There’s not much of a positive note going on in A Dude Abikes land, biking or otherwise, but at least I did manage my annual long bike ride earlier in October. It was pretty tough, mostly due to the month of July off of all bikes, then only on a stationary bike for small rides while alternating days swimming, and then eventually getting back on the road. (My 6 Years, 8 Months, and 19 Days Streak of Consecutive Daily Bicycling Is Over talks about that.) And then, I was only able to do one 30-mile training ride. Herewith are some images from and some words about the big (for me as an aging fathlete) ride.
Read more: A 61-Mile Ride in Photos and WordsI got a very late start, around 2:30 pm because I was tired and not feeling it. It was also 94 F, which is abnormally hot for October in Central Texas. Plus, I had taken on a lot of water with some beet powder and also some protein, and those made me feel bloated and took a long time to, erm, pass. Eventually I got my stuff and act out there and rode over to my Happy Place, aka the Southern Walnut Creek Trail in east Austin, Texas. There are no cars, just other cyclists, pedestrians, and the occasional skater, which is really nice. And now the trail has been extended all the way to Manor, Texas. First up is my screenshot from Strava, the fitness tracker app. (Copyright 2026 Strava)
Below you see all the gear and goodies I took, the start of the trail, and A Dude Abikes in his T.ime I.n T.he S.addle custom jersey. I took my turn-of-the-century, steel-framed, skinny-tired Sommar, Fuji Finest bike that was gifted to me at a time when Sonnie, GT Arette, was temporarily stolen.
Images from the trail. They all show how dry conditions are; even the creek shown is low.
I stopped multiple times at the Austin Tennis Center, where nice guy and proprietor Lincoln gifted me with a Gatorade Zero as he did a few years ago.
As the golden hour approached, I was joined for about 15 miles by frequent guest rider Rhodney. We made it to Manor and turned around and came back. These shots of him turned out great.
More Manor. Not much to it, really. I thought I might make it there two times, but I detoured coming back and it got dark. I wrote a short poem to a strong rider I know who still goes on the group rides I used to do. He sort of jokingly hates Manor and makes no bones about it in his Strava ride titles. The poem starts like this: “Any dunce can go to Manor once. But to go there twice is twice as nice.” Which is not true, unless you live there, I suppose.
A few more random shots.
Here’s a telling final image from Strava. Not unexpected, but pretty sad. My new normal is not 100 miles a week, and often not even 50. Such is life after a setback.
One does what they can. The Dude Abides. But A Dude Abikes. Less, and slower, but still getting out there. Hope you’re doing what you can, too. Thanks for reading. ADAB, OUT!
Copyright 2026 A Dude Abikes. All rights reserved.
