Sometimes vacations include unexpected events. This one did. The next to last day on the cruise ship (last Thursday) I went to the ship medical services suffering from dehydration. They treated me and Friday we came ashore. The plan was to drive to Wesley Chapel north of Tampa. We did that but I was in pain. After checking into the hotel I ended up going to the emergency room at Florida Hospital. Nothing like going to a hospital in a town you’ve never been with doctors who never have seen me. It turned out to be a great hospital and doctors. I was discharged this evening. After a day to be sure I am okay we will resume our travel back home. More about this later. Checkout my travel blog at rickankrum.wpengine.com

A Fatal Bike Crash Plays Out — 2 Years Later

Bike Noob

On Monday, an 87-year-old man pled guilty to criminally negligent homicide in a crash that killed a cyclist. The crash happened in April, 2012. I wrote about it at the time, and about a memorial ride several area bike clubs staged some weeks later.
We all knew at the time that an older man had been driving the car that killed Verter Ginestra, 54. Verter had been riding on the shoulder of Loop 360, a popular biking route just west of Austin. The road is also a high-speed route that gets drivers through the western suburbs. We were convinced the case would be a slam dunk for the local…

Monthly Bike Ride Planning Meeting

Autism Society

When: May 22, 2014 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Where: Our Office
4902 Grover Avenue
Austin, TX 78756
Cost: Free
Contact: Raine
Hello everyone,
We have dusted off our bikes, oiled our chains and filled our water bottles to get ready for our 2015 Autism Society of Greater Austin Bike Ride! You are invited to participate in our planning meetings to get ready for another great event. All are welcome!
What: 2015 Bike Ride Planning Meeting…

Wounded Warriors Soldier Ride gets underway in Houston area this week

www.click2houston.com

On Wednesday afternoon, members of the Wounded Warrior Project helped veterans like Chuck Layman pick out which bicycle he will be riding. Samantha Ptashkin reports.

ACU of Texas, Tour de Braz welcome 700 riders

www.yourhoustonnews.com

The Associated Credit Union of Texas, ACU of Texas, welcomed 700 riders to the 21st Annual Tour de Braz Bike Ride on Sunday May 4, announced ACU of Texas’ Chief Executive Officer, Jack Click.
Nearly 700 riders gathered in Alvin, Texas to ride on one of five routes through Brazoria County. Tour de Braz riders returned to a lively environment with plenty of food, drinks and helping hands. ACU of Texas celebrated its sixth consecutive year as the presenting sponsor of Tour de Braz and received help from many other generous sponsors, including Kroger, who donated all produce, water and rest stop snacks and Big Star Ford, who donated ten trucks as…

Recap and Pics From Last Weekend’s Bike Rodeo – Allen, Texas

by Richard Wezensky        www.bikedfw.org

Last weekend there were a few great kid’s bike events around the Dallas area. Along with Oak Cliff’s I Bike Rosemont, and Irving’s  Festival de la Bicicleta, there was also a Bike Rodeo in Allen.
Hosted by Allen Parks and Rec, some local League Cycling Instructors coordinated the Bike Rodeo at Allen’s The Edge Skate Park. There were about 30 or 40 kids and at least 25 helmets were handed out.
The helmets were generously donated by Texas Health. If you would like to donate…

Bandera County Bicycle Rodeo

www.bccourier.com

Last summer, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bandera County partnered with the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service to host our first Bicycle Rodeo! This year, we will do the same event during our Summer Daycamp – only bigger and better! On June 24, we will host the Second Annual Bicycle Rodeo alongside the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service. During the bicycle rodeo, we will work with Highway Patrol leaders to learn more about bicycle safety by having an…

Cyclist Plans 4,500 Mile Bike Ride to Fight Cancer

by Rachel Cole        www.kristv.com

CORPUS CHRISTI – A swarm of cyclists will take part in the longest annual charity bike ride in the world. The non-profit group called “Texas 4000 for Cancer” will mount their bikes for a 70 day ride. They will start in the heart of Texas and head all the way to Anchorage, Alaska. One local rider, Alex Patlan shares the emotional and physical challenges that come with preparations.
Patlan is one of about 80 cyclists that will clip into his 10-speed bike for a roughly 45-hundred mile ride across the United States and beyond.
“It’s kind of a crazy concept but we’ve been spending the last 18 months planning all of this, we’re planning a route through the Midwest before we cut West through Canada,” Patlan said.
He’s part of “Texas 4000” a student-run, non-profit organization out of…

