Here’s a quick run down of recommended events for the coming week from our comprehensive calendar of all cycling events. Thanks to Jason at ATXBS for letting us know about some events we couldn’t find elsewhere. As always, if there is an event you know about that’s not on our calendar contact us, and we’ll add your event on and possibly add it to the weekly round up.

Wednesday, November 25

Wednesday 11 AM Ride hosted by Social Cycling ATX
11 AM, Lamar Blvd Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge, Lady Bird Lake
The latest new ride from Social Cycling ATX. Social paced ride for the riders that can make it out during the work week. We will have a few stops one at a coffee shop and one for lunch. All levels are welcome. Share with your “funemployed” friends. The holiday has swelled confirmed ranks this week so it should be a good ride.

Thursday, November 26

Gobble Wobble Alleycat Race
9:30 AM Registration, 10 AM Race Start, Lamar Blvd Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge, Lady Bird Lake
Alleycats are scavenger hunts on a bike and a blast. 25¢ and a pen, money, digital camera, and bike with some hauling capacity to race. This Thanksgiving Day alleycat race will help you burn a few fun calories before packing them on at dinner. Bring 25¢ and a pen, money, digital camera, and bike with some hauling capacity to race.

Thursday Night Social Ride
NEW LOCATION AND TIME!
7 PM, The Scoot Inn, 1308 E. 4th St. (Corner of 4th and Navasota
A ride from the Facebook group Social Cycling ATX. that has gotten so big it had to abandon the Pfluger Bridge start location. Meet  at 7 p.m. leave at 8 p.m. Not sure if the ride is on this week due to the holiday so check their site or just show up and socialize with whoever is there. Should be a good break from the family either way.  Read our recent article on the popular weekly ride.

Saturday, November 28

Mellow Johnny’s Scout-A-Ride: Turkey Afterburn
LATER START, 9:00 AM, Mellow Johnny’s, 400 Nueces St
Saturday mornings spent exploring City of Austin bike routes finding new neighborhoods and ways to get around on your bike. OK, now that you have enjoyed your Thanksgiving bounty, it is time to burn off those extra calories (and find some time from the relatives, too). Meet for coffee at 8:30a.m. We will roll out by 9:00a.m. This is a 23 mile route that combines some of our favorite Scout-A-Route routes with a few new neighborhoods to explore. There will be some rolling hills and a couple of spirited sections to get your juices flowing. Helmets required. Ride organizer: Eileen Schaubert at eileen@mellowjohnnys.com or 512-426-4851.

Austin Ridge Riders Dig Day
9 AM, Pace Bend Park, 2805 N. Pace Bend Rd, Spicewood
Help in the creation of 20+ miles of singletrack through Pace Bend Park. The ultimate build will feature some interesting terrain with lots of flowing contour trails, fun dips and rollers, challenging climbs, great downhills, spectacular views and rock features, and a number of shady sections. Work on the trail, enjoy sandwiches and beverages, earn the chance to win some super cool schwag lke Yeti beer glasses, Chronic Cycling gear and Chamois Butt’r. For more info, or to RSVP contact moojodove@gmail.com or call (512) 627-5428.

Sunday, November 29

Sunday Morning Fixie Ride
10:20 AM, Posse East, 2900 Duval St
The ride is focused on fixed-gear bikes, but everyone is welcome. The ride will proceed at a social pace from the UT campus on various routes of 25-35 miles.

Hardcourt Bike Polo
2 PM, Eastwoods Park, 3001 Harris Park Ave
Join fellow bike polo enthusiasts as part of the newly formed Austin Bike Polo Club for a friendly Sunday match every week. All bikes and skill levels are welcome and spare mallets and balls are available if you don’t have any. Check out our recent article on bike polo for more info.

Weekly Ladies Ride presented by Mellow Johnny’s
3:30 PM, Mellow Johnny’s Bike Show, 400 Nueces St
Starting at 3:30 sharp, it’s a 2 hour ride for ladies only. Join experienced riders from Mellow Johnny’s for a friendly and moderately paced social ride (14-16mph average). Get more comfortable riding in a group, learn tips & tricks, and meet other like-minded cyclists. Stay afterwards for champagne and strawberries at Royal Blue Grocery across the street! Some things to keep in mind before meeting us for this ride: Have a road bike in good working condition, Bring a helmet, Wear cycling clothing, Bring plenty of water, Are able to ride comfortably for 2 hours without stopping.

