Texas Bicycling News April 19th 2022

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Editorial: Fix deadly bike crossing

www.expressnews.com

The recent headline called a Salado Creek Greenway crossing at Loop 410 “tricky,” but “tragic” and “deadly” offer better descriptions.

The city’s greenway trail network offers cyclists and pedestrians refuge from cars and trucks, but this crossing on the Northeast Side near the Los Patios retail and dining complex goes counter to that important mission. Cyclists and pedestrians must cross the Loop 410 access road, where cars and trucks are often moving at or near 70 mph. …

TxDOT projects target Fannin County, Van Alstyne

TxDOT | www.heralddemocrat.com

… Multi-use path in Van Alstyne

Texas Department of Transportation officials announced that work to construct a multi-use pedestrian and bicycle path in Van Alstyne in Grayson County is set to begin April 20.

The contractor, The Fain Group of Fort Worth, Texas, was granted 93 working days, weather permitting, to complete this project valued at more than $662,000. The anticipated completion date for this project is September 2022, officials said.

The contractor will construct a bicycle and pedestrian trail on Newport Drive, from Partin Elementary School to State Highway 5 and along SH 5 from Newport Drive to Forrest Moore Park. The work includes light earthwork grading, drainage, sidewalks, regulatory signage, pavement markings and some landscape architecture amenities, official said. …

Video: More safe, walkable streets for pedestrians and cyclists coming to Westchase District

Anavid Reyes | www.click2houston.com

HOUSTON – Making the Westchase District neighborhood more walkable and safer for cyclists is the main goal for the rebuilding of Walnut Bend Lane.

This area is heavily traveled by not only cars, but walkers and bikers too.

“We got wider sidewalks, we got pedestrian lighting for added safety at night, which is a huge feature here in Houston. And of course, we have an on-street bike lane which we don’t see a lot of here in Houston,” said Ricky Gonzalez, team leader for Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc.

Gonzalez expressed how proud he was of these major improvements coming to Walnut Bend Lane, not only because it’ll improve mobility for drivers, but these improvements also promote multimodal …

Man on bike hospitalized after being hit by car in Edinburg

by: Nathaniel Puente | www.valleycentral.com

EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Police are investigating an accident where a vehicle struck a man on an electric bicycle.

According to a release, officers were called to the area of 2600 South Business 281 for a crash involving a vehicle and an electric bicycle around 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

At the scene, officers located a 42-year-old man lying on the side of the road near a gray Ford Explorer with damage to the front passenger side of the vehicle. The man was transported to a …

Around the Bend

By Bill Cound | www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 5. Layover day: Rio Poquito

Thursday April 14, 2022, 19 miles (31 km) – Total so far: 236 miles (380 km) Posted via email Mon Apr 18 13:14:01 2022 PDT

Today was a layover day, so most everyone slept in for a few extra minutes. That made preparing the day’s breakfast and lunch a little more relaxed for Theresa and me. We left together on the tail end of the pack for the lazy ride to Santa Elena Canyon. We could see the enormous gash in the stone cliff from the time we left the campground for the the 8 mile ride to the base of the canyon. The river is but a …

Day 6. Cottonwood to Rancho Topanga Campground

Friday April 15, 2022, 51 miles (82 km) – Total so far: 287 miles (462 km) Posted via email Mon Apr 18 14:23:01 2022 PDT

I left early with two other riders this morning for the 15-mile climb to the top of the hill. Everyone else hitched a ride in the van to avoid the steepest part of the climb. I love departing shortly before sunrise to maximize time spent in the cool morning air. On top of that, a full palate of desert colors was on ever-changing display as the sun sneaked up over the horizon. The ride to the top turned out to be easier than anticipated, largely due to …

Day 7. Rancho Topanga to Presidio: Riding upriver along the Rio Grande

Saturday April 16, 2022, 58 miles (93 km) – Total so far: 345 miles (555 km) Posted via email Mon Apr 18 15:09:01 2022 PDT

We watched the sun rise color the eastern sky at the same time the full moon was setting to the west. The campsite is far more pleasing at this time of day. The view is incredible when you’re not trying to survive the harsh mid day.

