Texas Bicycling News Digest July 21st 2018

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Heatbeater

Jeff Contreras | www.strava.com

After hit-and-run death, cyclists say the road to safety lies in paths and laws already on the table

Ray Leszcynski | www.dallasnews.com


Calvin Middleton seemed to have taken all the precautions on his bicycle before he was killed last week in a hit-and-run in Grand Prairie.

Police said Middleton rode legally and wore full protective gear. Friends say he was always a responsible rider.

“Calvin had headlights on the bike, that’s for sure,” said Beth Farrell, owner of B&B Bicycles, Middleton’s local shop in …

Registration is open for the 2018 Cove House Classic Bike Tour

By Matt Payne | kdhnews.com


The Cove House Classic Bike Tour, which originated in 2002, is geared up for the second Saturday in August.

The inaugural ride consisted of only 27 riders and has grown in attendance each year, according to a news release, with the 2017 event attracting nearly 125 registered cyclists.

All proceeds benefit the Cove House Emergency Homeless Shelter. …

Civil Rides – Rio Grande Valley

www.civilrides.com


Day 1
We will leave the beautiful island of South Padre on March 29, 2019, and ride direction into the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Our stops will include beautiful small towns with incredible hospitality that tell the story of farm laborers who fought for their rights to a living wage under the inspiration of Caesar Chavez. …

Houston Methodist doctor on bike fatally shot at Texas Medical Center

By Samantha Ketterer and Todd Ackerman | www.chron.com


A Houston doctor who was riding his bicycle to work in the Texas Medical Center on Friday morning was gunned down by another cyclist who passed him, turned and fired two shots, and then rode off.

The fatal shooting of Dr. Mark Hausknecht, a cardiologist who once treated former President George H.W. Bush, stunned the city’s tight-knit medical community and left investigators trying to determine whether the daylight shooting was random or targeted.

A spokesman for Bush said the former president was saddened by …

Police: Search continues as image of doctor’s shooter spotted on video

By Keri Blakinger | www.chron.com


A day after a beloved cardiologist was gunned down biking to work, Houston police are struggling to hone in on a motive for a crime that shook the city’s tight-knit medical community.

Dr. Mark Hausknecht, a renowned doctor who once treated former President George H.W. Bush, was shot by a passing bicyclist in broad daylight on Main Street, according to …

https://www.instagram.com/p/Blgj4Ekh0rX2AmLmUPpE3uVecWuboTL9enQpC00/

Enduro and Cross-Country Athletes Earn 25 Titles at Mountain Bike Nationals

By: Jackie Tyson | www.usacycling.org

Snowshoe, W.Va. – The 2018 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships continued Thursday on two sides of Snowshoe Mountain Resort, beginning with 12 cross-country events in Masters categories. Enduro races crowned 13 champions, including Pro Men & Pro Women. All seven stages for enduro races were completed on the same day.

ENDURO
… In the Men’s Pro/Open division, 28-year-old Seamus Powell (Round Top, N.Y./KHS Factory Racing) made his move on the second stage across the valley section to score a repeat enduro championship. He held off Jimmy Smith (Boulder, Colo./Fuji Factory Team), who improved one position from last year to finish with the silver. Carson Lange (Austin, Texas) rounded out the podium with the bronze. …

… In the Women’s Pro/Open division, the Stars-and-Stripes jersey was donned by 27-year-old Porsha Murdock (Bend, Ore./Juliana/Sram/Kenda), who last won an age group enduro national title in 2015. Amy Morrison (Auburn, Calif./Fuji Factory Team) was second and Cindy Abbott (Austin, Texas) was third. …

CROSS-COUNTRY
… Mike Taglio (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) captured the gold in the Men’s Master 75-79 division. Frederic Schmid (Waco, Texas) mastered the course in the Men’s Master 85-89 division, winning his 27th national championship jersey. …

Morning Ride

Rosanna Campos | www.strava.com

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Old Atascocita Road Cyclists Photo Gallery Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Wheels down at 7:55 am this morning to get biking before the weather heats up. Weather forecast calls for 102 degrees this afternoon and while I don’t mind the heat I think it is wise to avoid it when possible. In order to ride more than 30 miles I chose the “Kingwood to Ramsey Road – Huffman” route and biked 35.3 miles which put the week total at 205.85 miles and 638.45 miles for the month. Only 162 miles to reach my goal for July. The Canyon Endurace CF SLX now has 4,033.8 miles. Not bad since the first ride was February 27th, 2018.

