The 6th Annual Pedaling the Prairie benefitting the athletic department of Faith West Academy invites you to join their ride happening on February 11, 2012 at Waller County Fairgrounds – 22000 Fairgrounds Road Hempstead, TX

We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Cathy Sturn, Ride Director of Pedaling the Prairie to ask some questions about their upcoming ride.

Why Join this year’s ride?

We think we put on an excellent ride. We have breakfast tacos at the start, homemade goodies at the break points, and hamburgers at the finish. We have motorcycle support, ham operators, and friendly SAG drivers. We consider the rider’s safety a top priority and work closely with local police forces to help with traffic and intersections.

How long has the event been around and how did it start?

This is our 6th year. We had a couple of dads at the school that said we should try a bike ride as a fundraiser. We thought, seriously how hard can that be, boy did we learn a lot. The first year we had 300-350 riders, last year we had over 1500 riders, and this year we are expecting 1500-1800.

What was the motivation behind starting the tour and who benefits from it? Motivation was raising money for the Athletic Department at Faith West Academy.

How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past? Purchasing sports equipment and supplies that the teams might not otherwise have available.

Logistically, can you give us an idea how many volunteers, finances, and planning it takes to put on this event?

We have 100+ volunteers and some wonderful committee members. We start planning shortly after we recuperate from the current ride.

What was the most rewarding experience throughout the years hosting this event?

Seeing the same riders, year after year, and having them come up to us to tell us what a great ride we have and that they will see us next year.

How many riders do you assist during the average race?

Totally depends on the weather. One year it was freezing cold, did not get above 30 degrees. We SAG’d a ton of people that day, everyone was frozen. On a normal day, we probably help 25-40 riders. Only once have we had to have medical assistance for someone that became ill.

What was the most unforgettable experience or worst accident you had in this event?

Last year watching those 1500 riders line up and take off was overwhelming. Pretty cool watching that.

What can folks do to support you and your mission?

Come ride with us.

What is your role in this race and to the success of it?

Ride Coordinator

Additional stuff you would like the folks to know about this year’s ride?

Our sports teams work the break points and they really enjoy talking to the riders and being there to help support them. They cheer them on and welcome them into the break points. We appreciate our riders and want them to come back

Thanks Cathy Sturn for this quick interview and we hope to catch everyone at the ride!

Click here to view the event details of the 12th Fredericksburg Fall Foliage Frolic

A memorial bike race attracted around 500 people to the city last Saturday in memory of a fallen cyclist.

More than 300 racers took part in the local cycling competition, renamed the Megan Baab Memorial Road Race to honor the former participant who was killed last year while training in North Carolina.

“She was everybody’s sister,” said Andy Hollinger, secretary for Team Bicycles Inc. “She started on my team, and there was no drama with her. She was an incredible woman and athlete, and we did this in her honor.”

Many people involved with organizing the race also were familiar with Baab, including Betty Price, president of the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce.

“I see a lot of these folks twice a year, and I didn’t realize I knew this girl and her father,” said Price. “Two years ago, I remember her being here at these races. When I did realize who Megan and her father were, it was traumatic even for me.”

Source: kdhnews.com
Click here to read the Full Story

We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with PatArthur, Ride Director of Puddle for the Ducks to ask some questions about their upcoming ride.

Why Join this year’s ride?
This year’s ride is the Fifth Annual PUDDLE FOR THE DUCKS, A Ducks  Unlimited Bike Ride. The ride has developed one of the best reputations  in the Houston area because of the great volunteers, unique rest stops,  and after ride refreshments. Additionally, one of the PUDDLE FOR THE  DUCKS major sponsors, Silver Eagle Distributors, L.P., has donated a  bike to be given away each year.

How long has the event been around and how did it start?
The PUDDLE FOR THE DUCKS was first held on February 9, 2008. However,  the genesis for the ride was a call from Vence Petronella with Silver Eagle Distributors, L.P., to Ducks Unlimited Regional Director Tim Soderquist in July 2007 to ask if Ducks Unlimited would be interested in sponsoring a bike ride on a date that had just opened on the ride calendar for the Houston area. Tim assured Vence that DU would be interested and a meeting was held with potential sponsors and volunteers in August. The ride planning began in earnest and the first ride was held with approximately 700 riders, including the Michelob Ultra and Sun & Ski Sports Teams.