The first 30 miles of today’s ride was the best I’ve had all week. After a short downhill ride under the rising sun, we rejoined the Rio Grande in the town of Lajitas and entered the Big Bend Ranch State Park. The canyon through which the river passes west of Lajitas is an ever-changing display of textures and colors. Hard rock walls morph into soft, worn limestone. Dark passages open to hills streaked with layers of white rock. The only …

Day 8. Presidio to Marfa: By the numbers

Sunday April 17, 2022, 59 miles (95 km) – Total so far: 404 miles (650 km) Posted via email Mon Apr 18 15:49:01 2022 PDT

Presidio elevation 2,582 ft. Marfa elevation 4,685 ft. Distance: 59 Miles Wind 17-23 MPH NE Maximum temperature: 85 degrees Climb: 3,648 ft. (Garmin) Descent: 1,840 ft. (Garmin)

The numbers tell the story. Today was a utilitarian ride, meant simply to get us from one place to another. There was nothing particularly remarkable about our surroundings. Parched ranch lands, mountain shadows in the distance and a few rocky formations along the way. Heavy traffic on the busy highway distracted us from what otherwise may have been a more peaceful, if still challenging, ride.

The first 19 miles was almost all uphill. The road had recently been resurfaced with the …

Day 9. Marfa to Fort Davis: The home stretch

Monday April 18, 2022, 22 miles (35 km) – Total so far: 426 miles (686 km) Posted via email Mon Apr 18 16:00:01 2022 PDT

Just a short hop today from Marfa to Ft. Davis. Everyone hit the road early after a grab and go breakfast. After unpacking the van and trailer, it was time to say goodbye to the great group of people with whom we shared our adventure in Big Bend. It was fun to spend time with folks with similar passions. And equally rewarding to experience the diversity of backgrounds, ages and interests of our teammates.

Visiting Big Bend on bicycles was a good choice. We saw all …

Coast to Coast via the Southern Tier – Spring 2022

By Fletch Dobbs | www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 40 – Lake Conroe to Shepherd

Monday April 18, 2022, 48 miles (77 km) – Total so far: 1,795 miles (2,889 km) Today marks the end of Texas Hill Country. We hit the last of the rollers on our way to Shepherd this morning on a short, sweet, 48 mile ride. Tomorrows ride looks like 68 miles with only 800 or so feet of ascent. I think my wish for flatness has been granted!

Day 41 – Shepherd to Silsbee

Tuesday April 19, 2022, 61 miles (98 km) – Total so far: 1,856 miles (2,987 km) Well, my wish for flatness was granted, but at a cost. Headwind! Today’s ride was virtually entirely flat. Less than 900 feet of ascent on over sixty miles. The wind? That’s a different story. All day, square on in the face. It probably isn’t blowing all that hard. I’ll guess 8-12mph somewhere. But battling that when your bike has the frontal profile of a spinnaker? Not fun. And, oh the joy, it seemed to shift direction at …

Southern Tier Bicycle Tour – March 22, 2022 – ?

By cjlaskey | www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 28 : Kerrville, Texas to Vanderpool, Texas

Monday April 18, 2022, 52 miles (84 km) – Total so far: 1,666 miles (2,681 km) Up before the sun at the KOA campground I pulled all of my gear and tent into the recreation room to pack for the day. After leaving I stopped at Whataburger in Ingram for a hearty breakfast as Don went forward. The ride today was partly along the Guadalupe River which was calming and mostly flat under the overcast morning sky. The air was cool also which made for perfect riding. There were several climbs but nothing …

Video: Texas car shop faces criticism after video appears to show owner ‘rolling coal’ on cyclist

By James Hartley | www.star-telegram.com

Members of a Facebook group dedicated to cycling in North Texas are calling for a boycott of a vehicle customization business in Van Alstyne after a video posted to the social media platform showed a man rev his engine as he passed a cyclist to blow billows of exhaust smoke toward a cyclist.

