Texas Cycling News and Blog Digest April 18th
Local Leadership Students Prepare for 925 Mile Bike Journey
by Courtney Burris      www.bigcountryhomepage.com
After months of planning, the second Bike Ride Across Texas team is gearing up for a ride of their lives.
Director of Leadership Studies at Hardin Simmons University, Dr. Coleman Patterson, explains that biking across the state has been a dream of his for awhile. “Actually, I dreamed this up several years ago and actually presented it to students on the day that Michael Jackson died..it just took several years to get the right combination of people and time and opportunity”.
While a 925 mile bike ride does not seem like a dream for just everyone, this group of faculty and students have been hard and work planning and training physically for the 10 day journey. “Its a lot of work. Its a lot of prep work and then you actually get out there and go and do it and you work all the way through, and at the end its…
Heroes riding for heroes
www.weatherforddemocrat.com
United States Air Force Cycling Team taking part in Ride for Heroes event
The 12th annual Ride for Heroes bike ride this Saturday in Aledo will include some VIPs: members of the United States Air Force Cycling Team.
More than 20 members of the USAF cycling team are expected to arrive in North Texas today the day before Saturday’s ride, according to RFH board chair Dennis Thompson. Some team members are coming from as far away as San Antonio.
The cyclists are scheduled to meet with their sponsors, members of the Bush Legacy Republican Women of Weatherford, on the grounds of the…
EDITORIAL: Valley cyclists fatally hit
www.themonitor.com
For the third time in a month, a bicyclist has been struck and killed on an area road in a senseless tragedy that we, as a community, must do more to prevent.
Of course, with everything there is risk. We acknowledge that cycling can be dangerous. But early reports suggest the cyclist who was struck and killed Thursday morning was doing his part to make this sport as safe as possible.
Eddie Arguelles, 38, was riding with at least one other cyclist at about 4:30 a.m. Thursday — en route to a 5 a.m. group bicycle ride — when he was struck by a Ford pickup truck on the frontage road of Interstate 281 near Trenton Road in Edinburg.
Area governments have done an admirable job of accommodating bicyclists by providing miles of designated bike lanes. And local ordinances, particularly in Edinburg, provide for additional safety measures. In Edinburg, motorists must…
The Driveway Series – Thursday Night Bike Racing in Austin
stevetilford.com
I had the pleasure to make my way over to the The Driveway in East Austin to do the local Thursday night’r last night. But, it was way more than the average local weekday training criterium. It was a full on, super organized race on near perfect asphalt. It was a blast.
I have a hard time believing I’ve never done this race before. I’ve been down in Austin on Thursday nights a million times and, for the life of me, have no idea how I’ve not raced here before.
The Driveway is a local car race track that is hidden back in the woods East of Austin. I’m not really sure how long the track is, last night they just used a lower section. The track has a bit of rise, so it isn’t your everyday flat, boring racetrack criterium.
I met Stefan Rothe over at Mellow Johnny’s and did the 10 mile ride over to the course with him and a couple others. It started drizzling pretty good on the way, nearly raining and I was…
Biking Through Texas with BMC for a Great Cause
#### by Jana Thibodeaux      communities.bmc.com
I have a long tenure with BMC Software and have always been inspired by the culture of giving back. In my office, and locations across the globe, there are several fundraising events and volunteer opportunities throughout the year. These activities bring employees from all organizations together to make an impact on other people’s lives, and usually have a little fun. Last weekend I was fortunate enough to spend some time with 27 other BMCer’s from around the country for a 2-day charity bike ride.
The BMC Software cycling team ‘Bit by Byte’ participated in the BP MS150. This is a two-day fundraising ride organized by the National MS Society. The ride is approximately 180 miles, riding from Houston to Austin. I didn’t…
3 East Texas cyclists hit in last 8 days
BY KENNETH DEANÂ Â Â Â Â Â www.tylerpaper.com
Three cyclists have been hit in the past eight days on area highways, and authorities are cautioning motorists to be on the lookout for increasing numbers of bicyclists out enjoying the spring weather.
