Texas Biking News September 16th 2020
WF City Council approves 4B Board project funding
By Mason Brighton | www.newschannel6now.com
WICHITA FALLS, Texas (TNN) – At the Wichita Falls City Council meeting Tuesday, many 4B Board projects were approved.
The 2020-21 budget got the final go ahead from council. Amendments to that budget to allocate money to certain projects were passed. …
… $100,000 will be set aside to fund the creation of bike lanes on streets across the country. Midwestern Parkway, Call Field Road, and Fairway Boulevard will be the first to get the lanes. Construction is set to begin in the spring. …
Texas Cyclists Are Discovering the Joys of Gravel Grinding
BY PAM LEBLANC | www.texasmonthly.com
Why many are exchanging paved roads and traffic for rural routes and breathtaking scenery.
A million years ago, otherwise known as early March—when the prospect of hopping on a bicycle didn’t require a plan for disinfectant and social distancing—I drove to Palmetto State Park, near Gonzales, with my husband and a friend. We paid our entrance fee, parked the car, and climbed onto our bikes, pedaling south of the park on FM 2091 for a mile before turning onto a network of gravel roads. We rolled past chicken farms, fields of wildflowers, and barking dogs. We chugged north over a rusty …
Welcome to TxDOT’s ‘Bike There Anywhere’ campaign.
TxDOT | runsignup.com
Whether you’re an avid cyclist, seasonal biker or it’s been since elementary school days when you went for a spin, we encourage to dust off that bike, grab a helmet and head out to the great outdoors for a wonderful biking experience. Oh you just might earn a small swag item.
Event Dates: September 21 – October 4, 2020
Goal: Use your bike at least 4 times during these 2 weeks to qualify for a small wellness item.
What qualifies: Riding your bike and logging four biking events sometime between September 21- October 4.
What do I get out the Bike There Anywhere program?
Overall better physical well being Stronger heart and legs Observe the outdoors in an up and close personal way Bike swag if you reach the goal Revisit a childhood activity that can make you smile
Tour de Texas, Week 2: Riding Behind the Pine Curtain
BY AARON CHAMBERLAIN | www.texasmonthly.com
I cycled nearly 400 miles across East Texas this week, enjoying the kindness of strangers along the way.
If I quit now, I’d have made it a quarter of my trip around the state of Texas, 782 miles. That’s pretty good, but there is no way I can quit now. I have so much more to see. While spending this past week in East Texas, I must’ve passed about five million pine trees—and I appreciated every single one. The only thing I found nicer than the trees in East Texas were the people I met along the way, especially those who reached out to …
Five Great Gravel Grinding Routes in Texas
BY PAM LEBLANC | www.texasmonthly.com
All across Texas, more cyclists are turning to the more laid-back category of “gravel grinding,†which gets them off of paved streets—and away from a lot of fast-moving cars—and onto more serene rural routes. Texas has become a popular state for gravel grinding over the past few years. The Hill Country and the Red River Valley are especially scenic and offer many gravel routes, but gravel riding can be done almost …
Vintage rides in Texas
Brad L | www.bikeforums.net
I’ve created a Facebook Group called Texas VeloVintage so those here in Texas who wish to ride their vintage bikes can get together and do so.
This is a fairly new group so it’s still growing. The group covers the entire state, but I visualize moderators in the larger metro areas organizing vintage rides in their areas.
I’ve scheduled an inaugural casual vintage ride out of Waller, TX for October 3rd at 8am. Details are on the Texas VeloVintage group page.
I’m currently working with several people to get a larger, fully supported vintage ride going in the …
September 2020 News & Updates
Houston Bikeways Program
Bicycle Advisory Committee Meetings The remaining BAC meetings for 2020 are listed below. All meetings will take place from 2:30-4:30pm on Microsoft Teams.
September 23 - Education Subcommittee
October 21 - Full BAC Meeting
November 18 - Infrastructure Subcommittee
December 16 - Education Subcommittee
Moonlight Ramble Goes Virtual Registration for BikeHouston’s Moonlight Ramble is now live! A "virtual" group ride from October 24 to November 6 is planned. Participants may ride solo or in small groups. There will be two routes, 12-mile and 23-mile, both starting from Stude Park. Register before September 27 to receive a t-shirt!
Save the Date: Gulfton Pop-Up Bike Lane Event The Planning & Development Department will host a pop-up bike lane event on Saturday, October 31 in Gulfton. The Department is the recipient of the AARP Community Challenge Grant, which will support the creation of a Temporary Transportation Demonstration Toolkit, including demonstration bike lanes.
Bike Trails In Houston: Three Questionable Areas
By Phoebe Zipper | bikehouston.org
In Houston, the perpetually forward bound city, the instinct has often been build first, consider human consequences later. While the trails along Houston’s bayous offer one place for cyclists to ride without worrying about cars, unfortunately these trails are rarely seamless: punctuated by detours and construction, cyclists end up driven off the bayou and into city traffic. As the pandemic has led to more cyclists than ever along Houston’s bayou trails, here are three spots to be aware of where improvements in infrastructure can help improve bike paths:
White Oak Bayou
…