I started and 91 when I finished. Wind was a mild 7 mph from the SW. Skies were partly cloudy although near Crosby a dark cloud appeared for a few minutes. Of course I was no where near any shelter if it did decide to rain. But the cloud disappeared quickly. The National Weather Service issued this alert before I left for the ride:

Special Weather Statement – Montgomery (Texas)
from Texas – (Montgomery/TXZ199) – Current Watches, Warnings and Advi
CROCKETT…TRINITY…GROVETON…
MADISONVILLE…HUNTSVILLE…SHEPHERD…COLDSPRING…LIVINGSTON…
CORRIGAN…ONALASKA…CALDWELL…LAKE SOMERVILLE…
COLLEGE STATION…BRYAN…BRENHAM…NAVASOTA…THE WOODLANDS…
CONROE…WILLIS…LIBERTY…CLEVELAND…DAYTON…COLUMBUS…
EAGLE LAKE…WEIMAR…SEALY…BELLVILLE…HEMPSTEAD…
PRAIRIE VIEW…BROOKSHIRE…HOUSTON…PASADENA…KATY…TOMBALL…
HUMBLE…WINNIE…MONT BELVIEU…ANAHUAC…EL CAMPO…WHARTON…
PIERCE…SUGAR LAND…MISSOURI CITY…RICHMOND…ROSENBERG…
EDNA…BAY CITY…PALACIOS…PEARLAND…LAKE JACKSON…ALVIN…
ANGLETON…FREEPORT…LEAGUE CITY…TEXAS CITY…FRIENDSWOOD…
GALVESTON
501 AM CDT SAT AUG 14 2010

…EXCESSIVE HEAT EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS THIS WEEKEND…

A STRENGTHENING UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL RESULT IN
SOME OF THE HOTTEST TEMPERATURES OF THE SEASON SO FAR OVER THE
NEXT FEW DAYS. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 100 TO 102
DEGREES OVER THE NORTHERN COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS…THE UPPER
90S IN THE HOUSTON METRO AREA…AND MID 90S ALONG THE COAST.
OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WILL PROVIDE LITTLE RELIEF…WITH MINIMUM
TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO RANGE IN THE UPPER 70S AND LOWER 80S.
LITTLE CHANGE IN TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED THROUGH TUESDAY.

THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL RESULT IN MAXIMUM HEAT
INDEX VALUES OF 104 TO 110 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON AND 104 TO 108
DEGREES ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

I was finished before the heat became a problem. Perspiration continues to pour from my brow. I have discovered a method to relieve it some: I wear a cotton bandanna under my helmet to help with the moisture which works until it is saturated but if I push on the side of my helmet I can force the sweat to drain off. It is amazing how much drains when I push.

Today’s ride statistics:

  • miles 54.07
  • riding time 3:37:02
  • average pace 4:01 min/mile
  • average speed 14.9 mph
  • max speed 24.7 mph (probably when I was going down the railroad overpass)
  • average cadence 76.5 rpm
  • max cadence 109 rpm
  • climb 314 ft., descend 246 ft., max elevation 103 ft., minimum elevation 3 ft.
  • August miles 252.90
  • YTD miles 3361.37

Charts and Map from the ride. Click on one of the thumbnails to enlarge it and to navigate to the others.

[nggallery id=94]

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for August 13th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Taking bike sharing to a new level: the tech behind Social Bikes
from Ars Technica by jacqui@arstechnica.com (Jacqui Cheng)

Car-sharing services are becoming increasingly popular in the US, particularly in urban areas where it’s more convenient and cost-efficient to borrow a car instead of owning one. However, for many urban dwellers and visitors, a car can still be impractical for getting from one place to the next—parking, traffic, and other concerns come into play. …

You need a high gear for a Rocky Mountain bike ride
by San Angelo Standard Times
I encourage the athletes that I mentor to “push the limits” occassionally by completing a workout that’s longer or harder than normal.

Doing so forces your body to adapt to a higher level of physical stress, and successfully completing the workout provides a tremendous boost to your confidence.

It’s like taking double the normal daily dosage of your “Two-Footed Prozac.” …

Denton Bike Polo Group Prepares For Tournament | North Texas Daily
by Arts-Life-Editor
On a blistering hot Thursday evening, a devoted group of nearly 20 Denton residents meet, as they do every Thursday and Sunday, to play a few games of Bike Polo.

Bike Polo is a sport similar to original polo but instead of riding on horses, players ride on bicycles. Matches consist of two groups, three players each, typically playing on a roller hockey court with homemade mallets. …

High School Racing League Goes National
by Bicycle Retailer
BY NICOLE FORMOSA

MATT FRITZINGER USED TO laugh off suggestions that he grow his NorCal High School Cycling League to a national level. After all, he had enough on his plate as it was running the first-ever high school mountain bike league, an idea he conceived more than a decade ago while teaching math at Berkeley High School.

