Repair a Ruptured Hydration Bladder with a Vacuum Sealer [Clever Uses]
via Lifehacker by David Galloway

If you do a lot of outdoor activities you may use hydration bladders or soft canteens made by Camelback, Nalgene, Platypus, and other brands. They’re great for carrying water, but if the plastic gets punctured you were out of luck until a clever person figured out you can repair damage by sealing the bladder with a food vacuum sealer. …

Houston Bicycle Club Rides

Vanessa’s Birthday Ride on Leon Creek Greenway
Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club
Start:    March 25, 2012 9:30 am
End:    March 25, 2012 11:30 am
Venue:    Valero Trailhead
Sunday, March 25th: Ride begins at 9:30 at the Valero Trailhead across from the Drury Inn Suites.  This is a 24 mile ride on a protected and shaded trail from the Valero trailhead to the Ingram Park trailhead and back.  An very good ride for beginners since you can turn back at any point and there is no traffic.  So come join us and help Vanessa celebrate her birthday.  The festivities will continue after the ride at Jim’s Restaurant at 11006 IH 10.  Directions: Exit IH 10 on the Frontage Road.  The parking area is adjacent to the Drury Inn parking lot. For more information contact ride leader Vanessa Leal…

The City of Allen Rolls Out New Bike Routes and Shared Lane Markings
by marc            Bike DFW
The City of Allen is one of the first in North Texas to install shared lane markings (sharrows) on city streets. These pavement markings are designed to help cyclists and motorists identify streets that are part of the city’s new bike route system.

From the city’s web site:
“Allen residents may have noticed new bike route markings (“sharrows” or “share the lane”) being implemented on some of the unmarked bike routes through our community. This project is a three-year initiative to mark select on-street bike routes throughout the city. These markings are intended to enhance…

SXSW does the social ride: Bike Hugger hosts two big this weekend
by CultureMap Austin
The Bike Hugger blog publisher from Seattle (who only goes by his last name, Byron), was organizing his sixth annual SXSW social bicycle ride — one of two that Bike Hugger is hosting this weekend. Last year, the ride was “magical,” Byron said …