Texas Bicycling News – April 21, 2023
Dallas begins building The Loop’s Hi Line Connector trail despite contractor’s lawsuit
By Sharon Grigsby | www.dallasnews.com
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No reporter’s task is less glamorous, or more mind-numbing, than sifting through the dozens of meeting agendas that City Hall posts each week.
Every so often I strike gold — this time thanks to a curious park board item that required only a drive to the Design District to confirm.
With no fanfare or groundbreaking photo op, construction has begun on The Loop Dallas’ Hi Line Connector.
The mile-long trail, a critical segment in the heart of Dallas that will close a hole in the overall 50-mile bike-and-hike circuit, had been held hostage by litigation for almost a year. …
Texas Hill Country
By Mary Buchwalder | www.crazyguyonabike.com
Day 8 Final day riding: Keep ‘er movin’
Thursday April 20, 2023, 45 miles (72 km) – Total so far: 302 miles (486 km) As I poured (squeezed?) my first foam cup of coffee in the hotel breakfast area, the local meteorologist appeared on tv. Today’s predicted radar views showed thundershowers as early as 11 am, with big swaths rolling through at 3, 8, and 1 am. 87% chance by early afternoon. And the “severe weather index” showed slight risk for tornado, low to moderate risk for 1-2” hail, and moderate risk of 50-70 mph (!!) winds. Eww.
We were up early and already packed up, as last night’s WeatherUnderground prediction suggested thunderstorms starting around 1 pm. Now it sounds like we have two fewer hours to avoid potentially serious weather. Can we get to our Austin hotel ahead of it? What will the roads be like today? Will there be cattle guards? Dips that have water flowing over? Accessible porches or barns for shelter if thunder, lightning, hail or 70 mph winds? Headwind or tailwind?
Ok, it’s supposed to be less hilly with …
Epilogue: And a few more random thoughts
Thursday April 20, 2023, 45 miles (72 km) – Total so far: 302 miles (486 km) Epilogue:
Wonderful. Beautiful. Challenging. Hard work. Calming. Stressful. Delightful. Dangerous. All those described aspects of our tour. Would we do it again? Well, we have other roads to explore. But yes, modified. We found no great joy in riding in and nearby Austin. Don’t get me wrong. Austin is a cool city, and we enjoyed exploring it by car. But bicycling to leave and return was marred by the density of vehicles, including many large trucks (who all were careful to pass us wide, but still not part of a pleasant ride). If we would ride the Texas Hill Country again, I would have a start/finish further away from suburbia, probably Fredericksburg. Or stay in Fredericksburg and do day rides, or couple day routes, returning there as a base camp. Well, actually motel.
The ride overall was a delight. The countryside, the riotous colors of wildflowers, the various animals (cute and fuzzy, domestic, as well as the icky), and the hills were beautiful. Challenging, yes. And beautiful. …
City of Midland, Odessa plan new 19-mile ‘Wildcatter Trail’
by: Zachary Bordner | www.yourbasin.com
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- City leaders from Midland and Odessa, as well as officials from UTPB, met to discuss a proposed Multi-purpose Corridor and Trail.
The new bicycle/pedestrian corridor would link the two cities by connecting Loop 338 and University to the Scharbauer Sports Complex.
The two cities will be hosting a joint special event, to learn about this new trail, on May 4th from 6pm to 8pm. The event will be held at 105 N. Main St. in Midland.
More information about the corridor and event can be found on the Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Association’s website.
Video: ‘Every moment counts’: Heart disease survivor shares how cycling saved his life
By Caroline Vandergriff | www.cbsnews.com
FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTexas.com) — A North Texas man is on a mission to inspire others to get active after a blocked artery almost killed him.
"My doctor told me point blank, ‘If you were sedentary, you could be dead because the vein that pumps the blood would have been clogged and you would have just keeled over,’" Fort Worth resident Shawn Tubre recalled. "’But because you exercise, your heart had figured out a way to keep pumping the blood.’"
Tubre’s love for cycling began when he was a kid, and he credits his favorite hobby with saving his life. He was training for a 105-mile event in 2019 when he noticed some abnormalities on his heart rate monitor.
