Texas Bicycling Blog and News Digest March 18th
Ride 2 Recovery Texas Challenge makes Tomball its first stop
By Petrina J. Johnson      www.yourhoustonnews.com
Downtown Tomball is set to cheer on more than 200 injured veterans and active duty military cyclists as part of the Ride 2 Recovery Texas Challenge, a multi-day ride from Houston to Fort Worth, on Sunday March 23.
Tomball is the first stop for the veterans participating in the challenge. The group will arrive in four waves based on ability escorted by the Tomball Police Department, entering town from the east on FM 2920. The first group is expected to arrive between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m. The three other waves of cyclists will follow every 10 to 15 minutes thereafter.
Each group will take a short break at the Tomball Depot before continuing along Main Street to Four Corners and will…
Friday Night Beginner Ride – Bull Creek Trails
The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group
Friday, March 21, 2014Â Â Â 5:30 PM
Bull Creek
Old Spicewood Springs Rd, Austin, TX (map)
We’ll park near the restrooms and paved parking area – locate the group of cyclists
Hey folks,
We will start out on a short little track that is very smooth and easy. (a slight step up from Lady Bird Lake paths) If the group is up to the challenge, we can take on some additional trails with minor climbs and some rougher sections.
I am recovering from a broken leg, so pace is going to be slow.
We will be riding some of the paths near the Bull Creek area. I know these trails very well and the terrain can vary from very…
Friday Night Beginner Ride – Bull Creek Trails
The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group
Friday, April4, 2014Â Â Â 5:30 PM
Bull Creek
Old Spicewood Springs Rd, Austin, TX (map)
We’ll park near the restrooms and paved parking area – locate the group of cyclists
Hey folks,
We will start out on a short little track that is very smooth and easy. (a slight step up from Lady Bird Lake paths) If the group is up to the challenge, we can take on some additional trails with minor climbs and some rougher sections.
I am recovering from a broken leg, so pace is going to be slow.
We will be riding some of the paths near the Bull Creek area. I know these trails very well and the terrain can vary from very…
Veterans and healing Soldiers ride to recovery
by Monica Cortez Multimedia Journalist/Weekend Weathercaster   www.ktsm.com
(El Paso) KTSM — You’ve heard of the long road to recovery, and that is exactly what several wounded Soldiers and healing veterans are doing riding on the Ride 2 Recovery.
This is a unique challenge aimed toward veterans and soldiers who may have been wounded in combat.
It’s a 450 mile stretch from Houston to Fort Worth Texas. Veterans and servicemembers from all over the country gather at the starting line in Houston for their six-day journey.
“Whether it’s from direct fire or indirect fire, or just by seeing the results of combat, it…
Cows and Crosswinds : A Fayetteville SR Recap
by Kathryn Hunter (photos: Jack Mott)Â Â Â Â Â Â texasbikeracing.com
Fayetteville Stage Race Women’s Open Race Report
Fayetteville, located about halfway between Austin and Houston in rolling farm country, has a genuine small-town feel. There’s no Walmart, no bustling industrial quarter, no big chain hotels. The town isn’t putting on an act for tourists—it’s got its work boots on, a dusty rancher who’s more than happy to welcome you into his home but isn’t strapping on spurs and dropping “howdys†so you can snap a photo and say you’ve been out to where the buffalo roam. Unassuming, nostalgic, scenic in a diamond-in-the-rough sort of way, Fayetteville and its rural surroundings make for a memorable and entertaining two days of bike racing.
The Fayetteville Stage Race was my first real introduction to road racing in 2011, and I’ve been back every year since (in 2013, as a pregnant spectator). Put on by the Southwest Cycling Club, the races are always well-organized, and the weather is typically crisp and sunny. This year, the climate wasn’t as…
Changing group road ride behavior
By Richard Fries      www.peopleforbikes.org
“We have met the enemy and he is us.â€Â –Walt Kelly, Pogo
When I helped pro cyclist Tim Johnson develop the first Ride on Washington in 2011, I figured we would be raising funds and awareness for PeopleForBikes while engaging elite athletes to support advocacy. That seemed like enough, right?
