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Home→Bicycling News→Texas Bicycling News April 19th 2017

Texas Bicycling News April 19th 2017

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CCPD officer riding in Memorial Bike Trek

KIII STAFF | www.kiiitv.com

CORPUS CHRISTI (KIII NEWS) – A special statewide bike trek is being held to pay respect to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty, and a Corpus Christi police officers is taking part.
It’s called the Texas Police Memorial Bike Trek. Among the …

Officers bicycling the country stop in Austin to pay respects

Jason Puckett | www.kvue.com

AUSTIN – The ride from Corpus Christi to Austin may seem like a long journey – especially on a bicycle. But that’s what four of the members of the “We Remember Memorial Bike Trek” did Tuesday before participating in a memorial in downtown Austin. …

The Texas Hill Country

By Bryan Lorber | www.crazyguyonabike.com

Introduction
I have never been to Texas with the exception of a long drive as a teenage with my parents through the panhandle and a plane change in Houston. As a bicycle tourist I had read that the area south of Austin toward San Antonio, known as the Hill Country, is beautiful and especially so in the spring when wildflowers bloom and the rolling, rural landscape of green allows for wonderful cycling. The low traffic back roads adds to the enjoyment.
I contacted my long time friend who I knew would enjoy this ride. He loves to cycle and we share a similar sense of adventure. Our last tour together was a fully supported ACA tour of the C&O / GAP trail from Washington, DC to Pittsburgh and we had a blast. This tour in Texas was the prefect match.

Day 1: New Braunfels: A short ride and orientation
Saturday April 1, 2017, 14 miles (23 km) – Total so far: 14 miles (23 km)
I arrived in this easily forgettable community on the edge of the interstate in the early morning after my good friend from Austin dropped me off at the Microtel Inn. I had just spent a pleasant three days at his lovely, historic home in the capital of Texas and was soon to reunite with my friend Cris who was flying in from DC. A few other members of the tour were already at the motel and it was easy to spot them in the common area with their cyclists caps, T-shirts, and animated discussion of previous cycling adventures. Since I was so early, my room wasn’t ready but Hugh, an older gentleman from Colorado, kindly offered me his room and his extra key so I could store my bike and kit.
I had hoped to take a ride around town but this is a car (more accurately, oversized pickup truck) centric community and even walking was a challenging since there are few sidewalks along the busy streets where this hotel is located. Three of us did mange a walk down to the river which was nice and then found our way to a giant shopping plaza where we had a …

Day 2: Lazy L&L RV Park to Pedernales Falls State Park: A thunderstorm from Hell and the kindness of strangers
Sunday April 2, 2017, 51 miles (82 km) – Total so far: 65 miles (105 km)
The shuttle picked us up bright and early. Luggage would be fetched later by the luggage truck. A reasonably good breakfast was served at the campground by our catering food truck. Scrambled eggs, meat, homefries, fruit, hot and cold cereals, etc. This would be the daily standard, not much variety.
I had slept poorly, anxious about the weather, and when we arrived back at the camp site in darkness the air was so dense with moisture that droplets formed on everything. As the morning light rose you could see clouds hanging low over head. The atmosphere was charged and ready to explode.
We began to ride following the route north on a variety of roads . Traffic varied but was generally light. The road surface was good. At one stoplight near the town of Sattler, the passenger side window of a waiting truck came down and woman said, ” There’s a big storm coming with tornado warning!” We thanked her and continued on for several more miles before seeing a real “good old boy” (boots, ten gallon hat, and belly) get out of his truck and wave us down. “There’s a big storm coming with …

Day 3: Perdernales Falls State Park to Jellystone Park Camp Resort: Lyndon B. Johnson and the Texas wine country
Monday April 3, 2017, 50 miles (80 km) – Total so far: 115 miles (185 km)
The shuttle picked us up at 6:30am which was a nice change from 6 the previous morning. It was 50 degrees, so cool enough to wear some layers for breakfast. The morning sky was bright and fine with Venus in full phase and Jupiter, I think, nearby. A number of people had shuttled their bikes to the hotel the night before to avoid the climb up and out of the camp site but we decided to just leave our bikes in camp. As it turned out, the ride up from the river valley was a wonderful way to start the day. Hilly, yes, but so pleasant in the cool, sunny morning light. The air was still and there was no traffic. The landscape was peretty with long vistas. The Pedernales River was …

