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March 11, 2008
Pedaling for a cure
Many people are familiar with distance running events used as fundraising tools for charity — marathons raced to garner donations to AIDS research, for instance, or to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer, are common seasonal talk around the water cooler.
But few may be as familiar with the notion of long-distance bicycle events completed for the same high purposes. This is a shame, as such events are quite prevalent in Texas, and indeed, are among the best of their class nationwide. The first of these, currently scheduled to take place in mid-April, is the BP MS 150, the BP-sponsored 150-mile bike ride to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
The two-day event kicks off April 12, when an anticipated mass of nearly 20,000 riders will strike out west from Houston. Over the course of two days, these bicyclists will log the approximately 150 miles back to Austin as they, through their pledges and entry fees, raise money to fight MS. And with over $10 million raised annually, the BP MS 150 is one of the most high-profile events around
As the first of three corporate-sponsored long-distance rides — the other two are the May Sam’s Club MS 150 from Frisco to Fort Worth and the October Bike MS: Valero Bike to the Beach from San Antonio to Corpus Christi — the BP MS 150 marks the start of the big Texas weekender bicycle season. What’s more, it’s actually the largest bike ride of its kind in the country, making it not only a great early-season goal for all the bicycle fanatics out there, but also a chance to take part in a one-of-a-kind event with a truly noble cause at its heart.
Race information and registration are already up. Of course, if you’re not in shape yet, you’ve got your work cut out for you.
Though shooting for 150 miles over two days may be too high a bar for utter neophytes, it’s not an unreachable goal for those who have done some bike work in the past. Assuming your lungs, legs, and — ahem — saddle have all been prepared for the task, what’s left is to prepare yourself for maintaining speeds at longer distances. And the best way to do that is by honing your chops at other, moderate-length bike events.
There are bicycle races in Texas just about every weekend between now and April 12, and many are listed at the Texas Bicycle Racing Association’s Web site. Quite a few are within two hours’ drive or less, with a number of upcoming races scheduled to be held in Katy, Waller, Round Top, Bastrop, Liberty Hill, La Grange, Kerrville and Prairie View. There’s even a ride here in Austin, the 14th Annual Rosedale Ride, scheduled to be held March 29.
Even if you’re not quite up to the task, volunteers are always welcome — last year, more than 3,000 pitched in, and more are always welcome. You can sign up to volunteer here, and more information about both the race and the disease is available at here.
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March 6, 2008
Cycling gets a little crazy after dark
I used to think that only a David Hasselhoff wannabe who rode around on a talking bike while calling himself Street Hawk the Mustache Maniac could ever be taken seriously as a street-prowling cyclist.
That was until I found Midnight Ridazz of Austin, a loose network of bicycle riders, enthusiasts, rogues and hipsters who have declared the third Tuesday of each month a time to ride the streets of Austin like pseudo-pop icons on a mission to wage war against Class C celebrity stardom.
The multitude of riders gather at 9 p.m. at Don’s Depot on West Sixth Street for a pub crawl/ride and cruise all over the city, raising hell and taking back the streets. Now that’s a traffic jam I’d like to be a part of.
The themed late-night rides celebrate bicycle culture in a uniquely Austin way. In November, for example, participants dressed up as cowboys and Indians. There’s also been a Barbaro-themed ride, where participants dressed up as jockeys, decorated their bikes to like horses, and took part in races.
Rides are usually paced so any reasonably healthy adult with a bike and the ability to ride it can participate.
The idea for Midnight Ridazz comes from Los Angeles and began in February 2004, when cyclists took an impromptu tour of downtown. The idea of taking a monthly late-night group ride to see interesting and unusual aspects of the city spread quickly and grew by word of mouth. And that’s how most people learn about the upcoming themed rides — through word of mouth or online.
On these nights, the streets and the traffic laws belong to the riders, and Austin is the vehicle that these masses drive, using only people power and a sense of righteousness, where the only energy wasted iscaloric.
Why take part in Midnight Ridazz? Why not? Anytime there’s an excuse to dress up in a costume, ride my bike, meet people and own the streets as if I were starring in my own remixed music video of the “Knight Rider” theme song, I’m all over it.
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January 2, 2008
Before you buy a new bike ...
Learn from the mistakes of others.
It’s something we’ve all heard before.
Before heading out to buy a new bike, I’m hoping you’ll learn from a few of my mistakes.
My husband took me bike shopping a short while back so he could get an idea of what I wanted for Christmas. We went to University Cyclery on North Lamar Boulevard because I remembered passing it a few times during my time at UT. It was a little intimidating at first because I thought I was just going to look. Little did I know that I would be jumping in head first (not literally … yet … knock on wood).
We looked around, told the woman who was helping us what our price range was, that I was looking for a bike to do some trails with, and that I’m a beginner and she went straight to exactly what we were looking for. She asked if I wanted to take it for a test ride (and I didn’t but I knew the hubby wasn’t going to put down that much money without me test riding it first).
Which brings me to my first mistake that you might want to learn from — do not wear tight jeans and clog-like-shoes when you go into a bike shop because they will get you on a bike one way or another. The woman helping us generously rolled the bike to the parking lot for me and I attempted to go for a ride. She went back inside but was obviously watching me through a window because about three minutes into my first bicycle experience in a decade, she brought me another bike to try — one that my grandma would like. I humored her and tried it, but surprisingly, I kind of liked it. The seat was nice and comfy and not digging into areas that bike seats are not supposed to be without permission.
When she came back out, I asked her if I could have the first bike with the second’s seat — the second mistake is coming next. She said that I could, but that it wouldn’t be ideal. I quickly changed my mind again but told her I couldn’t bear the seat that was on there. She agreed that most of the seats that came with bikes were not very female-friendly so she suggested that I try another that has more cushion with the middle cut out.
I tried the new seat she told me about and it was an instant relief. I was sold. I was so excited because I had a bike picked out with a comfy seat, but I still had a few more questions about what’s cool on a bike. So here is a list of things to keep in mind if you’re thinking about purchasing a bike:
Dress for the occasion: sneakers and biking pants.
Search for the right seat. For me, a nice, cushioned one with a hole cut in the middle for some much-needed breathing room did the trick.
Ask for help. There’s a lot more to choosing a bike than you might think. When picking one out, your height, the activities you’re going to be taking part in, and your price range all need to be taken into consideration.
Taking a test ride before buying. Each bike — and owner — is different. You want to make sure your bike suits you because it is an investment.
A helmet and bell for your new bike. Safety first!
Gloves for smooth, callous-free hands.
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