Guided Mountain Bike Ride

www.tpwd.state.tx.us

Pedal along for National Trails Day
Join us for a bike ride to celebrate National Trails Day on June 7th, 2014. This ride will cover approximately 4 miles of ups and downs along winding single track trails through the pine and oak forest.
We’ll meet at the new parking lot along Park Road 1C. All participants must stop at park headquarters to receive their entry permit…
Jun 07, 2014
from 09:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Where     Buescher State Park
Contact Name     Mick Haven
Contact Email     mick.haven@gmail.com
Contact Phone     512-237-2241

National Bike to Work Day is Today

Texas Bike Commute Project

While I may have missed out on the bulk of “National Bike to Work Week” which in 2014 is May 12- 16, I have made it back from vacation just in time to ride to work on “National Bike to Work Day” which is today – May 16th.
Here is an article from bikeleague.org with a little info and history on the campaign.
The article states “More than half of the U.S. population lives within five miles of their workplace, making bicycling a feasible and fun way to get to work.” I wouldn’t have…

Pictures: Across North Texas, Folks Are Riding On National Bike To Work Day

By Eric Aasen        keranews.org

Bike to work day sheds light on El Paso biking community

By: Jamel Valencia        www.kfoxtv.com

EL PASO, Texas – Riding your bike isn’t the norm just yet in El Paso, so that’s why avid cyclists are bringing attention to a different form of transportation.
El Paso’s weather year-round makes it easy to bike. The great weather the Sun City has isn’t the only factor to take into consideration to get people riding.
The president of the Bicycle-Pedestrian Coalition of El Paso is working to change the…
http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories//images/bike-to-work_4896.jpg

World Cycle Race – 11 week update

worldcyclerace.com

World Cycle Race road ahead
LEE
Lee has been excluded from official race results due to a breach of the rules in India.
Lee in The Bicyccle Shack in Boerne, Texas.
Lee has spent most of the last week riding across Texas.  He started the week in New Mexico where he crossed the continental divide.  He made the 1,200km from Las Vegas to Las Cruces in 3 days before crossing into Texas at El Paso.  Lee has reported dogs, a broken chain, puncture issues and strong winds across the Lone Star state. His bike issues were sorted by The Bicycle Shack in Boerne TX and he pushed on to Houston.  He has also commented on the size of Texas.  Texas is the largest state of the lower 48 with just Alaska having a greater area. The distance between El Paso and the Louisiana border is 1,400km, about the same as Lands End  to John O’Groats, and I reckon Lee took just over 4 days to cover the distance.
As I write he is in Louisiana on US190 the ‘Ronald Reagan Highway’ eventually heading for Boston MA around 3,000km away.  Lee is expecting to finish in London on the 31st May.

Off-duty Houston firefighter dies in cycling wreck

brownsvilleherald.com

HOUSTON (AP) — An off-duty Houston firefighter has died after his bicycle hit a truck trailer that was hauling landscaping equipment.
Houston Fire Department Capt. W. Mark Braswell died following the accident Friday afternoon in northwest Harris County.
Investigators say the bicycle that Braswell was riding hit the back of a rig. The firefighter was transported to…

A Chat with Cat – Part 1

By Anne Clarrissimeaux, Riding photo compliments of Shawn Jantzen        texasbikeracing.com

Sometimes, for a writer, the subject of a particular article will strike you; their story will sort of linger with you after you’ve sat down to do the interview. This one did for me. I’d been asked to write a story on Catherine ‘Cat’ Moore—someone I didn’t really know about since I sort of sit on the ‘outside looking in’ of the Texas bicycle racing scene. But it’s quite apparent that most of you know of Waco’s Cat Moore, a former professional mountain biker, a current category 1 road cyclist for Guru Cycles p/b Haute Wheels Racing team, and a category 1 cyclocross racer for Squadra di Servitori. A recent poll on TexasBikeRacing.com asked readers to vote on the best all-round cyclist in the Lone Star State, and an…

