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 Helpful Hint: If this page is too overwhelming, try shortening the list by selecting a category from the list above. |
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| Super Bowl Sunday Ride |
February 3, 2008 |
The Super Bowl Sunday Ride is a club tradition in the Metroplex. Groups from Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie and all across the area will converge on Dick's Last Resort in the West End of Dallas for a (usually cold) ride on Super Bowl Sunday. Check our Ride Calendar page for details, or the Greater Dallas Bicyclists have posted full details includings start times and lunch menus.
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| Easter Hill Country Tour |
Easter Weekend |
The gem of cycling in Texas. This annual event on Easter weekend takes place in Kerrville and Fredricksburg in the heart of the Texas hill country when the bluebonnets and other wild flowers are at their best. Four bicycle clubs, the Fort Worth Bicycling Association, the Houston Bicycle Club, the Lubbock Bicycle Club and the San Antonio Wheelmen take turns hosting this event each year. Check out the EHCT Home Page for details.
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| Austin to Fort Worth |
April 12-13, 2008 |
Start Location:
Berea Baptist Church
6901 Forrest Hill Drive
Forrest Hill, Tx.
Vans leave at 6:00 pm on April 11, 2008
First Night Motel (Fri, April 11):
Springhill Suites Austin North, Marriott
(I-35 and Parmer Ln)
12520 N IH-35
Austin,TX 78753
512-833-8100
Rooms are held for our group (Fort Worth Bicycling Association) at a rate of $99.99+tax for a double room.
Second Night Hotel (Sat, April 12):
Waco Fairfield Inn South
5805 N. Woodway Dr.
254-776-7821
Rooms are held for our group (Fort Worth Bicycling Association) at a rate of $89.99.
Rooms go fast, so make your reservations soon!
Additional Price: $110 for transport down and the sag back only.
Deadline to Pay: There are two 15 passenger vans, so sign up while there's still room!
Make Checks payable to:
Kalleen Whitford
809 Marengo
Cleburne TX 76033
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| FWBA Picnic |
May 10, 2008 |
The FWBA is having our annual picnic at the Lone Oak Winery in Burleson again this year. We will have a new 42 mile ride then return to the winery for the picnic.
Eunice has graciously volunteered to cook again for us. Everybody is encouraged to bring a dish, chips, and deserts, or what ever you want. The eating will start at 12:00, so we can have a nice leisurely ride. The winery will be open for a wine tasting and a tour for $5.00 for those who would like to see what they have to offer. And of course you can buy wine there. There will be a $10.00 charge for the meat but you know with Eunice cooking, that is a bargain.
The address is 2116 FM731, Burleson, TX 76028. To get there take I-35W south to Highway 174 south and go about two miles to FM731. Take a left, (Exxon and Starbucks on left at intersection) go about three miles to the Lone Oak Winery will be on the right hand side. The gates will be open at 7:00.a.m. Maps will be provided.
Update 1:
Once again it is time for the annual club picnic. And of course as usual your fearless events coordinator has been sleeping on the job. I have to quit those margaritas. I do need to make a couple of corrections.
First the time,place, and date are correct. Sat May 10 8:00 am at Lone Oak Winery in Burleson. See the Web site or newsletter for directions.
Second, the price is wrong. I have worked a deal out with the winery to charge $7.00 per carload for the use of their facilities. This means just like the drive in theater of yesteryear, if you can pack ten people and their bikes into your car it's only 70 cents a person and nobody has to hide in the trunk. As a token of the clubs appreciation for all the hard work everybody did at Easter Hill and all year to make this the best bike club around, all the meat ,cold drinks, plates and utensil are being supplied, and of course Miss Eunice has agreed to cook for us.
Every one is encouraged to bring their favorite dish or desert to be shared.
Third: we are planning to add a short route of about 25 miles in addition to our 42 mile route. We hope this will encourage everyone to come out.
The winery has a special area for us down by the river. I think every onebwill be very pleased. They will be serving wine down there also..
Last year we had around 100 people. I hope to have more. Please drop me a note if you are planning to come, sol I will be sure to have plenty for everybody. I just need to get an approximate number.
Thanks,
Sammy
Update 2:
I did not want to give all the details for the picnic at one time, that would have made too much sense. So here is part of what I forgot to tell you. There should be plenty of tables and places to sit, but it would be smart to bring lawn chairs if you wanted to move around. The tables are all picnic tables. Also since this is a winery and they serve alcohol, we cannot legally bring in outside alcohol.
This year we are going to enter through the front gate of the winery. Last year they had us come in thru the back, I guess we were nice enough that we can use the front door this time. I do need a couple of people to volunteer to help me get the cars parked in an orderly fashion. They would need to show up a little before 7:00. I am sure I will think of other things as the day wears on. So watch for more thrilling updates.
As always,
Confused Sammy
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| Enchanted Circle Trip |
Second Weekend in September |
 Get ready for the most beautiful and challenging bicycling event in the southwest!
The Enchanted Circle Ride is a scenic, high altitude, alpine ride through the beautiful Rockies of New Mexico the 2nd weekend in September.
This is not an organized FWBA event, but usually a large FWBA contingency attends the event. You are responsible for your own travel and lodging in Red River.
Suggested Lodging:
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Alpine Lodge:. The Alpine is a less expensive alternative a block away from the start. Last year this hotel motel had rooms right up to Saturday. |
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Black Mountain Lodge: This is a large lodge in the middle of Red River, a little more plush, at little more expensive. Usually fills up early. |
 Typical Trip Itinerary:
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Friday, travel to Red River with evening arrival. |
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Saturday is an "open day", but one of two activities usually happen: a day hike to the top of Wheeler Peak, or a 40 mile ride late morning ride to Taos and then lunch and afternoon shopping in Taos (some folks just do the lunch and shopping!). Sometime during the day don't forget to register for the ride. |
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Sunday at 8:00am is the Enchanted Circle ride, usually followed by a "post ride" dinner in Red River. |
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Monday morning travel back to Fort Worth |
Enchanted Circle Tour Profile:
After leaving Red River, you will proceed sharply downhill 13 miles, passing several National Forest Campgrounds and one large Molybdenum Mine operation on your way to Questa. This 13 mile decent is often very cold, so bring your winter riding clothes for this section. Making a left turn at the traffic signal in Questa, you continue south along the Garrupata Ridge toward Taos. In Questa the FWBA will usually have a SAG driver staged to collect cold weather gear, as the climb up to and across the ridge will warm you up quick. The ridge features a 3/4 mile, 10% climb and several half mile climbs. It also has a great 1 mile straight-away decent that is great for getting your PST max speed, but watch out for cross winds. At the Lama turn-off a photographer will be positioned to catch you in action; these pictures will be for sale in front of the Red River Town Hall at the end of the ride. As you cross Garrapta Ridge, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains will change from forest conditions into a semi-arid environment much like the rest of New Mexico.
 Arroyo Hondo Rest Stop:
Approximately 12 miles beyond Questa, you will arrive at the first organized rest stop, just over Arroyo Hondo Hill. Here you can refresh yourself, usually drop off any extra warm clothing you started the tour in, and be on your way to Taos. Proceeding south for a few miles along a slightly downhill section, you come up to the second stoplight and the route turns into Paseo del Norte (US64). The traffic from this light through to the Taos rest stop is very heavy, so caution is advised. Continuing straight ahead, the road takes a fairly sharp turn to the right. Watch for Kit Carson Park on your left. This is your next rest stop. Take caution, you must turn left into the park across traffic, watch out for oncoming traffic. Make sure to stock up with plenty of water and munchies, as it will be a long way to the next rest stop! After refueling, leave the park, turn left and continue south about one-tenth of a mile past the third traffic light to the fourth traffic light. On the right is the entrance into the Taos Plaza. You will turn left onto Kit Carson Road (Hwy 64). Follow US Hwy 64 out of town into the Taos Canyon. Taos Canyon is actually the toughest part of this 25 mile climb to Palo Flechado, save for the last 1/2 mile. Another 8 miles from the end of Kit Carson Road is Valle Escondido, where the half-Century riders will finish.