Monday, November 30

Heavy Metal Fitness Ride hosted by Social Cycling ATX
7 PM, Lamar Blvd Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge, Lady Bird Lake
Hosted by Social Cycling ATX, this ride is a higher pace and more challenging than their Thursday Night Urban Ride. The ride is 20-30 miles and usually ends with free beer and a dip in the water. Meet up at 7 PM. Ride leaves at 7:30 sharp.

Tuesday, December 1

Dirt Derby
5:30 PM, Austin/Del Valle Motorcross Park, 15400 Pearce Ln, Del Valle, TX
Austin’s weekly cyclocross series returns for its fourth season at the the fully illuminated motocross course and surrounding fields at Austin/Del Valle Motorcross Park (ADVMX). There are A, B, beginners, women’s, and children’s races in cyclocross and short track mountain bike. New this year are monthly 4 week series and A2W and Violet Crown Cycles have come on board as sponsors of the cyclocross series. Each time you race you are entered into a drawing for a custom cyclocross frameset by Violet Crown Cycles. The more you race, the more chances to win.  $10, women, beginners and kids only $5. Second race same night $5. All types of bikes are welcome.

Wednesday, December 2

Wednesday 11 AM Ride hosted by Social Cycling ATX
11 AM, Lamar Blvd Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge, Lady Bird Lake
The latest new ride from Social Cycling ATX. Social paced ride for the riders that can make it out during the work week. We will have a few stops one at a coffee shop and one for lunch. All levels are welcome. Share with your “funemployed” friends.

Weekly Bike Maintenance and Flat Repair Classes hosted by Mellow Johnny’s
6 PM, Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop, 400 Nueces St
Every Wednesday at 6pm Mellow Johnny’s has bike maintenance and flat repair classes. Learn how to fix a flat tire and add life to your bike with simple maintenance and repairs. Please RSVP to Chuck atchuck@mellowjohnnys.com if you plan on attending on of the classes. Classes fill up quickly so RSVP soon so you don’t get left out!

The latest custom Ferguson city bike with Carbon Belt Drive

“Bike building is a lot like the Internet. They both involve a series of tubes.” Elliott McFadden,Violet Crown Cycles

This fall, I was contacted by a customer wanting a Ferguson city bike as a possible replacement to his car. He lives and works downtown and was ready to give car free living a try. The problem was he works in an office where he has to wear a suit so he needed a bike that would allow him to ride in different weather and not stain his clothes as well as allow him to run everyday errands.

We initial looked at a regular Ferguson with a full chain guard (as opposed to the half guard I’ve normally been putting on them.) While in the Netherlands full chain guards are sold in department stores, they are near impossible to get in the U.S. market. I with research, I found an importer, but in the meantime, the customer had grown interested in a Carbon Belt Drive after test riding a Trek Soho.

Trek was one of the first companies to use the Carbon Belt Drive technology in a stock bike. Replacing the conventional chain drive with a belt system similar to belts in a car engine, the Carbon Belt Drive has many advantages including a substantial weight savings, no greasy chain, and increased efficiency. On the down side since the belt is all one piece, you are pretty much done with your ride if the belt ever breaks. No shorting the chain or popping in a link here. It is also a couple hundred dollars more expensive for the system and replacement belts run in the $60 range. Still in an urban cycling environment, the system makes a whole lot of sense.

One other issue with the fact that the belt is all one piece is that you have to have a frame that can break apart to install the belt. This limits retrofits to steel or ti frames in the hands of knowledgeable frame builders. The design choices to make this work are either breaking the frame at the drive side dropout or on the seat stay with an S&S coupler. I found breaking the the frame at the dropout to be the simplest, structurally strongest,  and least obtrusive option.

Before getting to the frame breaking, I built up the frame to the customer’s dimensions as I would any other bike. Again since the Carbon Belt cannot be broken, I had to pay extra close attention to chain stay length and double check work along the way with the belt, crank and hub. The Carbon Belt Drive folks have you use a calculator with the cog and crank sizes as well as desired chain stay length to determine which belt size to order. There is a little wiggle room with horizontal drop outs, but I had to take care that everything fit well.

Closeup of Carbon Belt Drive and rear dropout. Stainless steel reinforcement plate holds the required split dropout together.

One difference from previous frames is that I switched to backward facing horizontal dropouts. This track style design, as opposed to the forward slanting touring style dropouts I’ve used on earlier frames, worked better with my frame break design. It also allows easier chain tensioning (or belt tensioning in this case). On the down side, it is a little more difficult to insert the rear wheel with fenders in this setup. All in all, I do think rear facing dropouts are a better match for these bikes, and I intend to make them standard on future versions.

Once the rear triangle was done and everything checked for alignment, I used a thick stainless steel cover plate to create the needed reinforcement for the soon to be made frame break in the dropouts. I drilled and taps four points on the plate and dropout for a secure fit. Out came the hack saw next, and I created a nice clean break between the seat and chain stays.

New VO saddle with copper rivets and very nice Brooks Brick Road pannier bags.

Once the bike was back from powdering coating in a nice high glossy black, I built up the bike with its new Carbon Belt Drive. I was pleased with the smoothness and quietness of the belt drive, and it added a nice modern feature to the otherwise classically designed bike. I did keep a half chain guard just to keep the odd pant leg from getting caught, but this system should provide grime free riding for the foreseeable future.

The Carbon Belt Drive does seem to be a real step forward in drive train design and certainly an option I’d recommend for future customers.

Sadly, the track is again too doused from rain for enjoyable riding or even parking and we must cancel. We wish you a very merry Thanksgiving and a safe Black Friday, for those who celebrate it.

We are still awaiting word on whether there will be an alleycross in its place tonight.

To whet your appetite, go ahead and put this Thanksgiving Day alleycat race on your calendar so you can burn a few fun calories before packing them on at dinner.

Gobble Wobble Alleycat Race
Thursday, November 26
9:30 Registration, 10 AM Race Start
Lamar Blvd Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge, Lady Bird Lake
25¢ and a pen, money, digital camera, and bike with some hauling capacity to race

A recent Scientific American article suggests

For years, there have been arguments in the cycling community about how best to get more Americans using bicycles for trips instead of the car. Vehicular Cyclists said that cyclists just needed to act like cars on the road, that we didn’t bicycle infrastructure, and in fact bicycle infrastructure actually hurt cyclists by making the bicycle a second class citizen on the road. This theory was pervasive in U.S. planning for decades with the results being extremely low bicycle use. Moreover since this theory actively discouraged the construction of bike lanes or paths, it forced many cyclists who couldn’t hack acting like a vehicle onto sidewalks, the most dangerous place by cyclists to be. Fortunately, other theories have prevailed, and Vehicular Cyclists have largely fallen out of favor.

The focus of recent planning has been on bicycle infrastructure as is evident in the recently adopted Austin Master Bike Plan. Much of this is in the form of bike lanes, a relatively low cost, low impact way to make space on the roads for cyclists. Unfortunately, reports sited by the Scientific American article indicate this form of infrastructure may have a limited effect on getting more bikes on the road. A Portland State study found that women were less comfortable than men with on-street bike lanes, and that they were more likely to go out of their way to use a route that was car-free like a bike path or traffic calmed like a bike boulevard. Austin is getting it’s first bike boulevard this spring which would seem to be a helpful addition.

All bike paths and boulevards aside, it seems this infrastructure is still of limited effect if it does not connect people to everyday tasks. Austin has miles of bike/ped trails, but the focus is almost exclusively on recreation. Riding your bike along Lady Bird Lake may be a joy, but it doesn’t get you to the grocery store, dry cleaning, or to pick up your kid from school. Rutgers University urban planning professor John Pucher indicates in the article that this is a problem when trying to increase female use. Despite growing social gender equity, women still do the majority of the errands in most households, and unless biking can be presented to be as easy and safe as a car, it will be hard to make change.

Some of this has to do with land planning, but bicycle infrastructure planning is part of this as well. I attended the October Austin Cycling Association meeting where staff from TX DOT solicited responses from the cycling community about where cycling infrastructure was needed. In the face of a frustrated audience tired of TX DOT inaction, the staffers said the problem was they didn’t have enough data on where cycling traffic is. I pointed out that this was a backward approach, and they already had all the data they needed. I suggested they look at where people live and where they shop, go to school, and go to work and that will tell them were to build cycling infrastructure. The approach TX DOT took perpetuates the idea that cyclists are this separate extreme group that specific corridors must be made for instead of cycling being a natural, organic part of every day life. One of the TX DOT staffers said she wouldn’t feel safe riding a bike on our roads. If their own staff aren’t comfortable using their own facilities, I’d say they are a failure.

The one item left out of the Scientific American article was the actual vehicles readily available to the public. The U.S. bicycle industry has been dominated by performance and recreational use. Little but lip service has been paid to biking for transportation, and it has shown with the “commuter bike” offering being a recreational bike with a rack and (sometimes) fenders slapped on. More maintenance intensive components like rim brakes and external derailleurs are the standard while practical accessories like chain guards, kickstands, and lights are the exception. There has been a recent trend towards a more practical design, but while many of these bikes take style cues from English Roadsters, French Porter bikes, and Dutch city, they still present an incomplete package or maintain some of the performance, higher maintenance parts.