Honey Tour returns for 16th trek

AMBER WASHINGTON        www.burlesonstar.net

The 16th annual Honey Tour bike ride is May 24 and organizers are prepping for as many as 1,500 riders.
Riders from all over North Texas – and as far away as Washington – will descend on the city for 7, 28, 46 or 65-mile routes which wind down the country side.
“It’s not very often that you can ride through beautiful countryside like when you leave Burleson and ride down through [Johnson County],” said Sherri Sechrist, Burleson Area Chamber of Commerce president. “This is truly a Burleson tourism event.”
The cost to participate is $35 per rider no matter what route they choose to take. All riders and…

GHORBA Trail Building Clinic

GHORBA

GHORBA presents a trail building and maintenance course by S&S Trails.
The details are still being set but expect a two day trail building clinic – Saturday will be primarily classroom based and Sunday will be outside getting the work done.
Saturday 8am – 4pm
Sunday 8am – 3pm …

Trail Fail

Bike Noob

I broke out the mountain bike again the other day. After a morning of yard work, I didn’t have much time left for a ride, and I figured a ride on the trails would fill the bill better than a road ride. But this time, I gave it a twist.
I put the bike in the back of the car and headed out to a metropolitan park about six miles away. I had run across a description of bike trails in the park, which I hadn’t realized were there. It looked to be a park where my almost non-existent abilities on a mountain bike would fit in well. My only concern was a network of trails that didn’t make any sense on paper, and I wondered if I would be able to follow them.
My first clue that I would be in for more than I bargained for came at the parking lot. I couldn’t figure out where the trail head was. I rode the bike around some picnic pavilions, sand volleyball courts, and a…

COMMENTARY: Support, Run, Ride and Share campaign RGV

VERONICA VELA WHITACRE        www.themonitor.com

Anyone who rides a bike remembers the day they started.
Not as a child, but the first day the bug bit them as an adult. It might have been as a hobby. Or maybe something more serious, or simply something for health or stress decompression on weekends. (And maybe it’s the only good reason to wear spandex in public).
When I was at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio many years ago, a friend gave me a racing bike. That’s when I started riding. I stopped for several years to have a family, but picked it back up about five years ago after a serious illness.
It has been great! I’ve gotten back into shape, made new friends, but most importantly I’ve come to realize that people who ride bicycles on Valley roads are courageous and dedicated human beings. We are a very close knit community.
We love getting on the road, but with three tragic cycling deaths in Hidalgo County in the last year, riding is…

Ride of Silence

Team McAllen Cycling

MAY IS NATIONAL BIKE MONTH
Organized by Team McAllen Cycling
When: May 21, 2014 at 5:30 PM
Where: The Monitor Newspaper Parking Lot
1400 E. Nolana, McAllen, TX 78504
(Corner of Nolana and Jackson)
Join cyclists worldwide in a silent slow-paced ride (max. 12 mph) in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.
WHY DOES THIS ORGANIZATION EXIST?
To HONOR those who have been injured or killed
To RAISE AWARENESS that we are here
To ask that we all SHARE THE ROAD
THE RIDE OF SILENCE WILL NOT BE QUIET
The local ride will start with speakers, announcements and prayers at 5:30 PM in the Monitor Parking lot. The Ride of Silence is a free ride that…

Fort Davis Memorial Day Weekend Ride

West Texas Cycling Association

Date: May 23, 2014 – May 26, 2014
Location: Fort Davis, TX
Contact: JD & Jill Booker806-317-4644
Details: Hosts JD & Jill Booker 806-473-8798, Cost TBA, This is a 3 day event. We provide campsites and lunch and dinner on Saturday, Lunch in camp on Sunday if you are around. The Saturday ride is a 75 mile loop with challenging hill climbs and beautiful scenery. Sunday is a do your own thing day. There are many options for riding such as 36 miles to Balmorhea, 40 miles to Alpine, or 21 miles to Marfa. There are art galleries, the Fort in town, the observatory, hiking options, and many other activities to keep you entertained on Sunday. The Indian Lodge is located in the state park if camping is not your thing. We typically have breakfast at the lodge on Monday before traveling back to Lubbock.

