{"id":25693,"date":"2014-09-12T22:40:00","date_gmt":"2014-09-13T03:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.texbiker.net\/blog\/?p=25693"},"modified":"2014-09-12T22:40:00","modified_gmt":"2014-09-13T03:40:00","slug":"texas-bicycle-news-digest-september-12th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.texbiker.net\/blog\/2014\/09\/12\/texas-bicycle-news-digest-september-12th\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Bicycle News Digest September 12th"},"content":{"rendered":"

Houston, We Have Less of a Problem<\/a><\/h2>\n

ByIan Dille\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0www.bicycling.com<\/h3>\n

Thanks to a bike-loving mayor and tireless advocates\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand some postride tacos\u00e2\u20ac\u201da sprawling, traffic-clogged city transformed itself into America\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s most improved cycling town
\n\"\"
\nFrom the back of a Hummer, a man pulls out a single-speed with lime green rims. A full-suspension mountain bike emerges from a Ford Excursion. From the bed of a friend\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pickup truck, I remove my own bike. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve come to this parking lot in downtown Houston for the monthly Critical Mass ride, a mostly well-mannered protest that draws as many as 3,000 cyclists from across the city. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve driven here because, at 600 square miles, sheer distance can prevent bike commuting in Houston, and\u00e2\u20ac\u201dgiven the rash of recent cyclist fatalities, 27 over the last five years, with few drivers held accountable\u00e2\u20ac\u201deven the bravest and most experienced cyclists admit that riding in this city, alone, feels risky.
\nBut tonight, for 15 miles, we will own the roads of the nation\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fourth-largest city. Following the 2007\u00e2\u20ac\u201c2009 recession, Houston boomed. Led by the oil and gas industry, the city added two new…<\/p>\n

Texas Cup Action — Chappell Hill Classic Road Race<\/a><\/h2>\n

txbra.org<\/h3>\n

\"\"
\nMeredith Bunkers (c) – Shama Cycles, Solymar Rivera (l) – Dallas Racing, and Ash Duban (r)- Guro Cycles p\/b Haute Wheels Racing enjoy the celebration of the Women’s 1\/2\/3 podium.<\/p>\n

So what happened in Texas?<\/a><\/h2>\n

by alexthepuffin\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0alexbikes.wordpress.com<\/h3>\n

The last time I wrote on this blog was back in February as I was planning my bike trip across Texas. Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a quick review.
\nThe \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcwhy on earth would you bike in Texas?\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 question continued well into the trip and after I got back. My values and political views don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t match a typical Texan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, although typical is part of the problem.
\nHere\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s something I learned: political views don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really show through that much when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re just visiting somewhere. Sure, there were a lot of pickup trucks with gun racks and wildly xenophobic views of Hispanics. If you can look past that (without forgiving it), you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll find the people caring and genuine. And you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll have quite an experience.
\nI learned a lot about nothingness and loneliness. Often there were no cars for an hour. There were no trees to ruin the views. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never gone so long in my life without ever talking to someone. Emptiness. You should…
\n\"\"<\/p>\n