Kevin Soucie, the owner of Turn 5 Fabrication, posted the video that appears to show a driver pass the cyclist, who was riding on the side of the road, in the Facebook community group McKinney Uncensored.

The video showed a red pickup truck pass the cyclist as the man driving records, pointing the …

Artists Selected for Installation on Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail and Lady Bird Lake this May

City of Austin | www.austintexas.gov

Three local artists have been selected to create a floating wetland installation on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail and Lady Bird Lake this spring as part of the Trail’s Arts + Culture Plan. In conjunction with community engagement led by Public City and in partnership with Austin Parks and Recreation Department, Art in Public Places, and The Trail Foundation, the Common Waters installation will explore themes of community, creativity, environment, and collaboration. It will incorporate artistic components as well as serve an ecological function.

The artists were chosen from a total of 37 submissions by a selection committee consisting of community leaders, arts leaders, and Trail stakeholders. Each artist will be compensated $5,000 for the project. The artists – …

Georgetown Trails Foundation – Dig Day – 4.24.2022

By Zander | austinmountainbiking.com

Dig Day – 10 am – trailhead west of Tractor Supply in Georgetown. Use the Tractor Supply lot or drive down on the west side of it to our entrance.

GTF owns this property and we will be focused on finishing a new section of trail, general clean up and, if time allows, scouting new trails.

All are welcome, just show up, sign the waiver and have some fun! Bring tools and water or use ours, we will have plenty. This is part of our approved masterplan to add 20+ miles of singletrack in GTX, we can use the help and look forward to having some fun.

For more info follow our instagram page @gtxtrails or message me here.

Thursday Night Social Ride – April 21st 2022 from socialcyclingaustin

Thank you COA for making the 4th street/I35 access road corner a one-way. from BikingATX

Taco Tuesday

Nate Eguia | strava.com

Urban South+

Nate Eguia | strava.com

first time at COTA bike night!

Monica Merced | strava.com

Defensive Cycling Group Etiquette 4162022

Veloharmony | www.youtube.com

Narrated group ride cycling with tips for improving your cycling through drafting, pre-ride preparation and post ride recovery. Prologue: 00:00 Route Map: 00:24 Warming up with the group before Fishcreek: 01:47 Fishcreek Blvd – The open Road: 05:57 McCaleb Road after letting WCC go: 20:54 Crossing Lake Conroe westbound on FM 1097 in Conroe, Texas: 25:09 Heading West on FM 1097 toward the Sam Houston National Forest: 33:39 Heading north on Mt. Pleasant Road in the Forest: 42:30

Texas Biking from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Seeing Clearly Now, Strong Headwind. Atascocita – Balmoral – Walden Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I put on my route planning hat before today’s bike ride. Usually I ride to Huffman on Tuesday but with the closure of Atascocita Shores Drive at FM 1960 getting across Lake Houston was not possible. Recently I created a new route riding south to Balmoral and biking back to Kingwood but that route used Atascocita Shores Drive too. I decided to use that route and take the opportunity to see if the road construction started at Atascocita Shores and how much work has been done so far. The route name, “Atascocita – Balmoral – Walden”, will be the same but some of the streets will be different around the 25 mile point. You can see the road construction status in the video. It is supposed to be finished by April 27th.

I explain in the video why I’m seeing clearly.

Stage 2 of the Tour of the Alps was this morning and I watched it before eating breakfast because there was only 14 km left. Once it was over I did my morning exercises, ate breakfast and got ready for the bike ride. The temperature took awhile to get above 65 but when I started the ride at 10:45 it was 68. Lots of wind for the ride today. It increased after I rolled out on my Cervelo Caledonia bike. Since we don’t have any hills the wind punishes my legs like climbing. When I finished at 1:58 PM the wind was from the SE at 20 mph with 31 mph gusts. Getting to Balmoral wasn’t easy with most of the ride there into the headwind.

In the past I rode today’s route on Thursday. This was the 5th ride on the route this year. The effort was average compared to the other bike rides.

