bici

Oh Yeah, It’s a Blog Post Day: On Writing Anyway, Even When You Don’t Feel Like It

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 4 Comments

Writing a blog three times a week may not seem like much work, but sometimes it is. Today is one of those days where I’m tempted to skip it, except so far this year I haven’t done that. I either write this blog or in my book for 30 minutes or 500 words, and it’s usually for an hour and over 1,000 words.  Or more time and words, depending how much looking up stuff, dealing with photos, and going down rabbit holes.  I just keep on doing my best to #Don’tBreakTheChain.  After six months and 11 days, I ain’t about to quit.  Or better put in tee shirt format:

Too Legit
LL Cool J rap song translated to white.

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Texan Lawson Craddock Breaks Scapula on Day 1 of Tour de France, Just Keeps Riding. Quelle Courage!

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 10 Comments

The first Texan to ride in the Tour de France since 2005, Gregory “Lawson” Craddock (Twitter,  Strava) who is from Houston but lives here in Austin, Texas first appeared in the TDF in 2016.  Returning after a not great 2017, on Saturday during on Stage 1, he crashed due to a water bottle in the road.  Diagnosed with a fractured scapula and gashes on his forehead and elbow, he received treatment en route and finished the ride.  After recovering some on Saturday and a tearful interview declaring he had come too far to give up so easily, he rode again Sunday and again today.  He’s using his misfortune to inspire others and for charity, too.  A Dude Abikes salutes his grit and gumption, so I had to give him a shout out from my little speck of the internet.  Go Lawson!

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The Little Blog That Could: Statistics from January – July 2018

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

This post is about the statistics of my blog, mostly over the last half a year.  Ironically, screen shots paint a better picture without too many words.  It comes as promised before my little rant about the U.S not living up to its ideals as a government or nation regarding its horrible, immoral immigration policy of separating children from their parents at the Texas border.   Agree or disagree, but I believe I’m on the right side of the law, history and human decency on this one.

While some may appreciate my view and others may not, fortunately we do still mostly have freedom of speech in the U.S.  And this blog is primarily an attempt to document my bicycle journey and to inspire others to do the same.  It’s also an experiment in writing that I started January of 2016 but have not worked on intensively until 2018.  That said, let me show you a look under the hood of http://www.ADudeAbikes.com (aka http://ADudeAbikes.WordPress.com)!

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We Are the World, Not Narrow-Minded, Nationalistic Neo-Nazis!

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 7 Comments

It’s Independence Day, or July 4th, in the United States of America.  A day when we are supposed to pause as a nation to reflect upon our history, throwing off our British oppressors, and founding a new nation that cherished the ideals of freedom, democracy, equality and much more.  But usually people set off fireworks, cook alot of meat, drink alot of beer, and don’t think anything of it.  And woe be to anyone like A Dude who declares himself a citizen of the world.  After all, the location of my birthplace was a completely random event.  I could be Swedish, Afghani, Congolese, Inuit, or even from New Jersey.  The horror!

Today’s blog was going to be a review of my statistics about my blog.  And that just seemed frivolous, as things do when you’re having deep thoughts.  So as I went on my 25-mile ride, with people setting off fireworks all around me, I couldn’t help but think about the dichotomy, contradiction even, between those historic ideals and present, very ugly realities.  With the backdrop of the World Cup on my mind, and given how few people still actually read my words, I decided to throw in my two cents about how wrong it is to treat immigrants like second-class citizens, and the dangerous path toward neo-fascism the U.S. appears to be on.

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Goooooollllll! Alcanze a Mi Objetivo: 2,000 Millas por Bici en 6 Meses. Ahora, Que?

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 4 Comments

NOTE:  Occasionally, I write in Spanish, although not perfectly.  To translate this blog, look for a program on the internet that will do it for you.  Apologies for already not having this installed.

NOTICIA:  De vez en cuando, escribo en espanol, pero no perfectament.  Para traducir este blog, busca en programa en el internet lo que puede hacerla para usted.  Desculpe que ya no tengo este disponible ahorita.

Despues de tantas millas, mucho eferto, sangre, sudor y lagrimas, lo hice!  Monte mi bicicleta por 2,000 millas, o 3218 kilometros en los primeros seis meses del ano 2018.  Fue dificil, pero vale la pena hacerlo.  Especialmente porque mi objetivo original era 1,500 millas.  En este momento, no me siento diferente que ayer, ni sentire muy diferente manana, imagino.  Pero es en hecho en mi viaje como biciclista, otro premio que me da a mi mismo.  Quisiera agradecer a la Academia, como se dicen en los Oscars.  Ahora es un buen tiempo revisar mi trabajo en las dos ruedas, y refleccionar a donde voy las seis meses que vienen.

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An Imagined Chat with Sophie, My Fairdale Weekender Archer Bicycle

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 11 Comments

img_20180625_2348274661529426677.jpg

Hello?

What? Hi, who’s talking?

It is I, your Fairdale Weekender Archer bicycle sitting next to you, leaning on this pile of boxes.

Oh, really? I had no idea you – or any bicycle – could speak!

Well, I can’t. It’s really all just in your head.

Am I going crazy?

No, not at all.

Then what’s happening? What’s this about?

Well, I’ve been sitting here for a while, very patiently I might add, and I just evolved into having consciousness and telepathic ability. And I guess I’m just wondering something.

Yeah, what’s that?

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Some Dude from Austin Biked 448 Miles in 24 Hours; World Continues Turning

~ A Dude Abikes ~ Leave a comment

Bicycling 448 miles in a day seems not just insane, but impossible. But according to a post in today’s Austin American-Statesman by Pam LeBlanc of FitCity, some dude did exactly that. Pam’s a fitness addict/badass herself, doing biking, swimming, paddling, throwing axes, hiking, zip-lining, heavy metal goat yoga and who knows what else. And not all for her day job. She was also the author of the January 15 profile about A Dude, a far less proficient but definitely way more sane cyclist. But all kudos go to Andrew Willis for his accomplishment. (He is the co-owner of Holland Racing who put on the Driveway Series Thursday night bike races I wrote about back in April and also runs Bike Night at COTA (Circuit of the Americas), something else I’ve done.) It’s awesome, but so what, right? The right question is “What can we learn from him?”

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I Exercise and Write 24+ Hours Every Week: An A Dude Abikes Round-Up

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 6 Comments

Today in Austin, Texas, there was some rain, so it was a good day to relax and reflect.  This blog post is one of my occasional round-ups of thoughts and things about your sometimes somewhat humble blogger.  Although in 10 days we’ll be at the mid-point of 2018, and I’ll be taking a closer look at my data from the walking, writing (blog and book), yoga and of course, bicycling, I wanted to update faithful readers, family and friends of just what is up with A Dude Abikes. Continue reading →

O Jogo Bonito: The Beautiful Game of Soccer (aka Football) and Yes, Bicycling

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 1 Comment

Back on February 5, I wrote a post titled “What the Super Bowl Can Teach Us About Sports Cycle-ology”.  The quadrennial soccer / football spectacle that is the month-long World Cup began June 14th, which very many people who are not living in a cave know.  After watching all 14 games over the last five days, I’ve been thinking about the lessons soccer aka football can teach bicyclists.  (I’m from the US, so I’ll call it soccer.)

THIS POST IS SPOILER FREE IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ALL THE FIRST 15 GAMES! 

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