I also thought I could have an amazing five-day ride.
Turned out the “amazing ride†part would, in my opinion, ultimately provide a greater legacy for Tim, this ride, and this writer. Indeed, the funds and awareness are critical. But the “amazing†part of the ride is not how far or fast it rolls (both of which are amazing). In addition to changing why we ride, this…
City will continue to make new bike lanes, creates advisory committee
By: Genevieve Curtis      www.kfoxtv.com
EL PASO, Texas–City Council has created a bike advisory committee instead of halting creation of new bike lanes.
Tuesday, City Rep. Dr. Michiel Noe proposed the city hold off from making any new bike lanes for a few months and instead focus on repairing and taking care of the existing bike lanes.
Noe presented slides of debris in bike lanes which forces cyclists not to use the lanes. He also showed slides where lanes had damage such as potholes, which deterred users.
But many in the local bike community said the solution was not to stop creating bike lanes.
City Council Rep Cortney Niland express her concerns that such a…
Upcoming Events
San Angelo Bicycle Association
Loop Group – 03/21/2014
Mon Road Ride – 03/24/2014
Loop Group – 03/25/2014
Loop Group – 03/28/2014
Mon Road Ride – 03/31/2014
Rudy’s Ride
Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club
Saturday April 12,: Ride begins at 9:00 a.m. We will meet at Rudy’s parking lot on hwy. 151 and West Over Hills Blvd. This scenic and somewhat hilly 22 mile ride is a good way to get a good workout in a short period of time.. Come and check out this new route that avoids the traffic on Talley Road and some of the hills of the previous ride. For…
Stinson Field Mission Parkway Ride
Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club
Sunday, April 13th: We will meet in the parking lot across from Stinson Field Municipal Airport located at 8535 Mission Road San Antonio, TX 78214-3101. We will depart Promptly at 8:00 am for a choice between a 32 mile ride to Mission San Juan and then along Villamain Rd, the service road along IH 37 and then along Old Corpus Christi Road and back to Stinson or a 25 mile ride which will take us down Southton road and…
Great Texas Two Step Award
by Kelly Boucher      Tyler Bicycle Club
The City of Tyler won an award for the mountain bike trail at Lindsey and the partnership with so many groups including the Tyler Bicycle Club.
Below is the letter regarding our award and the application we submitted is attached.
From the Texas Trails Network Award Nomination
I just wanted to let you know that your award nomination was selected for a Great Texas Two Step Award ! Congratulations!
It is very exciting to see the work going on in Tyler regarding trails and especially the Lindsey Park Mountain Bike Trail. What a great example of…
More bike lanes coming to El Paso
By Cindy Ramirez / El Paso Times
New bicycle lanes will continue to be implemented citywide with input from area cyclists and under stricter standards than years past, city officials said Tuesday.
“I believe on this one, everybody won,” Mayor Oscar Leeser said following a sometimes heated debate about the funding, implementation and use of bike lanes during a City Council meeting.
The council voted down a proposal by city Rep. Michiel Noe that the city stop spending money on…
Last minute adjustments before the R2R Texas Challenge
www.ktsm.com
FORT BLISS — After a 30-mile Project HERO group ride which started at the “break of dawn” on Fort Bliss in the frigid temperatures and gusty winds, it was time for a last minute adjustment for my bicycle.
Pain in my low back and knee indicated it was time for the bicycle seat to be moved. After foot surgery, neck surgery, and herniated discs in my low back, I don’t want to risk bad form – especially on a 450 mile ride!
The Specialized “Ruby” Carbon bicycle was then taken apart and is…
Moving to Austin, should I sell my 180mm 26″ AM bike?
by foxphotog      forums.mtbr.com
Hi everyone.
I’ve recently learned of my acceptance into a Ph.D program at UT. I’m heading to Austin (from South Carolina) tomorrow morning to tour the school, visit, etc. I’m bringing my Scott Genius LT, and GT Ruckus dirt jumper, and hope to check out Walnut creek and Ninth Street DJ’s. I will have my girlfriend with me and I’m kind of limited on how much riding I can actually do.
