If you’ll be in Austin next Saturday, October 20th please join us at Southwest Cyclesport for an afternoon of bicycle celebration.  RSVP on Facebook.

My online cycling buddy Shawn from Texas Mountainbike Trails is helping to put on this event and he’s totally ready to party as well.

So what will go on during the event?  The main purpose is to celebrate cycling and get a bunch of great people together to party it up.

It also serves as one last get together for any of our Loving the Bike friends who’d like to say goodbye before my Family and I take off for the Caribbean.  We love the city of Austin and everything about it, and it’s sure to be a bittersweet send-off.

The Ride: What’s a cycling party without a ride, right?  We haven’t decided yet if there will be a ride starting and ending from The 263, or if we’ll have a ride that originates from downtown.  I’m open to ideas and suggestions.  Seeing as The 263 is not a centralized Austin location, it might make sense to meet up somewhere downtown and take a nice scenic route to Cuernavaca.  Then following the party, the ride will head back.

Sponsors: We have some great sponsors involved with this event and there will be a bunch of free product and giveaways.  There will be tons of free Clif Bar product given out, Hydrapak water bottles, Injinji cycling socks….and Dennis from The 263 said he’ll be getting some goodies from his beer suppliers and many others as well.  Southwest Cycle Sport is also a sponsor and will be on hand as well.

Details:

• Date – Saturday, October 20th 2012
• Time – 2:00PM to 4:00PM
• Location – The 263 (1705 N Cuernavaca Drive, Austin Texas)

It just happens to be Livestrong weekend, so there will be a lot of our cycling friends coming into town…..so be sure to add this party to your weekend agenda.

Here’s a map and location for Southwest Cycle Sport:

11701 Bee Cave Road #110, Austin, TX

RSVP on our Facebook Event Page.

I’m always up for something new and exciting, so when I heard about the Toyota RAV4 Adventure Club event going on at MapMyFitness I decided to take part in it.

There is a contest component to this event, and they are giving away a Tom Tom Go Live to help you navigate your future wild adventures, but I was more interested in making this a chance to try out something different.

The idea behind this contest event is to get people creating new routes in their area (either bike, hike, walk, or run routes) and then sharing them with everyone in the Toyota Group within MapMyFitness.

All you have to do in order to get in for the Tom Tom Go Live draw is join the group and participate by sharing an unexpected adventure that you had by taking part.  There’s also the chance to win a $500 Visa Gift card and that is going out to the person who creates a new route, shares it with their friends, and get the most VOTES.

More details on the contest side of things can be found at http://www.mapmyrun.com/people/groups/toyota/ under the “How to Play” tab.

My Adventure

Okay, so with all the great cycling routes here in Austin I often find myself on the same old roads each time I go out.  So this Adventure Club sparked me to try something new.  I took a look around MapMyRide for a route that would take me somewhere I’ve never been before on my bike.  When I spotted this Mt. Bonnell route I knew that was the adventure for me.

 (More details on this ride can be found at http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/4531923)

It has a maximum elevation of 775 feet which isn’t overly high for Austin, but we’ve been up there by car before and the views are spectacular.  I decided to take my commuter bike instead of my road bike because I thought I just might want to go off-road while I was up there.

The journey along to the Mt. Bonnell area was nice because it involved riding down a lot of streets that I’ve never been down before on my bike.  But the true adventure began when I got to the top of Mt. Bonnell.

(I totally forgot to bring along a camera for this adventure, but I peeled an image of the view off Wikipedia so you could see what’s up there)

I walked my bike up the stairs that lead to the wicked viewpoints of the area and sat for a moment and took in the gorgeous Austin landscape, but this was supposed to be an adventure right?  So I did something just a little bit unexpected.  Instead of walking my bike back down the stairs, I set off along one of the walking paths to see if I could find my way down by bike.

I scraped along a few dry tree branches and almost bit the dirt a couple times, but it was a very enjoyable adventure.  It wouldn’t have been anything big for my mountain bike friends out there…but for this roadie, it was a lot of fun.

Toyota motivated me to break out from the norm and discover a new route in my city. This experience taught me that there is an adventure waiting around every corner! Tell us about your unexpected adventure below for a chance to win a Tom Tom GO LIVE.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of the Toyota. The opinions and text are all mine. Sweepstakes Rules.

