Ever since PedalHouston has gone up, it has been quite the pleasure to meet a lot of the bike organizations around Houston.  One organization in particular is BikeHouston.  Not only have I been able to learn what they are all about and who runs it but more importantly, it’s given me the chance to get to know the people.

It has been a great experience working closely with them and assisting in bring BikeHouston.org back with a new energy to the online community and to the Houston bike community.  Their relaunch of their website just shows that there is a continued and active pursuit to make Houston a bike-friendly and accessible city.  I have had the honor of meeting and getting to know the people behind this organization and the possibilities are endless.  The potential for this city to become a bike commuter city is welcomed and feasible.  Now it’s a matter of there being a strong social presence to show that we want it.

Thanks to Darren Sabom and Aaron Chang of BikeHouston for giving PedalHouston the chance to work with you guys.  This is only the tip of the iceberg with what we can do for the city and bikes.

Please do not forget to check out their bike shops page – it is ridiculously resourceful for those new to the city or just don’t know where the bike shops are around your neighborhood.  It’s about time that this has been finally done!

Keep them bookmarked as they will be sharing a lot of useful city information and updates about what’s going on with the City of Houston, local projects and their annual Moonlight Ramble ride.

Don’t forget to also add them on twitter: twitter.com/bikehouston and on Facebook: facebook.com/BikeHouston.

Tell ‘em PedalHouston sent ya!

Houston and bikes just got a lot more exciting.  Let’s go!!

Workshop Houston
http://www.workshophouston.org

3615 Sauer
Houston Texas
77004

Workshop Houston is another great Houston community act.  Want to learn how to build bikes?  Want to help the youth excel in their talents?  What is great about Workshop Houston is that they don’t just specify in one area but they help youths find out talents that they may never have known or been able to express.  If you check out their story, they are more than just a bike shop but they have a lot of other programs for other interests for the kids.

Workshop Houston’s mission is to provide youth with creative, technical and educational resources. Ourvision is to lay the groundwork for a just society by creating a community that provides youth with support, expanded opportunities and alternative definitions of success. Workshop Houston has five shops that provide resources and support for young people: the Third Ward Bike Shop (do-it-yourself bike repair), the Chopper Shop (welding and metal fabrication), the Beat Shop (hip-hop music production), the Style Shop (fashion design) and the Scholar Shop (tutoring and academic enrichment).

It’s a great feeling to see groups of people coming together. Not just for a great purpose but also to show that there is a community out there willing to come out because of what they love. This city needs more mobile socials like this. Not only because it’s a great way to get bike awareness out there but it’s something fun to do and a great way to meet people and even network.

It’s cool to see a bunch of bikes on the road not there to cause a ruckus but just simply riding. The rules of the road were abided and the riders took it upon themselves to use legitimate bike signals for the riders behind.

The ride was a casual pace and the views of the city were spectacular, not to mention a great catch of the sunset over the city on the way back to Memorial Park from City Hall.

It’s cool to see the blinky red taillights in a blur from behind and to see the dancing twinkles of headlights as they approached the finish of the ride.

Cheers to a successful Ride of Silence. Thankful that we are here to ride it for those who could not.

Just another quick reminder of the Bike to Work day event with Mayor Annise Parker from Memorial Park to City Hall at 7:30PM this Friday!!  Please meet at 7:00am as everyone will be heading out at 7:30.  Let’s see Houston on their bikes!

peopleforbikes.org – Another great organization doing great things for the bike community.  They currently are giving away two free bikes.  The contest is simple and that is to sign their pledge.  Their pledge states as follows:

I am for bikes. I’m for long rides and short rides. I’m for commuting to work, weekend rides, racing, riding to school, or just a quick spin around the block. I believe that no matter how I ride, biking makes me happy and is great for my health, my community and the environment we all share. That is why I am pledging my name in support of a better future for bicycling — one that is safe and fun for everyone. By uniting my voice with a million others, I believe that we can make our world a better place to ride.

They are giving away a Trek Allant and a Breezer Uptown EX.  Sign the pledge and become “People for Bikes!”  It’s a great cause and great awareness.  Support the community!  Become a part of the bike chain:

As many of you may have figured out, that this month is National Bike Month and next week will be National Bike Week, May 17-21, which includes National Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 21.  BikeHouston has set up a nice schedule for organized events that will be going on that week as shown.

May 19 will be Houston’s Ride of Silence at 7PM, which is a national event to remember those who have passed away while cycling.  Please attend as we pay our respects to those individuals.

May 20 is the Bike Bash, which will be held at the great St. Arnold Brewery from 6-8PM.  Bikes and Beer.  Mmm!!

May 21 will be the Ride to City Hall with Mayor Annise Parker at Memorial Park Picnic Loop to City Hall at 7:30am.  Please be there at 7:00am to meet up as the ride will leave promptly at 7:00am.

If there are any other local events, you don’t see here or want to get out there, let PedalHouston know!  Let’s see as many bikes as we can out there.  Also, be safe out there!  Use proper judgment and share the road wisely.  Keep pedaling.

Peter Barnes wrote an amazing article for CultureMap about Houston’s own Alkek Velodrome. One line that stands out is “Single speeds are not a fashion statement.”

More importantly, get to know the people who run this place.  It’s like family and they always are welcoming and open the place to newcomers and new fans to come out and support the racers as they press the track with all their might.

Check out the article and a nice video clip of the velodrome here.

From GHORBA.org

The Race to Build Trails

Another year, another great race to sponsor your favorite cycling charity.

We’ve got some special incentives to register early:

• A random selection of 50 pre-registrations get a free pint glass for bottomless brew!
• Pre-order your limited edition t-shirt for $13 (race weekend price $16)
• Reserve a group camp spot near the start for less hassles on race weekend.

Race pre-registration, t-shirt order and group campsite can be found on bikereg.com — just click on the flyer to take you there.

Tom “The Bicycling Comedian” Snyder

Tonight, Tom Snyder is performing at Radio Music Theater, 2623 Colquitt, at 7:30pm.  He is a professional comedian who has been riding a fully-loaded touring bicycle to my performances for the past 23 years. In that time, he has pedaled more than 150,000 miles through all 50 states, and in 33 countries on six continents.

He is performing his new one-man show, “You Can’t Bring that Bike in Here!” It is a one-hour show featuring his stories from the road, digital photos of funny road signs, starting with signs that you don’t like to see when on the road by bicycle, and video clips from my recent solo bike trek from Cancun, Mexico, through the entire length of Central America and South America — to Ushuaia, Argentina.

Tickets to tonight’s show are $12, available at the door, and also in advance at Active.com.

Voices at the Velodrome

• It’s back by popular demand! Crit-style racing on the track!
• The Voices at the Velodrome Spring Crit Series presented by Bike Barn
• Get ready for the Sugar, Houston Metro, Houston Grand and the State Skill-Based Championship Crits all in May with crit-style racing on the track for the whole month of April.

Dates: April 7, 14, 21, 28 (weather permitting)

Format: A Race = 40 minutes + 5 laps B Race = 25 minutes + 5 laps

Restrictions: A Race = 94 max gear B Race = 88 max gear

Fees: 1 Race = $10 2 Races = $15

Payouts 3 deep to weekly and series winners!

All proceeds benefit: Voices of Survivors Foundation & Greater Houston Cycling Foundation.

Paula Weber Benefit

A member of the Houston cycling community had been terribly injured during the Easter weekend. As a result, Paula has 6 broken ribs, a broken clavical and a punctured lung. Paula is a friend of the Bike Barn and did once work there. Today, she is a trainer at some gyms around town- but she does not have any insurance and can’t go back to work for an unspecified amount of months.Bike Barn is putting together a beneift dinner in her honor in order to help offest some of her hosiptal bills. Please join us for Hasta La Pasta at the Katy Bike Barn, Thursday April 15th. There is going to be a $25 cover charge.

Your help and generous support is great appreciated!!

Today at 3PM is the Lone Star Urban Bike Race.
Sam Houston Park 1100 Bagby

What’s awesome about this event is the energy the guys who are running the event are putting into it.  The quick following on their FB fan page and the ridiculously sick prizes hinted to be found/given out during the race.  Not to mention loads of Lone Star beer!  Only rules: Bag and lock required.  This is an “alley cat” type race so whatever rules they throw at you is the name of the game.  The suggested fee to race is $8 and again, plenty of cheap beer.  Not to mention all those who enter get a free race t-shirt and spoke cards.  Not too shabby!

If you are unable to make it out, follow their twitter to check out what’s going on.  Below is the teaser map of where the route may/will be hitting up.  If you have any pictures from the event, make sure to post them on the PedalHouston Facebook fan page.  It would be great to show what this city is doing!

HAVE A CRAZY APRIL FOOLS RIDE!