Texas Bicycling News Digest September 5th 2018

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Homeless cyclist struck by vehicle along Loop 410, San Antonio police say

By Caleb Downs | www.mysanantonio.com


A homeless man on a bicycle was struck by a vehicle on the Northeast Side, police said.

It’s unclear when the man was struck, but a passing police officer found him lying near Northeast Loop 410 and Perrin Beitel Road around 12:30 a.m. …

Effects of campus transportation on environment, health

By Savannah Mehrtens | www.thebatt.com


Texas A&M provides a variety of transportation methods for students to navigate a large campus, but not all are equal in their effects on the environment and students’ health.

Active transportation, or transportation created by exerting your own energy, is the most environmentally friendly method of travel, according to Ron Steedly, manager of alternative transportation for transportation services. Methods of active transportation include walking, biking and skateboarding. …

Pedaling to make a difference; ride benefits vets with PTSD

Shane Carlson | www.hometownsource.com


Greg Hook started touring across the country in his TerraTrike on April 4 to raise awareness and garner support for veterans suffering the effects, visible and invisible, of post-traumatic stress disorder. The Texas Triker is a Navy veteran, and suffered from PTSD after leaving the military. Hook’s late son is an Army veteran and lost his battle with PTSD in 2013. Hook’s journey will take him across 26 states and he hopes to be back home in Victoria, Texas with his wife by Christmas. He has traveled over 7,000 miles in his nearly-12,000-mile journey. He is pictured here traveling from Bowlus, Minn. on his way to a bunkhouse in Dalbo, Minn. …

JRs Birfday Ride NPRNawf

Brandon Maddox (NPR) | www.strava.com

Karbach McIntyre’s

Meggin Crawford | www.strava.com

NPD: Big-wheel MTBs rolling over other fat tire categories in stores

by Lynette Carpiet | www.bicycleretailer.com

E-bikes and disc road bikes also driving sales, contributing to 3% growth in IBD revenue.
BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Retail sales of 29-inch mountain bikes grew $36 million in the 12 months ending in June, taking dollar share from 27.5-inch bikes, according to The NPD Group. Twenty-niners now account for 41 percent of dollars sold in mountain bikes at IBDs.

The NPD Group’s Dirk Sorenson shared this among other insights in a recent webinar discussing cycling trends as the industry prepares to head to Reno, Nevada, for the Interbike show in two weeks. …

Captain’s Blog – 9/5/18 – Weekend Ride, Bike MS Deadline to Request Bus Transportation

by danitza | cycling.powweb.com

“It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” – Ernest Hemingway

9/7 Bike MS: Valero Ride to the River – Deadline to Request Bus Transportation
If you need bus transportation in New Braunfels during the Bike MS: Valero Ride to the River to and from your hotel from the Comal County Fairgrounds (or on Saturday morning from the Fairgrounds to the ride start at Rolling Oaks Mall) sign up now! The deadline to request shuttle service is this Friday, September 7th!
9/8 Weekend Ride – SAG volunteers needed
Come out and join Velo Valero and the San Antonio Cycling Alliance this Saturday for a ride starting at Bullis County Park on Old Blanco Rd. There will be two routes, 52 and …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

September’s Spring Creek Greenway Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Today was the day to bike the Spring Creek Greenway. Since May 2018 I ride the greenway at least once a month. I left home at 10:43 am a little later than I planned because I watched stage 11 of the Vuelta a Espana all the way to the finish. I was going to stop around 9:30 am and watch after the ride but they were ahead of schedule so I stuck with it.

I added a couple of side streets and rode to drop off some mail which made the 44.33 miles long. I am slightly ahead of schedule for my 700 mile goal for September with 121 miles.

In Alabama and Mississippi Hurricane Gordon came ashore during the night but so far has not impacted the weather in the Houston area. Weather during the bike ride: start 87 (68% humidity), mostly cloudy, wind E 7 mph. Finish 91 (58% humidity), partly cloudy, wind E 7 mph. The temperature is lower mostly from all of the clouds keeping the sun at bay. Rain is floating around the region with scattered showers. Originally I was to do this ride on Monday but the rain delayed it.

Almost at the entrance to the greenway trailhead at I-69/US59 I stopped on the Beville Jerrell Bridge and took these photos. You can see the amount of clouds.

I wasn’t sure how many people I would see on the greenway now that school is back in session and Wednesday. There weren’t many cyclists. I saw 6 or 7 and some of those passed me two or more times. There were about as many joggers and walkers. There were several people with dogs at the Bibi and Mini-me Dog Park in Pundt Park.