 Eagles Nest seems far away Century riders will continue on Hwy 64 east up into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. You will have a pretty steady climb inside the Taos Canyon for approximately 15 miles to the top of Palo Flechado Pass, elevation 9,100 ft. Although this climb is long (24 miles in total), it is only steep (10% ish) for the last 1/2 mile, and the scenery is beautiful. When you reach the top of the pass you will find a very welcome and very popular rest stop at the top of Palo Flechado Pass. Leaving Palo Flechado, you will descend into the Angel Fire/Moreno Valley area. At the bottom of the series of steep switchbacks from Palo Flechado, you will approach the turn off to Hwy 434 into Angel Fire. At the blinking light you will turn right on to Hwy 434. Head through Angle Fire, traveling 7.3 miles to the Black Lake Fire Station and another rest stop (you can skip this 15 mile section by turning left instead of right at Hwy 434). Here you will turn around and retrace your route back through Angel Fire, on your way to Eagle Nest. Passing through Angel Fire you will notice the Ski resort and Country Club. After returning to Hwy 64 from Angel Fire proceed ten miles to the small community of Eagle's Nest in the heart of the Moreno Valley. Along this route you will have the opportunity to see Wheeler Peak in front of you on the left and Eagle Nest Lake on your right. Upon entering Eagle Nest, turn left at the junction of Hwy 64 and Hwy 38. At this point you will be heading away from Eagle Nest Lake and have the beautiful, 15 mile, slightly uphill Moreno Valley. The Moreno Ranch signals the start of the Bobcat Pass climb. This beautiful, but challenging section climbs from 8650 feet to 9820 feet in 5.5 miles. Many a post ride dinner has contained the argument: Which is tougher, Bobcat Pass or Condor's Nest! The decent from Bobcat Pass provides another awesome opportunity for setting a new, personal downhill speed record (safely, but watch for gravel in the corners, and overshooting) coming towards the finish line in Red River.
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| Leakey Death Ride |
October 17 - 19, 2008 |
 The following is from a previous year's itinerary, but details do not typically change from year to year.
Enjoy three days of biking in the Hill Country with Art and friends:
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Friday, ride from Bandera to Leakey, about 60 miles. |
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Saturday is a one hundred mile loop out of Leakey. |
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Sunday, ride from Leakey back to Bandera by an easier route. |
All rides offer sag support and wonderful food, and a massage therapist is often available. Route maps are available online at Eddie's Map Page. The event is centered at the Frio Pecan Farm. The food will be served there and the activities will be centered there.
You will need to make your own lodging reservations in Bandera and Leakey. Bandera Lodge, 830-796-3093 or 800-796-3514 (Thursday night) and Frio Pecan Farm, 830-232-5294 or 877-832-0674(Friday and Saturday night) are the most popular. Available rooms for thursday night rooms are usually plentiful. Friday and saturday night rooms are more scarce as Leakey is a much smaller town. Some other options for Leakey are:
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D'Rose Inn & Cabins (830)232-5246 (one mile away, formerly Mountain Laurel Inn & Welcome Inn). Note: although the web site lists the lodge for motorcycles only, Deb Rose says that true bicyclists are always welcome! |
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Frio Canyon Lodge (830)232-6800 (1/4 mile away) |
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Frio Springs Lodges (830)232-4174 (across the river from the Frio Pecan Farm on Evergreen St. about 1/2 mile from Hwy 337). They have bicycle friendly concrete streets amoung the lodges, and covered porches to store the bikes. They also have a great swimming hole in the river and a warmer waterfall and pool to hangout in. Each cabin has a BBQ/firepit and all the cabins are air conditioned. |
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Bandera Square: when you call to make reservations ask for the "Leakey Death Ride" packages and special pricing. |
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Other options at greater distance via the Frio Canyon Chamber of Commerce. |
Activities are always centered around the food. The usual schedule:
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Meet at the OST Cafe at 8:00 am (ish) in Bandera Friday morning. |