I would argue providing the market with bikes that make everyday trips practical in regular clothes are as important as more infrastructure and better planning. Safe bike routes and sensible urban streets lay the groundwork for more transportation biking while a well designed bike provides the tool to make it practical. It is yet to be seen if the bike industry will make a real, long term commitment to making this a reality, but it seems clear it would be wise for them to listen to what women want.

Man v Mud Alleycross: Part 1
Friday, November 20
Lamar Pedestrian Bridge, Lady Bird Lake
Meet at 6:30, Ride to race at 7:00, race at 7:30.
$5 cash to race

Editor Note: As an update to the passage of the Master Bike Plan, Annick Beaudet, the Bicycle Program Manager with the City of Austin in Department of Public Works, has provided this update on the implementation of the plan.

Colored bike lane on Dean Keaton East of IH 35.

It is my pleasure to write about my experience riding the new facilities recently installed as part of the City’s experimental bicycle facility study, in process and in partnership with the University of Texas Center for Transportation Research.

This past Sunday I headed out on an urban tour of many of our new bike lanes and of the new, experimental facilities.  I’ll note that two of my fellow riders were beginner riders, so it was a perfect opportunity for direct input on how new bicyclists would react to both the new bike lanes and the other facilities.

Sharrows being painted on Guadalupe St downtown.

We headed north from Barton Springs Road and Lamar Boulevard, through Town Lake Park, across the Pfluger Bridge, along the Town Lake Trail and the Lance Armstrong Bikeway to downtown.  In downtown, we took the new Shared Lane Markings, or Sharrows, along Lavaca Street to Martin Luther King Blvd (where there are new bicycle lanes), to Red River Street, and then to Dean Keaton Street.  On Dean Keaton, the green bicycle lanes made a positive impression on us all.  Wow, what a difference.  We headed north on Speedway to 43^rd Street, experiencing the Bike Box at the intersection of 38^th Street and Speedway (where we all made a bet of how many bicyclists travel through that intersection on a daily basis, the guesses ranged from 400 to 2750, UT will be giving us those counts at the end of the study, so stay tuned for the answer).  Like the talk on local bicycle forum web sites, we also debated a few minutes as we waited for the light, on how to use the facility. We found that we all had different riding styles and behaved differently not only as we rode along the road, but also at intersections.  It is my hope that with better facilities added to our toolbox in the United States, more bicyclists will begin riding, causing motor vehicle drivers to expect to see bicyclists in the roadway.  Eventually everyone will get better at understanding how to share the road

I’d like to give a shout out to the staff in not only the Bicycle Program, but the Transportation Department (ATD), and the Parks and Recreation Department (PARD).  Both departments have been working very hard this year to help our City to become more bicycle-friendly.  With the assistances of PARD we will be piloting a mirror at the Shoal Creek Trail and Lance Armstrong Bikeway intersection, to further ameliorate the improvement made at that location recently

One of the first bike boxes at 38th and Speedway.

In 2009 the City of Austin installed 20.7 miles of parking free bicycle facilities, more than doubling the 8.1 miles we installed in 2008.  In the third quarter of 2009 alone we installed 8.5 miles of bicycle facilities exceeding the total for any previous year.

Last, but not least, I’d like thank TXDOT staff in the North District Office  who recently  made some incredible context sensitive improvement to the Barton Springs Road and Mopac area ( they extended the City’s bicycle lanes and added sidewalk along the frontage road from Barton Springs Road to RR 2244).

Have a wonderful winter, do some long rides in the cool weather, commuter more, enjoy the holidays, be safe, and let’s continue to work together towards a Platinum Bicycle Friendly Community.

Thursday, November 19

Thursday Night Bike Polo
5:30 PM, Eastwoods Park, 3001 Harris Park Ave
The Austin Bike Polo Club’s weekday match. All bikes and skill levels are welcome and spare mallets and balls are available if you don’t have any. Check out our recent article on bike polo for more info.

Bicycle Sport Shop Bike Maintenance Class
6 PM, Two locations: Bicycle Sport Shop Central, 517 S. Lamar Blvd or Bicycle Sports Shop North, 10947 Research Blvd
This is a free basic maintenance class (including how to fix a flat) taught by one of BSS’ skilled mechanics. In this 1 hour class students will learn the basic skills needed to keep their bike running safely while on the road. We will cover: Pre-ride bike inspection, Changing a flat, Proper cleaning & lubrication, and Tools for your ride.

