Austin Chronicle

I'd like to welcome the Thursday Night Social Ride to the "Best of Austin" club:

Best Social Ride: Thursday Night Social Ride

It's said that in order for bikes and cars to coexist, cyclists need to increase their visibility, both in general and in numbers. In Austin, group rides happen almost every day, but one of the biggest is the Thursday night social ride. Around 250 bicyclists, including everyone from kids to seniors on fixies, cruisers, and what-have-you, meet up and ride "as traffic, not against it." This inclusive spirit and a relaxed pace with lots of stops not only helps novices gain confidence but also encourages drivers to acknowledge cyclists as fellow travelers, not adversaries. www.socialcyclingatx.com

Badass y'all! See everybody on the ride tonight. Lets have a beer and celebrate!

Update: Turns out they won TWO awards:

Best Use of a Puffy Water Slide: Social Cycling's Landing at the Scoot

You've just been on an hour-and-a-half ride through East Austin in the middle of summer. You're sweaty, stinky, and surrounded by fellow bicyclists in a similar predicament. What's the solution? Well, how about a giant inflatable water slide set amid East Fifth's Scoot Inn & Biergarten that looks part bouncing tent, part water park, and all fun? Welcome to Social Cycling Austin. Whether it's the Monday Night Heavy Metal Ride, the Thursday Night Social Ride – with trips to Barton Springs, water balloon fights, and lots of beer – or any of their other impromptu events, this group of two-wheeled crazies always puts on a good show.
The Scoot Inn, 1308 E. Fourth, 478-6200 www.socialcyclingatx.com; www.eastinns.com

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!

Oh fuck yes. According to an Austin Chronicle article published last week, they're going to be breaking ground for the new facilities in JULY! Here's an excerpt from the article talking about what we can expect to see sometime early next year:

The new 27,000-square-foot park, designed by Canadian firm New Line Skateparks, will combine a 7,000-square-foot bowl with a 20,000-square-foot street-style plaza. There will be spectator seating, trees for shade, and, as part of the city's Art in Public Places initiative, a skateable 12-foot metallic wave designed by local sculptor/skater Chris Levack, which House Park advocate and Tekgnar skate store owner Laurie Pevey called "a metaphor for the motion of skateboarding." With the addition of trellises inspired by fossil trilobites found in the area, Pevey said the park will "really relate to Shoal Creek."

They even gave a nod to a couple other sports we all hold near and dear:

If the long-awaited third park is built, Austin has other action-sports communities – street hockey, wheelchair rugby, and hardcourt bike polo – that could benefit from building a truly mixed-use facility.

DOPE! Man, I'm freaking pumped about this shit. With these tough economic times I'm blown away that the city is going to build this park anyway. Way to go CoA!

First to press was the Austin Chronicle with their article entitled "Bicycle Dreams". They preface the story by stating that there is "no confirmed plan for creating a 'bicycle boulevard' on Nueces Street", and that the city insists "nothing is set in stone" with regards to the whens and hows of the Bike Boulevard. Past that, the story is very good look into the pros and cons of Nueces as a Bike Boulevard, as well as exploring some of the alternate routes such as Rio Grande one block to the west. The story also looks at the LOBV's proposed Bike Boulevard plan, which strongly identified Nueces as the best possible option and calls for a series of traffic diverters, traffic calming devices and bicycle-oriented signage to increase ridership on the street. The story takes a fairly balanced look at the issue, and talks to people on both sides of the fence.

This morning News 8 Austin ran another Nueces Bike Boulevard story with the headline "Bike Boulevard gets vocal opposition on Nueces Street". With a title like that you can guess who they interviewed first. I think the most telling quote as to what the business owners think of the plan has to be "I think what we're going to end up with - if there was a bicycle boulevard - is a very fancy nice street for bikes that's used by a very very small minority of Austinites". In my opinion it seems like it's an INCREDIBLY small minority of Austinites (a mere handful of property owners) who are wanting to hold up a project that could have a much broader benefit than what they see at their front door or bottom line.

So far the opposition has been intense. Of the many property owners, stakeholders and business heads that have been showing up for the meetings, Greg Copp (Copp CPA), Susan Harris (Site Solutions Inc), and Trey Bueche (Bat City Awards) are the most vocal property/business owners opposing this initiative, and from the sound of things one of them (not saying whom) is putting direct political pressure on Annick Beaudet personally, through their contacts within the city. What an asshole. Going after a public official on a personal level because you don't happen to agree with them or the City's vision of the future is a total scumbag move, and completely uncalled for. Speaking of uncalled for, I'm typically a pretty live and let live kinda guy but in this case I'll go straight for the bottom of the barrel and hope the offending party's genitals rot off and their offspring grow up to despise them.

One of the aforementioned business owners has actually engaged the bicycle community in discussion over the issue, which gives us another great insight into their line of thinking. It seems to Mr. Bueche that lowering speed limits downtown and adding more bike lanes would solve whatever problem we have and keep that pesky bike boulevard from passing by the side of his business (which actually faces 18th St). Bean Wear of the Statesman spoke with Annick Beaudet earlier this week and wrote that we aren't expected to see a plan from the city until April, which means there's still a lot of time for business owners OR bikers to give their input.

I hope these stories highlight why it's of UTMOST IMPORTANCE that y'all show up to the upcoming public input meeting on February 24th. The time and location is still 6 to 8 p.m. at Pease Elementary School. The turnout for the last two meetings was OK, but it wasn't at all what I was expecting from y'all. Lets see some bikers this time around! Show the City how important having a functioning bicycle infrastructure is to you. Even if you don't ever plan on using Nueces, show up because this fight reaches FAR beyond the dozen blocks between 15th and 3rd street. This boulevard is going to be the cornerstone of a robust and modern transportation system that INCLUDES bicycles, rather than shuffling them off to the dirt trails and sidewalks. With the rate our city is growing we're going to need it sooner than many people think.

Rob D'Amico of the League of Bicycling Voters penned the following article for today's edition of the Austin Chronicle, regarding Bicycle thief extraordinaire James Clayton's ex-girlfriend being exonerated of all charges in relation to his criminal enterprise:

Late last month, Travis County prosecutors dropped all charges against Layne Severson, the woman police accused of conspiring with local bike thief James Clayton to sell stolen parts on the Internet. Clayton, who befriended local bicyclists and then stole their high-end bikes and equipment, was arrested in February. Police found more than $60,000 worth of stolen bikes and gear in his North Austin home and a storage unit. They later charged Severson, his then-girlfriend, with felony money laundering, saying her PayPal account was used to sell some of the items. "As it shook out, they couldn't prove anything," said Rip Collins, Severson's attorney. "She always took the position that she was not guilty of the money laundering. She never denied that her PayPal was used ... that her boyfriend used those accounts. At the same time, she took the position that she didn't know the items were stolen." Clayton pled guilty May 14 in Travis County District Court and agreed to a plea bargain of four years in state prison. At his sentencing, he told the judge that Severson was innocent and had no knowledge of the thefts. "He was going to testify in her defense," Collins said. Prosecutors could not be reached for comment. – Rob D'Amico

Thanks for keeping us up-to-date on all the latest info Rob, this case has been absolutely riveting. Speaking of Mr. Clayton, has anyone had any contact with Austin's own bicycle supervillain since he pled guilty? I'm just curious as to how his time on the inside has shaped his opinion of bicycle theft.

Ok, I've gotta do it one more time. Here it is, the ever-popular "Many Faces of Clayton" photo montage:

Thanks for the memories, James. When you're out in a few years, holla! I have a couple questions I've been DYING to ask you.

The Austin Chronicle just announced their Best of Austin 2009 winners, and it looks like they gave out two bike-specific awards this year.

