non-profit

6 Reasons Why You Should Use Bike Index (My 600th Blog Post!)

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

There’s a specific feeling that goes with being robbed that’s like a punch in the gut: it’s infuriating, nauseating, and saddening all at once. What’s worse is there’s little you can do about it. Sure, you can (and should) report it to the police (who frankly don’t care or have the resources to investigate), search online and at pawn shops, but more often than not once it’s gone, it’s gone. What’s a bicycle rider to do? Well, I’m here to tell ya’: BikeIndex.org to the rescue (sometimes literally)!

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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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Conversation with Jim Sayer, Director of Adventure Cycling Association (Part 1)

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 4 Comments

When I got wind Jim Sayer was in town, I jumped onto my computer machine and using electronic correspondence, I requested a meeting.  Since I missed him on my trip to Missoula, Montana where ACA is headquartered on my epic trip there in 2016, and have been curious about bikepacking/touring ever since, I was keen to learn more about ACA.  He was kind enough to meet me at a coffee shop and chat.  He’ll be doing a talk Tuesday, November 13 at 6-8 pm at Bike Texas, so if you’re in Austin, come on down!  I’ll post a follow-up after that event to share more.  But let’s dive into what the ACA is about! Continue reading →

Mamma Jamma Ride to Beat Breast Cancer Happy Hour

~ A Dude Abikes ~ Leave a comment

Last night I biked out to one of Austin, Texas’s brew pubs, where they make their own beer.  Cold but dry after rain early in the day, it was not long but I had the bike rack all to myself.  Riders from the recent Mamma Jamma Ride which I was part of on September 22, 2018 were invited to have a free cold one, socialize with others, and pick up their gift bags or some extra goodies.  I decided to ride over and join in.  And you can join me for this little night cap.  I mean recap.  Tee many martoonis, sorry!  Just kidding.

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Bike Austin Wants YOU to Help Save Lives by Becoming an Individual or Business Member TODAY!

~ A Dude Abikes ~ Leave a comment

Volunteering to Make Austin’s Streets Safer for All

Bike Austrin logoToday A Dude visited the downtown Austin, Texas office of Central Texas’s leading bicycling and pedestrian advocacy and education non-profit organization, Bike Austin.   My goal?  To get trained by amazing Community Development Planner Shavone Otero on how to engage Austin businesses to become members to keep the group alive.  That’s her pointing at me in the photograph.  Together with the Bike Austin Education Fund, their mission is to:

“…improve quality of life for all of Austin and Central Texas by growing bicycling as a form of transportation, exercise, and recreation.”

Pretty simple, but not so easy to implement.  Austin traffic continues to worsen, with projected population growth.  Amazon is considering us for another headquarters, which would add 50,000 employees and their families to the roadways.  According to the INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard, Austin ranked 42nd worst traffic in the world.  Drivers spent almost two full days per year in their car.  That’s up 24 slots from 66th worst in 2016.  So bicycling is going to play a vital role in that whole… let’s just call it a mess. Continue reading →