2014 Lake Worth Centennial Bicycle Tour

CERA (formerly LMRA) Bicycle Club

Lake Worth will include a short family-oriented bicycle tour led by Fort Worth mayor Betsy Price as part of their centennial celebration. There is no fee. Please print the Bike Tour Registration Form and present the signed waiver the day of the event as your registration.
Other Centennial information is on the Lake Worth Centennial website.
JUNE 7TH, 2014

##Look Around Lubbock: Cyclists ride in silence

by: Brittany Price        www.myfoxlubbock.com

On Wednesday, May 21 cyclists around the world will take to the roads in a silent ride.
Lubbock is involved in the event that’s raising awareness about cycling safety and honoring people who have been injured or killed on public roadways.
The group is meeting in the parking lot by the Texas Tech Federal Credit Union at…

Son says cyclist died ‘doing what he loved’

by Kevin Schwaller        kxan.com

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – Friends and family members are mourning the loss of a man killed while riding his bicycle Saturday in western Travis County.
The crash happened shortly after 7:15 a.m. at the intersection of Bee Caves Road and Creek’s Edge Parkway.
Described by friends as an avid cyclist, John Fusselman, 67, was hit by a car while riding his bike.
Medics took Fusselman to University Medical Center Brackenridge with life-threatening injuries, according to investigators. Fusselman died at the hospital, loved ones say.
“John Halsey Fusselman was an avid bicyclist and nature lover,” wrote John’s son, whom is also named John Fusselman. “He loved God, his wife, his son and the great outdoors. He died doing…

Bike Friendly America, North Texas Style!

Shawnee Trail Cycling Club

Let’s hope this is the first of many communities in North Texas to be recognized for their efforts!  The City of Frisco made an announcement at the Parks & Rec Board meeting Thursday night, letting them know that Frisco has been named to the list of cities receiving Honorable Mention recognition as a Bike Friendly Community from the League of American Bicyclists.  This list is very TOUGH to make – Frisco joins Fort Worth as the only other North Texas community to receive Bike Friendly recognition.  Its been a lot of work and the city is very much…

Richardson Bike To Work Day Station – Recap And Pics

Bike Friendly Richardson

Last Friday was the Bike League’s National Bike To Work Day. For the third year, Bike Friendly Richardson, worked with BikeDFW, DART and NCTCOG to set up a bike commuter Energizer Station at Arapaho rail station in Richardson. Because interest in these stations continues to grow, BikeDFW and DART were able to set up 9 stations throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Reports are coming back that those stations had great success greeting the many bicycle commuters who came through. This indicates to me that folks around the Dallas area are starting to look at bicycle commuting as an…

May 10th [Real Ale Ride] and 11th [Steakhouse] Rides!

####  Steiner Ranch Cycling Club

Saturday was the second annual Steiner Ranch 6,000 which was about 6,000 feet of climbing over 80 miles of riding.  Next year we might have to call it the Steiner Ranch 7,000.  As many of you are well aware it was challenging ride but it was kinda fun in a sick way.  We had 28 riders that started the ride and about half of the group finished the full course.
Sunday was Mother’s Day so I’m assuming that is the reason why only 4 people showed up for the ride or maybe it is because many people couldn’t walk after Saturday’s ride.
The CAPTAIN AMERICA kits should have been already.  I have pinged Tom and Descente to try to get an ETA.  They told me early this week and now we are mid-week and we can only…

Ride Interview – ATLAS Ride – Pillar Bluff Vineyards, Tx

www.wheelbrothers.com

You know what they say, April training brings awesome PRs in May! (I think that’s how it goes…) So if you are looking for the perfect ride to round out your May, check out the Atlas Ride, on May 31st.  Kathryn Flowers, the Development & Program Coordinator, took time out of her busy schedule to give us a great interview. Take a read.
Texas 4000 Ride Logo
Why join your ride?
The ATLAS Ride is not only a great bicycle ride with several distance options (25, 50, and 70), but it also has several unique benefits – namely the fact that it is the send-off ride for each year’s Texas 4000 team, giving the community the opportunity to ride day one with the amazing group of students that will spend 70 days of their summer biking from Texas to Alaska to raise money for cancer research and spread awareness. We also like to think we have the best end-of-ride food, with a catered BBQ plate from Pok-e-Jo’s and plenty of cold beer!
How long has your ride been around?
This year is the 10th year of the ATLAS ride, and the 11th year of Texas 4000 for Cancer. At this point, we are getting to be pros at putting on the ride!
What was the motivation behind starting the ride and who benefits from it?
The ATLAS Ride was started as a send-off ride for the 2005 Texas 4000 team. Alumni from the first year wanted a way to open up the first day to the community, and the ride was born. Since then, we’ve grown to a…

Texas 4000: Why We Ride — Part II

By Ben Keeler        www.austinfitmagazine.com

How do you get a group of 80-plus college students ready to ride to Alaska? You start by doing a lot of burpees.

