Texas Bicycling News – April 9, 2024

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I’m catching up on the news after being on a bike tour at Big Bend National Park

Everything is bigger in Texas: meet the group ride regularly attracting 800 cyclists

By Elizabeth Harroun | www.cyclingweekly.com

The Breakfast Club started as a few friends meeting up for a ride and breakfast

The anticipation builds all month. And when that Saturday approaches, and the Breakfast Club hosts their monthly supported group ride, Austin is awash with cyclists all headed to the same place.

Hundreds gather for the free pre-ride coffee and nutrition while police escorts stand at the ready to safely guide the swarm of riders through a predesignated route. The ride is fast but friendly — a monthly opportunity …

Blog: Tim & Fred Southern Tier 2024

By Tim D. | www.crazyguyonabike.com

Cross-country bike trip from Feb 24 to ??

#1: Southern Tier – Day 32,33,34 By Tim D. (Timdow) on Fri 29 Mar 2024 14:18 (US/Pacific) Reply Rating: (0) No posts the last two days due to bad cell coverage.

Day 34 Fri, Mar 29 A 48 mile ride today to Navasota, tx with about 1/4 of it into a 20 MPH headwind. The hills are diminishing, and according to Scott, a rider coming from FL otw to CA, we have one more day of hills after today. We will also be out of Texas in a few days.

Day 33 Very hilly 45 mile ride into an RV park in Carmine, tx. We took some very nice, low traffic roads near the end to avoid the “mile long antique sale” going on in La Grange, tx.

Day 32 A 50 mile ride today from Austin to Buescher State Park campground. There is a 10 mile ride through Bastrop and Buescher parks that is lovely… One of the best parts of the trip!

Tour de Houston annual bike ride welcomes hundreds to raise funds to reforest Houston parks

Author: Katiera WInfrey | www.khou.com

This time, the event is helping fund a plan to re-forest Houston parks.

HOUSTON — Downtown streets welcomed thousands of cyclists Sunday morning for the annual Tour de Houston ride. This time, the event is helping fund a plan to re-forest Houston parks.

The roads these bike riders traveled were paved with good intentions and Houston’s top leader, Mayor John Whitmire, helped send them on their way.

Houston crashes involving a bike and car surge in 2023, new data says

By Brooke Kushwaha | www.chron.com

Crashes involving a vehicle and a cyclist went up 21 percent in 2023, as bike safety in Houston continues to be a divisive topic.

As the city of Houston continues to debate the merits of bike-friendly infrastructure, crashes involving a car and a cyclist increased over 20 percent from 2022 to 2023, according to new data. …

Texas A&M Hosts US Paralympics Cycling On The Road To Paris Summer Games

By Lesley Henton | today.tamu.edu

More than a quarter of the athletes competing in Bryan were military veterans, many of whom suffered injuries during combat deployments.

The U.S. Paralympics Cycling Road Open brought more than 50 elite athletes from across the nation to compete at the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus this past weekend, hosted by Texas A&M University and the City of Bryan. The two-day competition was the selection event to qualify for the European leg of the 2024 UCI Para-Cycling World Cup season, eventually aiming to compete in the Paralympic Games in Paris this summer. …

A Healthier Spin on Fiesta

By Bonny Osterhage | www.sanantoniomag.com

Do’s and Don’ts to Power Pedal L’Etape San Antonio

Everything is bigger in Texas, including our parties. For 11 days in April, San Antonio will be home to one of the biggest celebrations in the country. Fiesta San Antonio kicks off Thursday, April 18, and will be filled with plenty of parades, parties, festivals and fairs.

With so many opportunities to eat, drink and be festive, your fitness routine can fall by the wayside. Thanks to San Antonio Sports, you can have your Fiesta and fitness, too. …

Texas Bicycling News – March 29, 2024

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Deaf Smith County Hospital District to host bicycle safety and health fair on May 15

by: Dailyn Wells | www.myhighplains.com

DEAF SMITH COUNTY, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with Deaf Smith County Hospital District announced it will host a bicycle safety and health fair event from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on May 15 at the Hereford Civic Center.

According to a Deaf Smith County Hospital District press release, this event aims to educate children more about bicycle safety and health using educational resources and activities. The release added that the event will be free to the public. …

Video: Longview City Council approves updated Parks and Recreation Master Plan

www.kltv.com

At Thursday night’s meeting, Longview City Council was presented and approved the updated Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan. “We’ve seen a large uptick in pickle ball requests. We’ve seen a large request for extended hiking and biking trails, as well as sidewalks.”

Video: Suspect charged in hit-and-run that killed bicyclist on far West Side in 2022

Rebecca Salinas | www.ksat.com

Kenneth Arthur Relitz, 34, charged with collision involving death SAN ANTONIO – A man was arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run in west Bexar County in September 2022.

Kenneth Arthur Relitz, 34, is charged with collision involving death, a second-degree felony.

The incident happened at 9:45 p.m. on Sept. 21, 2022, in the 9100 block of Culebra Road, near Arcadia Creek and Grissom Road.