Lots of shade on the greenway with a few damp spots from Monday’s rain. I took these photos.

The water level is up from the last time I rode since it has rained several times. The west end of the greenway is still blocked with no information when it will open. I stopped at Dennis Johnston Park for water on the return trip. At Jesse Jones Park I stopped for about 20 minutes to rest and eat some snacks for energy to finish the ride with 9+ miles yet to bike. While I sat on the bench a park ranger led a group of young children and mothers on a tour.

Back on the Canyon bike I rode east to the exit trailhead. I rode back over the San Jacinto River and into Forest Cove. Earlier this morning I read in the Kingwood Observer that Harris County Precinct 4 showed some preliminary plans for Edgewater Park and moving Hamblen Road. There would be added trails within the park to connect Kingwood’s trails to the greenway which would great.As I rode on the street that runs under I-69/US59 to Hamblen Road there was a survey crew working close to an entrance to the not yet open Edgewater Park.

I finished the ride at 2:39 pm.

Thursday’s forecast looks favorable for biking.

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

Texas Bicycling News Digest September 4th 2018

Texbiker.net Posted on by

New shipment of free U-locks to arrive by the end of October

by Jacqueline Guerrero | www.ntdaily.com


The UNT police department partnered with the We Mean Green Fund to issue out free U-locks — a solid lock in the shape of a “u,” that retails for $45 each — to UNT students with a valid university-issued ID. There are currently no U-locks currently available due to high on-campus demand.

The next shipment of 400 U-locks is set to be delivered within the next 60 days from the manufacturer in China. …

Weekend Ride: Bike and Improv Show! For a Good Cause from bikehouston

42 Miles Cycling White Oak Bayou Trail/Buffalo Bayou – Most at 8X speed to keep it less boring – Links to various parts in the description. from bikehouston

Cameron County DA’s Office to review fatal bicycle crash investigation

By Mark Reagan | www.brownsvilleherald.com

The Texas Department of Safety will prepare and submit its investigation to the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office into a fatal accident in Harlingen that left a Brownsville bicyclist dead.

“The case is still under investigation,” DPS Spokesman Lt. Johnny Hernandez said Tuesday. …

Haardvarks!

Nate Eguia | www.strava.com

Full of head wind and rain. Great day for a raining ride with Project Hero Ft Hood Group.

Jeff Moser. | www.strava.com

Video: Houston Police Department Demonstrate Safe Passing

bikehouston.org

The Houston Police department led a demonstration of the radar equipment used to ticket violators of the Safe Passing Ordinance. Media outlets got to ride in the vehicles moving past the officer on a bike to better understand what 3 feet (6 feet with a commercial vehicle) looks and feels like.

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/DPDBikeSgt/status/1037106139773759489

https://twitter.com/DPDBikeSgt/status/1036376928834473986

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Mostly Cloudy With Dark Clouds Hanging Around Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

My bike ride plans for Labor Day got washed away but not today. I delayed the start to give the clouds time to move away and to watch stage 10 of the Vuelta a Espana. At 11:50 am I pulled away to bike the “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman” route with the sky filled with mostly white clouds but some gray ones on the horizon. I hoped I could complete this bike ride without getting rained on. I bicycled 34.57 miles enough to push the September total to 76.67 miles, 11% of my goal of 700 miles. Now that the daylight is getting shorter and fall is only 17 days away this month’s goal is not ambitious as August.

Weather during the bike ride: start 85 (78% humidity), mostly cloudy, wind E 9 mph. Finish 88 (68% humidity), mostly cloudy, wind E 12 mph. The higher humidity was evident and caused me to produce lots of sweat. For the first couple of miles I didn’t notice how warm it was but once I started heating up the higher humidity worked against the cooling flow of perspiration.

The ride went as planned though I battled the wind whenever I was out in the open and riding to the east. This was most noticeable crossing Lake Houston on FM 1960. There was a brief encounter with light rain on FM 2100 for about 1/2 a mile while I was riding in sunshine which is always kind of strange.

At the Huffman Chevron I refilled water and ice for the 11+ miles to the finish. I was there about 5 minutes. Biking west on FM 1960 was definitely easier than going the opposite direction. I improved my overall average speed to 14.1 mph.

With the late start I was concerned about getting to Kingwood Drive when Kingwood High School traffic let loose but I crossed 30 minutes before that time. With some dark clouds gathered to the west as I rode through Kingwood I finished the ride at 2:27 pm without getting rained on.

Wednesday the chance of rain drops below 50% so a bike ride should take place.

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary