🚀 go-pugleaf

"Bryan Wann" <bwann@n0spamer.cwis.net> wrote in message
news:asidnTuauNr0gGDd4p2dnA@cwis.net...
> I currently live in Tulsa and there's a possibility I may be moving to
> southwest Austin in a month or two.  I use a road bike to ride to work a
> few times a week (32 mile round trip), and for those familiar with
> Tulsa, I also heavily utilize all of the Riverparks trails and Avery
> Drive/Hwy 51 to put in frequent 40-80 mile rides.
>
> Can anyone in/from Austin tell me what it's like for cyclists there?  In
> my conversations with apartment leasing folks they tell me "oh, Austin
> is a big cycling city, we love Lance and there's lots of bike trails."
> Everything else I've read on message forums, usenet, and in particular
> the website bicycleaustin.info made it sound like it's a wild,
> unforgiving place where if I don't get hit/harassed/killed by a motorist
> I'll get ticketed/arrested by the police on a whim.
>
> I love bicycling and hope to keep up my routine after I move.  Is the
> danger aspect really over-hyped, or am I going to have to cut down?
>
>
> --bwann

Lance and the team do a lot of training here. There are great roads and
wonderful ass-kicking hills
to ride on. There have been incidents with motorists, but every city has
those. (I have been riding for years and have never had an altercation with
an automobile) I would not ride downtown, but that's just me.
There is a bike shop on every corner it seems, with lots of opportunities to
find riding groups and riding
partners. If you can handle riding intense heat (100 plus degree days in
august) then you'll be fine.
jo

"jojo" <cgv_2000*yourhat*@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:up9Lc.4063$B8.3657@newssvr22.news.prodigy.com...
>
> "Bryan Wann" <bwann@n0spamer.cwis.net> wrote in message
> news:asidnTuauNr0gGDd4p2dnA@cwis.net...
> > I currently live in Tulsa and there's a possibility I may be moving to
> > southwest Austin in a month or two.  I use a road bike to ride to work a
> > few times a week (32 mile round trip), and for those familiar with
> > Tulsa, I also heavily utilize all of the Riverparks trails and Avery
> > Drive/Hwy 51 to put in frequent 40-80 mile rides.
> >
> > Can anyone in/from Austin tell me what it's like for cyclists there?  In
> > my conversations with apartment leasing folks they tell me "oh, Austin
> > is a big cycling city, we love Lance and there's lots of bike trails."
> > Everything else I've read on message forums, usenet, and in particular
> > the website bicycleaustin.info made it sound like it's a wild,
> > unforgiving place where if I don't get hit/harassed/killed by a motorist
> > I'll get ticketed/arrested by the police on a whim.
> >
> > I love bicycling and hope to keep up my routine after I move.  Is the
> > danger aspect really over-hyped, or am I going to have to cut down?
> >
> >
> > --bwann
>
> Lance and the team do a lot of training here. There are great roads and
> wonderful ass-kicking hills
> to ride on. There have been incidents with motorists, but every city has
> those. (I have been riding for years and have never had an altercation
with
> an automobile) I would not ride downtown, but that's just me.
> There is a bike shop on every corner it seems, with lots of opportunities
to
> find riding groups and riding
> partners. If you can handle riding intense heat (100 plus degree days in
> august) then you'll be fine.
> jo
>

What a spin!  Defiantly over-hyped!
Lance doesn't live in Austin anymore, he trains in CO, NY, and CA.
You can't ride anywhere inside the loop without getting honked at by an SUV
or cutoff, right turn of death, the streets are too narrow. Austin traffic
has turned very ugly over the past 4 years. I have been run off the road 4
times, and almost killed once.
We have at least one death per month of a bicyclist.
There are 4 good general bicycle shops, and many junky ones.
Some rides in the country are good, wide shoulders, but most roads have no
shoulders at all, and cars go fast on the back roads.
You need to know about the danger out here.



