The group gathers for the start of Thursday Night Social Ride

I first encountered Social Cycling Austin in 2009, during SXSW. I was cruising about downtown on a 3spd beach cruiser with ape hanger handlebars. A couple of folks invited me on a group ride that was sponsored by the newly formed Social Cycling Austin group.

The years passed and my schedule never permitted me to join them in their rides again…until recently.

The Group: Social Cycling Austin

Social Cycling Austin was founded in 2009. Keith Byrd was very active in its organization and Brooks Goldsmith took care of their social media. The group’s goal is to bring awareness to bicycling in Austin. Their mission statement is summed up in their motto: “Putting Butts on Bikes since 2009.” [Read more…]

Brad’s tall bike

Austin is known as a bike friendly town. Bike lanes are all over the place, even in areas that see almost no bicycle traffic. City buses and MetroRail accommodate cyclists and there are seemingly countless bicycle shops in the Greater Austin Area serving countless riders with different preferences and riding styles. So it’s no surprise that an event like FrankenBike exists in Austin.

Franken-What?

On the morning of January 25, 2013, my girlfriend’s son and I loaded up our bicycles and headed south to 5th and Comal. We were going to FrankenBike. After a pit stop at McDonald’s, we parked near the corner of 5th and I-35. We unpacked the bikes and started our seven block trek through drizzling rain, construction and traffic and lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Sorry, I lost myself, though there was construction going on around 5th and San Marcos. [Read more…]