My question is: Will a 180mm travel Scott Genius be way too much overkill for the Austin area? I work at a bike shop now and could get a sweet deal on a 29r, 2×10, 650b, or some other xc bike and sell the Genius. The thing is I would have to get the new bike before moving, as I would no longer be…
Interview – LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour – Stonewall, TX
www.wheelbrothers.com
Are you ready to ride on into spring? Our latest interview with Ride Chair, Nolan Kuchn, gives you all the hot details for this cool ride. If you have been waiting for the perfect ride this spring, be sure to check this one out!
LBJ 100
Why join your ride?
Join our ride because there is something for everyone – from the rank beginner to the seasoned cyclist! Routes of 10, 30, 42, 62, and 85 miles. We like to focus on the family by offering family discounts; we emphasize the outdoors, and we are arguably the premier springtime cycling event in the glorious Texas Hill Country. Our ride tag line, “A Ride to Preserve History,†is appropriate. Luci Baines Johnson (LBJ’s younger daughter) leads a narrated afternoon tour (by bicycle) of the historic landmarks on the ranch; we utilize three restored, rural Gillespie County Schools as rest stops. Plus, a ranger-led tour of the Texas White House is included in the registration. Simply show your ride bib number!
How long has your ride been around?
The initial LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour was in April 2008. The March 29 event this year will be our seventh annual. Of course, we are also conducting the 2nd Annual LBJ 100 Individual Time Trial on the next day, Sunday, March 30. It…
BikeTexas KidsKup at STORM Hill Country Challenge
BikeTexas.org
Saturday, March 29
Flat Rock Ranch, Comfort, TX
Registration: 12 PM
Safety clinic and racing: 2 PM
Course: All BTKK courses are designed for safety and fun, with beginner kids in mind, and are usually about 1/4 mile in length. At many events, a separate shorter course is set up for kids on training wheels. The courses are always close to the venue area to allow easy spectating for parents and friends.
Categories: Training Wheels (all ages), 6 & under, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12. Depending on number of racers, fields may be combined or split into boys and girls classes. The younger categories will…
Riding Bikes On The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge In Dallas
by Richard Wezensky      www.bikedfw.org
On March 1, the City of Dallas shut down one direction of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge for the All Out Trinity event. Throughout the day, there were lots of activities that included a running event, yoga and a bike rodeo for kids – right on the bridge. Meanwhile, below the bridge there was an artisan market with food trucks and even more activities.
BikeDFW, was part of the event, which we shared with our friends from BikeTexas, Richardson Bike Mart , Mercy Street Community Bike Shop and many others. Throughout the day, thousands of participants came out to experience and enjoy the bridge from outside of their cars. Add that to some…
Austin B-Cycle Breaks Bike Share Record During SXSW
by Gene Davis      www.austinpost.org
Austin’s new bike share system has already ridden into the record books, thanks to a spike in activity during South by Southwest.
