Texas Biking News December 29th 2021

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Are e-bikes actually allowed on trails in Houston and Harris County?

Jay R. Jordan | www.mysanantonio.com

Some paths are lined with signs banning ‘motor vehicles,’ so we asked the city if this included motorized e-bikes.

A pesky question probably asked by someone lucky enough to have been gifted a new set of wheels this holiday season: Are e-bikes actually allowed on Houston and Harris County’s trails and bike lanes?

The answer is a resounding yes, according to David Fields, Houston’s chief transportation planner. That’s despite some signage banning motorized vehicles on certain trails that could cause confusion. As one of Houston’s newest e-bike riders myself, I kept questioning whether or not the line reading "no motor vehicle" listed on a sign posted near the …

New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day events planned across East Texas

By Yoleyne Romero | www.news-journal.com

… Wooley G’s Bike & Fitness in Longview has set a Resolution Run and Bike Ride on New Year’s Day. The run will start at 8 a.m. and has no set distance or time frame. According to the event’s Facebook page, "the goal is to get out and start the year off moving." The annual run will be followed by a potluck. The bike ride is set to start at 10 a.m., while the bike route along with other details are yet to be announced. Check Facebook for updates. …

Construction underway on Phase 2 improvements to Parkfield Drive in North Austin

By Amy Denney | communityimpact.com

Construction began in November on the second phase of improvements to Parkfield Drive between Payton Gin Road and Mearns Meadow Boulevard as part of the Safe Routes to School projects near Wooldridge Elementary School.

Work includes adding a protected bike lane, building 1 mile of new sidewalks, repairing 1.4 miles of sidewalks, completing 14 pedestrian crossing improvements, and improving two intersections on Payton Gin at Ohlen Road and at Parkfield.

Phase 1 work began in May and included other bicycle and pedestrian safety work.

Timeline: May 2021-fall 2022

Cost: $2.8 million

Funding source: 2016 and 2018 mobility bonds

Texas Bicycle Accident Statistics

Ramsey Law Group by Ashley Stewart

The following is the most recent data released by the Texas Department of Public Transportation on bicycle fatalities, injuries, and accidents in the state.

There were a total of 2,170 bicycle accidents reported in 2020 across Texas.

In 2020, there were 80 fatal bicycle accidents in Texas - a 15% increase from 2019.

The total suspected bicycle accident with serious injuries accounted for 285.

There were 915 reported non-incapacitating bike accident injuries in 2020.

According to the most recent data released by the NHTSA, there were a total of 846 bicycle fatalities across the US.

According to data collected between 2010- 2016, not wearing a helmet is shown to increase the risk of fatality in a bike crash.

High-risk Counties for Bicycle Accidents and Fatalities

Harris County

Travis County

Dallas County

Bexar County

Tarrant County

Bicycle Friendly Cities in Texas

Austin

Houston

San Antonio

The Woodlands

El Paso

Hollywood Park

Plano

Tyler

Wichita Falls

Harlingen

Fredericksburg

San Marcos

Steps To Take If You’re Involved in a Bike Accident in Texas

Unfortunately, no matter how much caution you take on the roads, a bicycle accident can still occur. The following are steps to take if you or a loved one has been involved in a bike accident on our Texas roads.

Wait for law enforcement and first responders to arrive. If you are injured - seek medical attention immediately. Document any injuries you sustain in the accident.

Always refrain from negotiating with the other driver or any passengers involved in the accident. Never admit or discuss who is at fault.

Obtain as much driver information as you can. This includes a photo of their driver’s license, address, phone number, license plate number, make and model of their car, and the driver’s insurance policy number.

If there were any witnesses at the scene it’s important you collect as much information as you can from them as well.

Make sure the police are giving a fair and accurate report of the incident.

Do not rely solely on a police report. Document every bit of information you can.

Evidence preservation is a key component of retaining fair compensation after a bike accident.

Never negotiate with the insurance companies - they generally do not have your best interest in mind.

Seek legal advice and contact an attorney who specializes in Texas bike accidents.

Ramsey Law Group is a personal injury law firm that serves cyclists across Texas.

SCA Rides on Hiatus: Austin Stage 4 from socialcyclingaustin

Ready 2 Roll from bikehouston

Texas Biking from Twitter

https://twitter.com/HotternHell100/status/1476175203944353796

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Should I Go For The Goal And Ignor Warm Weather?