4-19-2022 YTD Bike Rides Atascocita - Balmoral - Walden Summary
4-19-2022 YTD Bike Rides Atascocita – Balmoral – Walden Summary

The AXS.SRAM.com ride report shows 39 RD shifts or 1.14 shifts per mile. With the strong wind I didn’t expect that the 35×13 gearing would be predominate with 1:26:34 riding time out the total 3:05:15. The distance in the 35×13 was 21.3 miles out a total 34.2 miles. I spent 42:44 in 35×15 and 44:28 in 35×17 gears.

The GoPro camera froze at least 2 times. Not sure what causes it to freeze. I thought heat might be the problem but it was only in the 70’s during the ride. Maybe the microSD card? The mount held its position after I tightened the screws.

Weather conditions: start 67 (humidity 62%, dew point 54), partly cloudy, wind E 14 mph; finish 75 (humidity 57%, dew point 58), mostly cloudy, wind SE 20 mph gusts 31 mph.

A Strava top result with 2nd fastest time on Northbound Sprint (1:41). That came riding north on Timber Forest from Madera Run Parkway.

4-19-2022 Strava Atascocita - Balmoral - Walden Data Summary
4-19-2022 Strava Atascocita – Balmoral – Walden Data Summary

Texas Bicycling News April 18th 2022

Texbiker.net Posted on by

‘The Organ Trail’ comes to Lubbock

By David Galvan | www.lubbockonline.com

“The Organ Trail” made its way through the Hub City this month, thanks to a visit from cyclist and kidney donation advocate Mark Scotch.

The Wisconsin native recently included Lubbock as a stop on his cross-country cycling trip aimed at raising awareness about the need to donate kidneys to help save lives of those needing kidney transplants.

He said his first so-called "Organ Trail" ride was a north-south, cross-country effort from Wisconsin to New Orleans. New Orleans is where …

Bike Skills Rodeo

By Tiffany Marascio | hellowoodlands.com

[May 14, 2022] Bring the kids out to test their bike skills. This family-friendly event is for youth with balance, tricycle, or training wheel bikes with up to 16” size wheelsets. Activities include a helmet check, and multiples stations to improve bike handling, trail etiquette, and traffic safety skills. Each participant will receive a “Certificate of Completion” and map of local cycling trails accessible from Burroughs Park. Event takes place at Burroughs Park from 9am to noon. Contact 713-274-4160 for any questions. Learn More: Bike Skills Rodeo

Jay Kelly 1932 – 2022

www.legacy.com

ODESSA – Jay J. Kelly left us on April 15th, 2022 and our lives are less bright as a result of it. At the same time, we are encouraged by his example of a life well-lived. A native Odessan, Jay Jerome ("Butcher") Kelly was born at the family home on a rainy August 8, 1932. He was the youngest of four children born to Garland ("Son") Kelly and Dewey Kelly.

Jay grew up in Odessa and graduated from Odessa High School in 1951. While at Odessa High School, he excelled at football, baseball, and track. His track team won three consecutive state …

… Always open to new things, Jay and Georgia became avid skiers, tennis players, runners, and cyclists. They skied much of the Rocky Mountains and had one memorable trip skiing the Swiss Alps. They also took cycling trips throughout the United States, often logging hundred-mile days. Jay held particularly fond memories of rafting trips in the canyons of Big Bend and mountain biking in the Copper Canyons of Mexico and the high deserts of Colorado and Utah. Jay had a host of cycling buddies and was able to continue riding well into his eighties. He and Georgia were founding members of the Permian Basin Bicycle Association. He mentored many young cyclists and was always the guy they wanted to ride like when they were his age. …

Texas Ride 2022

By Barry Branham | www.crazyguyonabike.com

04/16/2022: Navasota to Samual Houston National Forest near Coldspring TX

Saturday April 16, 2022, 68 miles (109 km) – Total so far: 1,011 miles (1,627 km) Rode to Samual Houston National Forest. Got a nice camp site. Camp volunter stopped by and collected $20 for the night. Slept fine.

