USA Cycling awards cyclo-cross nationals venues
By:     Neil Browne            www.cyclingnews.com
Boulder, Austin and Asheville get one year each
USA Cycling announced today the host cities of future cyclo-cross national championships, awarding one year each to Boulder, Colorado, to Austin, Texas and to Asheville, North Carolina for 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Due to the high quality of bids each city will host the national championships for just one year instead of the proposed two year contract. In a press release USA Cycling’s Managing Director of National Events Micah Rice explained why each…

Team McAllen Cycling Individual Time Trial series (revised)
Team McAllen Cycling’s individual time trials are back!  Join us this March 4th to test your speed!
Place: Milo Ponce Park, located 2 miles east of US 281 (Love’s Truck Stop exit North of Edinburg)
Time: 7:00 AM to register, first rider out at 8:00 AM
Cost: Free to TMC members, $10.00 to non-members

It’s My Park! Day @ Shoal Creek
Saturday, March 3, 2012 – 09:00 – 14:00
SHOAL CREEK Trail Day
Shoal Creek Between West & 5th
393 West Avenue
Austin Ridge Riders & Social Cycling Austin
The dynamic duo of Brooks and Charlie will be leading the group that will ride to Shoal Creek to make improvements to the trail between West Ave. and 5th, moving dirt, clearing over growth and picking up trash.

TTAT Conference: Highlights from Texas’ main event for walking and biking
www.biketexas.org
TTAT-Professionals and advocates that create, promote, and use active transportation (i.e. walking, biking, transit, etc.) convened at the Texas Trails and Active Transportation Conference in San Antonio from February 1 to 3, 2012. They shared ideas and momentum to make Texas a great place to walk and bike. Building upon the success of the first TTAT Conference held in Austin in 2010, well over two hundred…

Ride to the Waterfall!
Lone Star Cyclists
Pace: Touring (with a Self Guided Fast Option)
Date: Saturday, March 3, 2012 – 9:00am to 12:30pm
Location: 3150 S Hulen St, Fort Worth (NW corner of Hulen and Bellaire)
Join Denise and Lois as we ride Fort Worth’s Trinity Trails to the waterfall park, and for those riding the longer route, around Benbrook Lake. And, yes, of course there will be a stop at the coffee shop. There will be a mostly flat, shorter route of 30 miles and a longer, slightly hillier route of 60. If you’re riding the long route, bring $1 for the Lake entrance fee. Park in the southeastern part of the Tom Thumb lot at the northwest corner of Hulen and Bellaire.

Last Post of the Old Era
by Steve A            DFW Point-to-Point
I’m going to go in a little different direction. If you happen to be my loyal reader, don’t despair. I don’t think this blog is actually going to GO AWAY in the near future. However, a little clarity has entered my life and I’ll unveil it soon. For the moment, I’ll dispense a little wisdom in the way I’ve been accustomed to do.

Dear, Departed Eugene Sloane
Today, I want to rant a little about the pure ignorance of traffic engineers where people that ride bikes are concerned. I’ll start with a blast to the past. Specifically, Eugene Sloane’s classic book on bicycling. In it, amongst other things, he ranted against drain grates that trapped cyclists. My own edition (actually, my wonderful wife’s book) was published back in 1969. For those of you that are math challenged, 1969 was the year we…

Beauty and the Beast Bicycle Tour set for March 24
www.tricountyleader.com
Tyler’s Beauty and the Beast Bicycle Tour will mark the 24th anniversary with the March 24 event.
This year the proceeds benefit the Texas Wounded Warrior.

The mission of the Texas Wounded Warrior is to raise awareness, honor, and empower the wounded armed service members returning from combat. The group provides basic essentials and needed funds to defray cost of living, ensuring these Great Americans hospitalized with combat injuries, and their families’ needs are met, …

Estimated 13K cyclists to compete in 28th annual BP MS 150
by Timothy Petropoulos         www.ultimatekaty.com
An estimated 13,000 cyclists will ride in the 28th annual BP MS 150, a two-day, 180-mile trek from Houston to Austin, to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society on April 21 and April 22.

As the largest fundraising bike ride in Texas, the BP MS 150, along with volunteers and supporters, have raised $140 million for multiple sclerosis research that has helped 56,000 Texans affected by…

Race Across America president says Marble Falls ideal spot for cycling competition  
By Jennifer Fierro • Tribune Staff
MARBLE FALLS — When Fred Boethling first started cycling, he visited Marble Falls and saw what he described as an ideal training ground because of the town’s proximity to Austin and the winding roads through the hills.

So when it was time for his Race Across America to begin a new season, the president and CEO knew the ideal starting…

Olympic preparations get underway in Mellow Johnny’s Classic
First UCI points of the season for US mountain bikers
By:  Dave McElwaine            www.cyclingnews.com
North America’s top mountain biking talent will descend upon Flat Creek Crossing Ranch this weekend with guns blazing for round one of USA Cycling’s US Pro XCT series. The ranch is a new venue for the race, which had previously been held on Lance Armstrong’s Juan Pelota Ranch. With a UCI-1 designation, it will be the first critical race of the year for individuals named to the USA Olympic Team long list.

Searing heat and oppressive humidity have seriously marred the past two Mellow Johnny’s races. Racers wore ice vests not only to the starting line, but also sometimes during the race itself. To beat the heat, the race has been re-scheduled each…

Mountain Biking Denton’s 380 Greenbelt
By Shawn            Texas Mountain Bike Trails
The 380 Greenbelt is a very selectively useful trail. If the DFW mountain bike trails were a swiss army knife this would be that one tool that you never use until one day when the light bulb goes off and you say “oh, thats what this is for”.

This trail is great for rainy seasons because it is made of crushed limestone that drains extremely well. When the other trails in the area are closed, this trail is almost sure to be open and will give you a great day of pedal mashing. You will get a very different type of workout than your typical mountain bike trail. Instead of the occasional downhill…

Mountain Biking in Frisco, Our own Trail Coming Soon
by sooner1                Shawnee Trail Cycling Club

For those that don’t know, Shawnee Trail Cycling Club is in a joint effort with the City of Frisco, Crest/RBM Cycling and Dorba to develop a Mountain Bike course inside the City of Frisco.  While efforts are proceeding to secure land and get the appropriate agreements in place for trail construction, the Frisco clubs have been proactive in the education of our members in the art of trail building.  Shawnee Trail Cycling Club sent three representatives to the recent Lone Star Trail Building School, hosted by IMBA and Dorba, to learn the “right” way…