What was the motivation behind starting the tour and who benefits from it?
The major desire was to hold a new and unique fund raising event for Ducks Unlimited. Ducks Unlimited is the largest and most successful conservation organization in North America conserving over 12,000,000 acres of wetlands since its founding. The PUDDLE FOR THE DUCKS is the only bike ride done by Ducks Unlimited Volunteers in North America. Ducks Unlimited utilizes many different fund raising events but the PUDDLE FOR THE DUCKS appeals to a much different demographic than usual and allows us to show and tell a new group about the Ducks Unlimited mission and programs.

How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past?
Ducks Unlimited conserves, restores, and manages wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl. These habitats also benefit other wildlife and people. DU is an international organization with conservation of waterfowl habitat in Mexico and Canada as well as the United States. In the past four years the PUDDLE FOR THE DUCKS has raised over $36,000 or enough to conserve 145 acres of wetland habitat.

Logistically, can you give us an idea how many volunteers, finances, and planning it takes to put on this event?
We have over 100 volunteers every year. These volunteers are all Ducks Unlimited members that share a vision of conservation through mutual effort. Additionally, we have major sponsors that include Sun & Ski Sports, Silver Eagle Distributors, Sellers Bros and Trailer Frame and Wheel. These sponsors help maximize the conservation funds raised by the ride by providing donations and funding. Planning the event usually starts in June with ride committee meetings that are held monthly until January at which time the meetings are held weekly. The committee is a great forum for new ideas and a way to keep the ride plan fresh.

What was the most rewarding experience throughout the years hosting this event?
Knowing we helped conserve 145 acres of valuable wetlands.  Another rewarding experience was when THE PUDDLE FOR THE DUCKS being nominated for an award at the national level. Ducks Unlimited give a Wings Of
Innovation Award annually to a committee that has developed a fund raising event that is unique, repeatable and provides a forum to get information about Ducks Unlimited to a new group. The PUDDLE FOR THE DUCKS was nominated for the award in 2009 and while it did not win, the nomination itself was extremely gratifying.

How many riders do you assist during the average race?
We have a great group of SAG Volunteers, Motorcycle Support Group, Ride Marshal, Ride Medic and Ride Police that help throughout the day as well as mechanical support by Sun & Ski Sports at four of the five rest stops. In all, it is estimated that between 15% and 20% of the riders need assistance of some kind on the ride. Most of this assistance is minor but without the support that the PUDDLE FOR THE DUCKS enjoys, the ride would be much smaller and not as much fun.

What was the most unforgettable experience or  worst accident you had in this event?
The most unforgettable experiences have always come at the end of the ride when riders are arriving telling about the great volunteers and incredible rest stops and when they realize that the support continues with a snack and fun at the end of the ride, we are really happy. Additionally, we try to visit with the riders during this time and let them know about DU, it successes and the continuing challenges in conservation.

What can folks do to support you and your mission?
Ducks Unlimited can always use new volunteers to help put on fund raising events. The easiest way to help. other than volunteering, is to attend a Ducks Unlimited event. There are over 200 different events across Texas alone and approximately 5000 events across the United States and Canada.  If someone wants to help but not volunteer they can always help by donating directly to our ride or help underwrite the costs associated with it.

What is your role in this race and to the success of it?
I have been fortunate enough to have been the Ride Director or Co-Director since the beginning of the ride. The success is due to the volunteers, sponsors and , most of all, to the riders that have recognized the PUDDLE FOR THE DUCKS is a ride that they WANT to ride in.

Do you ride and if yes, what kind of bicycle do you ride and what is your favorite route in your area?
There are two Ride Co-Directors, Pat Arthur & Chris Sechelski:

Pat:
Yes, I ride regularly, usually three or four days a week. I am currently riding a LightSpeed Tuscany that I have had for eight years. I tend to keep my bikes for a LONG time. I live near Braes Bayou in Houston and use the Braes Bayou Trail. On a ”normal” day my riding buddy and I do between 18 and 20 miles on the trail. On he weekends we usually do 25-30 miles, either on the trail or with one of the organized rides in the Houston area

Chris:
I have two bikes I use regularly, a 2011 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR and 2010 Niner SIR 9 Single Speed Locally I ride the Cypresswood Trails, Memorial Park Trails (AKA Ho Chi Minh Trail), The Anthills, Jack Brooks Park, Huntsville, and Double Lake.  Short fun rides are 10-20 miles.  Training rides usually are between 25-50 miles.

Which are your top 3 favorite MUST DO rides in Texas (besides your own)?
Pat: The Space Race, The Gator Ride and The Piney Woods Purgatory
Chris: Excruciation Exam (80-85 mile mountain bike race – the longest in TX), Chihuanhuan Desert Dirt Fest, The Big Ring Challenge (XC mountain bike race)

Additional stuff you would like the folks to know about this year’s ride?
We have had long sleeve shirts for the ride shirt every year and this year’s shirts is really cool. It will definitely stand out. As most rider do, we have multiple ride shirts but getting a long sleeve shirt is rare and really special. Please join us if you can. Everyone that registers before January 29 will get a ride shirt. Go to www.puddlefortheducks.org to register.

Thanks Pat Arthur for this quick interview and we hope to catch everyone at the ride!

Click here to view the event details of the 5th Annual Puddle for the Ducks Bike Ride

We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Duane McPeak, Ride Director of Bike Through the Forest and the Hills to ask some questions about their upcoming ride.

Why Join this year’s ride?

With the rolling hills in Coldspring, Texas, Bike Through the Forest & Hills is one of the most challenging rides on the MS150 recommend ride list. The longest route is 50 miles, but when you are done you feel like you just rode 60 miles. We also offer shorter routes. We have exceptional rest stops because the Kingwood HS Fillies are present to assist the riders and to share their infamous Banana muffins each year!

How long has the event been around and how did it start?

8 years

What was the motivation behind starting the tour and who benefits from it?

To raise funds for the nationally recognized Kingwood Fillies Drill/Dance. These funds allow the girls to travel to out of state competitions.

How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past?

100% of the proceeds go towards the KHS Fillies drill/dance team for costumes, props and travel expenses.

Logistically, can you give us an idea how many volunteers, finances, and planning it takes to put on this event?

Our volunteers consist of the Fillies (averaging 75 high school girls) and their supportive parents. We typically have about 150 people working at the ride. We try to keep costs down so that we can maximize the returns and rely on sponsorship. Because the ride is basically established, the planning time has been greatly reduced to 3-4 months before the day of the ride.

What was the most rewarding experience throughout the years hosting this event?

Watching the riders, the parent volunteers and Fillies all interacting with each other. It has always been important to us to have the “team” present at the ride so the riders can meet whom they are supporting. Every year the Fillies form a huge line at the start of the ride to cheer on the riders!

How many riders do you assist during the average race?

We have (3) SAG wagons that travel the route along with about (10) BPMS150 Ride Marshalls. I have heard reports of about 20-25 people a ride. for late January. In Texas you just never know what we are going to get on the day of the ride. Typically we average 400-700 riders.

What was the most unforgettable experience or worst accident you had in this event? (prefer the rewarding/unforgettable experience ;o)) 


During my first ride as director, just 15 minutes into the ride, I got a call from the local constable that we had a rider down. It was a young man still in High School that had lost control of his bike going down a hill. He had gone head/face first into the street. There was a SAG wagon at the start that I jumped into to go check on the rider. As we headed towards the rider, we could see an ambulance was already on it’s way ahead of us. By the time the SAG wagon got to the rider, the EMS team had already evaluated the rider and had determined that Life Flight needed to transport him to a hospital in Houston. The ride is held in Coldspring, Texas, about an hour northeast of Houston. Once Life Flight arrived, the young man and his father were flown to Herman Hospital. Once they arrived at Herman his father called me hourly with updates. Immediately after the ride, the Fillies all got together and created an enormous care basket filled with all kinds of candy, DVD movies and games. As we all drove to the hospital to deliver the basket, we received a call from the father that he was okay and being released from the hospital to go home. There was no head trauma but he had a few stitches, burses and a nasty road rash on his face. Thanks to his bike helmet, severe injury was avoided. The Fillies were able to delivery the care basket to him at home in person. I took pictures of his helmet before we gave it back to his father and we show those photos before every ride, on why you must ride your helmet.

What can folks do to support you and your mission?

Sign up on line at www.Active.com or come the day of the ride.

What is your role in this race and to the success of it?

For the past three years I have been the Ride Director and have made it my goal to get Bike Through the Forest/Hills recognized as’ a ride you don’t want to miss!’

Do you ride and if yes, what kind of bicycle do you ride and what is your favorite route in your area?

I ride, but not like these riders. I am good for 15-25 miles, but these riders don’t seem to break a sweet until after 50 miles.

Additional stuff you would like the folks to know about this year’s ride?

