Texas Bicycling News – January 12, 2023

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Mayor Turner to announces plans for 2023 Tour de Houston

KPRC 2 Click2Houston | www.youtube.com

Mayor Sylvester Turner and Apache Corporation announced plans for the city’s annual bike ride, Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation, on Wednesday at City Hall.

El Paso organization gears up for upcoming El Paso Puzzler mountain bike race

By Katie Frazier | kvia.com

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — You may have seen the story ABC-7 did, "Last Sundays Ride," late last year. If you didn’t, the non-profit organization empowers women through mountain biking. The ladies there create a safe space for all ages and skill levels of biking, as well as a community for the women who participate.

The founders of "Last Sundays Ride" are now focusing not only on women but on children too. El Paso on Bikes is a new project whose goal is to get more kids involved in the sport of …

Thursday San Antonio, Texas

Eduardo Salas (Cyclones) | strava.com

Blue Agave Camp – Day 1 – MTB at Walnut Creek Austin, Texas

Frank Cano | strava.com

Texas Biking from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

My Legs Said They Weren’t Climbing That Much

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I’m running out of first time routes on Zwift routes in Watopia. The green icon on the left way outnumbers the gray ones. I found one though, Eastern Eight in Watopia. The full route is 32.1 miles with 1336 feet of climbing. My legs said they weren’t going to climb that much so I settled on 21.14 miles and 722 feet of climbing. This was a free ride but not I wasn’t alone. The nearby Zwifters in Watopia ranged from 11,000 at the start up to 14,500 during the ride and around 12,000 when I finished. I didn’t check to see how many were in the other open worlds.

I stopped at 21.14 miles to not do Titans Grove Reverse KOM and avoid the full 1336 feet of climbing. Also I had a time window and I don’t think I could’ve rode the full route in that time period. I don’t know if I got credit for riding the route. I doubt it.

A few times I rode with some other Zwifters and some large groups passed, mostly going the opposite direction. I need to work on my messaging during the ride and give “Ride on” more often when I figure out how to do that.

Zwift says I set a personal record on the Titans Grove KOM at 7:01.2. Strava says 3rd fastest time on Titans Grove KOM (7:01). I wonder if Strava combines both directions.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for the ability to bike.

ZwiftInsider.com describes the route: This medium-long route begins with a lead-in from your start point to the desert rock arch. This arch will be your finish line as well, 51.7km (32.1 miles) from now.

Hit the flat, fast Fuego Flats desert, climb out of Saddle Springs, then hang a right into the Titans Grove Nature Preserve. This rollercoaster through the redwoods is a great section of road for sightseeing, but if you’re trying to keep your speed up it’s a real challenge, as the road continually rolls up and down while twisting through (and beneath) the trees.

When you come to the end of the Titans Grove road, turn left toward downtown Watopia, then another left onto Ocean Boulevard. This takes you into Ocean Boulevard’s underwater glass tube. You will turn another left at Sequoia Circle, then left once more to head toward Fuego Flats.

(This about where I stopped after completing Fuego Flats.)

1-12-2023 Strava Zwift Ride Overview Watopia Eastern Eight
1-12-2023 Strava Zwift Ride Overview Watopia Eastern Eight
1-12-2023 Strava Zwift Route Map Watopia Eastern Eight
1-12-2023 Strava Zwift Route Map Watopia Eastern Eight
1-12-2023 Strava Week Relative Effort
1-12-2023 Strava Week Relative Effort

Texas Bicycling News – January 11, 2023

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How Houston will continue expanding transportation options in 2023

Adam Zuvanich | www.houstonpublicmedia.org

Several infrastructure projects are in the works this year that aim to improve and expand mobility for cyclists, pedestrians and mass transit users.

Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis bikes around the City Hall area in 2018, when he and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced a new partnership between the city and Harris County to create more bike lanes.

Gabe Cazares does not own a car and, because he is blind, says he never will.

But the executive director of transportation equity and advocacy organization LINK Houston, like most everyone else in the nation’s fourth-largest city, still has a need to commute to work and buy groceries and still likes to get out and explore his hometown. That can be difficult even in his East End neighborhood, where Cazares said sidewalks are scarce.

"To get to my office, where I do transportation equity work, I have to leave my home and walk in the streets," he said. "I’m looking forward to a day when folks in the city …

League City City Council extends recycling agreement with Keep Pearland Beautiful, plans to submit grant applications for trails

By Saab Sahi | communityimpact.com

League City residents will have to pay an increase of $0.04 in waste fees after the City Council passed a resolution Jan. 10 to extend its agreement with Keep Pearland Beautiful.

City Council also approved a resolution to submit hike and bike trail grant applications to the Texas Department of Transportation and to authorize a water facilities financing agreement with the Gulf Coast Water Authority during its Jan. 10 meeting.

The city’s agreement with Keep Pearland Beautiful will be extended through April 30, 2024, which allows League City residential solid waste customers to utilize the Stella Roberts Recycling Center, located off Magnolia Pkwy.

