Austin Bike Culture Calendar Events: 7/23- 7/29/09

 

Kenny Hill AutoWerks' Driveway Criterium Races

Weekly Thursday night road racing through October that takes place on the closed car-free driving course at the Driveway. Races include Cat 4/5 at 6:10, Cat 3/4 at 5:30, Pro/Cat 1/2/3 at 6:45 to choose from with a fourth Masters race (40 + years old) running from May 21- August 6 starting at 7:45. Open riding during Community Rally from 4:30- 5:30 PM. Races registration $20, Rally $10. $5 off with 8 oz can donated to Capital Area Food Bank. See our article about the series for more info.

 

The Austin Bike Polo Club has added another weekly match to the regular Sunday afternoon affair. All bikes and skill levels are welcome and spare mallets and balls are available if you don't have any. Check out our recent article on bike polo for more info.

 

A ride from the Facebook group Social Cycling ATX. Meet at Pedestrian Bridge at 7:50p.m. leave at 8:20p.m. There will be plenty of fun and games as well as swimming along the way with some prizes from Ozone Bike Department. The ride will end with free beer for those 21 and older East Austin’s newest bar, The Liberty.

 

Friday, July 24

 

Do you want to ride your bike but are afraid of traffic? Or are you an experienced cyclist who would like to learn how to get more courtesy and respect from motorists? If your answer to any of these questions is “yes”, you should take Traffic Skills 101, the League of American Bicyclist’s (LAB) street cycling course for adults. Traffic Skills 101 will help you ride safely and effectively – to work, to the store, around your neighborhood, or around the state. Traffic Skills 101 is taught by LAB-certified instructors, and the curriculum covers everything from bike selection to simple maintenance to fixing a flat, to strategies for riding a bike safely and confidently. It is taught to very small classes (generally 5 to 10 students), in two sessions: 4 hours on a Friday evening and 5 hours on a Saturday morning. Registration is required.

 

 

Saturday mornings spent exploring City of Austin bike routes finding new neighborhoods and ways to get around on your bike. This week's theme is Mueller Meander. Today's ride cruises through the east side to check out the new Mueller development then visits Cherrywood before returning Come by at 8:00am for pre-ride coffee. Riders have the option to stay after the ride for lunch at the Blanton Cafe. Ride organizer: Eileen Schaubert at eileen@mellowjohnnys.com or 512-426-4851.

 

This is a kids and family friendly ride. It will begin at the Brushy Creek Lake Park and go out the hike and bike trail to the YMCA at Hwy 183 and back. Stop by the train trestle to check out the granite that fell off the train on the way to build the capitol. The park has a cool water feature that the kids can play in after the ride. Distance: 5.5mi. Contact: Laura King staff@austincycling.org or 512-923-9700

 

Noon- 4 PM, Buck's Bikes, 12530 Research Blvd 

Austin’s semi-regular bike parts swap is back. Need a saddle or set of pedals to finish off that project bike? Have a box of never used or lightly used bike parts in the garage your significant other wants you to get rid of? Frankenbike is your answer. Stop by for a bit or stay all afternoon to hawk you wares. As always, admission is free, recycling great stuff is priceless.

 

Come watch the final ascent of "The Bald Mountain" on a 10 foot screen while enjoying free food from J&A's and beer courtesy of Twin Liquors. News 8's Ricky Doyle and Veronica Castelo will give away prizes like an 80GB Video iPod, Toshiba portable DVD player and more. There will also be prizes from Team Slipstream / Garmin / Felt.

 

 

The mountain bikers at the Austin Flyers will ride the main loop once maybe twice depending on interest, approximately 10-20 miles total. This trail has been compared to BCGB. Bring a picnic lunch and your swim trunks for a cool dip in the lake afterwards.

 

The ride is focused on fixed-gear bikes, but everyone is welcome. The ride will proceed at a social pace from the UT campus on various routes of 25-35 miles.