Austin B-Cycle, which lets users rent bikes at one location and return them to another location, reported 17,724 bike checkouts during the festival (March 7–16). On Saturday, March 15, the average Austin B-Cycle bike was checked out more than 10 different times, making 2,774 total bike checkouts. This stat trounced the previous record of…
Race Results for Bicycle Sport Shop Pace Bend Race – Spicewood, TX
www.usacycling.org
Cross Country on 03/16/2014
Men – SS Open
Place    Points    Name   City, State   Time    USAC #   Bib   Team
[1st Place]    1   448.99   Alex Morgan     Amarillo   02:09:39.000    25033     50    Hill’s Sport Shop
[2nd Place]    2   459.84   Matthew Barkley     Cedar Park, TX   02:17:47.000    303278     74    Texas Cycle Werks
[3rd Place]    3   470.68   Jeff Shoemake     Houston   02:18:17.000    111415     54    WayPastFast
4   481.53   Eric Jordan     New Braunfels, TX   02:20:03.000    18277     56    Mellow Johnny’s Cycling
5   492.38   Matthew Sappington     Round Rock, TX   02:24:06.000    358266     66    The Peddler Bike Shop
6      Jason Smith        02:24:07.000       65
7   514.07   Ben Kettle     Austin   02:24:30.000    397747     53    The Peddler Bike Shop
8   524.92   Gerad Dambrosia     Round Rock, TX   02:26:25.000    378991     34    OMW Racing…
Tweets
6th place in tonight's TNC! Good race, blog post tomorrow! #CRITSQUAD #ParkPlace pic.twitter.com/J0rfaKEz2S
— Chris Degenaars (@ChrisDegenaars) March 19, 2014
https://twitter.com/COABikeProgram/status/446064628947111936
Long morning on the bike, deserves a long afternoon at the water. #springcamp14 http://t.co/BDkDReEQTn
— MSU Cycling Team (@MSUCyclingTeam) March 18, 2014
Event: Bike to Work Day in the Energy Corridor (Houston) – When: Thu May 15, 2014 6:30am to 7:30am CDT Wher… http://t.co/OC2j0FFgFp
— BikeTexas (@BikeTexas) March 18, 2014
Motion to create bicycle committee passes 6-0 with Acosta and Lilly not present #epcity
— Cindy Ramirez (@CindyRamz1) March 18, 2014
@velopaso Congrats on the big strides made today at City Council – looking forward to seeing more bikes out there! #ItsAllGoodEP
— Visit El Paso (@VisitElPasoTX) March 18, 2014
The end of today's road. Tomorrow is the big one, time to rest. #trainingcamp2014 http://t.co/q4s4IU5jSy
— MSU Cycling Team (@MSUCyclingTeam) March 18, 2014
Rider of the Week is Matt Atwell! Congrats – you are a wonderful teammate. See his profile: http://t.co/HkkIsaNHxd pic.twitter.com/23TR4jkfTR
— Texas 4000 (@Texas4000) March 18, 2014
https://twitter.com/DrewiferdLee/status/445982356504330240
Can @ElPasoTXGov join the 291 other bike friendly communities? Here's what some of the new communities look like: http://t.co/vawwgcQI8K
— VeloPaso (@velopaso) March 18, 2014
Join our Mighty Mujer Clinic Thursday, 6-7:30pm @ 6625 Montana Ave, Crazy Cat Cyclery & RIDE to success!! #RaceElPaso pic.twitter.com/a42e9gcnx2
— Crazy Cat Cyclery (@CrazyCatCyclery) March 18, 2014
Here's the list of the 2013 Honorable Mention Cities: @cityofelpaso up there with Fort Worth, Houston & Phoenix! LIST:http://t.co/cv643Nz24p
— VeloPaso (@velopaso) March 18, 2014
Lots of bikes at City Hall… AGAIN! #WeRideElPaso @velopaso @VisitElPasoTX @BikeTexas @BikeLeague pic.twitter.com/VVKGeO1juy
— Bike Hombre – STREETS ARE FOR PEOPLE (@sbwhite) March 18, 2014
Cleaning the bike lane on Edgemere this morning. Coincidence??? @velopaso @ElPasoTXGov @EPCyclists @EPBicycleClub pic.twitter.com/XR0X8jXDLa
— Bike Hombre – STREETS ARE FOR PEOPLE (@sbwhite) March 18, 2014
The climb in the Individual Time Trial hurt especially bad. And here's why #TexasStateUltra #Strava pic.twitter.com/BoMmxDkmYp
— Baylor Cycling (@BaylorCycling) March 18, 2014
Beautiful sunrise ride to city council. @pato3142 @sbwhite @EPCyclists @AtomCyclist @CrazyCatCyclery @EPBicycleClub pic.twitter.com/sswZb90KIn
— VeloPaso (@velopaso) March 18, 2014
Down the corkscrew this wk! @BikeReg https://t.co/q05fsGWTKm… http://t.co/1d7ojpAPcl
— Driveway Series (@DrivewaySeries) March 18, 2014