Steve Farris, president of the East Texas Triathletes, said his organization and sister organization of the Tyler Bicycle Club are urging members to be aware of their surroundings and use good judgment on area roads when cycling.
Farris said the first accident occurred in the Mt. Selman area when a motorcyclist turned in front of a female bicyclist.
“She went to the hospital as a result and it totaled her $10,000 bike, which I am hoping insurance will cover. The motorcyclist, who was cited, said he just didn’t think she was going that fast, but she was doing time trials on the shoulder and was doing about 30 mph when she hit him,” he said.
Farris said the second accident happened Tuesday night when…
J.T. CYCLING
www.brownsvilleherald.com
Have you heard about the new business in Brownsville whose main focus is on road bikes, mountain bikes or even spinning bikes? It’s J.T. CYCLING, and it’s here to stay! With a combined experience of over 60 years in riding, racing and the mechanics involved in bikes, they’ll show you the difference in them and guide you towards that specific bike that you need, not necessarily what you think you need..
Heard of spinning bikes, spinning bike classes and always wondered what they are or where you could go besides a gym? Stop by early in the mornings or late in the afternoon, and sign up for…
http://www.meetup.com/Katy-Bicycle-fun-riders/events/177994862/?a=me2_grp&rv=me2&_af_eid=177994862&_af=event
Ladies only on May 11: CycloFemme
BikeHouston
When: May 11, 2014 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: Happy Fatz
3510 White Oak Drive
Houston, TX 77007
Join us for a celebration of women and cycling at Houston’s second annual CycloFemme, a healthy and inspiring way to start your Mother’s Day.
Bring your friends, mothers, daughters and sisters. Bring the woman you want to inspire to ride. Last year’s inaugural event saw the participation of approximately 60 women from diverse cycling and social backgrounds. With so much positive momentum building around cycling in our city, we have much to celebrate (and do) this year.
We’ll enjoy a casual, conversational pace ride of approximately 12 miles through the scenic Heights and into downtown before returning to the Heights. We will have a rest stop at…
Meeting Scheduled with a member of TXDoT’s Bicycle Advisory Board
by Kelly Boucher      Tyler Bicycle Club
Billy Hibbs, a current member of TXDoT’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and fellow cyclist, is hosting a meeting at Heartland Secruity Insurance Group auditorium, one block north of the Chili’s on Loop 323 and across the street from Elite Bicycles. The adress is 501 Shelley Drive Tyler, Texas 75701. The meeting is schedule for Thursday, April 24 from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm in the evening. (The most convenient parking is by the flagpoles.) Mr. Hibbs will be presenting a slide show on the agenda from the first BAC meeting, which should be very interesting and enlightening to the membership of all concerned cyclists in East Texas. Please make plans to attend!
From Mr. Hibbs:
“The East Texas area has never had a voice on TxDOT’s Bicycle Advisory Committee, and as a result, our region has been left out of…
Three Guys in West Texas – “Tom’s Ride”
By Richard Cavin      www.crazyguyonabike.com
Day 1 – Clint, TX to Sierra Blanca, TX: First Full Day of Touring – Are we really Doing This?
Monday March 3, 2014, 75 miles (121 km) – Total so far: 100 miles (161 km)
Day 1 (first full day of riding) – Clint, TX to Sierra Blanca, TX – 73+ miles
Let’s be honest I was a bit worried about this day, although I did not say so.
Yeah I have climbed much more on other rides but never on a loaded touring bike. My bike weighs twice as much as my normal bike and when you throw in another 30 pounds of gear and food/water…you get what I mean. Let’s see an 18 pound carbon bike compared to 65 pound steel touring bike…plus mountains.
This is the day I found out what kind of riders Tom and Roy are. As previously mentioned Tom is an experienced touring cyclist. He has done the Transamerica route in the past, quite an achievement so I know he has what it takes for a tour. I’ve put a lot of miles on the bike in the 2+ years I’ve been riding but never on a touring bike. Roy is the real rookie, having less than 2 years on a bike and…
Twelve U.S. riders advance to finals at BMX World Cup
www.usacycling.org
Manchester, Great Britain (April 18, 2014) — The first round of this season’s UCI BMX Supercross World Cup got underway on Friday in Manchester with the time trial and moto qualifying rounds for Saturday’s Supercross finals.
