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Fun With My Strava Bike Ride Titles & Recent Stats

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

Ever since I got Strava, the fitness tracking app with social media component, I’ve tried to make the titles of my rides entertaining, or at least descriptive. Sometimes I’ll link to a ride, but I don’t usually list them. However, I’ve been using them because they have been very helpful in writing my book. It’s a memoir of a two-year period wherein I rode many, Many, MANY! miles on the bike. Being able to look back at the collection of Strava rides has been invaluable in re-creating my experiences. I thought it might be fun to go into this little but significant part of my practice of riding my bicycle usually 100 miles a week.

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Bicycle Stuff Roundup and Rest Days Photographs

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 2 Comments

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.

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North East Austin Texas Bike Group (NEATXBG) Potluck and Night Ride #2

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

A few weeks ago, I accidentally (on purpose) may have started a bike gang. After some scheduling difficulties, a handful of us gathered for a potluck and another night time bike ride. Although small in number, each person brought an interesting perspective and passion to some aspect of bicycling as transportation, recreation and fun. So here are a few thoughts and images about this interesting experiment in neighborhood and community organizing for better and safer biking and walking in yes, Austin, Texas.

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The City Cyclist’s Friend: Convenience Store Clerks

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 1 Comment

After another convenience store stop to refill my water bottle with ice and water, have an indoor nature break, and to refuel, I began thinking about the modern day oasis. There’s many a night when I feel the need, the need for speed (or at least my slow version of it) and also get hungry, in other words, have a snack attack. Plus, I simply must get out of the Texas heat and humidity, and these little shops fit the bill. It occurred to me that these places and the people who run them are an important and overlooked part of the biking experience. The clerks, often young from India, Bangladesh, Mexico, and many other places play a crucial role for the bike casual rider and weekend warrior alike. So I thought it was high time to sing their praises.

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What If It All Came to An End Tomorrow? Buddha’s Five Remembrances

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

Being away from home and my bike for a day has put me in a contemplative mood.  Mysterious recent health challenges have made bicycling harder than it should be.  It’s already hard enough, in 100 degrees, being a fathlete, trying to not get dead by distracted drivers, not having a light bike with 27 gears anymore.  For 19 months I’ve had the luxury to do daily walking, writing in my book or this blog, and doing yoga every day (the latter for much longer).  And on most of the days of my life for the last 14+ years, but especially since 2015, I have ridden my bike.  Over 20,000 miles since 2005, by my count. What if it all came to an end tomorrow?

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Minor Mishaps, Major Moments and Medical Mysteries

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 10 Comments

From the things that make you go mmmmmm department: 

Mishap #1: Trash Cans, Trash Talk

Riding down a sidewalk of a busy four-lane road without bike lanes, I swerve to avoid recycling bins, miscalculate, and Sophie the Fairdale’s very wide handlebars catch them.  I go down like a Christian thrown into the gladiator ring trying to save the lion with talk of Jesus.  (Translation:  Quickly.)  But unlike those unlucky folks, I bounced right back up, apparently unharmed.

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Le Tour de France 2019 Continues: I Can’t Stop Watching

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 4 Comments

I’ve been enjoying the 106th edition of Le Tour de France thus far, but I’m way behind watching it. I’m streaming it on NBC Sports, and just finished Stage 10, which was July 15th, the day after Bastille Day. If I can’t manage to watch five hours of cycling a day, imagine trying to ride as fast and over hill and dale as these guys do. For many it’s confusing, boring, or “they’re all on drugs.” Forget those negative nobodies and start watching it now.

Needless to say, the premier cycling race of the year on the planet has had its share of chills and spills. The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat. Strategy, bravado, risk-taking and raw emotion. Far better than any staged reality show, I could just go on and on about it. So I will. (I don’t like spoilers so will try to avoid them, but may be a few. If you haven’t started watching after 10 days, that’s on you, so be forewarned.)

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Bike Curious? Here’s the Perfect Pedal for a Slow Sunday Cycle in Austin

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

Years ago, I was pedaling past the World War II era airplane hanger at Austin’s former Robert Mueller airport, which I recall flying into right over where I lived. (Not the recent special investigator.) Now, Mueller is the one-word name (like Bono, Prince, or Sting) for the new urban, high-density (and high-cost) neighborhood that now sits on the former airport. Back then, somehow I’d been able to rent a room in pretty new row house owned by a nice gentleman from Ethiopia. That’s another story.

I biked but not much. On that night, I found the ride quite by accident and joined in. It was fun and easy, but soon I went on my way and didn’t go back. Skip ahead many years in time to a couple of weeks ago, and I ran into a fellow rider at the grocery store, Jason. He reminded me about the ride, and since I was on a bike and curious about Bike Curious, I showed up. Needing a recovery ride from Saturday’s hot and tiring 45-mile Mamma Jamma training ride, I went again a second time. Lemme tell ya’ all about it.

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Texas Mamma Jamma Breast Cancer Charity Training Ride #2: Bipping and Bonking Over 45 Miles

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 4 Comments

On Wednesday, I formed a neighborhood bike gang.  On Friday, one of my intrepid new bike friends said that she might want to join me on this training ride the next morning.  Romy offered to pick me up in her bitchin’ mini-van.  This was good news: The start time was an hour earlier due to the Austin, Texas heat, so I wouldn’t have to bike the extra six miles to the start.  

A Dude is trying to become an early riser again, but it’s a struggle when people around you are so often making noise.  But it’s always good to have new people to ride with, and maybe she’ll even join my official Team T.ime I.n T.he S.addle.  She said she’d call me at 6 am to decide, so I was going to be kept in suspense. Just like you’ll be unless you click the Continue Reading thing-a-ma-jig!

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