With Dallas bike helmet law, rules of the ride enforced unevenly

By TOM BENNING, Staff Writer        www.dallasnews.com

Feel free to ignore Dallas’ bike helmet ordinance with impunity at White Rock Lake, in Lakewood, along the Katy Trail and on other popular biking routes.
But don that helmet downtown, where one enthusiastic police officer has apparently made enforcement of the ordinance his personal mission.
And be sure to cinch up that chin strap in poorer neighborhoods, areas with large minority populations and…

Dallas city officials subvert the spirit of bike helmet law

by James Ragland        www.dallasnews.com

So, it turns out that Dallas isn’t that serious about its bike-helmet ordinance after all.
I say that for two reasons.
The first one is obvious: City officials are backpedaling on the most comprehensive helmet law in the state, one that requires all cyclists to wear helmets.
Some council members want to repeal the whole law. Others want to limit it to cyclists under the age of 17, which seems like a good compromise to me.
The second reason is less apparent but probably the most important: The city hasn’t been enforcing the law how or…

Cyclists on cancer mission roll through Dallas on way to Alaska

By DANIELLE GROBMEIER, Staff Writer        www.dallasnews.com

It has been almost 18 months since 23-year-old Matthew Atwell learned he would bike from Texas to Alaska — a trip of 70 days and more than 4,500 miles.
Atwell, an aerospace engineering graduate from the University of Texas, is part of an annual cancer awareness ride, the Texas 4000, which rolled through Dallas on Wednesday morning from Austin, bound for Alaska. He and 78 other cyclists are dedicating their miles to cancer victims and survivors.
The Texas 4000 was founded in 2004 by Chris Condit, a former UT student who survived Hodgkin’s lymphoma after being diagnosed at age 11.
Fanning out from Austin, the riders set out on…

Thanks to CenterPoint, We’ll Get Biking Trails and LED Streetlights

By Aaron Reiss            blogs.houstonpress.com

We told you last week that a bike plan was on the way for Houston. Thanks to CenterPoint Energy, Houston cyclists have another win to celebrate.
Hiking and biking trails will be allowed along CenterPoint’s utility ROWs (that’s right-of-ways). According to a press release from the mayor’s office, the ROWs will provide north-south connections to Houston’s growing network of trails, most of which either run east and west or are planned to do so.
CenterPoint is giving Houston $1.5 million for trail construction.
The agreement comes after the passage of legislation that allows CenterPoint to grant…

Farmers Market Ride & Giveaway

BikeHouston

When: June 14, 2014 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: Market Square
301 Milam Street
Houston, TX 77002
Cost: Free
Houston’s on a roll and so is Bayou City Outdoors. We want you to join us on Saturday, June 14th where we will be holding a special summer Farmers Market Ride. You might just ride away with a $250 gift certificate, compliments of Bayou City Outdoors and Urban Bicycle Gallery. Biking in Houston is getting better and better, and we want everyone to have the…

Spoke cards advertising St. David’s bike parking feature Jesus with a fixie

By Pam LeBlanc        www.austin360.com

Jesus has ridden. And he wants you to ride, also.
I love these groovy bicycle spoke cards, which advertise the bike parking and showers available for commuters at St. David’s Episcopal Church downtown.
Lisa Kay Pfannenstiel, special events coordinator at St. David’s, helped dream up the laminated advertisements, which feature a photo of her husband, posing with a blue…

Should You Carry A Gun While Riding?

Texas Mountain Bike Trails

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ECs8ZrmH8D8
Today a video is going viral of a man being held at gunpoint while on a mountain bike ride and having his bike, keys, wallet, phone and more Taken from him.
Several comments on social media sites like Facebook and YouTube seem to think that carrying a gun of your own with you would be helpful in a situation like this.
I’m as Texan as they get and I love me some guns, but I don’t know that it is the…

Rolling My Wheels With The Fishes & Turtles In Fort Worth’s Gateway Park

Durango Texas

I was back rolling my wheels in Fort Worth today, doing the rolling on the Gateway Park mountain bike trails.
At my favorite Gateway Park photo op location today I almost managed to take a picture which sort of indicates my handlebars are perched near the…

San Antonio City Council Votes to Remove Bike Lanes on S. Flores

BikeTexas

Like many of you, we watched the San Antonio City Council’s decision to remove S. Flores bike lanes with disbelief and disappointment. Despite hearing from many people who ride bikes, including one gentleman who indicated he and his wife began riding for their health after the S. Flores lanes were installed, the city council voted 10-1 remove the bike lanes at a cost to the city of up to $700,000. Council member Shirley Gonzales (District 5) was the lone vote in favor of keeping the bike lanes. (Watch the video of the council meeting here; the bike lanes item begins at 2:27:38).
Image from The Rivard Report.
This decision is a major step backward for a city that claims to be committed to building a bike network. Council Member Shirley Gonzales gave an impassioned speech (watch here beginning at 3:26:36) reminding her fellow members that San Antonio is committed to a…