Within a half mile of the start I passed another cyclist going the opposite direction on Meadow Springs Drive and we exchanged waves and hi. At the Amegy Bank on W. Lake Houston Parkway the next biker was riding up the trail from going under WLHP and I said hi and waved. I wasn’t sure if I would see more bikers during the ride because the Katy Flatland is tomorrow and riders might be saving their energy. But not to fear, by the time I made the right turn from Atascocita Shores Drive onto FM 1960 east I started seeing bicyclists one at a time over the lake. After turning onto Fairlake Drive the riders stopped appearing but once I was on Old Atascocita Road the gates opened. A photo gallery of some of the bikers I passed.

While I stopped on the side of the road to take the pictures several of the bikers asked if I was okay and I replied that I was okay and only stopped to take picture. One cyclist with a bright headlight circled back after he went by as I took his photo. He wore a Bike Barn jersey and as he rolled up asking if I was Rick as he recognized my Texbiker.net jersey. We chatted for a minute or two and then we both resumed riding in opposite directions.

After the turn around at Ramsey Road I didn’t see any more cyclists. That was also when the wind moved from a friendly tailwind to a tough headwind. It was hard pedaling into the wind but it helped cool me after the build up of sweat from the tailwind.

The Huffman Chevron was a welcome rest stop for a few minutes to refill my water bottle with ice and water, mop some of the sweat on my arms and then head out for the 11+ miles to the finish. I battled the wind from the Chevron station, across Lake Houston until I turned right at the traffic light into Atascocita Shores. From there the wind wasn’t so bad with the trees and homes blocking some of it. Biking to WLHP I stayed on it all the way to Kings Crossing before turning left and riding the back streets to finish the ride at 10:46 am. Mission accomplished for beating the 102 degrees.

Weather during the bike ride: start 80 (90% humidity), overcast, wind W 7 mph. Finish 88 (64% humidity), mostly cloudy, wind W 8 mph. Starting early means the humidity is high resulting in lots of perspiration.

With 205 miles for the week and a late start after going to church Sunday will be a rest day to watch stage 15 of the TdF.

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

Texas Bicycling News Digest July 20th 2018

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Lubbock Lawyer and Politician David Nelson Killed in Accident

Rob Snyder | kfyo.com


The Lubbock legal and political communities are mourning the loss of David Nelson. Nelson was killed Wednesday morning (July 18) while bicycling in south Lubbock County.

KAMC News reported that the fatal accident occurred at the intersection of County Road 1240 and FM 41, south of Wolfforth. Texas DPS stated Nelson was traveling on a bicycle, westbound on FM 41, when a Ford pickup truck struck Nelson from behind. The Ford was driven by …

Video: Harlingen to get new, expanded hike and bike trail

by CBS 4 News | valleycentral.com

Harlingen residents will soon have an expanded hike and bike trail along the Arroyo Colorado.

City commissioners approved the project Wednesday evening.

Harlingen Parks and Recreation Director Javier Méndez submitted the proposal. The $1.3 million trail is set to be in the same area as the current hike and bike trail at Arroyo Park off of E. New Hampshire St.

Most of the work, …

No mo’ Ofo: Bike-share company just the first to officially ride out of Dallas

Robert Wilonsky | www.dallasnews.com

Adiós, Ofo.

The Chinese bike-share operator with the bright yellow two-wheelers is riding out of Dallas, company and city officials confirmed Thursday.

And another rental company isn’t far behind: San Francisco-based Spin is also beating a retreat. The company still has some bikes on Dallas County community college campuses, according to a local representative, but is no …

Former Waxahachie resident, West Virginia pastor bikes 1,200 miles to answer calling

By Landry Allred | www.waxahachietx.com


From West Virginia to Texas, Troy Guild traveled halfway across the United States with nothing but a bike, camping gear, a little extra food and water, and $120 in hand.

Even more importantly, he also traveled with an abundance of faith.

On June 4, Guild left Middlebourne, West Virginia with a mission to bike 1,200 miles in 24 days, solely relying on God to provide food and housing along the way. After biking 1,311 miles in 30 days, he arrived at the First United Methodist Church in Waxahachie exhausted, yet refreshed in faith.

Guild and his family now plan to move to Colima, Mexico to start a food kitchen for kids, along with an …

He dreamed of riding in the Hotter’N Hell bike race. A hit-and-run shattered that

By Prescotte Stokes III | www.star-telegram.com


Grand Prairie – A top-10 finish in the upcoming Hotter’N Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls would have been a sports dream realized for 42-year-old Calvin Middleton of Cedar Hill.