Congratulations to Bicycle Sport Shop for winning Best All-Time Winner in the Readers Poll. They've pretty much had Best Bike Shop award on lockdown for the past two decades, so there was no recourse but to give them "Best All-Time". Hell yeah, y'all.

Also, congratulations to Ladybird Lake (aka. the Town Lake Hike and Bike) for winning Best Bike Ride in the Readers Poll. I voted for the Full Moon Cruise, but whatever. I guess that trail's ok.

Update: I don't know how I glossed over this, but The Peddler Bike Shop won "Best Bicycle Repair" in the Readers Poll. These guys just recently moved into their new location with big windows, a nicer storefront, and HUGE amounts of space, so swing by 51st and Duval sometime soon and check out their new digs. Sorry for leaving you guys out!

I didn't notice any other bike-specific awards, but if I left any omissions, please let me know.

LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of stuff is going on this week with an all-ages YBP fundraiser/alleycat tonight, the big kickoff party for the bike film festival tomorrow evening, the Full Moon Cruise later that night, art shows, after parties, another excellent sounding YBP fundraiser (this one's affiliated with BFF and is 21+), more races, a bike polo tournament, trick comp, gold sprints and that doesn't even include the EIGHT PROGRAMS worth of shorts and feature length films that actually make up the meat of the BFF itself. I've got motherfucking press passes so expect to see me at EVERYTHING! It's gonna be rowdy and I'm gonna be beat by the end of the week, but sweet Jeebus am I looking forward to it.

Speaking of "BEAT", you bike thieving fucks (specifically Christian Bradbury and John Price, but this goes out to ALL Y'ALL bike thieves) should probably stay clear of anything and everything cycling-related in Austin, starting right now and continuing until you die. I know what you look like and lots of other cyclists know you too, so don't expect the red carpet treatment if you show your faces around our events. In case I haven't made it clear enough: Fuck off bike thieves if you don't want to catch a severe beating. I have my serious face on. Test me.

Many of you knew Christie Constante. She was a regular on the rides around town, a commuter cyclist (she never owned a car), and was a good friend to many of y'all. Unfortunately, last year she was diagnosed with cancer and after a short but spirited fight, succumbed to the illness. Some of her friends and relatives have set up a dedication page on the main Livestrong Action site, so if you knew Christie and she touched your life in some way, please leave your mark.

On top of their regular roadie and womens-only rides, Mellow Johnny's is planning on adding a weekly mountain bike ride to their roster. Keep your eyes peeled for more details as they're made available.

In other bike news, Hill Abel, owner of Bicycle Sport Shop was recently featured in an Austin-American Statesman article about his decades-old role in putting Austin on the national mountain biking map, even though we have no mountains. The article covers Hill's humble beginnings as a 20-something mountain biker, his purchase of a local bike shop about 15 years back (what became Bicycle Sport Shop), and the work he's put in over the years to "legitimize" Austin's various renegade trail systems and better the relationships between bikers and other trail users. He's a great asset to the community, and even though we don't always see eye-to-eye on everything I'm thankful for all the time and effort he's put into bettering his surroundings and making Austin more bikeable for everybody.

I mentioned "freebies" in the title, but that was really just a trap. I'm not giving you anything because I'm a cheap bastard, but the fellas over at A2W want to give you tickets to tomorrow's Bikes Rock show. Their deadline for the contest is in a little over 2 hours, so if you miss it but still REALLY want to go, the Austin Chronicle is also giving away tickets to the event. They put you on their "Chrontourage" mailing list even if you don't win, but whatever, just spamfilter those mofos.

On to the flyers! As y'all know, oftentimes the sponsors/locations/details of the events can change up to the last minute. To reflect this, a couple of the BFF events have some brand spanking new flyers associated with them. Check it (click the flyer for links to the events):

There you go, I'm spent. Now y'all other blogs have something locally-oriented to post. There was something else I wanted to mention but I've completely forgotten what it was. Expect an update later this afternoon if it comes to me.