San Antonio police said a …

DNA evidence finds suspect in 2022 fatal cyclist hit-and-run

foxsanantonio.com

SAN ANTONIO – A man has been arrested after DNA evidence found him guilty of a 2022 fatal collision that left one bicyclist dead.

Around 9:45 p.m. on Sept. 21, 2022, 33-year-old Geoffrey Shafer was riding his bicycle in the left lane of the road on the 9100 block of Culebra.

Shafer was fatally hit by a vehicle, which did not stop to help him.

A 2016 Volkswagon Golf vehicle with …

Trek TX CX MTB State Championship Series

www.tmbra.org

Overall series points

Barber Hills Hard Labor – Paris TX
Rocky Hill Roundup – Smithville TX
Bent Wheel Bash – Abilene TX
Cameron Park Blowout – Waco TX

Hill Country Bicycle Works 2023/24 Marathon State Championship Series

Overall 2023/24 Marathon standings

Palo Duro Marathon
The Hügelland Holiday Marathon
Chuck’s Big New Adventure
2024 Excruciation Exam | Quiz | Review
Miles of Discomfort

National Marrow Donor Program kicks off their nationwide cycling event

by: Jocelyn Flores | www.ktsm.com

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Raising funds one bike ride at a time.

The National Marrow Donor Program (now formally known as NMDP) is gearing up to start their six-ride tour across the U.S. to help raise funds for treatments for patients in need of a blood stem cell transplant.

According to NMDP, the first stop is in El Paso and then trekking across the state to Austin to get a glimpse of the solar eclipse. Riders then will get to tour through the wine country in Napa, California, bike up to Milwaukee and Chicago, coast through Boston and Pennsylvania and end the trail in Minneapolis.

In 2023, the NMDP foundation raised more than …

Crazy Guys On Bikes, Texas Bicycling News – March 28, 2024

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City to remove bike lane connector for Shoal Creek Trail

Olivia Dilley | thedailytexan.com

A bike lane connecting segments of a popular Austin trail will soon be replaced by a pedestrian-only path, relegating cyclists to share the street with vehicles.

The multipurpose 11-mile Shoal Creek Trail runs from Ladybird Lake to U.S. Route 183, said Laura Dierenfield, a division manager for the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department. Dierenfield said there are many improvement projects along the trail because of its length, such as the Shoal Creek Trail Connectivity Gaps project aiming to address three major gaps along the trail.

One of the gaps is on West 31st Street, following the road until it meets …

Gravel in the Afternoon

texasbiketours.com

Experienced Canadian cyclists asked for an interesting up to 50-mile gravel bike ride. Time constraint – one free afternoon in a conference week. Business associates. First time to cycle together. …

Blog: Tim & Fred Southern Tier 2024

By Tim D. | www.crazyguyonabike.com

Cross-country bike trip from Feb 24 to ??

#1: Southern Tier – Day 31 By Tim D. (Timdow) on Tue 26 Mar 2024 17:37 (US/Pacific) Reply Rating: (0) We finally made it to Austin today. Really nice bike paths in the city!

Very hilly today… Turns out that this was our biggest day of altitude gain at approximately 3400 ft! Didn’t feel it like when we started though.

Padres start their season in a couple of days. Hope I can catch a game or two on the road.

Rotary Club Bike Giveaway

www.thepampanews.com

Every year, the Rotary Club of Pampa gives away a bike to children for each elementary school grade each 9 weeks for perfect attendance.

Last Friday, they gave away 32 bikes to some lucky (and punctual) kiddos, just in time for the warm Spring season.

The children with …

Video: How Austin is trying to crack down on parking in bike lanes

by: Kelsey Thompson | www.kxan.com

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin has cited more than 300 people for illegally parking in bike lanes since last August, as city transportation leaders are working to crack down on the violation.

Joseph Al-hajeri serves as the parking enterprise manager with the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department. He presented the data to the Austin Mobility Committee Thursday afternoon amid conversations on how to better curtail the illegal parking practices.

He said staff tasked several transportation mobility service officers last August with the responsibility of traveling around the city by bike and …

Video: Fatal bike crashes jumped 500% in Austin in 2023

by: Kelsey Thompson | www.kxan.com

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin’s Vision Zero program saw a 500% increase in fatal bike crashes in 2023 compared to 2022, staff said during an Austin Mobility Committee meeting Thursday.

That marked the only subcategory featuring a rise in serious injury and fatal crashes in 2023, when comparing it to 2022 data. Pedestrian and motor vehicle fatal crashes declined 17% and 24%, respectively, while there was a 50% decrease in fatal crashes involving motorcyclists. …

Southern Tier Continues

By John Marin | www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 10, San Antonio to Seguin: Mostly on I-10

Sunday March 10, 2024, 46 miles (74 km) – Total so far: 663 miles (1,067 km) I almost forgot to stop and then someone reminded me to remember the Alamo. Leaving town, I was riding on the frontage road and going quite well until they closed I-10 in both directions and diverted all traffic to join me. There is no sign of any activity on Sunday, but the road was under construction for about five miles. …

Day 11, Seguin to Columbus: Columbus TX

Monday March 11, 2024, 88 miles (142 km) – Total so far: 751 miles (1,209 km) Ran across a livestock auction. Almost bought a bull when I raised my finger to scratch my ear. Fortunately, I was outbid again.