The U.S. team qualified 12 riders for Saturday’s final sessions, including…
…Tanner Sebesta (Austin, Texas).
What not to do during a Marathon Race…
Texas Mountain Bike Trails
    This is the second of our two Austin Rattler recaps that we recieved. This time Christopher Robbins describes how to totally wreck your race day. It’s a fresh perspective from an athlete training for a different type of race. Enjoy the different perspective!
Two days before Austin Rattler rolled into town I was talking to my coach about the long ride I needed for the weekend and we decided why not just go out and roll the Austin Rattler 100K and get some time off the tri-bike. I said why not as I have really missed the dirt during this last build phase where I have been spending way too much time with Netflix and Red Box on the computrainer.
So here was my first mistake, ALWAYS…
Pull the plug on BicycleAustin.info?
by MichaelBluejay      bicycleaustin.info
Communication in the Austin bike community has always been pretty bad. Each group has traditionally done their own thing, without communicating very much with other groups. There’s been some improvement in recent years (notably from YBP), but it’s still far from ideal.
Back when I was actively trying to aggregate the news and events from different groups, I got almost no participation. I remember one time in front of Wheatsville when a Yellow Biker asked me, “Why didn’t you publicize [such and such event we had last weekend] in your newsletter?”, and my response was, “Because your telling me about it now, after the fact, is the first I heard about it.”
Fast-foward to the present, and now we have a forum where anyone can post their events, and have them automatically show up on the first page of the site to boot. But they don’t. I’ve invited YBP to post their newsletter (with their events) to the forum many times. They never have. I’ve invited the…
New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar
New Bike Event: The Greater Dallas 100 – Dallas, TX: When: Sun May 18, 2014 7am to 3:30pmÂ
CDTWhere: Belt Line… http://t.co/rhP89kOlgT— Rick Ankrum (@texbiker) April 18, 2014
Tweets
Pretty great to see #TXCX promoter and hard man @Koersvelo in @cyclocross mag. pic.twitter.com/3YiMKsAOSB
— the ghost of TexasCX (@TexasCX) April 19, 2014
https://twitter.com/BBQ44/status/457299007992102912
Charges filed for death of bicyclist in Edinburg http://t.co/Yidb3rcJ4c via @kgbt
— Daniel Cruz (@DCRUZ547) April 18, 2014
Help Build the Houston Bicycle Museum! http://t.co/GVwmhqeWhl
— GHORBA (@ghorba_org) April 18, 2014
My thoughts on riding the #BMPS150: Biking Through Texas w/ BMC for a Great Cause | BMC Social http://t.co/Mrjd5ufjY1 pic.twitter.com/I5bZCmqLyH
— Jana Thibodeaux (@JanaLThibs) April 17, 2014
Amber and Jess, two young women from Texas, are biking the entire ECG this summer to raise funds and awareness to… http://t.co/DXEtP33A6S
— East Coast Greenway (@ECGreenway) April 17, 2014
Red River Riot Notes and Details
Thanks for registering for the 2014 Red River Riot. Please read this message in… http://t.co/hhb8k4ziqd
— The Spinistry (@Spinistry) April 18, 2014
Mountain biking at Brazos Bend State Park this morning. The mud has turned the trails into… http://t.co/7gKURKcNxm
— Omar C. Garcia (@omarcgarcia) April 18, 2014
https://twitter.com/KonradJohnson/status/457055992174620673
Heading out on a Friday ride, thinking about Eddie. #fb
— Jeff C. (@331miles) April 18, 2014
Event Reminders
2 Day Alert: Matrix Challenge – Garland, TX, Apr 20, 2014 08:00AM – Curtis Culwell Center, Naaman Forest Boulevard, Garland, TX, United
— Rick Ankrum (@texbiker) April 18, 2014
2 Day Alert: Easter Hill Country Tour 2014 – Kerrville, TX, Apr 20, 2014 08:00AM – Kerrville, TX(CST) http://t.co/bp1eji5zZG
— Rick Ankrum (@texbiker) April 18, 2014