Cable Tie Tool, My New Bike Friend

Texbiker.net Posted on by

If you have installed any accessories on your bike you have experienced the challenge of trying to get that cable tie tight enough to hold the new item where you want it. My latest addition was the Garmin 305 Edge computer and the cadence/rear wheel pickup unit. Try as I might I could not get the cable ties tight enough to keep the sensor unit in place when I tapped it or moved my bike shoe too close. Then I remembered that there is a cable tie tool for that job. Checking online I saw prices as low as $7.99 and as high as $40. Obviously the $40 one was not to be considered and the $7.99 one turned into $16 when the shipping was added. Today after taking my wife out for Valentine’s Day dinner I thought why not stop at the local Ace Hardware. Walking into the store the clerk offered to direct us to the cable tie section but he did not think they had a cable tie tool. But there on the wall was this nice red beauty. On top of that it was only $8.99. Jackpot! The instructions were meager to say the least but in no time I was replacing the limp cable ties with new tight ones. The sensor and the Edge holder are now firmly in place.

GB Cable Tie Tool #CTT-45

Weatherman Was Wrong and I Rode

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I was surprised when I got home from church to see the temperature at 63 and the skies clear. This called for a bike ride since the forecast is for 31 degrees tonight and 40’s for the high on Monday and Tuesday. So I took off. This was the first ride with the newly installed Performance Kevlar Pro 700×23 tires. I had mounted them thinking I was going to the Jalapeno 100 this weekend but that did not happen. I wanted to have two matching tires on my rims instead of the mismatched ones I had been using. It was a good ride. One thing I did notice towards the end of the ride was how weak my neck muscles are. Even though I have a fairly light helmet it was a strain to keep my head level. So much for the windtrainer helping this. I need to wear my helmet when I use the windtrainer.

The stats:

  • miles = 28.38
  • time = 1:54:59:23
  • average speed = 14.8
  • max speed = 21.2
  • average cadence = 41 (I need to check the sensor on this one)
  • total ascent = 261 ft, total descent = 184 ft. (it is flat around here)

The charts and map:

2-14-2010 Route Road

Cadence - Distance Road 2-14-2010

Elevation - Distance Road 2-14-2010

Speed - Distance Road 2-14-2010

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for February 12th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

OrganicAthlete plans bike tour of vegan eateries around Austin
By Pam LeBlanc
First they staged a “Save a Turkey Trot” run on Thanksgiving Day. Now the Austin chapter of OrganicAthlete is planning a Tour d’Vegan bike ride around Austin, with stops at vegan-friendly eateries. On the menu? Everything from raw food to vegan cupcakes.

The ride, about 24 miles at an easy pace, starts at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 20 at the Pfluger pedestrian bridge over Lady Bird Lake. Planned stops include Cheer Up Charlies, 1104 E. Sixth St.; Wheatsville Coop, …

Bike advocates shift gears on safety legislation
from www.twospoke.com
The first is the quote that says: “I don’t think any motor-vehicle operator wants to run over a cyclist” That is not true at all. I have met motorists who have bluntly stated they do want to run over a cyclist and will do so to the next cyclist they see. There have been 27 bicycle fatalities in the last 4 years in Iowa. I wonder if the motorists who issued the threat about running over a cyclist are contributors to the 27 cyclist deaths? …

Texas  Hell Week Bicycle Tour – TravelTex.com
Features routes of 40, 70 and 100 miles each day. Headquarters is at the Sunset Inn, 900 S. Adams St. E-mail: info@hellweek.com.

Austin Bike Culture Calendar Events: 2/11- 2/17/10 | Austin On Two …
by elliott
Traffic Skills 101 Mini Clinics: The Bicycle from Parts to Fit to Tools
8:30 AM, Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop, 400 Nueces St
If you’ve ever wanted to brush up on your bike safety but cannot swing the time for the full Traffic 101 classes offered by the Austin Cycling Association, here’s your chance to pick and choose the portions you need help with in bit sized amounts. ACA will be offering Traffic Skills 101 Mini Clinics starting this week through March in easy to schedule one hour segments.
Austin Flyers Women’s Cycling: Racing Skills Clinic
9 AM- 1 PM, Texas Orthopedics Northwest, 4700 Seton Center Pkwy
Austin Flyers Women’s Cycling, along with our sponsors Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop, Pedal Hard, Texas Orthopedics, Holland Racing and Pure Austin present a Racing Skills Clinic.
Mellow Johnny’s Scout-A-Ride: Another Pleasant Valley Bike Ride
9:30 AM, Mellow Johnny’s, 400 Nueces St
Saturday mornings spent exploring City of Austin bike routes finding new neighborhoods and ways to get around on your bike. This week’s theme is Another Pleasant Valley Bike Ride.
and more…

BILL CULLINS: Working out the Washington way
by San Angelo Standard Times
* By Bill Cullins
* Posted February 12, 2010 at 8:56 p.m.
SAN ANGELO, Texas — Have you ever thought about how things might be if we used the “Washington philosophy” as our fitness strategy? Our approach to workouts would be based on spending money we don’t have, trying to reach poorly defined goals without a realistic plan and relying on a controlled media to explain away our lack of athletic success. …

Let it Snow…Let it Shine… « Connie’s Bike MS: Sam’s Club 2010 Ride …
by connie98
I’ll get to ride 50 miles on Saturday with my south Texas group of Team Dangerous Curves riders! We are going to face those crazy winds (currently forecasted at 10 mph – not that crazy yet) in the Jalapeno 100 bike rally in Harlingen, …