The ride is Saturday, January 28th. The ride begins around 8:00-8:30AM, with registration beginning at 6:30AM on the day of the ride. Riders will enjoy the country scenic ride and the most stimulating bike ride in Southeast Texas. Again, the hills and scenic views of Coldspring, which is on the southeast side of Lake Livingston, are unlike any other ride in Texas. We have (3) SAG wagon supports, (3) BPMS150 bike shops (Bike Lane, Bicycle World and Better Bikes) at the rest stops for repairs, officers at all intersections, BPMS150 Ride Marshalls riding within the ride and plenty of port-a-cans at the start and rest stops. Furthermore, we have our water, our famous Banana Muffins and other health snacks at all rest stops.

After the ride, don’t rush off — stay to enjoy the town of Coldspring and its quaint shops and local restaurants. They are always well prepared for hungry riders needing to fuel up before heading home!

Thanks Duane McPeak for this quick interview and we hope to catch everyone at the ride!

Click here to view the event details of the Bike Through the Forest and the Hills 2012

The 24Th Freeze Your Fanny run and ride will be held Feb.4 in Longview, TX.  OK, so it’s the 24Th year while we all know that the 23rd year was canceled.  Hopefully, all will go well and the icy roads will be left until after the event.  This once a year fundraiser benefits East Texas Lightnin, a not for profit organization, that provides recreation and athletic training for individuals with mental disabilities.  The organization services 200 athletes that participate in seven Special Olympics events in the East Texas area, as well as, state competitions.

FYF offers a 5k/10 run option and a bike tour boasting a metric century, 50,40,30 and 10 mile routes. Another boast is that you will never be hungry when you participate in this event, the early morning continental breakfast, homemade cookies at all rest stops and Wendy’s chili at the finish line.  No, you don’t go to eat but it never hurts to cover your bases.  The scenic routes are worthy of a camera if you take the time, and you have the opportunity to stop and pet the cows as long as you remember that the course closes at 2:00p.m.

Registration for the event can be done electronically at www.active.com or you can go to the website www.freezeyourfanny.com for a hard copy of the registration form.  While your on the web check out the event on facebook.

Top 10 questions for Freeze your Fanny, David Letterman style

10.  Are there any hills?
9.  It doesn’t get that cold it East Texas. Does it?
8.  Is that a motorcycle cop behind us?
7.  What does the long sleeve tshirt look like this year?
6.  Was that a cow on the road?
5.  Will there be oatmeal raisin cookies at the last rest stop?
4.  Are they really homemade?
3.  Did I intentionally sign up for the 62?
2.  Will there be hot chocolate this year?
1.  (drum roll) Are frozen bananas healthy?

For more information on the event go to the website or contact pmjc@sbcglobal.net.

Fredericksburg Cycling. Credit: Steve Rawls

Hills – lots of them.  Hills and long, winding roads past fields of wildflowers.  Cycling in Fredericksburg can be a meandering ride or a challenging endurance test; sometimes both.  One thing’s for certain,
there’s no denying the beauty of the area.  This is, after all, the Texas Hill Country.

Located about 70 miles west of Austin and 60 miles northwest of San Antonio, Fredericksburg is a popular destination.  Filled with unique shops and boutiques, lots of restaurants, art galleries, wine tasting rooms, and B&Bs, this small town – founded in 1846 by German settlers – offers an entertaining variety of ‘things to do’ for all members of the family.  There’s an inspiring art scene, and nearby (about 18 miles north) is the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area – the nation’s second largest batholith, second only to Stone Mountain in Georgia.  It’s here, too, that the National Museum of the Pacific War is located.

For families or non‐ride time, there’re plenty of entertainment options to consider – the Pioneer Museum offers planned family activities.  German bakeries tempt.  Consider the horse races during the summer months.  Or, test your skills with horse riding, miniature golf, and hiking along the Wilderness Trail at the Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park.  Watch as over two million Brazilian free‐tail bats at the Old Tunnel State Park emerge from this abandoned train tunnel for their evening feedings – May through October.  And there’s always a festival or two happening almost every weekend.

National Museum of the Pacific War. Credit: Al Rendon

Nearby, the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park (about 16 miles east of Fredericksburg) offers tours of LBJ’s ranch, the home he shared with Lady Bird and their daughters and private car collection. Kids of all ages can pet animals and learn more about the daily life of an early German settler at the Sauer‐Beckmann Living History Farm at Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site.

Music is alive in these hills; on weekends at Rockbox Theater with its golden era of rock ‘n roll shows and throughout the year at concerts performing all genres – from German chorale music, country and blue grass, to opera.  Or, just sit back and enjoy some of the live entertainment playing at the local Biergartens.