>

"Bryan Wann" <bwann@n0spamer.cwis.net> wrote in message
news:asidnTuauNr0gGDd4p2dnA@cwis.net...
> I currently live in Tulsa and there's a possibility I may be moving to
> southwest Austin in a month or two.  I use a road bike to ride to work a
> few times a week (32 mile round trip), and for those familiar with
> Tulsa, I also heavily utilize all of the Riverparks trails and Avery
> Drive/Hwy 51 to put in frequent 40-80 mile rides.
>
> Can anyone in/from Austin tell me what it's like for cyclists there?  In
> my conversations with apartment leasing folks they tell me "oh, Austin
> is a big cycling city, we love Lance and there's lots of bike trails."
> Everything else I've read on message forums, usenet, and in particular
> the website bicycleaustin.info made it sound like it's a wild,
> unforgiving place where if I don't get hit/harassed/killed by a motorist
> I'll get ticketed/arrested by the police on a whim.
>
> I love bicycling and hope to keep up my routine after I move.  Is the
> danger aspect really over-hyped, or am I going to have to cut down?
>
>
> --bwann

It's mean streets in Austin;

From: Michael Blowjay
Subject:Cyclist's injuries still a mystery

http://www.kvue.com/news/weekinreview/010804kvuecyclist-
jw.11fb05709.html

Cyclist's injuries still a mystery

KVUE News

Police are trying to determine what happened to an Austin cyclist
apparently left for dead along a Southwest Austin roadway.

Andy Whitelock, 26, was found Sunday morning at the University Federal
Credit Union. He called for help there after walking nearly a mile
following an incident on his bike.

Whitelock was severely beaten and is recovering at Brackenridge
Hospital after more than five hours of reconstructive surgery.

Investigators aren't sure what happened.

"If anyone was at that intersection, which we assumed was very safe, he
has ridden his bike home from there a million times," said Rosie
Whitelock, his mother. "If someone saw something, that they will come
and say I saw this and maybe it will help,"

Doctors say every bone in Whitelock's face was broken and he lost two
liters of blood.

--------------------------
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/auto/epaper/editions/
wednesday/metro_state_f3bfdb69b4e060b11001.html

Injured cyclist can't recall incident

Police are seeking information about how a man was critically injured
in Southwest Austin early Sunday.

Detective Matthew Greer said John Andrew Whitelock, 26, had been riding
his bicycle near MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) and U.S. 290 about 4 a.m.
when he was injured. Whitelock has no memory of what happened, but
Greer said his injuries are consistent with an assault.

Whitelock broke into a University Credit Union nearby to trigger its
alarm and alert authorities. He remained in Brackenridge Hospital on
Tuesday.

"We have some things we are looking into," Greer said.

He asked anyone with information to call 974-4402 or CrimeStoppers at
472-8477.

Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2004 09:40:00 -0500
From: "Invasion of Piracy"
Subject: Bicyclist murders Car Driver for honking at him

I hope these cyclists didn't run any stop signs in
their get-away. That would make all cyclists look bad.

<http://www.statesman.com/news/content/auto/epaper/edi
tions/friday/news_0488fb3dd24eb1350080.html?urcm=y>

Police seek bicyclists in death of driver Police say man was attacked after
honking at bike  riders

By Claire Osborn

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Friday, April 23, 2004
Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 10:50:13 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jeremy Elliott
Subject: Angry Bicyclists murder driver

Without condoning at all the actions of these two at-large cyclists, I do
have to admit that Claire Osborn's accounting on the front page of Friday's
AAS
of this incident does seem particularly slanted against bicyclists in
general, for murdering a human.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/friday/news_0488fb3dd24eb1350080.html

a snippet:
-------------
"He loved Austin," Zachary said. "He said it seemed like a small hometown,
was laid-back and the people were extremely nice."  He did mention, though,
that he had noticed a lot of bicyclists. "He said there was a real problem
with all the agressive bicyclists in the road," Zachary said.
-------------
Regardless of the reporting, this incident highlights what can happen when
the driver of ANY vehicle acts in such a way as to add undo stress into the
equation, and it is OK for a bicyclist to carry a gun and shoot a car
driver.


Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 13:51:38 -0500
From: Michael Bluejay
Subject: Re: Angry cyclists should kill, murder asshole car drivers

Yes, and the bigger bias is the part that's not so obvious: When Bicyclists
are assaulted or hit & run'd by motorists (even fatally) they put the
writeup it in Metro/State, as it is usally the Bicyclist fault.. But a
Bicyclist kills a motorist? Whew, that's front page news!

And Bart pointed out to me that we really don't know what happened:
"Imagine you're the cyclist. A guy in a big pickup truck rides close
to you and leans on his horn, maybe yells something threatening at you.
  Then he *parks his truck* and moves towards you. Is it unreasonable
that you might feel threatened and feel the need to strike first?"

I'm not saying that's what happened, it is a complete fabrication, but I'm
saying we don't *know* what really happened.