But, slowly things progressed. The NorCal League, established in 2001, ballooned from fewer than 100 riders in its first year to 500 kids on more than 40 teams by 2008. That year, the SoCal High School…

Yellow Bike Benefit Show @ Red 7 – Lotsa bands, and a ride …
by Jason
The show starts at 9pm, Thursday August 26th, but according to the flyer they’re going to hook up with the Social Ride, so if you want go but want to stretch your legs a bit beforehand, this is the perfect opportunity. …

Texas 4000 cyclists almost to Anchorage – Austin – Local News …
from upi.com
Fifty-three University of Texas students cycling from Texas to Alaska – that’s twice the distance of the Tour de France – are expected to roll into …

Daily News Roundup August 12th – Texas Bicycling

Texbiker.net Posted on by

It is fitting that the latest issue of Dr. Mirkin’s e-newsletter has a Q&A on exercising in the heat.

Dear Dr. Mirkin:  What pacing strategy should I use for races in hot weather?
Start out significantly slower than you usually do and gradually increase your effort to try to keep yourself from slowing
down due to the heat.  Eight men were asked to ride a bicycle as fast as they could for 15 minutes in 68 F.  They started at a fast pace and were able to hold a steady pace. However, when they did the same time trial in 100 degree F. and started at the same pace, they slowed down progressively long before their body temperatures…

Getting the best results from your efforts bike fit is important. This can help you get that result.

The 5 Most Common Bike Fit Issues…and how to avoid them, Part 4
from BikFit Blog by Eric Bowen

At long last, here is Part 4 of the 5 Most Common Bike Fit Issues (road bike specific). If you would like to read parts 1-3, they are available in the archives of this blog.

To review, here are the top 5 bike fitting issues:

1.  Alignment Issues (“wobbly” knees/splayed legs)

2.  Saddle too high or low

3.  Poor cleat position

4.  Saddle tilted up or down

5.  Reach to the handlebars (too bunched up or too stretched out)

So, without further adieu:  Reach to the handlebars, Part 1. …

Adventure Cycling Association: Comfort on the Southern Tier, West …
by Jenn, Cartographer
A couple of weeks ago Simon and Alia from Sydney, Australia, popped into our office. They were traveling north to south on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route  (GDMBR) incorporating some deviations — as was evidenced by their appearance in Missoula — since we are not on the GDMBR. Looking at the calendar, they realized they were going to have extra time before returning to Sydney and were curious about options for extending their ride in Texas. Simon had already toured part of the Southern Tier Route  so was looking for a new experience. I was excited to tell them about the growing movement in far west Texas to court traveling cyclists.
I first learned about TexasMountainTrail.com and Beth Nobles in an email from our friends Russ and Laura at PathLessPedaled.com. They crossed paths in February as Russ and Laura…

SpokePost.com :: Bicycle Racing News, Bicycle Race Training …
Jeffersonville, Ind. (August 8, 2010) – The 2010 USA Cycling Masters National Championships came to a close on Sunday with the final criteriums in downtown Jeffersonville, Ind. Eleven new national champions rode off with Stars-and-Stripes jerseys after another hot, action-packed day of racing.
…In the 75-79 group, Fred Schmid (Waco, Texas/Bicycles Outback) won another national title, besting silver and bronze medalists David Shanks (Melbourne Village, Fla.) and Kurt Eickelmann (Spring Hill, Fla./Southern Sierra Cyclists) while Peter Murphy (Glastonbury, Conn./Opens Cycle Racing Breakaway) and Thomas O’Rourke (Westbloomfield, Mich./Cadieux Bicycle Club) rounded out fourth and fifth. …

Austin man finishes a bike race his heart donor never got to
by KVUE
by SHELTON GREEN / KVUE News A bicycle race which happens once a week in southeast Austin took on a whole new meaning Thursday evening. Leading the race was …

The Bike Groggery: I’m squeeing with excitement over here
by bike groggette
In another day and a half I’ll be on a plane heading to upstate New York for a week long self supported bike ride. It’s the first time I’ve ever done a self supported ride (Texas 4000, while almost 10X longer a trip, was only semi self …

Texas cycling and sailing with Dennis: Cedar Ridge Preserve …
by Dennis and Michele Starkey
We went to Deleon Texas and rode in the Melon Patch Tour Bicycle Rally and did 72 miles of hard rolling hills, a big bonus was when we were invited to spend the weekend on a nice 160 acre farm about 12 miles from the Rally. …

Local Boy Scout organizes bike donation
Texas cycling by News 8 Austin
A Central Texas Boy Scout wants to help kids in east Austin middle schools get more active. While he hopes the donations will help kids get some exercise, …