In Texas 4000, we center our mission on spreading Hope, Knowledge, and Charity from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska. In order to do this, we will ride the world’s longest charity bike ride—just more than 4,500 miles across North America—in an effort to touch as many people’s lives as we can. So while the ride itself isn’t what Texas 4000 is all about, it is the mechanism that allows us to have the greatest impact.
Let’s start from the beginning. Riding a bike across the continent to fight cancer requires a special kind of person and a special kind of passion, and that person might not necessarily be a cyclist. In fact, the organization has evolved significantly since the first team rolled into Anchorage in the summer of 2004. While that team was comprised of experienced cyclists who were looking for a way to apply their specific talents to the…

Ride of Silence on May 21st – Dallas

Greater Dallas Bicyclists

The Dallas version of the Ride of Silence will take place at White Rock Lake. Meet on the west side of White Rock Lake, between Branchfield and
Fisher roads. Arrive 15 min early to allow for traffic. We will leave at 7 pm to join the rest of the U.S. and the world. Donations will be accepted
on site.

Tweets

What a weekend! McKinney's gonna be rocking starting Friday with Bike the Bricks, Saturday Lone Star XC at Erwin… http://t.co/a5LpsfKgPu

— The Spinistry (@Spinistry) May 20, 2014

Love living in a city where the mayor leads the charge for bike culture, and even leads the rides! #FortWorth #fwb2w pic.twitter.com/0Sh0kny53H

— Ascend Concepts (@ascendconcepts) May 16, 2014

Good day for some trainin'! Last big workout before the #Texas #state criteriums kick off! pic.twitter.com/PIQaarjqpC

— Michael Johnson (@MJDrive) May 19, 2014

https://twitter.com/BikeMSValero/status/468472105298710528

Event: Bike Safety Day (Mansfield) – When: Sat Jun 14, 2014 11am to 2pm  CDT Where: 1305 E Broad St, Mansfie… http://t.co/SjB6LLjQ4l

— BikeTexas (@BikeTexas) May 19, 2014

Every time I see another article about riding bikes to church, I grin a bit more. I've been riding to church since 2000.

— Su Wilcox (@cheekysu) May 19, 2014

Not the result I hoped 4 but @ZacharyAllison @liam_donoghue & AArmstrong were faster (photo: ThinkFinance) #MatrixCup pic.twitter.com/ioCb8WCFNq

— Stefan Rothe (@stefanrothe) May 19, 2014

This week we will be riding in the Fort Worth Ride of Silence on Wednesday. We encourage you to join us as we… http://t.co/RZTnCGExim

— Bike Friendly FW (@BikeFriendlyFW) May 19, 2014

"Everything about the #Texas transportation system is changing." http://t.co/rhdtWzqjQS via @TTI #tamu #research

— Texas A&M University (@TAMU) May 19, 2014

Summary of this weeks Rides.
Tuesday – 6pm Hospital to ride to Fort Bliss Cat ABC
Wednesday – 8am West site Kohls… http://t.co/7tXJvwFtZJ

— EP Cyclists (@EPCyclists) May 19, 2014

Event Reminders

2 Day Alert: Fort Worth Wednesday Night Crits 2014 , May 21, 2014 05:00PM – Gravel Road, Fort Worth, TX, United States(CST) http://zpr.i

— Rick Ankrum (@texbiker) May 19, 2014

2 Day Alert: Bear Creek Crit Series – Houston, TX, May 21, 2014 05:30PM – Bear Creek Park, 3535 War Memorial Dr, Houston, TX, United Sta

— Rick Ankrum (@texbiker) May 19, 2014

2 Day Alert: Wednesday Urban Ride – Houston, TX, May 21, 2014 06:30PM – 4814 Nett St. Houston, TX 77007(CST) http://t.co/3T9TEm9rWJ

— Rick Ankrum (@texbiker) May 19, 2014