I wanted to pass along information on the Urban Assault Ride that is being put together in part by my social media buddy, @jonvick (Adventure Fit) and New Belgium Brewing…you know, the makers of Fat Tire Beer.

The Urban Assault Ride is a ride that most people do just for the fun of it, as it’s not a typical riding event.  Plus, look for the $10 entry discount that we’re offering our readers as well.

Here’s how it works:

You and your teammate will set out on a city-wide quest for ‘checkpoints’ on your favorite two-wheeled steeds.  At each checkpoint, you’ll drop your bikes and complete a funky/adventurous obstacle course, then remount your bikes and hit the streets for more.

The goal is to complete all the checkpoints in the shortest amount of time. You choose your own route and checkpoint order. This means that the most clever are often the victors. Of course, it may also help if you can pull a mean big-wheel powerslide and fly across an inflatable slip-n-slide.

After your pedal-powered adventure, your team will cross the finishline and enter a massive celebration of bikes and beer. The after party is just as much fun as the ride itself, thanks to the craziest raffle prize contest you’ll ever experience.

Discount on Entry:

Anyway, if you live in Austin and want to take part in this fun loving bikey event be sure to get your registration in right now….because it happens this Sunday.  Plus if you use the coupon code – LOVINGTHEBIKE10 - you’l get $10 off your entry fee.

Register – Urban Assault Ride ATX

There’s also a few more of these events taking part in other locations this Summer so see below for details on if it’s coming to your city.  For more information on the Urban Assault Ride you can visit www.urbanassaultride.com, or read the press release below.  Bikes, Beer, and Good Times…..sounds like a recipe for fun to me.

Annual Celebration of Beer, Bikes and Big Wheels

Austin, TX – June 13, 2012 – The Gnarly Ninjas, the Gingersnaps and Hey Cupcake! are just a few of the teams “bringing it” to the New Belgium Urban Assault Ride, which returns to Austin June 24th.  The Urban Assault Ride, which launched in Austin in 2003 is now the nation’s most popular pedal-powered adventure obstacle series.  Nearly 2,000 cyclists are expected at this year’s celebration of beer, bikes and big wheels; they’ll depart from Fiesta Gardens at 8:00AM sharp on a citywide race to locate checkpoints and complete obstacles.

Registration is still open at www.urbanassaultride.com.

What started as a homegrown event that combined the best of bike racing, adventure racing, scavenger hunts and music festivals has evolved into a much-loved tradition for thousands of fun-loving cyclists who embrace the cycling lifestyle and community.  In 2002, 120 cyclists participated; 2,000 are expected at this year’s celebration.  Despite it’s growth, the Urban Assault Ride remains true to it’s mission: to get more people on bikes more often. By involving local businesses, non profits, and landmarks, the Urban Assault Ride has a local feel and connects cyclists to the community.

Its popularity is largely due to it’s unique “Choose your Own Adventure” format, that requires teams of two to plan their own routes to checkpoints all over town. At each stop, riders drop their bikes and tackle funky (and always changing) challenges which may include power-sliding big wheels through a race course, sliding down a 30’ water slide, or playing “limbo” on mini bikes.  Upon crossing the finish line, cyclists enter a huge after party with New Belgium brews and prize contests such as the ‘mustache dance-off.

“Our main goal is to create the best possible day on a bike”, said event founder, Josh Kravetz. “However, the UAR has a deep and long lasting impact in the markets where we’ve held our events. Since riders have to plan their own course around town, they end up teaching themselves safe riding routes.” The result: The majority of UAR participants end up using their bikes more for transportation following their experience.

Adventure Fit takes this healthy and eco-friendly impact even further by benefiting local bike-advocacy non-profits and shooting for zero-waste events. In 2011, the Urban Assault Ride diverted an average of 95% of event waste from landfills and donated revenues to 19 different non-profits. This is one of the main reasons that New Belgium Brewing continues to be the Urban Assault Ride’s title sponsor.

“The Urban Assault Ride has been a favorite event of the brewery for seven years.  It combines elements that we covet:  costumes, bikes and community.  Add a handful of zany obstacles and checkpoints to that mix and you get whey we’re such big fans of this event,” said Mike Keller, New Belgium’s National Festivarian.  We appreciate that Adventure Fit continues to strive to produce zero-waste events.  If you haven’t been before, this is your year.”

“If you’re unable to make the ride, at least join us for the after-party festivities,” adds Keller.  ” Proceeds from beer sales go to benefit local bicycling advocacy groups.”

For the 2012 season, riders can expect all new obstacles and after party contests designed to challenge every level of cyclist. The UAR is open to anybody seven years old and up. Team divisions include coed, male, female and family. Prizes are awards to the top three teams in each division. Each event is capped at 1500 riders and multiple sellouts are expected in 2012.

2012 Urban Assault Ride Dates & Locations:

• Sunday, February 26, 2012 – Tucson, AZ.
• Sunday, March 25, 2012 – Richmond, VA
• Sunday, April 1, 2012- Charlotte, NC
• Sunday, June 6, 2012 – St. Louis
• Sunday, June 10, Minneapolis, MN
• Sunday, June 24, Austin, TX
• Sunday, July 15, 2012 – Fort Collins, CO
• Sunday, July 22, 2012 – Denver, CO
• Sunday, August 12, 2011 – Des Moines, IA
• Sunday, August19, 2012 – Chicago, IL

Duzer Does Urban Assault

Okay, so if you need something more to convince you how much fun this will be, check out this video from my good buddy Ryan van Duzer to see just how crazy wild this is going to be:

About New Belgium Brewing

New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, began operations in a tiny Fort Collins basement in 1991. Today, the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., New Belgium produces eight year-round beers; Fat Tire Amber Ale, Ranger IPA, Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey, Mothership Wit and Trippel, as well as a host of seasonal releases. In addition to producing world-class beers, New Belgium takes pride in being a responsible corporate role model with progressive programs such as employee ownership, open book management and a commitment to environmental stewardship. For more information, visit  http://www.newbelgium.com.

About Adventure Fit

At Adventure Fit Inc, we live for fun outdoor adventures. Our passion shows in our work through every event, team, and experience we create. Founded on the slogan “Come out and Play!”, Adventure Fit has produced some of the country’s most popular participatory sporting events.

Our events are not only fun and unique, they also have a deeper goal: to open the eyes of our participants to a world of greater social and environmental responsibility. We partner exclusively with companies that have sustainable business practices and give back to non-profits around the country. For more information, visit http://www.adventurefit.com.

On June 12, Reveal the Path makes its way to Austin and into the Alamo Drafthouse for a screening of this “visually stunning adventure by bike”.  Oh, and we’ve got a pair of tickets to give away.  If you’re not located in or around Austin, the Reveal the Path Movie is holding premiers in many other cities this June and July as well.  Have a look at their list of upcoming screenings at http://revealthepath.com/screenings.

Reveal the Path explores the world’s playgrounds in Europe’s snow capped mountains, Scotland’s lush valleys, Alaska’s rugged coastal beaches and Morocco’s high desert landscapes. Ride along and get lost in the wonders of the world… Meet the locals living modest yet seemingly fulfilling lives, leading us to question what it means to live an inspired life – however humble or extravagant.

Reveal the Path was filmed across four continents and features two legends from the world’s toughest mountain bike race, the Tour Divide.  Seeing as this film is from the makers of “Ride the Divide” it only makes sense to include race legends Matthew Lee and Kurt Refsnider.

Amazing and inspirational cycling movies like this one unfortunately don’t make it to theatres as often as they should, so you won’t want to miss this special screening of Reveal the Path.  Tickets are available online at the price of $12.50…but we just happen to have two to give away.  Yep, the film’s director, Mike Dion, personally granted us a couple to give out…but even if you don’t win, I hope to see you there.

Reveal the Path Austin Premier:

Tuesday, June 12 2012
6:30PM
Run Time: 75 Minutes
Tickets: $12.50 each
Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar (1120 S Lamar Blvd)

Reveal the Path After-Party by Bicycle Sport Shop

Bicycle Sport Shop is hosting a Reveal the Path After-Party at Toasties Sub Shop on South Lamar…and everyone attending the premier is invited.  You can RSVP for this event by heading over to the Bicycle Sport Shop site.

