Month: March 2021

What’s Up With the Global Bicycle Parts Problem? One Dude’s Story

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 1 Comment

It’s complicated. And not unlike many people’s relationship status, there’s a lot going on. I’m not a journalist and this isn’t an extensively researched analysis of the industry. From what I’ve gleaned, and experienced first-hand from contacting half a dozen Austin, Texas bicycle shops, the supply chain is busted thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. There’s apparently a byzantine network of large and small shops, distributors, manufacturers, brokers and more behind the scenes. Normally, tons more people re/discovering bicycling for exercise, transportation, stress-relief, and other reasons would be a good thing. But it’s that same demand coupled with crippled supply chain that is making it a feast for some and a famine for others. You can read all about that later, but here’s the story of one dude just trying to fix his bike so he can Just Keep Pedalin’.

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Blah-g: When You Don’t Feel Like Writing

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 6 Comments

I’ve noted that writer’s block is not really real. If you stick to the dictum and write what you know, you can come up with something. I always do. But then again, I’m not a journalist on assignment; it’s my blog, and I can lie if I want to. But sometimes, that blinking cursor taunts me (a second time), and I just don’t have much pithy to say. So some days are trickier that others. And if writer’s block is real for you, what are some ways out of the trap?

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Another Day in the Life of a Bike Dude

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 6 Comments

Something woke me up. Normally it’s construction, the hospital helicopter, highway traffic, barking dog, full bladder, or all of the above. Sometimes it’s a dream but they fade from memory quickly. Oh wait, I remember. It was pain in my hip from overdoing it with the resistance bands two days ago. I applied an ice pack and went back to sleep. Woke up, repeated. Felt better, but still sore. I resolved to take it easy today. Which if you know me I’m all about easy, but I also kick my own ass via exercise on the regular. Before getting out of making the bed, I remembered words Arianna Huffington told me (ok, it was a few thousand of us) on an Action for Happiness webinar the day before. When you wake up, don’t immediately turn on your phone, which should be charging and off in another room. Set your intention for the day, journal, think of some things you’re grateful for. So I did that. Take ‘er easy, thankful for ice and other things. More on that later in this post.

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Old News from the Newtritionist

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 9 Comments

I had occasion to have a free video call with a Registurd Dietitian today. I spell it that way not out of any disrespect but because it’s hilarious and she wants me to eat… wait for it… more vegetables! Thus, fiber and poop aka turd. No s#it! I want to want to eat more vegetables, and both potato chips and French fries count, as they come from the powerful potato. Hey, if it’s enough to keep Matt Damon alive on Mars, FFS (French Fries Sake), it’s good enough for a dude. Plus, it’s a cultural thing. Don’t tell me I can’t have my ancestors’ primary staple, even though the potato is from Peru. Anyway, I need to process some of this stuff, and no better place than blog land.

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Three Decades Since A Dude First Landed, Bikeless, in Austin

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 4 Comments

March 3, 1991. The first Gulf War had just ended. I was out of college a few years and had been traveling and moving around a bit. I grew weary of that, so I did the logical thing and went home. After a year slinging Southern cooking and helping out dear ma a bit, I bought a lightly used car. I went to one last steak night with my dad and brother, and moved in with a friend in Austin, Texas. Today her eldest turned 22, so I stopped by for a COVID-safe outdoor birthday. People trickled by, and I told one about the mom,“She’s my oldest friend in Austin. Looks pretty good for 85, don’t she?” (She’s much less.) With that history and my anniversary percolating in my brain the last two weeks, I figured it’s time for a little trip down memory lane.

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A Walking Dude: The World Outside

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 5 Comments

Walking is to exercise what the insurance is to business: pretty damn boring, but it’s actually pretty beneficial. I’ve been at it 30 minutes every day since 1/1/2018 (minus a couple days, which I more than made up for). It turns out that walking doesn’t have to be, um, lame. Because there’s usually one or more of the following: something new to see, errands to run, people to chat up, music to listen to, or thoughts to think. You don’t need a gym membership, a swimming pool, a tennis/basketball court or soccer/baseball/football field, or a bicycle. Except for some good shoes, which can cost a bundle, there’s little money involved. For those of us fortunate to still be mostly able-bodied, it’s the easiest, most accessible, and reliable health habit we can do. So why don’t more people do it?

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Some Surprising Ways Weight Supports Sports

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 13 Comments

Normally on or about the 11th of the month, I write about how I’ve bicycled another month every single day in a row. You can read the latest big milestone in 10 Techniques I Used to Bicycle 500 Days in a Row. But this post seemed more interesting. Millions of people struggle with overweight, obesity, fatness, or as I like to call it: being undertall. But being fat ain’t all that. In many, if not most ways, it is not good for you. When it comes to sports, though, there are some notable exceptions. I don’t encourage myself or anyone to be overweight, but if you are, you can probably do more than you realize (which is the central thesis of this blog in one sentence). Let’s dig right in! (Puns happen.)

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Chats with Strangers Whilst Bicycling in Austin, Texas

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 4 Comments

A guy driving a truck is about to turn into the bike lane. ADAB stops to avoid getting hit.

ADAB: (Yelling.) “Hey, I’m right here in front of you!”
Guy:  (Looks left and right, doesn’t see me.)
ADAB:  (Slaps hood hard; yells louder.) “I’m right fucking here, asshole!”
Guy:  (Surprised. Says nothing.)
ADAB:  (Leaves in disgust, hoping he doesn’t follow, veer into him or shoot.)
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Bus in the Bike Lane: A Recipe for…

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 4 Comments

Ingredients:

  • 40,000 pound city transit bus
  • Lazy-ass or law-breaking bus driver (see if you can find one that’s both)
  • One 28-pound steel-framed sea foam green Fairdale Weekender Archer bicycle named Sophie (substitutions allowed)
  • Experienced person on said bicycle, vulnerable to said buses
  • Narrow traffic and bike lanes on most dangerous section of road in Austin for bikes
  • Friday evening rush hour
  • Big pot of history of near misses with city buses for the bicyclist
  • Memory of John Anthony Diaz, a cyclist killed by same bus company (separate into two portions)
  • Kettle full of road rage for the bus driver
  • Add a pinch, a soupçon, or a schosche of irritating, smelly bus riders into the mix
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