Trinity River Revel in Dallas on June 15

BikeTexas

Join people on bikes and local dignitaries on Sunday, June 15 at 2 PM as we inaugurate the refurbished Continental Bike/Ped Bridge, the opening of the Trinity Skyline Trail, the new Sylvan Avenue Bridge, and the brand new West Dallas Gateway Plaza with a bike ride and rolling ribbon cutting. You don’t want to miss this!
Register for this family-friendly bike ride to four new major attractions in Dallas and be entered for a chance to win a new bike donated by Richardson Bike Mart! You must…

City of Richardson Bike Parking Initiative

Bike Friendly Richardson

Increased bike parking has always been one of the goals of Bike Friendly Richardson. More bike parking provides incentive for folks to ride their bikes to local destinations, like parks, libraries and local businesses. We have a great city to ride, and now it’s time to work harder on our destinations.
Recently, we were asked by City Council member, Scott Dunn, to present information about creating a functional and comprehensive bike parking plan that would benefit, not only cyclists, but local business owners as well as the…

Day 8 Texarkana, TX to Idabel, OK

2 on a tandem

Wednesday, June 4, 2014
70.8 miles
4:47 ST
14.7 avg
We knew today was going to be long and hot so we got on the road quite early – 6:30. Starting out of Texarkana was quite fun as we headed slightly down hill. Goodbye, Texas Hill Country!

Bicycle rally hopes to show riders, drivers can share the road

By Mitchell Ferman, San Antonio Express-News

SAN ANTONIO — A group of 40 to 50 bicyclists met at La Tuna Grill on the South Side on Wednesday to ride in a bicycle lane that won’t exist for much longer.
The cyclists formed what Monica Walker and Jaime Santillan called a “solidarity ride” south on South Flores Street before reversing the other direction toward downtown San Antonio.
Walker and Santillan organized the ride after a recent City Council vote to reroute the bike lane away from South Flores.
The city put nearly $1 million into the bike route in April 2013, but last week the City Council voted 10-1 to eliminate and reroute the lanes, which city officials said will…

Tweets

With today's #houcouncil, #Houston may be powering down the path to more biking. @StreetsblogUSA @BikeLeague http://t.co/L5pEzyp9NT

— Christopher Andrews (@chrisandrewsCDA) June 4, 2014

Road cycling in Texas Heat… Key to success put more than 3 ice cubes in the water bottle… Lol

— The Pepper Team – Keller Williams Realty Select (@thepepperteam) June 4, 2014

We made the front page of http://t.co/6stHBRR8zD …nice work Eric!

…oh …wait…doh! http://t.co/BzkvVjioDO

— Bat City Cycling (@batcity) June 5, 2014

And that wraps up the first night of races! Thanks for helping us bring back #MemorialParkCrit see you next week!

— Bike Barn (@BikeBarnTX) June 5, 2014

16 things to know about Houston's ride-sharing program http://t.co/NRYeEIZHMb

— Chron Breaking News (@ChronBreaking) June 5, 2014

Out riding in the 105° heat…
…not you usual suffer fest.#DamnHot

— Bike Hombre – STREETS ARE FOR PEOPLE (@sbwhite) June 4, 2014

The joy of riding to summer classes in Lubbock: 104 degrees #tripledigits #garmin #sram #toohot… http://t.co/mzQtgkBBt5

— Elias Valverde (@elias_valverde) June 4, 2014

potential limestone run up for @AustinCX15 cc @JohnProlly @TexasCX @BSS_Austin pic.twitter.com/RVcgIF7jrq

— Pete Webber (@webber_pete) June 4, 2014

Great! Look fwd to hosting @USACycling RT @cadencesports: CX Nats site surveys all week at beautiful Zilker Park #ATX pic.twitter.com/PQZCecpcUL

— Austin Texas (@VisitAustinTX) June 4, 2014

'If we go like this they'll suffer more' #cxnats @usacycling pic.twitter.com/V6ouTAgmQ1

— AustinCX15 (@AustinCX15) June 4, 2014

Little lonely church in Joppa Texas, from last Saturday's #texas4000 atlas ride #seenonmybike… http://t.co/yoY7WcMwcb

— Laura Feeney (@lfeeney) June 4, 2014

https://twitter.com/Zamastil/status/474190979591725056

The Dirt Derby is doing a summer MTB/cross series (you can race on either kind of bike) on Tuesday in June. http://t.co/ly8da86jRz

— 787 Racing (@787racing) June 4, 2014

Event Reminder

2 Day Alert: ATRA: Friday Night Omnium Series – Houston, TX, Jun 06, 2014 07:00PM – Alkek Velodrome, Saums Road, Houston, TX, United Sta

— Rick Ankrum (@texbiker) June 5, 2014