Bike Month & Bike To Work Day

Once again it is Bike Month featuring Bike To Work rides throughout the city.  You can get the details at Bike Houston.  Here is a list of events.

Rides & Events

May 6th Bike to Work Texas Medical Center

May 12th Bike to Work Greenway Plaza/Galleria

May 13th Bike to Work Sugarland

May 19th Bike to Work Energy Corridor

May 19th Bike to Work NASA

May 20th Bike to Work Downtown

May 21st Bike to Work Woodlands

I have skipped this event the last couple years but am going to make it a priority this year.  My concern always around this time of year, and what has stopped me from joining this event in the past, is lightning.  I don't mind riding in rain, sometimes it draws out some boyhood fun, but I'm not looking to get zapped.  Also George Bush Park is flooded and will probably stay that way for a few more weeks meaning I have to ride around the park and deal with more cagers.  Usually in the morning if I leave early enough it is fine, but the evening sometimes can be a bit of a hassle.  Hope to see you out there on your bikes.

Energy Corridor Bike To Work Day 2015

Today makes two years in a row I didn't commute via bike on Bike To Work Day.  Last year George Bush was flooded and this year there is supposed to be lightning in the PM.  I don't mind riding in the rain, and kind of enjoy it actually, but after a too close for comfort ride in a lightning storm two years ago I am now extremely gun shy about riding if there is supposed to be lightning.  Ah no, I got to call bullshit on me.  I just wanted to sleep in an extra hour this morning!  Either way there was no biking to work today.

Here is the Energy Corridors bike to work site  http://www.energycorridor.org/mobility/bike-to-work

I can't seem to get their maps to work but I posted them last year
http://cyclingspacecity.blogspot.com/2014/05/energy-corridor-bike-to-work-site.html

Coming soon I'll post the details of the route to my new work site.

Flooded Out Bike Path For Bike To Work Day

In 2013 I commuted a tad over one-thousand miles via bike.  Four things kept me from commuting more: business trips, work from home days, lightning, and flooding. So far in 2014 I have commuted just over a hundred miles by bike because I'm now a full-time teleworker.  So I was really looking forward to May 15th's Bike To Work Day.  I used the day as a reason to schedule meetings in the office and made plans to meet up and commute with a fellow Katy dwelling coworker and MS 150 teammate.  So of course we get 8 inches of rain the last two days and the path through George Bush Park is flooded out the night before Bike To Work Day.  Unfortunately the only alternate routes I know of involve streets with heavy car commuter traffic.  Next year then! 

Check out these pictures I took of the mixed use path through George Bush Park on May 14th at around 7:00 PM.

Bench that looks over the river that runs through the park.  This is west of the boardwalk

Entrance to boardwalk from west side

Heading East towards Barker Cypress just after the boardwalk

Heading East towards Barker Cypress just after the boardwalk

Energy Corridor Bike To Work Site

In advance of May 15th's Bike To Work Day I came across the Energy Corridor District's great Bike To Work site.  They are having an event on Bike To Work Day from 6:30 to 7:30 AM at the Gazebo, just off Memorial, in Terry Hershey park featuring a free breakfast, raffle, and giveaways.  They will have Bike Champions leading commutes from several points in the surrounding area (Alief, Heights, Sugarland, Katy) into the event at Terry Hershey. The longest commute I saw was 19 miles. You can sign up for a ride or email a champion for more info.  These route maps are a keeper. 

My commute from Katy is pretty close to one they are doing, though I add a mixed use path from Fry & Mason to Westheimer instead of proceeding further North on Fry.  I just like being off the roads especially during commute hours.

These route maps are a keeper for both commuting and weekend ride ideas..