training

How Did Lawson Craddock and Team USA Do at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics?

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 6 Comments

Texan professional racer Lawson Craddock rode in the Olympic road race and time trial in Japan. In my previous post about Lawdog, I got the date and time for the first event correct but not which one. The very long 146-mile road race came first. I missed the time trial, which isn’t as fun to watch. In both cases the Houston native acquitted himself well. I answer the question below, and there are spoilers including one about the Tour de France.

Continue reading →

What Should You Do When You Hit an Exercise Plateau?

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 4 Comments

You’ve heard the term. It’s when, despite your best efforts, to improve your [insert exercise – in my case, biking, walking and yoga], you don’t get any better. It’s frustrating. You may want to take an extended break, or even quit. No one would blame you if you did. All that effort seemingly gone up in smoke. I’m no sports psychologist, though I certainly touch on it since it is a big part of the point of this blog is to try to inspire other older, overweight or just less active folks to try doing more. So let’s examine this whole plateau notion, shall we? Well, not in whole, just a few parts. As always, consult a medical professional before doing anything risky for you.

Continue reading →

Cycling with Sookie and Sophie: The Saga Segues

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

I found a picture of both Sookie and Sophie, my two bikes. (A third bike is elsewhere; that one was ridden pre-blog/Strava.) The photograph was taken at a community event sponsored by Bike Austin that I helped with. It was attended by several dozen people concerned about bike lanes and sidewalks on two busy and dangerous roads and Austin City Councilmember Greg Casar in April of 2017. Why on earth did I have two bikes at the same event? Well, former BA Campaigns Manager Miller Nuttle forgot his bike, so needed to borrow mine. Something inspired me to snap this shot, and I really like it alot. With the recent news about Sookie, the Fuji Silhouette (left) having a fatal crack in her frame, causing me to have to ride Sophie, the Fairdale Weekender Archer all the time, it got me thinking more about my journey. Keep reading to hear more about this passing of the torch.

Continue reading →

A Dude Attends the League Cycling Instructor Seminar (Part 2)

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 6 Comments

The League of American Bicyclists class is over, but the learning continues and the process of me becoming a teacher of bike riders is just beginning. I wrote about the first evening of the class previously here in Part 1, Today I write about all day Saturday and a chunk of Sunday. A combination of theory in the classroom and practice on the bike, it was challenging. There is a lot of information to cover and not alot of time to do it. So alot was crammed into the heads of we the students that may take some time to process. But the upshot is that after completing a few more steps, I’ll be able to pass on my knowledge to kids and adults alike. The goal? To get more bikes on butts — safely. It’s a pretty cool and beautiful idea. Read on to hear the details.

Continue reading →

A Dude Attends the League Cycling Instructor Seminar (Part 1)

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 5 Comments

This post is not about San Diego, but it is about a class.  Tonight was the first of three sessions of the League of American Bicyclists class.  That’s right!  A Dude is attempting to become a League Cycling Instructor (LCI).  This is a follow-up to the Smart Cycling class, which I wrote about last month.  I also blogged about the League in this post.  Taken together, you can learn a few things about bicycling safety and education.  I won’t repeat much of the content, though.  For that you can and should sign up for a Smart Cycling or LCI class yourself!  Because it’s an intensive weekend, this will be a more brief post than usual (that’s a good thing).  I’ll post a follow-up on my usual next day, which is Monday.  OK, time to open your notebooks!  Ready, begin.

Continue reading →

Austin Bicyclists’ Funny & Insightful Texts About Biking the Tour Das Hugel (Or Not)

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 10 Comments
From the FAQ at http://www.DasHugel.com:
Should I ride Das Hugel?  No.
 

Why shouldn’t I ride Das Hugel?  It’s extremely dangerous. Some of the descents are wickedly fast with winding turns. There’s grooved pavement, traffic, grumpy police, steep grades up that might leave you falling over in your clips, etc. Your doctor would advise against it unless your ticker is in top shape. Your spouse would force you to up your life insurance.

Really?  OK, it’s an unforgettable experience. Gorgeous scenery. And everyone is joined in the camaraderie of pain.

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 →

Bicycle Sport Shop / Bike Austin Ride Leader Training (Part 1)

~ A Dude Abikes ~ Leave a comment

Tonight I jetted over to a nice but sorta weird place for a bike meeting — a neighborhood emergency center — to learn how to lead group and bike shop rides.  It was organized by the active transportation (bike and walking) advocacy and membership non-profit organization for which I occasionally pitch in to volunteer, Bike Austin, led by new director Katie.  The training was given by Bicycle Sport Shop Road Captains Daniel, Laura Jane (LJ), and Stephanie and with some of the dozen of attendees contributing some amusing stories of what people do on their bikes.  So listen up kids, class is in session!  Professor A Dude Abikes is on the mic, talkin’ trikes, and safety things he likes… Continue reading →

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?”

Continue reading →

What the Super Bowl Teaches Us About Sports Cycle-ology

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 5 Comments

10 Commonalities Between Football and Bicycling

Holly O and A Dude, reunited (and it feels so good – it’s a song)

A Dude Abikes is not a huge football fan since the days when he parked cars for the Dallas Cowboys as a Boy Scout.  He’d get in after the first quarter to watch “America’s Team,” but then they started doing drugs and he lost interest.  But it’s a sport, so I appreciate everyone’s efforts.  So when Holly O, a bad ass cyclist friend who is not on Strava whom I met on the “Don’t Fear The Finger” Prostate Cancer One-Day Ride in August of 2016 invited me south of downtown to watch the Super Bowl, I said sure, why not?

More than a few comparisons can be made between football and bicycling: Continue reading →