Over in Luckenbach Texas (of Waylon and Willie fame and just eight miles southeast of Fredericksburg) picker circles entertain almost daily in a laid‐back kind of way, while weekend dances and country music
concerts provide lots of family‐friendly entertainment.

And, lest we forget, Fredericksburg is smack‐dab in the center of the Texas Hill Country wine region. Wineries and wine tasting rooms line the corridor of U.S. Highway 290 leading in to Fredericksburg on the east, with one winery to the west, and several tasting rooms and custom wineries in town.  Many restaurants offer local vintages on their wine list.  Visit each on your own, or take a limousine/coach wine tour.

Fredericksburg Brewing Co. Credit: Marc Bennett

Wine is a feature at several of the festivals Fredericksburg hosts each year.  Don’t miss the Hill Country Wine and Music Festival in the spring or the annual Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest each October showcasing some of the best of Texas wines.

In addition to Fredericksburg offering so much to do/taste/buy and enjoy during non‐ride times, Fredericksburg is one of Texas’ cycling nirvanas.  Perched on U.S. Highway 290 and surrounded, for the most part, by privately‐owned ranches, the area is pristine for riding.  Paved roadways venture out in all directions where vehicle traffic is minimal and the scenery… simply amazing!  To some, Fredericksburg is
considered to be the cycling capital of Texas.

Cycling Fredericksburg. Credit: Steve Rawls

Venture out on your own, or follow some of the routes mapped out by cyclists ahead of you.  Local riders provide their favorite routes – from 19 to 88 miles – at www.cycletexas.com.  This site is specifically for cycling in the Fredericksburg area, with available PDFs of routes, visitor resources, hazard alerts, times for weekly group rides open to the public, and more.  So log on and check it out!

Or plan to attend any of the planned rides/tours and races held throughout the year.  Cyclists converge on Fredericksburg for eight days each March for the annual Texas Hell Week.  The Texas Bike Racing Association also holds sanctioned rides in Fredericksburg, as does the Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club out of San Antonio.  And just outside Fredericksburg the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park hosts an annual LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour.  To find out specific dates and backgrounds for each, visit www.VisitFredericksburgTX.com/plan/events.

Should you need supplies or bike maintenance while in Fredericksburg, the Hill Country Bicycle Works on Main Street provides great assistance, products and local advice.  The owners are avid cyclists.

To learn more about this thriving community, log on to the Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau website at www.VisitFredericksburgTX.com.  Learn why so many choose to spend time here relaxing, revitalizing, cycling, and embracing all that Fredericksburg and Gillespie County have to offer. And for a Fredericksburg area Attractions and Dining Guide with Maps, send a request via e‐mail to Visitorinfo@fbgtx.org or call at 888‐997‐3600.  Willkommen, y’all!

P.S. Ryan, they say the Uclear HBC 130 is rain proof but please do NOT take it swimming with you. It’ll break… (Yes, he is an Aggie – you have to spell those things out for him!)

Using these headsets, you can ride over 30+miles an hour, while folks you are talking to, will not be able to hear the the annoying wind noise they normally get, when you use one of those iPhone headsets.  You can listen to music or use them as intercom and communicate with other riders in your group.  They work via bluetooth technology and you can use them in both ears or in just one (I would suggest just one so you can pay attention to what’s going on around you!).

According to Jeff Blood, V.P. of Uclear, the Uclear brand was created a year ago by ‘BITwave’.  BITwave  is a high tech R&D company that has provided crucial communications technology solutions and is licensed to and used by major corporations, the US Army and Homeland Security.

BITwave holds 12 patents in the fields of audio and speech recognition technology and it’s technology and have taken its military and industrial grade, patented audio technology and lucky for us, applied it to its UCLEAR consumer products line.

The HBC 130 Bike helmet communicators is one of the consumer lines now available for purchase.  According to Jeff, this technology was first used in the traditional motorcycle industry when he and his friends went skiing and the proverbial light bulb came on for them.  What ELSE can we use this technology for?

This lead to the development of the HBC 120 for the slopes and since their cyclists friends didn’t want to be left out, the HBC 130!

If you want to know how the technology works and want to get all geeky, click here:  Uclear Digital Microphone Array Technology

If you would like to buy one of these technology marvels go to their online store:  UClear Online Store

Thank you Jeff and the rest of the Uclear folks for supporting the Wheelbrothers and Texas cyclists!!

The Wheelbrothers wish you a Happy New Year 2012!