While I am off the bike for a few days, not really by choice, I’m searching for something to blog about. At least I’m getting some rest. Maybe I’ll try a stationary bike or try to ride anyway. I’m tempted to take a rest day from blogging, too, but obviously I’m not. What follows is a rather random brain dump of bike stuff. Just one by itself isn’t enough for a single blog, but together they add up to one. I think it’s interesting, so maybe you will too.

Le Tour de France, Still

I’m still watching the Tour de France on streaming. It’s five hours most stages and things are getting busy. I happened to see who won but I don’t care because I still want to see how it all worked out. So I don’t want any other spoilers, but in this case, it was a sports TV show banner crawl thingy that announced the winner without warning. I’m sure you’re not the sort of person who tells spoilers, but if you know someone who is, please tell them go sit in a corner facing the wall and think about how awful it is to ruin an experience for other people. They should just stop doing it, it’s wrong! Anyway, it’s a great race — the Super Bowl of cycling — usually interesting, sometimes slow, but inspiring, dramatic and educational to watch. Even if you know the winner.

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Tragic Loss of Life

Seaking of pros, a young Belgian rider died in the Tour of Poland yesterday. Bjorg Lambrecht, 22, crashed in the rain and could not be resuscitated in the hospital. The premature loss of any person’s life is very sad, as we know about Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas mass shootings. But this is mostly a bike blog, so I don’t have much to say about that except shooting, wounding and killing people because you’re a small-minded nationalist racist (like the future US ex-president who has been encouraging this hatred of immigrants especially) is completely and morally wrong. Bjorg had won or had high finishes and was a promising talent. Now gone, just like dozens in those shootings. Whether by accident or an attack, it’s simply all tragic.

Someone on a neighborhood site said that there was a ghost bike that appeared on Manor Road. We haven’t heard of a cyclist death there, and let’s hope there wasn’t one. But it’s a bit odd. A Dude is making inquiries. Maybe someone will erect one or better yet a monument to and for Bjorg. We live on through the memories in others.

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Neighborhood News

In more uplifting news, my Ask a Cyclist idea is definitely happening in the neighborhood newsletter. I saw the blurb and it looks good. We’ll see if people respond and if so, what questions are collected. We’ll also find out if people are respectful and it’s actually interesting and useful.

A couple of people who hold titles important in at least the bike community got in touch about the North East Austin Bike Group (NEATXBG). I hope to connect with them soon and see if there are ways we can work together.

I’m signed up to attend a Bike Austin ride leader training soon. It’s only the classroom portion, which I’ve done before, but it will be a good refresher. And it will allow me to have my very own A Due Abikes group ride listed on the website and also to have it insured. If I do lead one, or more, it won’t be fast or super early in the morning. But it could be fun so we’ll see if I have the time, energy and legs to do so. Maybe when it’s cooler and I’m feeling better.

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Well, there’s always something else, but that’s enough news for now. What bike news do you have from your part of the world?

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