Bicycle Austin forum

Stumbled across this post looking for a Del Curto -> Lamar cutover.   I've puzzled over Google maps a few times in the past, and always opted to crawl up Lamar instead.  This time, I had my kid in the side car, and wouldn't settle for Lamar.  dsc995 is right on - 1912 Lightsey Rd 78704 is the spot.   http://goo.gl/maps/sMmem  ... to the east of the privacy fence is  a little trail that hugs the creek and leads to the del curto neighborhood park.  (Which btw, is a cute little wooded affair, with a nice playset.)   The only issue is the fence they put up around the park.  It is a low 3-rail fence, and easy enough to clear, I even lifted my kid rig over it, but I felt a little weird going over these obstructions which were put there for a reason.   I'm pretty sure that trail is public property though, and it sure is handy.

oh flats... i hates you!   one summer it was realllllly bad.    it was due to a patch of stickerbur aka sandbur, goatshead, caltrop, grass spur etc  (know thy enemy!   http://www.texasmonthly.com/ranch/readm … erbur.php)...  i wasn't riding through it, but i found that lawnmowers were kickign up the sandburs on my path (sidewalk and road) near the YMCA Town Lake baseball fields.  it took me a while to find the source. 

i started taking measures.... 1) good tires... i have specialized armadillos, but recently one sort of degraded on me... the outer black rubber just peeled off.  (i think the bottle generator i was using precipitated this...).   couldn't find a new armadillo at two shops, so i bought  a bit wider and also tough, but not necessarily kevlar, tire.  2) liners... why not?   3) heavy duty tubes.   these are great... even with the nice tires i still have had tiny pieces get stuck, and been saved by that extra thick tube. 

i haven't tried the self-sealing goo, yet, but would consider it.   

finally, i'm tempted to not boast of this, due to superstition, but i have not had a flat since taking these measures.   i'm also very wary when i see grass cuttings where i am riding. 

Mark