Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for July 23rd
Bike Rental vs. Car Rental
Arnold Kling         econlog.econlib.org
Why is that you can rent a car for less than $20 a day, but renting a bike costs $10 an hour?
I don’t think it’s the case that the bicycle rental business is spectacularly profitable, with major barriers to entry. So here are some possibilities.
1. Labor costs are a much higher percentage of cost in a bike rental business. Suppose that it takes 15 minutes of labor time to deal with either a car customer or bike customer. Call that a $4 labor cost per customer. If the car customer keeps the car for 3 days and the bike customer keeps the car for 2 hours, then even at the numbers that Russ poses you get $60 from the car customer and $20 from the bike customer. Per dollar of revenue, labor costs are three…
2012 Hotter’N Hell Hundred Update
Route Changes: We have a completely new route for the 100 mile Ride that will finish through Sheppard Air Force Base and some minor changes to the 100k & 50 mile routes. Route maps are posted on the website: www.hh100.org .
Hell’s Gate: After reviewing the new 100-mile route for the August 25, 2012 Hotter’N Hell, members of the HHH steering committee have decided Hell’s Gate is not a workable option on the new route. As a result, riders choosing to ride 100 miles will not have a Hell’s Gate (62 miles from the start) to reach this year by 1:30 p.m. or be diverted to a bailout route. Because there is no safety valve, it is key this year that cyclists train for the distance they want to ride and then ride the route for which they trained. …
To the roadie doing time trials or whatever Lost Creek Blvd, Austin Tx this morning..
by Don in Austin         www.bikeforums.net
You do NOT own the road.
You are not superior to us ordinary folks just because of the group of possibly elite riders you are in.
Don’t put out your hand and signal us to stop because you want to make a u-turn in front of us and then look all pissed off because we didn’t.
We are both over 60 years old and doing pretty good, but maybe we would like not to throw away our hard-earned momentum at the bottom of the hill, but use it to take us a little ways up the next one. Courtesy would be to stop and wait until its clear before making a…
Katy Flat Lands Ride July 22, 2012
by 10 Wheels      www.bikeforums.net
2550 riders, Overcast Sky. Got in 63 miles.
http://s256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/Katy%20FLS%20Bike%20Ride%202012/?albumview=slideshow
Fort Worth’s The T getting $1M in federal funds to kick-start bike share program
By: MICHAEL LINDENBERGERÂ Â Â Â Â Â www.wheelbrothers.com
The Obama Administration has awarded The T in Fort Worth about $1 million to build a bike-share program. I couldn’t be more jealous.
Here’s how the U.S. Department of Transportation described the grant, announced this morning by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on his blog: “To further improve mobility and connectivity between popular destinations, the Fort Worth Transportation Authority will implement the Fort Worth Livability Bike Sharing Program. Bike stations will be placed in areas that have dense neighborhoods with high activity and access to a…
CapMetro MetroBike shelter to open Aug. 6
By Pam LeBlanc         Fit City
Need a place to stash your bike while you ride the train?
The first MetroBike shelter will open Aug. 6 at the Kramer Station, near the corner of Kramer and Braker Lanes. Online registration for the shelter will be available starting Tuesday here.
Think of it as a secure little hotel for your two-wheeled rig. The fully enclosed shelter holds up to 24 bikes. Access is by card key only, and there’s 24-hour camera surveillance. The structure is outfitted with a work bench for…
Dedication to the sport
by Mark Magnan         www.beltonjournal.com
Members of the WOW bicycle club get ready to take off on their 30-mile ride recently. The group is made up of women who are enthusiastic about riding bicycles.Ladies, what do you do on a Sunday morning if your husband is off fishing or golfing? Well you go for a bike ride of course.
Specifically a “WOW” bicycle ride. The “WOW” standing for Women On Wheels. Each Sunday morning a group assembles at the corner of FM 439 and Sparta Road just…
CHS teacher makes 1,500-mile ride from Texas to Iowa
By Katie Dahlstrom Herald Staff Writer      clintonherald.com
CLINTON — Kellen Schneeberger of Clinton rides his bicycle downhill, in the rain, on an unfamiliar Texas road.
As he and his fellow riders push on, a recreational vehicle trailer blasts by, nearly throwing the three into a bridge.
Slightly shaken, they keep going — at that point they were only in the first 50 miles of what would be a nearly 1,500-mile trip from Texas to Iowa, and now across the state…
North Texas Bike Lanes Going ‘Green’ For Safety
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – The City of Fort Worth is hoping a little paint will make bicyclists safer in their city. The city is painting bike lanes green. The green-color will highlight areas where vehicle lanes and bike lanes cross.
City leaders say the green-colored lanes are meant to alert drivers to yield to those on bikes.
The bike lane at 12th Street and Commerce will be the first in North Texas to have the…
Lots of progress organizing the shop tonight! But we must ask you, what kind of #bike tools would you like to see at qcbs #denton?
— Querencia Bike Shop (@QuerenciaDenton) July 24, 2012
Sorry about the chain. 🙁
Cool video though, you really took a lot of time to (@YouTube http://t.co/lsztvwAH)
— Texas MTB Trails (@TexasMTBtrails) July 23, 2012
I liked a @YouTube video http://t.co/TScwKmcc Memorial Park Trail – Sugarland, Texas July 8, 2012
— Texas MTB Trails (@TexasMTBtrails) July 23, 2012
Good Monday morning, Austin. As seen on Lady Bird Lake before work. Enjoy your day. pic.twitter.com/EY6dbgLy
— Bicycle Sport Shop (@BSS_Austin) July 23, 2012
Capital Metro is excited to announce that starting tomorrow you can signup for one year of MetroBike shelter… http://t.co/RkRgAvJI
— CyclingATX (@CyclingATX) July 23, 2012
If you or someone you know has been in a bicycle accident in Austin, Tx, please contact us. We can help! http://t.co/C9UwglYd
— BE KIND to Cyclists (@bkindtocyclists) July 23, 2012
RT @ellyblue
Sweet! Bike-sharing comes to Fort Worth, TX http://t.co/NKR7rw4a via @fortworthology— BE KIND to Cyclists (@bkindtocyclists) July 23, 2012
Michael shot this video on his 4th ever road ride–the Tres Burritos Go the Distance Ride! Thanks for sharing, Michael! http://t.co/J1SadY6R
— Bicycle Sport Shop (@BSS_Austin) July 23, 2012
Have you registered for the Tour de Pink yet? Be sure to join Team Bike Barn and you'll get a very cool very PINK jersey!…
— Bike Barn (@BikeBarnTX) July 23, 2012
News Update: Urban Cycling Book to be Released – City Cycling, a new book by about cycling trends and policies in ur… http://t.co/wzT4ChEF
— BikeTexas (@BikeTexas) July 23, 2012
It's the FINAL Short Track Stampede of the season! Join us this Saturday at Flintridge at the George Mitchell… http://t.co/fnWILNra
— GHORBA (@ghorba_org) July 23, 2012