If you've picked up a copy of the Daily Texan OR the Austin Chronicle today chances are you've already seen at least one of these stories, but in this morning's print papers Austin cycling was the topic of conversation. I'll admit that I was hoping the Open Letter sent to the chronicle would be published, but instead we were treated to a story about Perry's veto of HB 488, and the bicycle community's response to this, specifically Leslie Luciano's FOIA request. They discuss the issue with the originator of the bill, and reference the cycling community's voiced support for Perry's main opponent in the next Republican Primary election. Though I've never voted in a Republican Primary before, this might just be my year. You can read the full article here.

Also in local news was a great story about the weekly Thursday Night Urban Night Rides that have been going strong over the past few months. When I say going strong I'm not kidding, this ride has seen 200+ people on a weekly basis recently, and shows no signs of slowing down. It's even spawned a spin-off ride for people who want to go faster and further, but still like socializing, belly flops and free beer. With quotes from Brooks, Keith, and several other regulars, the story does a good job of covering the origins of the ride and illuminating what it's about to the various riders who participate.

Great stories y'all, and what perfect timing since tonight is another of the oh-so-excellent Social Rides. See y'all there!

I just noticed over on A2W that the Austin Chronicle was soliciting votes for their 2009 "Best of Austin" Awards, and on top of their typical "Bicycle Repair" category they've added a new one:

As all of y'all know there are now officially 5,231 regularly scheduled bike rides in the Austin area, with more new ones being added daily. Though the old favorites like Critical Mass, the monthly Full Moon Cruise, and the annual Harvest Moon Ride are going strong, the new rides like the Thursday Night Social Ride, Midnight Ridazz Pub crawls, or the various neighborhood cruises and have given them a serious run for their money. The field is ripe with excellent candidates, so get to voting!

There are also fields for "Local Blogger" and "Local Blog" votes, which is another place we've really grown in leaps and bounds since last time. Last year the choices were slim, but in the past 12 months we've seen several great new blogs start up such as Austin on Two Wheels, Thy Neighbors Bike, CycleBum, Pedal Bug or any of the other multitude of local cycling-related sites. A2W just solicited votes from their readership for the "Best Blog" category so if you're one of their people and you dig their site throw them a bone. I've already got one picture of me holding a certificate and grinning like an asshole, but I tried not to let it go to my head. If I won another one I imagine I'd become completely intolerable, so if any of the other blogs have touched you in a special way (no not that special way), give them your vote.

P.S. The rules say ballot stuffers will be killed so make sure you only vote once. You've only got until the 21st so don't tarry.

Looks like Brian Davies' monthly-ish Alleycross races have attracted the attention of The Austin Chronicle. Best line ever...

The one thing I don't want is for it to be a snob fest," he says. "Let's be realistic. It's just a bunch of knuckleheads riding bikes in the middle of the night. Anyone who takes this seriously should find another race, 'cause they'll probably be racing a drunk guy on a cruiser."

Hell yeah!

I hit up the Austin Chronicle's website today to be treated to the following two cycling-related stories. The featured story of the week is a thorough investigation into the James Clayton case by Rob D'Amico of the League of Bicycling Voters (hereby renamed to the League of Bicycle Superheroes, which sounds much more epic). Rob really got out the shovel and dug up some skeletons for this one, it's a juicy read and I'm not even halfway through it yet:

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A764582

His article also includes a really awful photo of me without facial hair for the first time in about 7 years. Not the photographers' fault, I just look horrible when I'm clean-shaven. Heh.

The second is Chronicle writer Dan Mottola's piece on last months' Critical Mass arrests. Beyond covering the event he asks a few officers on the scene some additional questions, and their answers are rather insightful:

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A764659

Bottom line is the same as it's always been: Don't break the law, don't get arrested. Easy, no? If you can't abide by that, then you best not get caught. ;)