Also, I found another wallet. I’ll try to track down the owner and get it back to him. …

Day 12,: Houston

Tuesday March 12, 2024, 66 miles (106 km) – Total so far: 817 miles (1,315 km) Riding on I-10, and then frontage roads, not bad in the morning, not so much closer to Houston. I might have just chosen poorly, but this seems to be one of the least bike friendly towns I’ve been in. …

Fred’s Southern Tier Ride

By Fred Houry* | www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 19: Marfa to Alpine Thursday March 14, 2024, 31 miles (50 km) – Total so far: 589 miles (948 km) Short recovery ride to Alpine. We saw more weird roadside art and the observation area for the Mysterious Marfa Lights. We stopped at a 911 memorial that was in front of a Border Patrol Station.

Day 20: Alpine to Marathon

Friday March 15, 2024, 32 miles (51 km) – Total so far: 621 miles (999 km) Chill, drizzly and windy ride to Marathon. We earned great bbq and beer at Brick Vault.

Day 21: Marathon to Sanderson

Saturday March 16, 2024, 53 miles (85 km) – Total so far: 674 miles (1,085 km) Today we rode through heavy mist for the first 30 miles. We stopped at the new Buc-ee’s in the middle of nowhere. The wind was moderate and not much of an issue today.

Day 22: Sanderson to Comstock

Sunday March 17, 2024, 90 miles (145 km) – Total so far: 764 miles (1,230 km) Anticipating a long ride, today we launched about an hour before sunrise. It was fun riding in the dark. We had heavy mist and light rain most of the day. After 60 miles we stopped at the Judge Roy Bean museum. About 10 miles later we ran into our first cross country cyclist, Andre, from Israel. The last 20 miles to Comstock were tough with long hills and moderate headwinds. Tim got his first flat and I got my third flat today.

days 23 through 32

This West Texas Bike Trail Is Under Lock and Key

Jana Keyes | 1470kyyw.com

The gated Buck Creek Mountain Bike Trail just north of Abilene is a favorite for cyclists in the Big Country region. For the cost of an annual membership or a one-time day pass, you can purchase access to these miles of scenic trails managed by the Abilene Bike Club.

Find an afternoon of adventure pedaling through the rugged Texas terrain while simultaneously boosting your cardiovascular health. The trail has varying degrees of difficulty. Helmets are required. Be sure and pack plenty of water. It’s Texas, y’all. …

Exploring the Fun MTB Trails of South Walnut Creek in Austin, Texas

GeoExplorer Studio | www.youtube.com

The South Walnut Creek Trail System is located in eastern Austin, not to be confused with the Walnut Creek Park in the north. It features a 10-mile paved trail running from the Govalle Neighborhood to the Walter E. Long Park. Alongside this pave route, you’ll find many single-track dirt trails, with many mapped on Trailforks. …

Dallas Meets Over Proposed Bike Lane

By Sydney Asher | dallasexpress.com

The City of Dallas met Tuesday to discuss a proposed two-way, barrier-separated bike lane along Jackson Street that would connect Harwood Park with the AT&T Discovery District.

The Bike Plan Update, proposed by the Dallas Department of Transportation, would update the City’s 2011 Dallas Bike Plan. The plan was created alongside professional bicycle planning consultants to implement new strategies to better support Dallas’ cyclists. The 2011 Plan was adopted to update the original 1985 Greater Dallas Bike Plan.

“A lot has happened since 2011,” Jessica Scott, project manager of the …

The Final Push: Breezing Past the Finish Line of a 680-Mile Challenge

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I needed 5 miles to reach my March road mile goal of 680 miles. Today’s bike route accomplished that with 37.18 miles and March now totals 712 road miles and 842.67 miles adding in Zwift riding. This is the most miles for a month since last October. Starting at 11:52 AM riding my Cervelo Caledonia bike I chose the Atascocita – Walden – Spanish Cove Drive route. I made a couple of changes continuing north on Woodland Hills Drive riding through Woodridge Forest to cross over Northpark Drive. This gave me the opportunity to set a Strava 2nd fastest time on Soaring Woods to Northpark (1:50) on Woodridge Parkway. Later on the way back to Kingwood at Rebawood Drive I turned left connecting with Sunny Shores Drive back to Atascocita Shores Drive. This route usually averages around 36 miles and the changes added a mile. The weather was a big improvement from yesterday with sun, warmer temperature, and a light 6 mph wind. I was able to get my overall average speed up to 14.2 mph on the way back to Kingwood. Link to my AXS.SRAM.com ride report. I finished at 2:37 PM.

Weather: Start 69 degrees, humidity 58%, dew point 53.5, fair, wind S 6 mph; Finish 73 degrees, humidity 48%, dew point 52.3, a few clouds, wind E 5 mph.

3-28-2024 Strava Ride Summary Atascocita-Walden-Spanish Cove Drive
3-28-2024 Strava Ride Summary Atascocita-Walden-Spanish Cove Drive