Day 4: Rest Day: Fredericksburg and terrible barbecue
Tuesday April 4, 2017
Another lovely day with a cool morning and sunny afternoon. The shade is nice but the sun is hot. This is a rest day with several riding options but we decided to take it easy and shuttle into town. The wind was strong so we were glad not to be riding west in this. Some riders did cycle into town via backroads but then enjoyed a monster tail wind returning to camp. The main highway into Fredericksburg is very …

Day 5: Jellystone Park Camp Resort to Oakwood RV Resort: The longest and best ride of the tour
Wednesday April 5, 2017, 65 miles (105 km) – Total so far: 180 miles (290 km)
Another morning of crisp, cold air followed by a warm to hot day. Since this was a long day and there was a strong headwind for most of it, a number of riders opted to take the shuttle 17 mikes to Willow City, the location of our first water stop. Cris and I wanted to cycle since we were well rested from the day before and itching to get back on our bikes. As it turned out, the wind wasn’t too bad to start but became stronger as the day went on. Ultimately, the wind became my partner, what choice did I have? After all was said and done, the lovely landscape made it well worth it the effort.
As we headed north, the Willow City Loop was noteworthy for its spectacular scenery, limestone outcroppings and wildflowers. The roads are narrow and rural and there should be low traffic but due to the wildflower season there are a lot of city folks and others who drive slowly, or not, and come to frequent stops to photograph, stare or otherwise enjoy the …

Day 6: Fredericksburg to Blanco: LBJ Ranch and the Texas Whitehouse
Thursday April 6, 2017, 40 miles (64 km) – Total so far: 220 miles (354 km)
Today was a short day but with the bonus of visiting the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park, sight of the LBJ Ranch and the so-called Texas Whitehouse during his presidency. Lady Bird lived there until 2007 and now their home is open to the public. It has been restored to how it looked in 1968, a perfect time capsule which includes all the original furnishings, clothing, bathroom articles, etc. it was amazing! His presidential jet is parked in the hanger. It’s a small one used for the short flight to larger airport from which he flew back and forth to Washington. There is also a garage with his luxury Lincoln Continentals and a very cool amphibious car. Also a …

Day 7: Blanco to The Lazy L&L RV Park, New Braunfels: The final day and concluding thoughts
Friday April 7, 2017, 48 miles (77 km) – Total so far: 268 miles (431 km)
Our final day was yet another perfect day with clear skies, a cool start and pleasantly warm with no humidity. There were some good climbs and the wind wasn’t too bad. The highlight was two highwater crossings where the river flowed over the road. We had been warned not to ride across because of the slick algae but Cris boldly crossed and what else could I do but follow? Fortunately we made it through without mishap and our fenders, the only two bikes on this tour to have them, kept us and our kit nice and dry. The rest of the ride went by quickly and we arrived back at the Lazy L&L in New Braunfels in the early afternoon. It was nice to …

Ironman Triathlon Brings Visitors, Traffic Headaches To The Woodlands This Weekend

By Bryan Kirk | patch.com


THE WOODLANDS, TX — The Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas North American Championship is set to get underway in The Woodlands on Saturday, which means lots of visitors, traffic delays in and around the area.
Motorists will experience lane closures and traffic …

Supplier bike shipments fall 15 percent over first quarter

by BRAIN Staff | www.bicycleretailer.com

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Suppliers selling e-bikes saw an increase in business over the first quarter as shipments grew 88 percent, but that is about the only good news in Q1. Suppliers shipped 80,303 fewer bikes to shops through March, a loss of $32.6 million in business, according to a …

Florida Bound

By Charles Brun | www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 35: La Grange to Navisota Texas
Tuesday April 18, 2017, 69 miles (111 km) – Total so far: 1,892 miles (3,045 km)
Today turned out to be a good riding day despite the light rain and I did not hear thunder all day.
I was up at 6 am and on the road by 7:45 am. I stopped to buy fruit and bagels early in ride as I knew that there would no services for the entire ride.
As I entered the towns of Oldenburg, Warrenton, and Round Top I saw many signs for antique shows. It turns out this area is nationally known for antique shows in the spring and fall. People come from all over the country along with antique dealers to attend these shows.
The countryside I saw today was oak savannah. There were large pastures, and …

University Blvd. Reconstruction

BikeHouston | bikehouston.org


University Blvd is being rebuilt and the City of Houston is taking public comment on the proposed street design until this Friday, April 21st.
If you travel through the University Blvd area, then you …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/bicyclesplus/status/854719837179924481

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