Middleton, a sports enthusiast, had been training for the last year-and-a-half building up to this moment, according to his cycling trainer and close friend, Jeff De La Vega, 37. …

Found some air conditioning

Bill Minter | www.strava.com

Brazos River Trails + Levee + Brindley Trail

Jerry Venable | www.strava.com

Thursday with our Cyclones

Eduardo Salas (Cyclones) | www.strava.com

Police: Doctor fatally shot while riding bike in Houston

www.chron.com

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston police say a doctor was fatally shot as he rode his bicycle through the city’s Texas Medical Center by an unidentified man who was also on a bike.

Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Troy Finner says the shooting happened around 9 a.m. Friday as the doctor was going northbound through the medical center.

Finner says the suspect rode past the doctor, turned and fired two shots.

The doctor was hit at least once. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.

His name was not immediately released. Police say he was a doctor at Houston Methodist Hospital. …

This weekend’s rides: RR Donut Smash! Red Horn!

by Thomas | steinerranchcycling.com

Saturday white, Sunday blue, we look awesome if you do! God, that was lame….

Saturday we will go, at a very fast and sweaty pace, get a friggen donut. The route is about 56 miles and can be found here: https://www.strava.com/routes/6606274. After the ride we meet up at Lakeside for some discounted burgers and beer!

Sunday is our usual Coffee Shop ride to Red Horn. It is 50 miles and is at an …

Concho Bike Shop prepares to close as manager embarks on new career

Justin Hicks | www.gosanangelo.com


San Angelo cyclists will soon have fewer options for bike repairs as Concho Bike Shop, 2015 Austin St., announced it will close Saturday, Aug. 4.

The shop is closing as Justin Smith, the bike shop’s manager, leaves to pursue a job working on electronic components at an oil field in Odessa. Smith’s family owns the bike shop and an adjacent store, …

BikeBlog: A pre-ride of the 100k course

by Bill Minter – Tour de Gap | tourdegap.com


One of the things about serving as Tour de Gap co-director with my friend Mark Spurlock is that we no longer have time to ride in this fun event. At least not on the day of the Tour. On a recent Saturday we got a group together and rode the 100k route to do some “recon” and help those who will ride in it get ready for Saturday, July 28.

Yep, it was hot… and humid that day. I felt like I did in my first few Tours… “can I just make it?” Not being in my best form this year, I knew I wouldn’t have a very fast time. But with total elevation gain of a …

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlYk6b-B15O/

Harlingen to build mountain bike trail

By FERNANDO DEL VALLE | www.valleymorningstar.com

HARLINGEN — When Henry Roberts closes his eyes, he sees mountain bikes riding up dips and jumping berms across a dirt track near the banks of the Arroyo Colorado.

Roberts is envisioning what will become the city’s newest trail — a 6.2-mile mountain bike trail across a …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Beat the Extreme Heat Advisory Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Out of the driveway at 9:49 am to begin the bike ride following the “Kingwood – SH 242 – Kingwood” route. To add a couple of extra miles I looped through Tavola north of New Caney and then rode in the shade along the railroad tracks to Woodbranch Village and then back to the service road. It wasn’t full heat yet and as long as I was moving I didn’t really notice how hot it was. With the route modification I biked 37.38 miles bumping the week to 170.56 miles and July to 603.15 miles. The reason I wanted some extra miles on today’s ride was to position Saturday’s bike ride only needing 30 miles to hit 200+ for the week, mission accomplished on that. I need 197 miles to reach my 800 mile goal for July. YTD I am at 4,625 miles.

Weather during the bike ride: Weather: start 86 (73% humidity), mostly cloudy, wind SW 12 mph. Finish 94 (48% humidity), a few clouds, wind W 7 mph.

The wind speed is higher at the IAH airport weather station which is what I refer to during the bike ride. Trees surround my home blocking the wind .

Making the turn around at SH 242 I thought the wind would be a problem riding back to the south but I actually increased my overall average speed while riding south. I made a quick stop at the Mobil station in New Caney at FM 1485 to refill my water bottle to carry me to the Circle K/Valero station at Northpark Drive. The Wahoo Ride Summary when I stopped at the Circle K.

Waho Ride Summary Circle K Northpark

My rest break at the circle K lasted less than 20 minute (PowerPod didn’t go to sleep is how I know). Long enough to eat a Clif Bar, drink a bottle of water and check my email some. Sitting in the shade wasn’t that hot while I rested but the heat was coming. Getting back on the Canyon I rode across the parking lot, crossed Northpark and began biking to the Kingwood Drive u-turn. Earlier I thought about adding a side loop if I need to add another mile or so to the ride but it wasn’t necessary.

Riding through Kings Manor and into Kingwood I appreciated the occasional shade. I finished the bike ride at 12:53 pm, about an hour earlier than yesterday’s longer ride. While I was biking I got a text message from the City of Houston alerting me about the extreme heat expected today. Glad I will miss that.

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary