Bicycle Austin a website (not an organization) by Michael Bluejay
awarded "Best of Austin" by the Austin Chronicle

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Welcome! We cover bicycling as transportation, with an emphasis on Austin, TX, USA. We don't cover biking for recreation, sport, or charity. Bicycle Austin is a volunteer project (not an organization) by Michael Bluejay. Advertising revenue supports local cycling advocacy.

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Recent | Prior to 10/03

Email List & Web Forum

The best way to stay on top of what's going on is to sign up for the email list.  Most of the discussion actually happens on the web forum, but all the web forum posts get automatically sent to the list, so by signing up for the list, you'll see everything posted to the web.  And you get the list in Digest mode by default, so you'll get only one message a day with all the day's posts, so it won't overload your mailbox.

In practice, it's post to the web, read on the list.  You're certainly welcome to start a discussion on the list rather than the web if you like, but you'll have a smaller audience if you do it that way.

 

Current discussions

Cyclist Justin Patrick Murphy killed by a hit-and-run Ford F-150 last post: 1/27 @ 10:28        [url]http://www.kvue.com/news/Cyclist-killed-by-hit-and-run-driver-identified-138066023.html[/url] The victim is Justin Patrick Murphy,...

FOR SALE::: 56cm Quattro Assi Road Bike-$575 last post: 1/24 @ 19:41        ---SOLD--- Very Rare! Take this bike to any LBS and just hear the compliments role. This is the coveted 1993 model, the LAST American...

I found this amusing last post: 1/22 @ 23:43        Don...

For Sale last post: 1/20 @ 15:25        Intense Pro 24" Cruiser. Great condition. Never raced, jumped or thrashed. Used to ride around the neighborhood with my children. Up...

Austin LIVESTRONG Challenge last post: 1/18 @ 8:38        Event Name: Team LIVESTRONG Challenge Austin Event Date: October 21, 2012 Event Location: TBD Event Options: beginner (15 – 25mi);...

Marshall Ln Wall last post: 1/11 @ 9:42        Does anyone know when and why Marshall Ln was walled? Yesterday, for the first time, I learnt that behind that wall on Enfield Rd. there...

FrankenBabe #4/FrankenBike #78 January 28, 2012 10-5pm+++ last post: 1/10 @ 17:24        FrankenBike January 2012 Press Release January 2012 brings lots of great news for FrankenBike! First of all, we are happy to welcome our...

MetroRail annoyances -- no change, blaring horns, and diesel smell last post: 1/10 @ 15:52        I had occasion to ride the Red Line a couple of months ago and encountered a few of annoyances. The first was that the ticket machine...

to stop or to not stop last post: 1/10 @ 13:31        Reading this I thought of this: 10 reasons for not stopping at a stop sign 1. It is the sensible way to negotiate a stop sign ...

Kids bike/walk to school event last post: 1/5 @ 13:53        Hey all! Sun and Ski Sports is hosting an event in March 2012 to encourage kids to walk/bike to school and educate kids on bike safety. If...

old-timer on a budget seeks tricycle, maybe a folding tricycle or... last post: 1/5 @ 11:09        ...an older bicycle, perhaps 3...

State Bicycle/Austin Ride and Benefit Jan 19th last post: 1/5 @ 11:07        THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE TAKEN LOOPS ON THE ROAD. THIS WILL BE BIG/ROWDY/FUN. Who should come: Any rider (road / fixed) that wants...

Full Wolf Moon Bike Ride -- 1/8/2012 at 11:59pm Pfluger Ped Bridge last post: 1/2 @ 15:15        If you don't do the Facebook thing ... The first full moon cruise of 2012 is nearly here! The next full moon happens in the early...

West Texas, Marfa/Fort Davis mid April, riders needed! last post: 12/24 @ 10:29        The rides out there are heavenly! It was good even with the fires this last April. Rides I have done are: ******Fort Davis "Scenic...

Saving bikes from ending in our landfills while helping others last post: 12/20 @ 2:57        In an effort to do our part in trying to save the environment for our granddaughter's generation, we buy bikes of various condition from...

To the Shoal Creek jogger in the bike lane... last post: 12/19 @ 14:56        If you can't manage your two large dogs please use the perfectly good sidewalk. Your two large dogs almost took out my riding buddy when...

Who else rides from Oak Hill past the "Y" to central Austin? last post: 12/18 @ 18:31        I am interested in sharing the route I devised from my home off of Circle Drive to South First St. near the river, or even drumming up a...

SUV ad parody from Slate last post: 12/18 @ 4:17        "After all, somebody is going to hog the road and waste gasoline. It might as well be you." Lots more ...

Mopac Mobility Improvements last post: 12/17 @ 9:03        Thanks for the question Tom. We are super excited to have been one of the Proposition 12 projects chosen for funding. The approved ...

We buy complete road or mountain bikes last post: 12/16 @ 17:05        We buy high end road and mountain bikes. We make it really easy to sell your bike now. You can go to our website, fill out a simple form,...

 


Drivers are at fault in over 90% of car-bike collisions (source) and 90% of pedestrian deaths (source).

Upcoming rides & events

Want to get your event listed below? Just post it on the web forum and it will show up here automatically 30 minutes later. Be sure to include the exact date & time of your event in the title, so that shows up too. Do NOT use relative dates like "This Saturday" or "tonight" because your post will still be here weeks from now, and at that time the reader won't know which day you're referring to. (i.e., Do not write your post as though everyone who reads it is reading it today.)

Austin LIVESTRONG Challenge (posted 1/18)

FrankenBabe #4/FrankenBike #78 January 28, 2012 10-5pm+++ (posted 1/10)

Kids bike/walk to school event (posted 12/22)

State Bicycle/Austin Ride and Benefit Jan 19th (posted 1/4)

Full Wolf Moon Bike Ride -- 1/8/2012 at 11:59pm Pfluger Ped Bridge (posted 1/2)

West Texas, Marfa/Fort Davis mid April, riders needed! (posted 12/24)

1/1/12-4/30/12: Bike Tour de Life, A 5000-Mile Bike Ride Thru TX & La. (posted 12/16)

Bluebonnet Adventure Fest - April 21 and 22, 8:00 AM (posted 12/9)

Tour de Ranch- March 24 (posted 12/9)

UltiFit Challenge Series Part 1- March 17, 2:00 PM (posted 12/9)


Bicyclists cheated out of bond money!

Voters passed $150 million in transportation bonds in 2000 (Proposition 1), which was supposed to be spent at $15M per year for ten years, and was supposed to include bike projects.  In March 2006, Councilmember Raul Alvarez asked the city to reveal how the money had been spent so far.  The answer was that the first $67.2 million ALL went for SH 130 right of way, and not a penny for any of the the other things promised to the bond voters on the ballot, including bike projects!  As a result of Alvarez' request, $10 million was proposed (with about $5 million so far for sidewalks). If you read the Chronicle article, you will see that $20 million was being promised for bike and ped projects just before the election. (info courtesy of Roger Baker, May 6, 2005)

The City now has a Bond Oversight Committee which is an important check on the system.  It makes the above kind of bait-and-switch a lot harder to pull off.

Another site by Michael Bluejay...

Cheapest Airfares. I actually hope you won't fly, because of the pollution it causes. But making this site was my way to get your attention for that message. If you're going to fly anyway, see my top 10 tips for finding cheap airfare, a comparison of the different search engines, and which site to use in which situations.

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