Every aspiring engineer should ride and know about a bicycle.
Ramesh Singh, a retired 74-year-old metallurgical engineer, describes himself as detail oriented and always preparing for the next mental and physical challenge. And that is why you will find him cycling or running on the Brays Bayou Trail about 5 days a week.He credits his 94-year-old mother Kamala for his love of cycling. Growing up in India, she was one of the first girls to be allowed to ride a bike to school each day. She often shares this cherished memory of freedom and adventure.
Ramesh’s back story is that he became very involved in the MS 150 rides to Austin, riding 2 times as a regular participant and another 7 times as a Ride Marshall. Then COVID hit and the organized rides stopped. One day, he decided to cycle about 50 miles to the west of Houston. He had his bike packed as he would for the MS 150. And then it came to him. Why not keeping going? He called his wife and said he would be gone for as long as he could ride, because he needed a new challenge. He originally thought he would be gone a few days but gradually decided to cycle to San Diego California by a southern route, which included riding through the Chihuahuan desert close to the Mexican border after leaving El Paso. He arrived in one piece 27 days later.
With such limited planning time, I had to ask how he could have been adequately prepared. That’s where his engineering knowledge and confidence kicked in. He prides himself on traveling light and knowing how to make any necessary bike repair. Traveling light means accepting that adequate water will be your heaviest supply, and that is necessary for long rides through mostly rural areas and long stretches in the desert. He is an expert at bike repair, noting that “Every aspiring engineer should ride and know about a bicycle; it has all essential aspects of mechanical engineering to learn about: gears, gear ratios, cam, chain as power mechanism, mechanical advantage, drive mechanism, stability, center of gravity, lubrication, resistance and breaking power, hydraulics (as in hydraulic brakes). A bicycle is, if not the greatest, one of the greatest mechanical devices invented.”
One might think this satisfied the itch for adventure, but he rode another two solo rides in quick succession, one by a northern route through the Sonoran and Mojave deserts to San Diego, and the last to Wyoming, climbing to an altitude of 12,600 feet. So, if you recognize Ramesh cycling from his Linkwood home along Brays Bayou, call out and ask him, “What’s next?” Then ask yourself the same question.
Larry and his wife Yael live in Robindell, just west of Hillcroft and north of Braeswood. Their 11-year-old grandson Milan, who lives in LA, is spending time with them for a few days. I caught up with them near the beginning of their 1.5-mile trek to the Meyerland Minyan Synagogue, located at 9002 Chimney Rock, adjacent to Fioza Coffee. As we walked together along the trail, Larry shared stories about why they appreciate the newly constructed, 10-foot-wide concrete trail on the north side of the Brays Bayou Greenway, between Hillcroft and Chimney Rock. Stated simply “It’s the best.”
Larry and Yael are both in their seventies. Larry walks in the range of 15,000 to 20,000 steps daily. This number is boosted by the routine of walking to services at the synagogue morning and evening, 7 days a week. (Yael is a very fast walker. She set a pace we couldn’t match.) Prior to this new trail becoming available, they often walked on broken sidewalks, which created a tripping hazard, particularly in the low light of their evening walk home. Now, instead of carefully picking their way along the sidewalk, or even on the uneven footpathnear the bayou, they enjoy a much more pleasant and safe journey. Larry and his family provide us with a great example of why investments in the Brays Bayou Greenway, as well as off-road connected paths and safe crossings, make a big difference in the lives of so many of our area residents.
Thanks to Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones and her team, for making this new trail possible through the Places 4 People initiative. Also hats off to the Houston Parks Board for their leadership in getting the trail completed.
On a windy day in late February, we met J.C. sitting at the N. Braeswood and Chimney Rock bus stop, with his bicycle ready to load on the bus front carrier. He told me that in his early fifties, he made the decision to sell his car, and to rely on his bicycle and Houston busses to move around the city. That afternoon the wind was howling, so J.C. decided to use the bus to complete the final leg of his trip to his Stella Link destination.
J.C. says that his commitment to active transportation makes life much more affordable. The bicycle keeps him active and is good for his health. He appreciates the improved Brays Bayou Greenway and the Rabbi Karff Bridge that takes him to a crossing just east of Stella Link. we discussed the NTTSW request for improvements at that crossing to grab the attention of drivers when a cyclist or pedestrian is trying to cross N. Braeswood. He agrees that those improvements are needed.
J.C. thank for sharing your inspirational story. Hope to see you out on the trail.
We met Derrick this morning along the Fondren Diversion Trail between S Braeswood and Willowbend, as he performed his duties on Lesley Briones’ Harris County Precinct 4 team. Derrick is a Groundskeeper, working with a crew headquartered out of Bayland Park. Although they are assigned the care of multiple area parks, Derrick explained that he is working on the Fondren Diversion Trail at least 2 times a week, picking up trash and monitoring maintenance issues. They also mow and edge at least monthly, but twice monthly in the summer. This can be challenging, given that dozens of middle schoolers are using the trail on their walk to and from Fondren Middle School. But this morning, everything looked great.
Derrick, with his friendly and personable manner, is a very good ambassador for Precinct 4.
He grew up in Southwest Houston and his kids go to area schools. He clearly takes pride in making our parks safe and well-maintained places for his community.
Marcos works at Southwest Cyclery, located at Fondren and S Braeswood, repairing and selling bikes. We met Marcos today while he was helping 7-year-old Ruby pick out a used bike. He made sure it fit her well and that she had some room to grow.
What we really are excited about is learning that Marcos is an avid cyclist, who lives near Sims Bayou. Like all of us at NTTSW, he appreciates the importance of connecting Sims Bayou Greenways to Brays Bayou Greenway by finishing the off-road trails that aren’t yet complete. Marcos has agreed to join NTTSW and serve as a Sims Bayou Greenway Trail Advocate. He also wants to plan and participate in some group rides. We welcome other cyclists to join us in our advocacy.
March 2025 — Meet HPD Bike Patrol Officers Reese and Desrosiers. I got the opportunity to observe them patrolling the Columbia Tap Trail near McGowan and TSU. Their presence and friendly manner builds relationships and a sense of safety for cyclists, pedestrians and neighborhood folks. They stopped for to tell me about their work and let me know that the safety of this trail is one of their priorities.
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Upcoming Events
Friends of Keegans Bayou Monthly Meeting May 8, 2026 at 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Houston Community College - Brays Oak Campus, 8855 W Bellfort Ave, Houston, TX 77031, USA
Monthly NTTSW Meeting May 20, 2026 at 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
ZOOM link. Email Stephen at spolnaszek@comcast.net