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After fueling up on a hearty Texas country breakfast at the OST, proceed to the city park on the river. Your bags will be loaded on a truck and brought to the Frio Pecan Farm in Leakey. Your car can stay in Bandera as you will be riding back to it on Sunday (so don't forget anything). |
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The ride passes through Medina (those not thoroughly filled by breakfast can sample savory pies, fresh apples and hot cider at the Cider Mill), over Condor's Nest, past Vanderpool and on to Leakey. The Friday ride contains some of the most brutal climbs and most breathtaking descents in Texas!! |
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Upon arriving in Leaky, get ready to recharge your batteries at 'the Pit'. The food on the Leakey Death ride is legendary. No one will be disappointed with the groceries. Riders should plan on gaining weight on this three-day outing. Suffering up Condor's Nest. |
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Saturday morning, assemble at the intersection of US83 and FM337 in 'downtown' Leakey at 8 am (ish). The climbing starts right off, but the scenery coming out of the valley is worth it. After slogging along a ridgeline, enjoy a steep decent followed by a brisk glide into Camp Wood. Fuel and tank up here as water be scarce until lunch. Make sure to stop at the Exotic Animal Ranch and check out the critters (the ones behind the fence, not the ones on the bikes). The next section through to lunch contains some rollers that would make an amusement park designer jealous, ending with a wall just before arriving at Texas 41. After the lunch stop, make a quick jaunt along 41 (most folks sag this dangerous section due to traffic), and turn onto FM336 to head back into Leakey. The first part of this section is relatively flat, but with lots of cattleguards. The last 25 into Leakey has a couple of long climbs with some long decents that are suitable for breaking your personal best maximum speed. |
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Sunday morning, assemble at the intersection of US83 and FM337 at 8 am (ish). The ride runs to Utopia (about 25 miles on) over some decent climbs where riders can feast on another big breakfast at the Lost Maples Cafe. These lean mean eating machines beat the church lunch crowd and usually wipe out the entire supply of home made pie, sending the help scrambling to make more. The Death Ride takes over this charming rustic eatery for an hour or so before heading on to the finish in Bandera. Only two climbs remain, and Sparrow's Nest will seem pretty easy after the two previous days and a good breakfast. |
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The traditional finish to the Leakey Death Ride is a cool dip in the river at the park in Bandera. Any food left from The Pit is quickly scarfed before packing up for home. |
 As you may have guessed the main agenda for the weekend is frivolous fun and fantastic food.Oh ya! Don't forget the 215 miles of killer hills!! Fueling up at Lost Maples Cafe on Sunday Morning.
Notes:
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Deadline for registration is October 1st. The form is here! |
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Money is due at time of registration. |
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Everything you should need at Friday and Saturday night's lodging must go on the truck Friday morning, it's a two hour round trip by car from Leakey to Bandera. |
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Water can be scare, so two bottles and a hydration pack are strongly urged. |
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If you are looking for a hotel, start with the Leakey Chamber of Commerce Map |
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| Holiday Party |
December 22, 2007 |
Come join us again this year at the Petroleum Club for a night of food and fun. We will have musical entertainment and dancing after dinner.
| Place: |
Carter Burgess Building
777 Main Street, Fort Worth |
| Date: |
Saturday, December 22, 2007 |
| Time: |
Doors Open 6:00 pm
Dinner Served 7:00 pm |
| Cost: |
$40.00 per person
Make checks payable to FWBA
(deadline TBA) |
| Send to: |
Sam Bartholomew
5110 Bonneville
Arlington, Tx 76016
817-269-2085 |
Directions to Petroleum Club:
Park in the Carter Burgess Building parking garage (entrance Commerce St.) Valet parking. Enter
room on north side of the garage and enter the elevator. Take elevator to Concourse and proceed
to walkway across Commerce St. Follow Concourse to the west end and far bank of elevators.
Elevator to 39th floor.
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