A “Cool Front” Coming? New Gloves, Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

An overcast sky awaited me as I began today’s bike ride at 10:06 AM. I chose the “New Caney – Roman Forest – Valley Ranch” route to get mileage riding 41.26 miles. July biking now totals 676.28 miles leaving 124 miles to reach my goal. YTD stands at 4,766 miles.

Weather during the bike ride: start 86 (81% humidity, 79.3 dew point), overcast, wind W 6 mph. Finish 91 (63% humidity, 76.3 dew point), overcast, wind variable 5 mph. The wind wasn’t a factor during the ride. Mostly it was my legs which determined how much energy I put into the pedals. Later this week it is possible for a July “cool” front to arrive according to Space City Weather. Mainly this will mean lower humidity and more comfortable riding. I look forward to this rare July weather.

As I got ready for today’s ride I looked at my biking gloves and decided it was time to change to a new pair. The gel pads on the old gloves looked worn and hard. The new gloves.

7-22-2019 New Bike Gloves Pearl Izumi Elite Gel

This is the black gloves and the red gloves will be replaced on the next ride. I have used this model of glove for several years and find them to be comfortable and easy to wash after the ride.

Strava graded this ride as harder than my usual effort. I am not sure how they make this assessment but I can go with it. Physical data points:

  • average heart rate: 129 bps (74%)
  • maximum heart rate: 153 (87%)
  • aerobic efficiency: 0.59
  • average power out put: 83 watts
  • maximum power out put: 344 watts

With the temperature above 90 for most of the ride I stopped twice for water: Shell station on Roman Forest Blvd riding west and the Stripes station on the I-69/US59 frontage road at Northpark Plaza Drive. This is the first time at this Stripes station. The beverage machine gave ice but I went to the restroom for water.

Average speed was 13.7 mph until I started back into Kingwood. I finished the ride at 1:19 PM, moving time: 3:03:41,overall time 3:12:52.

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

7-22-2019 SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

Strava Bike Ride Summary

7-22-2019 Strava Bike Ride Summary

Strava Year Progressions YTD Bike Ride Miles

Sunday’s rest day brought 2016 to with 56 miles of 2019. All other years in the chart are much farther behind 2019.

Strava Year Progressions YTD Bike Ride Miles

Texas Bicycling News Digest July 21st 2019

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Century at Katy Flatlands

Eduardo Salas (Cyclones) | www.strava.com

KFC 💯

Ron Gunnels (VCC) | www.strava.com

Katy Flatlands Part 2: Started a new ride and lost group while doing it

Rosa Guerrero | www.strava.com

Rode mostly solo, hooked on to a couple of guys that were too fast for my comfort zone!! Could only handle them 5 miles at a time😂 but I had an AWESOME TIME!! My first Sub 5 century!!

Katy Flatland Century Ride

Jose Gonsalves-Barreiro | www.strava.com

Tour De Bike Barn- Fred Hartman Bridge edition

Hugo Torres | www.strava.com

Tour de Bike Barn + Fred Hartman

Nate Eguia | www.strava.com

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/N8d0gg7/status/1152995033727082499

Texas Bicycling News Digest July 20th 2019

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Hot Hot Hot as Frick! 🔥 Century #13

Troy Serrano | www.strava.com

The Bike Rider and the Farmer

A DUDE ABIKES | adudeabikes.com

“Seems to me you got you two kinds of bicyclists in the world,” the old man in the straw cowboy hat said out loud to no one in particular, leaning on his beat up old Ford pick-up truck, sipping on a Big Red. “You got them dead ones, and then they’re the ones who are about to get dead.”

The weekend warrior bike rider, decked out in his colorful stretchy clothes, leaning on his bike, was sipping his Pickle Juice and eating a protein bar of some kind. He realized the elder was talking to him. Normally he wouldn’t take the bait, but he was amused and curious. So he replied, “You really think …

Cycling social event at Wee-Chi-Tah BMX

By Mason Brighton | www.newschannel6now.com

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (TNN) – Cycling events happening close to downtown come as Wichita Falls moves closer to becoming a bike-friendly community.

Bike Wichita Falls co-hosted a get-together tonight with Wee-Chi-Tah BMX.

“So the goal of this social is to really just bring those people together to say you know we have a much bigger population of people that ride bikes, all these different types of bikes, than all of the individual groups individually,” Bike Wichita Falls Co-Coordinator Becky Raeke said.

The event had free food and organizers told me attendees could even try out the BMX track.

“We have practice going on tonight at the BMX track so they …

AARP awards city of Richardson $15,200 grant for mobility improvements

By Olivia Lueckemeyer | communityimpact.com

Richardson is one of three Texas cities to be awarded a grant through the AARP Community Challenge.

The city will receive $15,200 to replace one northbound and one southbound lane on Greenville Avenue with temporary bicycle lanes, the city’s Planning Projects Manager Doug McDonald said. Traffic counts on that stretch are much lower than what the street is built to handle, so the temporary removal of driving lanes should not affect motorists, he said.

“This really helps with improving the …

Solo Loop to Alvin/Rosharon with a Sugar boost at the end

Mick McCrary | www.strava.com

Biking at Santa Ana to resume Aug. 1

Rick Kelley | www.valleymorningstar.com

HARLINGEN — Two-wheeled travel through the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge will begin again Aug. 1.

Bicyclists will be allowed to hit the trails during the sunrise to sunset hours the refuge is open from Thursday through Sunday. Riders must obtain a bicycling permit, which they keep, as well as a daily bicycling bracelet.

Cycling on the …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

Reached 200+ Miles This Week, Fellow Cyclists, Summer Heat Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Summer weather continued for today’s bike ride on the “Stroker Road – Huffman” route. I got an early start at 7:56 AM with the sun peeking over the tops of the trees. I biked 41.0 miles accomplishing my goal of 200+ miles for the week with 203.77 miles. This is the 10th week in a row of 200+ miles. I am at 635.02 miles for July, 79% of the way to my 800 mile goal. YTD is 4,724 miles.

Weather during the bike ride: start 78 (97% humidity, 77.4 dew point), partly cloudy, wind calm. Finish 95 (61% humidity, 79.2 dew point), partly cloudy, wind variable 5 mph. I was ahead of the heat some so I used 3 water bottles with two stops, first one was at the Huffman Chevron on the way back and the second was McDonald’s at Town Center in Kingwood.

I wondered if many cyclists would be out because of the Katy Flatland Century tomorrow. It turned out 30+ cyclists crossed my route on Fairlake Drive and Old Atascocita Road. Photos of some of them. (Click on the photo to enlarge it)

I waved and said hello to everyone I saw and they responded. This is why I try to start early on Saturday’s to see I am not the only bicyclist riding around the area. Most of the riders are male but women ride too.

Some physical data from my ride:

  • average heart rate: 127 bps (73%)
  • maximum heart rate: 151 bps (86%)
  • aerobic efficiency: 0.71 (not sure what this means)
  • average power: 88 watts ( lower than I expected but the wind was light)
  • maximum power: 365 watts

What I saw along the route: signs of upcoming construction with a survey crew measuring, grass farms watering the fields, no loose dogs, new parking lot for the company dredging Lake Houston, numerous people walking.

I finished the ride at 11:17 AM, about 15 minutes sooner than I expected. Sunday is a rest day.

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

7-20-2019 SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

Strava Bike Ride Summary

7-20-2019 Strava Bike Ride Summary

Strava Year Progressions YTD Bike Ride Miles

Strava Year Progressions YTD Bike Ride Miles