"So to be safe, because this was the biggest ride I was …
New Loop Dallas Spine Trail and adjacent mountain-bike plan: Stopping crime through design
By Sharon Grigsby | www.dallasnews.com
As the city tries to address safety on its hike-and-bike network, here’s a model worth following
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Building an exceptional hike-and-bike network — a task Dallas is well on the way to accomplishing — is only half the challenge.
Once those trails are built, people must feel safe using them. Otherwise, they may never give these recreational assets and transportation alternatives a second chance.
That’s why I’ve devoted several recent columns to where the city’s trail network — despite huge financial investments — comes up short.
In some cases, the culprit is criminal activity or illegal dumping; other times, the problem is homeless encampments or dangerous design flaws. …
Fort Worth’s bike lanes lead to nowhere. Here’s what the city has planned for cyclists
Harrison Mantas | news.yahoo.com
On a hot Monday afternoon, the newly protected bike lanes along Fort Worth’s West Seventh Street sit mostly unused.
A cyclist laden with saddle bags and a woman on a racing bicycle dart down the lanes that are otherwise occupied by dead leaves after a recent rain.
Though completed in December 2022, some of the lane markings are chipping like dead skin on a poorly moisturized hand.
Fort Worth taxpayers spent $8.5 million for road improvements on this stretch of West Seventh Street between University Drive and the Trinity River.
The roughly seven block stretch uses …
Video: Aggieland Outfitters celebrates the Bike MS journey to Aggie Park
By Amy Licerio | www.kbtx.com
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Aggieland Outfitters has partnered up with the cycling series MS-150 for this year’s ride.
Blake Bodin with Aggieland Outfitters says they are gearing up for the MS-150 bike ride that’s happening next weekend. Aggieland Outfitters is a title sponsor of this bike ride.
“Partnering with the MS Society has truly been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, especially for not only myself, but for Aggieland Outfitters,” says Bodin. …
Southern Tier CoMotion
By Keith Misegades | www.crazyguyonabike.com
Hills easy today: Kerrville to Lost Maples Campground
Friday April 21, 2023, 53 miles (85 km) – Total so far: 1,721 miles (2,770 km) Today was a great day on the bike. My mental health is much better and I was glad to be riding despite knowing I had more hills, but they didn’t seem that hard. I guess that I have finally found my climbing legs. It took a few more days than I would have liked, but that’s life. I was on lightly travelled roads all day except for the first 12 miles it took me to get out of Kerrville and Ingram. For one 20 mile section I had a vehicle pass me about every 15 miles. Nice…
The roads I am riding are known as the Twisted Sisters accoring to the motorcycle groups. I thought that I had made a bad mistake riding these roads today, but I only had a couple motorcycle groups go by me today. I did have a group of high performance cars (Mercedes sports, Ferrari, and Corvette) go by as well as come muscle cars. They were all nice and a few gave me a thumbs up. I had a few hills in tthe 8-10% range, but the majority were about …
Texas Biking from Twitter
Bikes are pretty big around here.#rideyourbike pic.twitter.com/8S6oIeN7nO
— mellowjohnnys (@mellowjohnnys) April 21, 2023
It's officially 10 days until Bike Month begins! Join us for the upcoming Bikes & Brews: SunCycle Cinco De Mayo Ride and Sweet Wheels: SunCycle Ice Cream Bike Ride!
— Sun Cycle (@SunCycleEP) April 21, 2023
Reserve your spot today:https://t.co/9KFOq1Z6fA pic.twitter.com/Ak8H5lM9Yc
Do you want to ride more but are concerned about safety? Sign up for an April 29th class through @dentonparks about how to stay safer while riding.
— Bike Denton (@bikedenton) April 21, 2023
More info: https://t.co/8N1kKEcHyj pic.twitter.com/J5o1B7iUpU
New Loop Dallas Spine Trail and adjacent mountain-bike plan: Stopping crime through design | @SharonFGrigsby https://t.co/XBpiUJGLOL
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) April 21, 2023
Construction has begun on a 2.9-mile urban trail section connecting Austin's trail network to Manor. Ultimately, the Austin to Manor Trail will be 5.5 miles long, connecting the Southern Walnut Creek Trail system to Manor. #urbantrail https://t.co/ku7Cu4A2TT. pic.twitter.com/QvNeFPNcWV
— Austin Sierra Club (@SierraClubATX) April 21, 2023