Nah, it's not that bad here in Austin.  Michael Bluejay is somewhat of
an alarmist.  Although there are some roads that are dangerous for
cyclists, there are many roads that are safe.  I consider Austin roads
much much more cycling-friendly than San Antonio, Dallas-Fort-Worth,
or (shudder) Houston.
There is not much offical publicizing of road cycling here, but there
should be.
The city of Austin has a network of bike lanes, some marked, and some
not marked. The suburbs don't have any bike lanes are considered
rougher than inside the city limits.
Many of my friends bike-commute to work.  I will too, when the
temperatures cool down later in the year.  There are some problem
roads that tend to be difficult to get around.
Loop 360 in southwest Austin is a prime recreational road with wide
safe shoulder lanes, although vehicle traffic is very heavy in the
inside lanes.
There are several local recreational and advocacy groups.  I've found
that cycling in Austin traffic is pefectly fine if you exercise
effective cycling techniques.  If you buzz through stop signs/lights,
cross over into the opposite lane on turns, give motorists the finger,
get into door zones, speed through congested areas, or don't have
lights on the bike at night, you're asking for trouble anywhere.
The two-lane county roads outside of Austin provide exceptionally good
cycling.   My group, Austin Cycling Association, sponsors road rides
Saturday and Sunday mornings throughout Central Texas, open to anyone
with a helmet.  See http://www.austincycling.org/rides.html for the
rides.
Of course, those county roads can still be dangerous... I've had to
stop occasionally on one or two ACA rides to let a herd of stampeding
cattle cross the road in front of me.

Lance DOES train around Austin in central Texas, in the winter season.
 My cycling group spotted him a few times. In December 2002, he
participated in a cyclocross race at Walnut Creek Park, about a mile
from my house in north Austin. I like to think that's how he picked up
the skill to ride through that plowed field and rejoin the race after
Beloki took his fall in the 2003 Tour.
He did at least one duathlon at Rocky Hill Ranch, 40 miles east of
here, this past winter.
And I have ridden in downtown Austin traffic safely. Try downtown
Houston or San Antonio for a comparison.

"Mspgrant" <nowbody@notyetinvalid.com> wrote in message news:<2m4o03Fim4r4U1@uni-berlin.de>...
> "jojo" <cgv_2000*yourhat*@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:up9Lc.4063$B8.3657@newssvr22.news.prodigy.com...
> >
> > "Bryan Wann" <bwann@n0spamer.cwis.net> wrote in message
> > news:asidnTuauNr0gGDd4p2dnA@cwis.net...
> > > I currently live in Tulsa and there's a possibility I may be moving to
> > > southwest Austin in a month or two.  I use a road bike to ride to work a
> > > few times a week (32 mile round trip), and for those familiar with
> > > Tulsa, I also heavily utilize all of the Riverparks trails and Avery
> > > Drive/Hwy 51 to put in frequent 40-80 mile rides.
> > >
> > > Can anyone in/from Austin tell me what it's like for cyclists there?  In
> > > my conversations with apartment leasing folks they tell me "oh, Austin
> > > is a big cycling city, we love Lance and there's lots of bike trails."
> > > Everything else I've read on message forums, usenet, and in particular
> > > the website bicycleaustin.info made it sound like it's a wild,
> > > unforgiving place where if I don't get hit/harassed/killed by a motorist
> > > I'll get ticketed/arrested by the police on a whim.
> > >
> > > I love bicycling and hope to keep up my routine after I move.  Is the
> > > danger aspect really over-hyped, or am I going to have to cut down?
> > >
> > >
> > > --bwann
> >
> > Lance and the team do a lot of training here. There are great roads and
> > wonderful ass-kicking hills
> > to ride on. There have been incidents with motorists, but every city has
> > those. (I have been riding for years and have never had an altercation
>  with
> > an automobile) I would not ride downtown, but that's just me.
> > There is a bike shop on every corner it seems, with lots of opportunities
>  to
> > find riding groups and riding
> > partners. If you can handle riding intense heat (100 plus degree days in
> > august) then you'll be fine.
> > jo
> >
> 
> What a spin!  Defiantly over-hyped!
> Lance doesn't live in Austin anymore, he trains in CO, NY, and CA.
> You can't ride anywhere inside the loop without getting honked at by an SUV
> or cutoff, right turn of death, the streets are too narrow. Austin traffic
> has turned very ugly over the past 4 years. I have been run off the road 4
> times, and almost killed once.
> We have at least one death per month of a bicyclist.
> There are 4 good general bicycle shops, and many junky ones.
> Some rides in the country are good, wide shoulders, but most roads have no
> shoulders at all, and cars go fast on the back roads.
> You need to know about the danger out here.
> 
> 
> 
> >

While I feel for the guy, what does getting beat up have to do
with the question the original guy asked?  I know, I know, it
could be there's some kind of bike-hating nazi out there
targeting cyclists, but it's equally possible the guy got into
an altercation with someone and got the crap beat out of him,
and his being a cyclist had nothing to do with it.


"micheal" <none@invalid.com> wrote in message
news:2m4ok2FhmkefU1@uni-berlin.de...
>
> "Bryan Wann" <bwann@n0spamer.cwis.net> wrote in message
> news:asidnTuauNr0gGDd4p2dnA@cwis.net...
> > I currently live in Tulsa and there's a possibility I may be
moving to
> > southwest Austin in a month or two.  I use a road bike to
ride to work a
> > few times a week (32 mile round trip), and for those
familiar with
> > Tulsa, I also heavily utilize all of the Riverparks trails
and Avery
> > Drive/Hwy 51 to put in frequent 40-80 mile rides.
> >
> > Can anyone in/from Austin tell me what it's like for
cyclists there?  In
> > my conversations with apartment leasing folks they tell me
"oh, Austin
> > is a big cycling city, we love Lance and there's lots of
bike trails."
> > Everything else I've read on message forums, usenet, and in
particular
> > the website bicycleaustin.info made it sound like it's a
wild,
> > unforgiving place where if I don't get hit/harassed/killed
by a motorist
> > I'll get ticketed/arrested by the police on a whim.
> >
> > I love bicycling and hope to keep up my routine after I
move.  Is the
> > danger aspect really over-hyped, or am I going to have to
cut down?
> >
> >
> > --bwann
>
> It's mean streets in Austin;
>
> From: Michael Blowjay
> Subject:Cyclist's injuries still a mystery
>
> http://www.kvue.com/news/weekinreview/010804kvuecyclist-
> jw.11fb05709.html
>
> Cyclist's injuries still a mystery
>
> KVUE News
>
> Police are trying to determine what happened to an Austin
cyclist
> apparently left for dead along a Southwest Austin roadway.
>
> Andy Whitelock, 26, was found Sunday morning at the University
Federal
> Credit Union. He called for help there after walking nearly a
mile
> following an incident on his bike.
>
> Whitelock was severely beaten and is recovering at
Brackenridge
> Hospital after more than five hours of reconstructive surgery.
>
> Investigators aren't sure what happened.
>
> "If anyone was at that intersection, which we assumed was very
safe, he
> has ridden his bike home from there a million times," said
Rosie
> Whitelock, his mother. "If someone saw something, that they
will come
> and say I saw this and maybe it will help,"
>
> Doctors say every bone in Whitelock's face was broken and he
lost two
> liters of blood.
>
> --------------------------
>
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/auto/epaper/editions/
> wednesday/metro_state_f3bfdb69b4e060b11001.html
>
> Injured cyclist can't recall incident
>
> Police are seeking information about how a man was critically
injured
> in Southwest Austin early Sunday.
>
> Detective Matthew Greer said John Andrew Whitelock, 26, had
been riding
> his bicycle near MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) and U.S. 290 about 4
a.m.
> when he was injured. Whitelock has no memory of what happened,
but
> Greer said his injuries are consistent with an assault.
>
> Whitelock broke into a University Credit Union nearby to
trigger its
> alarm and alert authorities. He remained in Brackenridge
Hospital on
> Tuesday.
>
> "We have some things we are looking into," Greer said.
>
> He asked anyone with information to call 974-4402 or
CrimeStoppers at
> 472-8477.
>
> Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2004 09:40:00 -0500
> From: "Invasion of Piracy"
> Subject: Bicyclist murders Car Driver for honking at him
>
> I hope these cyclists didn't run any stop signs in
> their get-away. That would make all cyclists look bad.
>
> <http://www.statesman.com/news/content/auto/epaper/edi
> tions/friday/news_0488fb3dd24eb1350080.html?urcm=y>
>
> Police seek bicyclists in death of driver Police say man was
attacked after
> honking at bike  riders
>
> By Claire Osborn
>
> AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
>
> Friday, April 23, 2004
> Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 10:50:13 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Jeremy Elliott
> Subject: Angry Bicyclists murder driver
>
> Without condoning at all the actions of these two at-large
cyclists, I do
> have to admit that Claire Osborn's accounting on the front
page of Friday's
> AAS
> of this incident does seem particularly slanted against
bicyclists in
> general, for murdering a human.
>
>
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/friday/news_0488fb3dd24eb1350080.html
>
> a snippet:
> -------------
> "He loved Austin," Zachary said. "He said it seemed like a
small hometown,
> was laid-back and the people were extremely nice."  He did
mention, though,
> that he had noticed a lot of bicyclists. "He said there was a
real problem
> with all the agressive bicyclists in the road," Zachary said.
> -------------
> Regardless of the reporting, this incident highlights what can
happen when
> the driver of ANY vehicle acts in such a way as to add undo
stress into the
> equation, and it is OK for a bicyclist to carry a gun and
shoot a car
> driver.
>
>
> Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 13:51:38 -0500
> From: Michael Bluejay
> Subject: Re: Angry cyclists should kill, murder asshole car
drivers
>
> Yes, and the bigger bias is the part that's not so obvious:
When Bicyclists
> are assaulted or hit & run'd by motorists (even fatally) they
put the
> writeup it in Metro/State, as it is usally the Bicyclist
fault.. But a
> Bicyclist kills a motorist? Whew, that's front page news!
>
> And Bart pointed out to me that we really don't know what
happened:
> "Imagine you're the cyclist. A guy in a big pickup truck rides
close
> to you and leans on his horn, maybe yells something
threatening at you.
>   Then he *parks his truck* and moves towards you. Is it
unreasonable
> that you might feel threatened and feel the need to strike
first?"
>
> I'm not saying that's what happened, it is a complete
fabrication, but I'm
> saying we don't *know* what really happened.
>
>

You'll get a lot of opinions in the group, and probably not much
real "hard" information, but here's my $0.02 -- my spouse is a
bike commuter, and he rides in central austin daily.  He gets
the usual crop of idiot drivers who think stop signs are for
other people, to whom he's more or less invisible, and some who
are actively agressive, but he's never been hit, though he's had
some close calls.  I would venture a guess that Austin is about
average for the nation in terms of bike safety -- not wonderful,
but not horrible.  YMMV.


"Bryan Wann" <bwann@n0spamer.cwis.net> wrote in message
news:asidnTuauNr0gGDd4p2dnA@cwis.net...
> I currently live in Tulsa and there's a possibility I may be
moving to
> southwest Austin in a month or two.  I use a road bike to ride
to work a
> few times a week (32 mile round trip), and for those familiar
with
> Tulsa, I also heavily utilize all of the Riverparks trails and
Avery
> Drive/Hwy 51 to put in frequent 40-80 mile rides.
>
> Can anyone in/from Austin tell me what it's like for cyclists
there?  In
> my conversations with apartment leasing folks they tell me
"oh, Austin
> is a big cycling city, we love Lance and there's lots of bike
trails."
> Everything else I've read on message forums, usenet, and in
particular
> the website bicycleaustin.info made it sound like it's a wild,
> unforgiving place where if I don't get hit/harassed/killed by
a motorist
> I'll get ticketed/arrested by the police on a whim.
>
> I love bicycling and hope to keep up my routine after I move.
Is the
> danger aspect really over-hyped, or am I going to have to cut
down?
>
>
> --bwann

And another thing...the original poster did not mention the pair of
Austin bicyclists who killed a vehicle driver after they got into a
fight.  The bicyclists were never identified or caught.  ( FWIW, the
driver lived for a while, then died a few months later from something
related to his injury.)

"minerva nine" <minervanine@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:<bqOdnRGFwYDWNGDdRVn-ig@io.com>...
> While I feel for the guy, what does getting beat up have to do
> with the question the original guy asked?  I know, I know, it
> could be there's some kind of bike-hating nazi out there
> targeting cyclists, but it's equally possible the guy got into
> an altercation with someone and got the crap beat out of him,
> and his being a cyclist had nothing to do with it.
> 
>

flatline wrote:

> And another thing...the original poster did not mention the pair of
> Austin bicyclists who killed a vehicle driver after they got into a
> fight.  The bicyclists were never identified or caught.  ( FWIW, the
> driver lived for a while, then died a few months later from something
> related to his injury.)

I appreciate the replies to my original queries and e-mails that were
sent to me.  This case sounds like it could happen to anybody having
a bad day, be it bicyclists, somebody on a skateboard, golf cart, pogo
stick, walking down the sidewalk, etc.

--bwann

Well, many actually marked bicycle routes here constitute "hazards and
obstacles" to bicycles; 1431 and the I 35 access road being two good
examples.    I'm talking about traffic conditions, curves and complete lacks
of shoulders; never mind the constant vertical up to a  mile long hills,
which surely are responsible for Lance Armstrong's winning record.   He
probably trained on them.

Fortunately such roads are actually IN the city only on the west side of
town and the far north near Parmer Lane.

In general the city is very bicycle friendly and there are many parks and
many long bicycle paths.   Also some roads with bicycle (ie parking) lanes.
Most busses have two-bike racks on the front, though often you have to wait
for a bus with a space to put your bike!  That of course is a good thing
since city bus service is so terrible that one can count on needing to ride
a bike two to three miles no matter where one is trying to get to.

Problem is the car drivers drive like maniacs - and many roads that are
situated such that one has no choice but to ride on them, have no shoulders.

What is more, few people in Austin have heads.   Most people go around with
no brainpower, all of the time.   This includes car drivers.   For instance,
I'm on a big city bus, northbound on Colorado, I think.   It's a one way
street; all cars are coming from the south, headed north.   Car comes out of
state parking garage.    Driver's head is craned around and his face is
pointing due north.   His head never turns.  I'm watching him, because I
never trust a driver who appears not to see me, but the bus driver isn't
watching him.   She assumes he's actually going to look at the oncoming
traffice before he goes into the street.   He doesn't.   We nearly hit him.
Driver says, now I want to see he's going to say how he didn't see that big
ol bus.

A month ago I got hit by one.   I don't remember it.   I was riding up the I
35 access road north of Martin Luther King Boulevard, toward the Peoples
Community Clinic, which is on the access road and  cannot be reached another
way, particularly from the west.    Driver and "witness" said I swerved
suddenly directly across her lane toward the left lane of the access road...
don't think so, I'm 47, no college student, and not given to senseless
suicidal behavior.    I think driver was somehow coming up fast on my right,
difficult as that was since I was in the right lane, and I swerved left to
try to avoid her - and that was when both she and witness suddenly looked at
the road.   Rear wheel was crumpled, and I was thrown off of the bike,
across the hood of the car and through the windshield.   First I knew about
it I woke up in the middle of the road and paramedics started talking to me.
I got a broken leg, severe bruising, and a bunch of sprains and strains.

Drivers downtown have been known to suddenly drive up and kill people on the
sidewalks.

A couple of weeks before I got hit, I saw two cars seemingly deliberately
plough straight into each other trying to go through an intersection at
which tehre was a working traffic light.   Of course like witnesses
everywhere I never looked up until I heard the noise.   One car had driven
right over the other one.

This sort of thing is commonplace here.   There are a dozen serious
accidents every morning during drive to work time.

My experience with getting hit by cars is that that driver must have been
going over the speed limit to begin with, not to mention that I clearly
barely ahd any warning that she was about to hit me.   I'm pretty sure no
skid marks were checked for, since noone mentioned them.

Hispanic policeman thought I was very amusing, and told me it was my fault
in the tone he would have used  on a little girl.

I don't believe I know of police ever bothering bicycle riders.   They just
smile and wait for us to get killed - no matter what we're doing.    Around
UT stoned-looking male college students do often act completely suicidal,
cutting in front of cars and busses and making like the driver is who has
the problem.
--

Yours,
Dora Smith
Austin, Texas
villandra@austin.rr.com
"Bryan Wann" <bwann@n0spamer.cwis.net> wrote in message
news:asidnTuauNr0gGDd4p2dnA@cwis.net...
> I currently live in Tulsa and there's a possibility I may be moving to
> southwest Austin in a month or two.  I use a road bike to ride to work a
> few times a week (32 mile round trip), and for those familiar with
> Tulsa, I also heavily utilize all of the Riverparks trails and Avery
> Drive/Hwy 51 to put in frequent 40-80 mile rides.
>
> Can anyone in/from Austin tell me what it's like for cyclists there?  In
> my conversations with apartment leasing folks they tell me "oh, Austin
> is a big cycling city, we love Lance and there's lots of bike trails."
> Everything else I've read on message forums, usenet, and in particular
> the website bicycleaustin.info made it sound like it's a wild,
> unforgiving place where if I don't get hit/harassed/killed by a motorist
> I'll get ticketed/arrested by the police on a whim.
>
> I love bicycling and hope to keep up my routine after I move.  Is the
> danger aspect really over-hyped, or am I going to have to cut down?
>
>
> --bwann

One thing - Southwest Austin is Hill City - and don't look for the roads to
necessarily have shoulders.

You'd be better off in central, north or south Austin.  East Austin is
ghetto.
--

Yours,
Dora Smith
Austin, Texas
villandra@austin.rr.com
"Bryan Wann" <bwann@n0spamer.cwis.net> wrote in message
news:asidnTuauNr0gGDd4p2dnA@cwis.net...
> I currently live in Tulsa and there's a possibility I may be moving to
> southwest Austin in a month or two.  I use a road bike to ride to work a
> few times a week (32 mile round trip), and for those familiar with
> Tulsa, I also heavily utilize all of the Riverparks trails and Avery
> Drive/Hwy 51 to put in frequent 40-80 mile rides.
>

Bike shop on every corner?

Heh, heh.   Where?

Do imaginary bike shops crop up on every corner during Austin's imaginary
rain storms?

There is one bike shop in South Austin, three or four very expensive ones
that stock few parts near UT,  and two expensive ones in north Austin.
There is also a shop on West Anderson.
Two weeks ago I had to hobble all over the city with my broken leg and bad
hip (not same leg, of course), starting with picking up a new rear wheel,
plain $27 inch steel with new freewheel for $61, then on to police station
to collect bike, then back to DIFFERENT bike shop to replace the other wheel
(because the first one had had only one wheel), and I had to get an alloy
rim for another $61.  Then all around Robin Hood's barn for two days looking
for new brakes, we're talking plain old fashioned short-arm side-pull
caliper brakes, which I eventually was able to find only at the very good
Yellow Bike program, which luckily for me was open that night.   And the man
there very generously pounded my derailler back into shape - which saved me
more expense.

There used to be about three more shops open,but they've closed.   It has
ALWAYS been this hard to find bicycle parts in Austin.   This is why my
bicycle already needed some serious work, new brakes, and a new rear wheel
when I got hit by the car.    I tend to put off those long days of touring
Austin from one bicycle shop to another.   And if you need new bearings,
like my pedals did, and still do - forget it!

The Yellow Bicycle program is a life saver, and they have just about
everything in old parts, particularly for old basic road bikes like mine.
Not every city would have such a thing.   Otherwise there really isn't
much - though for Lance Armstrong's caliber of bicycle, style of bicycle,
and money to buy bicycle parts with, and car to shop with, I suppose he
would tell you he has little trouble.
--

Yours,
Dora Smith
Austin, Texas
villandra@austin.rr.com
"jojo" <cgv_2000*yourhat*@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:up9Lc.4063$B8.3657@newssvr22.news.prodigy.com...
>
> "Bryan Wann" <bwann@n0spamer.cwis.net> wrote in message
> news:asidnTuauNr0gGDd4p2dnA@cwis.net...
> > I currently live in Tulsa and there's a possibility I may be moving to
> > southwest Austin in a month or two.  I use a road bike to ride to work a
> > few times a week (32 mile round trip), and for those familiar with
> > Tulsa, I also heavily utilize all of the Riverparks trails and Avery
> > Drive/Hwy 51 to put in frequent 40-80 mile rides.
> >
> > Can anyone in/from Austin tell me what it's like for cyclists there?  In
> > my conversations with apartment leasing folks they tell me "oh, Austin
> > is a big cycling city, we love Lance and there's lots of bike trails."
> > Everything else I've read on message forums, usenet, and in particular
> > the website bicycleaustin.info made it sound like it's a wild,
> > unforgiving place where if I don't get hit/harassed/killed by a motorist
> > I'll get ticketed/arrested by the police on a whim.
> >
> > I love bicycling and hope to keep up my routine after I move.  Is the
> > danger aspect really over-hyped, or am I going to have to cut down?
> >
> >
> > --bwann
>
> Lance and the team do a lot of training here. There are great roads and
> wonderful ass-kicking hills
> to ride on. There have been incidents with motorists, but every city has
> those. (I have been riding for years and have never had an altercation
with
> an automobile) I would not ride downtown, but that's just me.
> There is a bike shop on every corner it seems, with lots of opportunities
to
> find riding groups and riding
> partners. If you can handle riding intense heat (100 plus degree days in
> august) then you'll be fine.
> jo
>
>

"Dora Smith" <villandra@austin.rr.com> wrote:
> 
> One thing - Southwest Austin is Hill City - and don't look for the roads to
> necessarily have shoulders.
> 
> You'd be better off in central, north or south Austin.  East Austin is
> ghetto.

And by "ghetto", Dora means, "place where Mexican-Americans and/or
Black folks live".  There are lots of pleasant and neighborly areas in
East Austin, though you'd be hard pressed to find anything pleasant
north of US 183 in North Austin.  As with most sizeable cities, the
closer in you live, the more character and amenities your city can
offer you.