Enter to Win Tickets:

Congratulations to Joseph M. de Leon who wins two tickets to Reveal the Path.  Thanks to all who entered and I hope you’ll still get tickets of your own and join us at the premier next Tuesday night.  See you there.

We’ll make this one as simple as possible.  Just leave a comment letting us know why you think cycling movies rock and you’re in to win.  Contest closes at Noon EST on Friday and we’ll announce the winner soon after.

The word “Ciclovia” is a Spanish term for “Bike Parkway”, but I’m calling it a bicycle celebration.  Back in the early 80′s, the people of Bogata, Columbia created the idea of Ciclovia as a way to battle against the traffic congestion found in their city and to this date they still hold a 70 mile celebration each Sunday.

This idea has caught on around the world and here in North America most places have changed the name to Viva Streets. Portland, San Francisco, Madison, New York, Los Angeles and other cities in the US have made this a part of their city’s culture and now Austin is holding their own Viva Street Celebration.  This Sunday (May 20th), the city will be blocking off Sixth Street between Brazos Street and Robert Martinez Jr Street so that it can be opened up to bikes, skaters, strollers, skateboards….or even some street yoga or hula hooping.

Our friends from Viva la Bicicleta will have a booth set up during Viva Streets (you just knew they had to be involved in something like this).  I’ll be roaming the event on my bicicleta and also hanging at their booth as well….come find me.

If you live in Austin or will be here that day, be sure to join in on this car-free and tobacco-free playground.  If not, check and see if your city holds a Viva Streets festival or plans on hosting one.  Give it up to the Columbians for coming up with such a great idea.

Have you ever experienced a Ciclovia or Viva Streets?  Let’s hear all about it.

Ironically, I might not be able to ride in the LIVESTRONG Challenge Austin this year…it will be the first time I’ve missed it in a long, long time.  But I do feel that YOU need to take part in this fantastic event, and here are 8 reasons why.

Be sure to check out reason number 8 which includes your chance to win a Team LIVESTRONG jersey, Mellow Johnny’s Jersey, or Team  cycling cap.

LIVESTRONG Challenge Austin - Sunday October 21, 2012

Register right now: Click to REGISTER

I think it’s safe to say that Austin, Texas is one of the top Tech cities in North America….It’s also safe to say that it’s also one of the top cycling cities as well. Because of this, it’s no surprise that CycleTracks is using this city to collect bicycle data through their Smartphone application design.

What is Cycle Tracks?

I don’t know about you, but I always seem to go to Twitter to get a nice little snapshot of what a person or company is all about….so I thought I’d do this for Cycle Tracks as well.  Here is how they describe themselves on Twitter:

If you need a little more than the Twitter bio to give you details on what these guys do, let me give you the low down in a few more than 140 characters. CycleTracks is an IPhone and Android application that collects data on why and where a cyclist rides their bike.  The program was developed by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) and uses a smartphone’s GPS capabilities to track bicycle trip routes.  The only other input required from the user is to specify a purpose for each of their bicycle trips (commuting, shopping, exercise, etc).  All of this data is then sent to the SFCTA servers and added to their pile of Austin bicycle routes.  All identifiable data is kept confidential, of course.

Why Austin?

As I explained earlier, it’s pretty easy to see why Austin was determined to be the city of choice for CycleTracks to get things going, but why do they say they selected our fine city?

Austin was chosen for this project because of its strong cycling culture, its known bicycle-friendliness, and the presence of several universities including the University of Texas which makes it an ideal test environment.

Get Involved

If you live in the Austin area and would like to take part in the data collection, you still have time.  CycleTracks plans to collect data here until the end of October so get cracking if you’re into this.

To get started, download the CycleTracks application for your iPhone/Android phone using the links below. Once you have installed the application on your phone, follow these instructions from the SFTCA website about how to use the application.

For iPhone:

Download Link – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cycletracks/id338203326?mt=8 

Instructions - http://cycletracksaustin.com/cycletracks#iPhone

For Android Phone:

Download Link - https://market.android.com/details?id=org.sfcta.cycletracks&feature=search_result

Instructions - http://cycletracksaustin.com/cycletracks#Android

Other Cities

I would say it’s a safe bet that if all goes well with the Austin test site, the CycleTracks crew will be coming soon to your city.  Keep your eyes and ears open and let’s see how this form of data collection changes or improves things.

For more information on CycleTracks, visit them at http://cycletracksaustin.com/cycletracks.

Just got home from day two of NAHBS and the best way for me to sum things up is that today was a gathering of people who are in it “For the Love of the Bike”.  There really isn’t any other way to describe it.  So many different kinds of cyclists, people, and backgrounds….all coming together because they are Loving the Bike.  What a day, I am so thankful I was able to be a part of all this.

I won’t be going back to the show tomorrow, but I have some more pictures for all you bike porn junkies out there.  Oh, and the photos from today and yesterday are just my amateur shots.  I’ll be posting Chris Gomez’s professional photos in the coming days.  I also have enough video footage and interviews to keep you entertained for days…and will be laying those out in various posts very soon as well.  Watch for the first set coming out on “Make it Happen Monday“.

The front hub of my Wife’s favorite bike at the show: Naked Bicycles

Another shot of this stripped down beauty made by Naked Bicycles

Even when they are dirty….bikes are just so beautiful to look at

If you thought the flask holder on the Watson bike was cool….you’ll like this as well

It’s still four weeks away, but I’m totally stoked to be attending my first ever NAHBS (North American Handmade Bicycle Show) held right here in Austin, Texas this year. This is the 7th year for the NAHBS and it’s taking place in the ATX from February 25 to 27.

The show began as, and remains, the largest and most important gathering of custom bicycle builders anywhere in the world.  It features all conceivable types of bicycle: Some dazzlingly beautiful, some you thought might have been impossible to build, some very fuctional and utilitarian, and others that are simply classics of their genres.

Whatever types of bike they are, they’re all of the highest quality at NAHBS. All of our booth holders have completed at least 50 frames and spent at least two years as a professional builder. Each of them carries product liability insurance and is a highly reputable and respected member of the industry.

I’ll be blogging from the show when I attend in February, but I wanted to post about it now because I’m amazed at how many people have still never heard of the NAHBS.  If you’ve been thinking about attending, here’s four reasons why I think you should make it happen:

1. This year they’ve broken the exhibitor record, so you know the show will be packed full of great manufacturers and bikey type displays.
2. Thousands of the most beautiful bikes you’ve ever seen, all together in one room. (Check out the Exhibitor List)
3. Intense and extremely educational NAHBS Seminars.
4. It’s in Austin, Baby….Enough Said.

If you’re coming….and I really hope you are, be sure to purchase your tickets to the show online, in advance.  Doing so, you’ll save yourself some cash on the entrance fee.  Oh, and if you’re coming…be sure to let me know so we can make some meet up plans.

For more information on the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, head over to www.2011.handmadebicycleshow.com.

Just on the heels of “The Old Give and Take”, here I am talking about traffic in the city of Austin. Yes, I did give up some quiet, low traffic roads for what we have here in Austin….but the fact that I’m right now riding in October with warm temperatures is enough to make me super happy.  Plus, it’s all about adventure anyway, right?

But seriously….is it just me or have the streets of Austin become insanely busier over the past few years?  For some reason, I don’t remember them being quite like this in the past.

Source: Criminal
Justice

One thing that I have always complimented the Austin infrastructure on is how well the traffic flows. Sure, the red lights seem to last for hours…but once you get a green, you’re good to go for a very long time.  What happened?  It doesn’t seem to flow that well any longer.

There really is no avoiding it in a car, but I have been looking into ways to minimize it while on my bike. When I ride, I like to go non-stop….I’m not a fan of having to stop for traffic, lights, or anything else.  I did a 3 hour ride last week, and with all the stops I had to make it ended up being a 3:20 ride…..crazy.  So as often as I can, I’m going to find me some good old country roads where I can be free to pedal on forever.  Hey all you Austin riders…..any advice?  Can you steer me in the right direction for good non-traffic rides?

Sure I’ll continue on with the usual bike routes around here (incredible cycling, even with the stops), but I’ll also be searching out some quieter spots as often as I can.