 

The Capital City BMX opened in November 2008 and offers you a chance to learn and race BMX. BMX races are held every Sunday with rider check-in 1-2 PM. Cost $10/rider. (There is also practice time on Saturday’s. Check Capital City BMX for more info.)

 

2 PM, Eastwoods Park, 3001 Harris Park Ave Join fellow bike polo enthusiasts as part of the newly formed Austin Bike Polo Club for a friendly Sunday match every week. All bikes and skill levels are welcome and spare mallets and balls are available if you don’t have any. Check out our recent article on bike polo for more info.

 

 

This is a weekly Monday ride reserved just for the ladies! Join experienced and knowledgeable riders from Mellow Johnny’s and Team Hotel San Jose for a friendly and moderately paced social ride (14-16mph average). This is a perfect chance to become more comfortable riding in a group, ask questions about pack riding or racing, meet other ladies like yourself who also enjoy riding, and keep up your fitness. We start at 5:30pm and will ride for 1-2 hours.

 

The Austin Ridge Riders are hosting a five month program of weekly Monday evening women's mountain bike rides, plus weekend rides at local mountain bike trails/parks. This is an opportunity to meet other women to ride with, learn new trails and learn new skills. Each ride will divide up into groups based on riders' abilities and speed and will have a beginner clinic/ride, intermediate, and advanced group rides. Rides will last 1 - 2.5 hours. Prizes and gift certificates from our sponsors will be raffled away after every ride. All riders must wear a helmet, bring plenty of water, and have a trail-worthy bike in good working condition. Please arrive 15 minutes before the start time.

 

If you are not familiar with Gold Sprints, it is an indoor race where two bikes on trainers are set up next to one another and riders sprint against each other for fame and glory. Consider it the ultimate spectator friendly bike competition. 42Below, a Vodka maker, is sponsoring the even which appears to be some how in conjunction with the upcoming Austin stop of the Bicycle Film Festival. You must be 21 or older to compete, and they’ll be giving away a track bike to whoever records the best time.

 

Hosted by Social Cycling ATX, this ride is a higher pace and more challenging than their Thursday Night Urban Ride. The ride is 20-30 miles and usually ends with free beer and a dip in the water. Meet up at 7 PM. Ride leaves at 7:30 sharp.

 

 

RunFAR Racing Services is back doing their twice a month TT series on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. An approximately 8 mile Bike Time Trial, the race is free or all Chip Owners. You can rent a chip for $5.00 if you do not own a chip or forget your chip. You may purchase a chip at the RunFAR Store OR we will have personal chips for sale at registration. First cyclist starts at 6pm. Riders may start at their discretion. Registration begins at 5:30pm and closes just before 6:55pm. Course: S. Mopac Loop. Starts on the southbound shoulder just past La Crosse Ave. And finishes on the northbound shoulder just before La Crosse Ave. Results will be posted ONLINE ONLY.

 

The Jacobs (Carter Burgess) consultant team continues to develop design details for the proposed Boardwalk Trail. There will be a briefing to share design progress with the Parks and Recreation Board later this month. This presentation will review design progress to date and will include plans of the Blunn Creek trailhead facilities and proposed revisions in the Harper’s Branch area. Slides from the presentation will be posted on the Boardwalk web page at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/boardwalk/default.htm a few days after the meeting.

 

 

Join local cycling team the Austin Flyers for this weekly women's ride. The ride will leave from BSS Central Location (Lamar and Barton Springs) every week except for the last Wednesday of the month when it will leave from BSS North location (183 and Braker). This is a relaxed-pace, no-drop ride open to all levels and will last up to two hours. If you have any questions about the ride, please email Tammy Thompson.

 

Leave from Don’s Automotive 1636 South First between 6:30 – 7:00. About 10+ miles, average a little over 10 mph. Lately the ride has been doing a loop including Barton Hills Blvd and some hills like Lund St. We avoid the Hike and Bike trail for being too crowded. Nothing highly technical or competitive but the ride would be difficult or impossible with a single speed or cruiser type bike. This group is certainly not the fastest but not the slowest either. Ride organizer: Don from Don’s Automotive, 512-447-9032