The terrain in Austin is outstanding for cycling: hilly enough to be
interesting but not enough to present obstacles.  Most of the best
in-city cycling routes follow creekside boulevards or shady side
streets.  If you can stand the heat of the summer, with
100-degree-plus temperatures for weeks ot months at a time, then
you'll prosper as a cyclist there.

Chalo Colina

Chalo:

I do not give a damn who lives there!

--

Yours,
Dora Smith
Austin, Texas
villandra@austin.rr.com
"Chalo" <chumpychump@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:8b4b7de4.0407252130.1a4f3a3e@posting.google.com...
> "Dora Smith" <villandra@austin.rr.com> wrote:
> >
> > One thing - Southwest Austin is Hill City - and don't look for the roads
to
> > necessarily have shoulders.
> >
> > You'd be better off in central, north or south Austin.  East Austin is
> > ghetto.
>
> And by "ghetto", Dora means, "place where Mexican-Americans and/or
> Black folks live".  There are lots of pleasant and neighborly areas in
> East Austin, though you'd be hard pressed to find anything pleasant
> north of US 183 in North Austin.  As with most sizeable cities, the
> closer in you live, the more character and amenities your city can
> offer you.
>
> The terrain in Austin is outstanding for cycling: hilly enough to be
> interesting but not enough to present obstacles.  Most of the best
> in-city cycling routes follow creekside boulevards or shady side
> streets.  If you can stand the heat of the summer, with
> 100-degree-plus temperatures for weeks ot months at a time, then
> you'll prosper as a cyclist there.
>
> Chalo Colina

"Dora Smith" <villandra@austin.rr.com> wrote 
> 
> "Chalo" <chumpychump@hotmail.com> wrote 
> > 
> > "Dora Smith" <villandra@austin.rr.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > You'd be better off in central, north or south Austin.  East Austin is
> > > ghetto.
> >
> > And by "ghetto", Dora means, "place where Mexican-Americans and/or
> > Black folks live".  There are lots of pleasant and neighborly areas in
> > East Austin, though you'd be hard pressed to find anything pleasant
> > north of US 183 in North Austin.  
> 
> I do not give a damn who lives there!

Well that's good.  It makes me wonder how you could have missed the
charming neighborhood areas in East Austin, like the Holly Street, E.
1st Street, and E. 6th Street corridors, Swedish Hill, French Place,
and the areas surrounding the former Mueller Airport.  The E.
11th/12th Street area has been largely bought up and razed by
commercial developers, but mostly has kept its appeal.

Chalo Colina

Bryan Wann <bwann@n0spamer.cwis.net> wrote in message news:<asidnTuauNr0gGDd4p2dnA@cwis.net>...
> I currently live in Tulsa and there's a possibility I may be moving to 
> southwest Austin in a month or two.  I use a road bike to ride to work a 
> few times a week (32 mile round trip), and for those familiar with 
> Tulsa, I also heavily utilize all of the Riverparks trails and Avery 
> Drive/Hwy 51 to put in frequent 40-80 mile rides.
> 
> Can anyone in/from Austin tell me what it's like for cyclists there?  In 
> my conversations with apartment leasing folks they tell me "oh, Austin 
> is a big cycling city, we love Lance and there's lots of bike trails." 
> Everything else I've read on message forums, usenet, and in particular 
> the website bicycleaustin.info made it sound like it's a wild, 
> unforgiving place where if I don't get hit/harassed/killed by a motorist 
> I'll get ticketed/arrested by the police on a whim.
> 
> I love bicycling and hope to keep up my routine after I move.  Is the 
> danger aspect really over-hyped, or am I going to have to cut down?
> 
> 
> --bwann

Hey Bwann, Ive lived in and around Austin all my life and I can
definately tell you it is a great place to be to ride. Sure there are
some unfriendly people around but that is everywhere. I find Austin
drivers to be alot friendlier than DFW area and many other places
around Texas. There are not a whole lot of bike shops but there are a
few that do stand out. THe prices are high at times but nothing beats
going to a shop and looking around at all the cool shit. There is a
large community of triathletes here and with more and more people
riding bikes in austin there are plenty of big group rides to do on
almost all days of the week, and those include race paced rides. The
terrain is fantastic for an all-rounder type of rider. There are
plenty of hills to climb that are steep and a few longer climbs. Some
great views in places and plenty of good routes. Hope that helps dude.