04/17/2022: On to Silsbee TX

Sunday April 17, 2022, 80 miles (129 km) – Total so far: 1,091 miles (1,756 km) Got to Pinewood Inn and Suites in Silsbee. Ride was lots of gradual hills at first, road was bumpy two lane with plenty of traffic. Not much fun. At the end got on nice two lane highway with wide smooth shoulder. There’s Walmart nearby, plan to go there for a small scissors (need to trim my mustache), possibly USB C to micro adapter. Also micro to C maybe.

Upcoming Rides

Chasing Watts | chasingwatts.com

Shop Ride | Pearland Bicycles Tuesday, April 19, 2022 @ 6:00 PM

Urban South Tuesday Night Ride Tuesday, April 19, 2022 @ 6:30 PM

HBC Tuesday Night Worlds Tuesday, April 19, 2022 @ 6:00 PM

MCC Tuesday – Shell to McKeever Tuesday, April 19, 2022 @ 6:30 AM

Justice League Tuesday Night Ride Tuesday, April 19, 2022 @ 7:00 PM

UBG 26 mile Wednesday Night Wednesday, April 20, 2022 @ 6:30 PM

The Boot Ride Wednesday, April 20, 2022 @ 6:30 PM

CCC Gravel Levee Wednesday, April 20, 2022 @ 6:30 PM

Shop Ride | Pearland Bicycles Thursday, April 21, 2022 @ 6:00 PM

Justice League Thursday Power Hour (A/B/C) Thursday, April 21, 2022 @ 6:00 AM

HBC Rosati’s Pizza Ride Thursday, April 21, 2022 @ 6:00 PM

HTX Brew HaHa Ride Thursday, April 21, 2022 @ 6:30 PM

Pushin Watts – Thursday 20PC Ride Thursday, April 21, 2022 @ 6:00 PM

Wicked Boxer Thursday, April 21, 2022 @ 6:30 PM

LookProGoSlow Recovery Ride Thursday, April 21, 2022 @ 7:00 PM

Race Ready Repair Thursday Night Social Thursday, April 21, 2022 @ 5:30 PM

MCC Thursday – Shell to McKeever Thursday, April 21, 2022 @ 6:30 AM

Justice League Friday Power Hour (A/B/C) Friday, April 22, 2022 @ 6:00 AM

HBC Saturday Social Ride Saturday, April 23, 2022 @ 7:30 AM

RACE READY REPAIR -48 Saturday, April 23, 2022 @ 8:00 AM

44- miles (counterclockwise) Saturday, April 23, 2022 @ 8:00 AM

Bike Medicine Ride Saturday, April 23, 2022 @ 8:30 AM

Justice League Saturday Ride (A,B,C pace) Saturday, April 23, 2022 @ 6:30 AM

HBC Sunday Wendy’s Ride Sunday, April 24, 2022 @ 7:30 AM

Active Passion Sunday Roll Sunday, April 24, 2022 @ 7:30 AM

BREAKERS Sunday Ride Sunday, April 24, 2022 @ 4:30 PM

Justice League Monday Power Hour (A/B/C) Monday, April 25, 2022 @ 6:00 AM

Records fall at Atomic TT! Master’s & Jr Scratch Championships

Stuart Gardner, Program Director | shoutout.wix.com

Records fall at Atomic TT with Master’s & Jr Scratch Championships Tomorrow! Atomic TT #2 was blessed with better weather, PR’s and Records were plentiful! This Tuesday we have bunch races including the Junior and 40+ Scratch Race Championships. Spectators are welcome and if you are racing or keen to please check out our racer guide.

Upcoming Events TNR Feat. Jr/Masters Scratch Race Champs 6:45pm 19th April

TNR Sprint Night 6:45pm 26th April

TNR Bunch Racing 6:45pm 3rd May

Atomic TT Age Based Champs 8:30am May 7th

TNR Madison/Team Night 6:45pm 10th May …

LCI Certification Seminar

League of American Bicyclists | www.bikeleague.org

To register for an LCI Certification Seminar, you must be a member of the League as an individual or as part of a family membership. Click on the seminars below to start the registration process.

Members can login to the League’s member portal here to register. Non-members may join here.