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I continued my recovery with today’s bike ride. It began at 10:56 AM as I rode away on my Canyon Endurace bike. The route was longer than yesterday as I rode north following “Kingwood – Community Drive – Valley Ranch”. This was the 2nd time on this route in 2021, both times were in December. The ride traveled 26.83 miles pushing the week to 43.39 miles and December to 491.5 miles. My legs felt good pedaling even into the headwind on the way back to Kingwood.

Upper 70’s at the start and 81 by the time I finished at 1:12 PM. Summer attire again with shorts, arm sleeves, and a short sleeve jersey. Weather summary: start 78 (humidity 83%, dew point 72), mostly cloudy, wind S 9 mph; finish 81 (humidity 70%, dew point 70), mostly cloudy, wind SW 7 mph. A couple of more warm days before a front arrives.

While I pedaled away I was thinking maybe I should ride Zwift the next 2 days to reach my goal for the year even though the weather will be warm and probably dry. I reached my road mile goal for the month and year with miles to spare. SportTracks will remind me for at least a month if I miss the Zwift goal.

Below is the chart showing year to date miles from 2011 to 2021. 2021 is the most miles I have rode in a year with 2020 the next. For most of the year 2021 went up and down versus 2020 until late August. The totals include Zwift and road miles for 2019, 2020, and 2021.

12-29-2021 Strava Year Progressions YTD Miles
12-29-2021 Strava Year Progressions YTD Miles

The south bound lanes on Valley Ranch Parkway are now open from Valley Ranch Bend to FM 1314. There is a narrow shoulder but with 2 lanes I had no problem with cars passing and giving me space. When traffic was gone I moved to the left into a lane.

12-29-2021 Strava Bike Ride Summary
12-29-2021 Strava Bike Ride Summary
12-29-2021 RWGPS Bike Ride Route Map
12-29-2021 RWGPS Bike Ride Route Map

Texas Biking Action December 28th 2021

Texbiker.net Posted on by

El Paso Cyclists welcomes back members from Juárez amid relaxed border restrictions

Martha Pskowski | news.yahoo.com

The cyclists gathering outside Bowie High School on Dec. 12 meticulously added jackets, gloves, socks and other layers to block the early morning chill. They would need all the warmth they could get on the day’s 100 mile ride going through Fabens, Texas.

The cold wasn’t going to deter the El Paso Cyclists, a 200-plus member club. It wasn’t any Sunday ride, it was a reunion with club members from Juárez who had not been able to cross the border since March 2020.

Between March 21, 2020, and Nov. 8, 2021, U.S. ports of entry were closed to …

Southern tier Texas portion?

filip | forums.adventurecycling.org

Hi, thanks everyone for all the advice on my last posts! I’m currently on the Southern Tier in Las Cruces. Our end point is San Antonio (not directly on the route). We heard that much of the route through Texas is the same and the roads aren’t great. Is that true? We are a little behind schedule and are considering skipping a section by taking the Amtrak. Is there a section between El Paso and San Antonio you guys recommend skipping/ has rough roads/ is boring? Thanks!!

… comments …

Texas Biking from Twitter

https://twitter.com/mellowjohnnys/status/1475955692951461893

Warm Weather Waited For Me to Recover

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Back on the bike since my last road ride on December 17th. I rode Zwift 2 days and then got sick. I missed a bunch of warm days to ride on. Today I rode the Kingwood streets on my Lynskey R300 bike to get my legs turning the pedals. I began at 10:12 and finished at 11:36 AM riding 16.54 miles. The warm weather allowed me to dress like it was summer with shorts, arm sleeves and a short sleeve jersey.

As 2021 winds down I am at 9,389 miles for the year. As of today I am 95 miles ahead of 2020. I’ve met my road miles goal for December but with all of the warm weather and sickness I probably will fall short of my virtual goal of 800 miles for the year with 751.5 miles.

Warm and windy describes today. Weather conditions: start 75 (humidity 80%, dew point 69), mostly cloudy, wind S 10 mph; finish 78 (humidity 73%, dew point 68), mostly cloudy, wind SW 12 mph gusts 21 mph. Warm weather probably will be here until Saturday.

12-28-2021 Strava Bike Ride Summary
12-28-2021 Strava Bike Ride Summary
12-28-2021 RWGPS Bike Ride Route Map
12-28-2021 RWGPS Bike Ride Route Map