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Pro Cyclist Lawson Craddock Looked Right at Me, Just Kept on Biking

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 4 Comments

True story:  Yesterday I was out for my morning walk near a downtown Austin, Texas cemetery, since I’m cat and housesitting.  I had on my Elmer Fudd hat that covers my ears and neck, headphones tuned to the classical radio station.  I was heading south and in the distance, I saw a flash of pink heading toward me.  It got bigger, and I recognized after watching the Tour de France:  it was Lawson Craddock.  He became famous due to getting a broken scapula on Stage 1 and fundraising almost $200,000 for the Houston Alkek Velodrome, where he trained as a youth.

Lawdog, as he’s known, wasn’t going too fast, but I didn’t have time to get out my camera or think of anything brilliant to say.  So I just said, “Hey, buddy!  It’s A Dude Abikes!”  Like a puppy dog quizzically cocking its head to the side when confused with something, he looked right at me.  A flash of recognition may have been there, or maybe not, since I’ve been posting notes on his Strava page.  The moment passed, and he kept on riding.  How can I not blog about that? Continue reading →

20 Mile Bike Ride in the Austin Summer Sun

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

Hey there!  Yes, you, reading this blog.  Let me say thank you.  I really appreciate it.  You’re one of a select, special number of people who will see this.  That’s pretty cool.  Sure, it might be nice if thousands saw it, but I kinda like it like this.  It’s more intimate.  Although I’ve never met most of you, it’s like I’m telling a handful of friends about my bike ride.   So yeah, let me tell you about it. Continue reading →

Jake Johannsen:  I Meet the Professional Comedian, Sex Robot and LA Bicyclist!

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 2 Comments

Former cyclist Saurabh (“Do you even bike, bro?” No.) and I hit Cap City Comedy Club for a sweet Wednesday night delicious yuk-fest.  (Do you see what I did there?)  The opening act from Austin, who just moved to Atlanta, was named Austin.  The second act was from St. Louis and drats if I can’t find his name.  Both are funny gentlemen.  But the headliner was a familiar face, a comedy stalwart (who has no actual warts) and was on the Late Show with David Letterman a whopping 46 times, has HBO and other TV specials, podcaster and nice guy who had us laughing uncontrollably.  He’s also a sex robot and rides a bicycle… in LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA!  Here’s a little post about Jake Johannsen.  You might also enjoy… Jake Johanssen*.  You can’t win them all, but I felt like a winner tonight!  (*The title of one of his comedy specials.) Continue reading →

Vision Zero ATX Wants to Stop Traffic Violence — But How?

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

Vision Zero ATX (www.VisionZeroATX.org) is based on an idea that came from Sweden:

Vision zero is the simple idea that every death and serious injury in traffic is preventable. People will make mistakes, but those mistakes should not lead to anyone losing their life or being severely hurt.

Simple, but not easy.  So far this year (as of August 1st), 40 people have died on roads in Austin, Texas — the US’s 11th biggest city.  Most are vehicles versus other vehicles.  More than a few involve pedestrians.  Just a few involve bicyclists.  Compared to many cities, that’s not alot, but according to Vision Zero ATX, we can do better.

Continue reading →

Some of the Bike Blogs I Follow and Update on A Dude Abikes – The Book

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 8 Comments

Sometimes (like now) when I find myself lacking a topic, I’ll peruse other blogs on WordPress for ideas.  There’s Biking in LA who does a very regular coverage of all things bike (including way too many accidents) in, you guessed it! — Los Angeles.  Jack Akehurst, Life Behind Bars (as in handlebars – clever!) just wrote about his riding and use of Strava over in Nottingham, England.  Half-fast Cycling Club from Washington State I think is almost done with a very impressive cross-country cycling tour.  Pam LeBlanc, Fit City is here in Austin, Texas (ATX); she just covered the arrival of the Texas 4000, a ride to Alaska for cancer awareness and fundraising. Sheree, View from the Back over in France wrote about her trip to watch a bike race in the Basque Country.  I’m sure I’ve left a few out (let me know!), but they’re all interesting when I get time to look.  You’re encouraged to go check them out!

Meanwhile, here’s what I’ve landed on to blog about… Continue reading →

How Vulnerable Should You Be in Your Blog?

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

Darren Rowse, the Australian founder of ProBlogger and co-author of the book by the same name, recently wrote “his most personal post in years.”  (You can find the article at this link on Medium.)  It got me to thinking, what is the appropriate amount of sharing?  Allow me to share my answer.  Because sharing is caring, and if nothing else, A Dude Abikes cares.  About some things some times.  Right now, it’s about finishing this awesome blog to watch more Tour de France (yes, still, I know, it’s almost Vuelta a Espana time!).  But all seriousness aside, this is a good question to ponder. Continue reading →

Friday Night Lightning: A Chat with A Quiet Austin Bicycling Luminary

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 4 Comments

It was a bit humid but not too hot for an August evening in Austin.  With warm temperatures and lightning illuminating the night sky and holding the possibility of much-desired rain, I went to a nearby house for a long-standing Friday night gathering.  The Green Man Coffee House is a rotating, rag-tag collection of friends, co-workers and neighbors.  They bring snacks and drinks, sit around and talk around the back porch, with music playing in the background, and the occasional mosquito or firefly.  A dozen or so mostly grey-haired folks were there, some came, others went.  I had watermelon and cantaloupe, grapefruit mineral water and popcorn.   Jethro Tull tooted away.  Cue the crickets, lemonade and mellow vibes, and you can imagine yourself there with us. Continue reading →

I Just Passed 10,000 Miles Riding My Fuji Bicycle in 2.5 Years. That’s Awesome!

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 1 Comment
Fuji 10,100.7 miles
Strava doesn’t lie.

The other day I checked my Strava stats and found that I had biked 10,100.7 miles on my Fuji Silhouette since Janurary 1, 2016.   I knew that I was honing in on this milestone but was surprised that it snuck up on me.  It’s a pretty awesome achievement — another notch in the belt of my amateur bicycling story.  Not too shabby!  In fact, that’s awesome!  So in this blog I’ll cover some of the thoughts I’ve had after reaching this pretty incredible achievement. Continue reading →

Hottest Day of the Year Bike Austin Group Ride + Half a Metric Century (50 km) Solo

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 1 Comment

Saturday I got myself down to Bicycle Sport Shop on South Lamar for Bike Austin’s 9th Annual Hottest Day of the Year Ride.  About 40 folks from a young age to not so young arrived to sample the mocktails, peruse Bike Austin t-shirts and brave the heat.  The good part was that the route was a short 10-miles and took us to two splash pads and two pools.  While technically not the hottest day, it was warm enough, 99 F heat index.  A Dude was serving as one of the ride leaders, and it was an eventful afternoon.  The next night I put in the first longer ride in a while, 31 miles total.  So let’s check them out. Continue reading →