Below is the current list of upcoming LCI Seminars that are open to the public. Seminars are posted at the time of scheduling (no later than 90 days prior to the seminar start date). If you are interested in hosting an LCI Seminar (providing a facility space and assisting with the planning), visit our handy infographic to break down how it works. Please contact the League at education@bikeleague.org. …

… June 2-4 Laredo, TX (Registration closes 5/12/22)

Location: Texas A&M International University Rec Center
Coach: Jennifer Laurita
Hours: 5:00pm-9pm Friday, 8am-9:30pm Saturday; 8am-3pm Sunday
$75 late fee applied after 6/5/22

Midland Police looking for bike thief

By Micah Allen | www.cbs17.com

MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) – The Midland Police is asking for the public’s help identifying a suspect.

The suspect allegedly stole a bike from the downtown Midland County Library.

Information that leads to an arrest will be worth a cash reward of up to $1000 dollars.

Call the Midland Crime Stoppers at 694-TIPS, 1-800-7LOCKUP, or download our crime stoppers app called “P3 TIPS” and submit an anonymous mobile tip. No caller ID is ever used, and you will remain anonymous. Please reference Midland PD Case # (220309300).

DA weighs assault charges for Jeep driver who targeted cyclist in Deer Park from bikehouston

Video: Cyclists camera captures dangerous road rage incident in Deer Park

Syan Rhodes | www.click2houston.com

DEER PARK – Deer Park police have handed over the investigation of a viral road rage incident to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

Video first posted to Reddit by a cyclist shows his encounter with the driver of a Jeep last Wednesday.

The incident was captured by his body-worn camera and a second camera attached to the rear of his bicycle.

“This is the first time when I’ve ever had an encounter where I felt like my life was in danger,” the cyclist told KPRC 2. The man asked that his identity be concealed because he still fears for his safety.

On April 13, the cyclist said he was at the intersection of X Street and Georgia Avenue around …

Texas Biking from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

New Bike Jersey Day, Wind Is Back. Out And Back To Roman Forest

Texbiker.net Posted on by

New bike jersey day on today’s bike ride. You can see the short sleeve jersey in the video.

As I waited for the temperature to get warmer this morning I ate breakfast, watched the Tour of The Alps and Ronde de Mouscron bike races. I got ready and rolled away on the Cervelo Caledonia at 11:09 AM. I wanted to start the week with a bang and chose the “New Caney – Roman Forest – Valley Ranch” route. This is a 40+ mile bike ride and today I stretched it to 42.3 miles. I rode this route one time so far this year on March 14th. That ride was about a mile shorter and the average speed was a little slower.

4-18-2022 YTD Bike Rides New Caney - Roman Forest - Valley Ranch route

Strong wind returned today which slowed the ride heading north to Roman Forest but helped me on the return to Kingwood. I dressed for some chill with shorts, long sleeve T-shirt, and the new Primal Backstitch short sleeve jersey. Until I warmed up about 15 minutes into the bike ride it felt chilly into the headwind and shade. Once I warmed up I was okay. Weather conditions: start 71 (humidity 64%, dew point 58), fair, wind N 16 mph gusts 25 mph; finish 77 (humidity 56%, dew point 60), fair, wind N 13 mph gusts 22 mph.

The Rival AXS components powered the Cervelo Caledonia into the wind and tailwind. I didn’t shift the RD much today with 27 gear changes. Riding time in the 35×15 gears was 1:45:32 and the 35×13 trailed that with 1:03:05. The total riding time was 3:08:48. Normalized Power® 116 W, Elevation Gain 95 ft, Average Speed 14 mph, Average Heart Rate 121 bpm from the AXS.SRAM.com ride report.

The ride video is longer than normal because I forgot to turn off the GoPro twice. I’m still adjusting the GoPro Garmin mount position. The GoPro wasn’t tight enough in the adapter tilting forward after I rode over a bump.

4-18-2022 Strava New Caney - Roman Forest - Valley Ranch Data Summary
4-18-2022 Strava New Caney – Roman Forest – Valley Ranch Data Summary