As another part of the consent agenda, City Council also …

Barber Hills Hard Labor – Volunteer Sign Up

www.bikereg.com

Superflying the leeve Fort Bend County, Texas

Superflyspin ? jack snider | strava.com

CCC gravel Fort Bend County, Texas

Katya @Cool Cat Cycles | strava.com

Windsday Wahoo Woes Houston, Texas

Nate Eguia | strava.com

Bike routes announced for 2023 Tour de Houston

Author: Chloe Alexander | www.khou.com

This event usually happens the first Sunday in April but it has been moved to Sunday, Feb. 26.

HOUSTON — Calling all cyclists and those who want a unique tour of our beautiful city.

Preparations are already underway for the city’s annual bike ride, Tour de Houston, which is a fundraising event that benefits Houston’s Reforestation Program.

"Houston continues to embrace the bicycling community by making improvements to our hike and bike infrastructure," said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. "Tour de Houston is a great way to experience these enhancements while also exploring our diverse neighborhoods."

This event usually happens the first Sunday in April but it has been moved to Sunday, Feb. 26 due to Houston hosting the men’s NCAA Final Four Tournament.

This year, the route will cruise through city council districts E, H and I, which include the historic East End and much of southeast Houston. …

Springtown boy shows off new bicycle from police department

Madelyn Edwards | www.springtown-epigraph.net

A Springtown mother described the shocked reaction her 7-year-old son had when a police officer came to their home a few days before Christmas asking to see him.

That shock turned into happiness when Ezra Garcia realized that the officer brought him a new bicycle for Christmas.

“Ezra came out from his room, and he was just terrified. He was mortified. A cop was asking for him by name,” Ezra’s mother Arizona Garcia said. “(The officer said), ‘We got you something.’ (They) went outside, and he had the bike out there, and he let him sit in his car and everything.”

The Springtown police officer who delivered the bike – Cpl. Ken Hopkins – was just …

Video: TxDOT analyzes bicycle safety in Bryan district

By Conner Beene | www.kbtx.com

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Bicyclists in the Brazos Valley may have a reason to celebrate as TxDOT looks at the area’s bicycle safety as part of the statewide bicycle analysis and district bicycle plan pilot program.

The Bryan district is one out of four districts in Texas that is participating in the program.

TxDOT is hoping to develop an approach that the rest of the districts in Texas can apply in the future. TxDOT Bryan Public Information Officer Bob Colwell says that safety is their number one priority.

“We know that bicyclists and pedestrians use our system just like …

Texas Biking from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Self-Driving Car Fantasy Versus Reality

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Biking north with a nice 12 mph tailwind I fantasized about a self driving car meeting me about 40 miles up the road to drive me back home to avoid the headwind. That didn’t happen of course. What did happen was today’s bike ride on my Cervelo Caledonia following my New Caney – Tavola – Valley Ranch route. I rode away at 11:49 AM and finished at 2:48 PM. In between those times I rode the tailwind to Tavola after fighting the wind to get to US59. After making the loop through Tavola and onto Roman Forest Blvd. riding west the real work began. At the start of the ride the airport weather showed the wind from the south at 12 mph with 22 mph gusts. When I finished the wind switched to the southwest at 13 mph and 25 mph gusts. Whenever I got out in the open biking back to Kingwood the wind gusts attacked me. I used the 35×15 gears a majority of the time from Roman Forest Blvd. to Kings Manor changing to the 35×13 for brief tailwinds as the road changed directions. A few times trees and buildings broke up the wind and I used the 35×13 gears. My legs got a workout but didn’t stop turning the pedals when called upon.

This was the first time biking this route in 2023. Strava found 2 other matching rides. I tried to ride what I thought was the usual streets on the route but I missed some. Maybe I need to load the route onto my Wahoo Bolt computer and use the turn-by-turn to stay on the route better. The chart below compares the 3 rides. I rode several segments that count towards the Strava local legends. Maybe I can grab one or two soon.

Year to date mileage for 2023 leads all my other years since 2011. But it’s only 11 days into the year.

Weather: start 76, humidity 72%, dew point 66, mostly cloudy, wind S 12 mph gusts 22 mph; finish 81, humidity 60%, dew point 66, mostly cloudy, wind SW 13 mph gusts 25 mph.

These charts show gearing time, distance, and average power per gear.

1-11-2023-SRAM-Component-Summary-Gear-Usage-by-Distance
1-11-2023-SRAM-Component-Summary-Gear-Usage-by-Distance
1-11-2023-SRAM-Component-Summary-Gear-Usage-by-Time
1-11-2023-SRAM-Component-Summary-Gear-Usage-by-Time
1-11-2023-SRAM-Component-Summary-Avg-Power-in-Gear
1-11-2023-SRAM-Component-Summary-Avg-Power-in-Gear
1-11-2023 Strava Week to Date Relative Effort
1-11-2023 Strava Week to Date Relative Effort
1-11-2023 Strava Matched Rides New Caney-Tavola-Valley Ranch
1-11-2023 Strava Matched Rides New Caney-Tavola-Valley Ranch
1-11-2023 Strava Bike Ride Overview New Caney-Tavola-Valley Ranch
1-11-2023 Strava Bike Ride Overview New Caney-Tavola-Valley Ranch
1-11-2023 Strava Bike Ride Route Map New Caney-Tavola-Valley Ranch
1-11-2023 Strava Bike Ride Route Map New Caney-Tavola-Valley Ranch