Bicycle Advisory Council
6:30 PM One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Rd, 8th floor large conference room
The Austin Bicycle Advisory Council is a committee of Austinites representing cyclists’ interests to the City of Austin and meets monthly to advise staff of the City of Austin Public Works Bicycle and Pedestrian Program.

IMBA Trail Care Crew Visit
7PM, Bicycle Sport Shop Central, 517 S. Lamar Blvd
The International Mountain Bicycling Association is coming to Texas. Chris and Leslie Kehmeier of the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew will be in Austin for a Trailbuilding School. The Crews teach “sustainable” trail building, which means building trails that last a long time and require minimal maintenance. This helps reduce trail damage, protects the environment, and enhances visitor enjoyment. All are welcome to this social event for the IMBA crew and enjoy appetizers, beer and wine.  Please RSVP online.

Thursday Night Social Ride
NEW LOCATION AND TIME!
7 PM, The Scoot Inn, 1308 E. 4th St. (Corner of 4th and Navasota
A ride from the Facebook group Social Cycling ATX. that has gotten so big it had to abandon the Pfluger Bridge start location. Meet  at 7 p.m. leave at 8 p.m. This week the ride is having a canned food drive to help folks out who are having a hard time. Bring a couple of non-perishable food items. Leave the Scoot Inn at 8 and take a killer long cruise, stopping occasionally at stores for refreshments. Then end up at the Sustainable Waves compound for a benefit for local cyclist and Riverboat Gambler musician, Ian Mcdougall, who was hit by a car last month and is facing some massive medical bills. They are providing a few kegs of beer and have arranged for The Finest Kind, a local r&b dub band to provide us with entertainment.  Read our recent article on the popular weekly ride.

Saturday, November 21

Mellow Johnny’s Scout-A-Ride: UT Landmarks Public Art Tour
8:30 AM, Mellow Johnny’s, 400 Nueces St
Saturday mornings spent exploring City of Austin bike routes finding new neighborhoods and ways to get around on your bike. This week is a campus tour visiting works in the UT Landmarks public art program. The stops today are all on campus so we have added some new works to the previous tour. We ride from the bike shop but have a second departure at 9:00am from outside the Blanton Museum Cafe on the UT campus near MLK and Congress. (The Cafe is located in the west building.) We’ll be joined by docents to fill us in on the artists and the pieces themselves. The total distance is 6 miles and will travel at a novice-friendly pace.Come at 8:00am for pre-ride coffee. Ride organizer: Eileen Schaubert at eileen@mellowjohnnys.com or 512-426-4851.

IMBA Trail Care Crew Visit
9 AM, Briarcliff Community Center on Pace Bend Road, 5902 Pace Bend Rd N, Spicewood, TX
The International Mountain Bicycling Association is coming to Texas. Chris and Leslie Kehmeier of the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew will be in Austin for a Trailbuilding School. The Crews teach “sustainable” trail building, which means building trails that last a long time and require minimal maintenance. This helps reduce trail damage, protects the environment, and enhances visitor enjoyment. Please RSVP online.
9:00 – Noon: Trailbuilding School classroom session at Briarcliff Community Center on Pace Bend Road
Noon – 1:30 PM: Lunch
1:30 – 4:00 PM: Trailbuilding School field session at Pace Bend Park
6:00 PM: Volunteer dinner and social
There also will be a group ride at Lake Georgetown Goodwater Trail on Sunday.

Sunday, November 22

Sunday Morning Fixie Ride
10:20 AM, Posse East, 2900 Duval St
The ride is focused on fixed-gear bikes, but everyone is welcome. The ride will proceed at a social pace from the UT campus on various routes of 25-35 miles.

Capital City BMX Weekly Race Series
1 PM, Capital City BMX, 15010 FM Road 620 North
The Capital City BMX opened in November 2008 and offers you a chance to learn and race BMX. BMX races are held every Sunday with rider check-in 1-2 PM. Cost $10/rider. (There is also practice time on Monday’s and Friday’s. Check Capital City BMX for more info.)

Hardcourt Bike Polo
2 PM, Eastwoods Park, 3001 Harris Park Ave
Join fellow bike polo enthusiasts as part of the newly formed Austin Bike Polo Club for a friendly Sunday match every week. All bikes and skill levels are welcome and spare mallets and balls are available if you don’t have any. Check out our recent article on bike polo for more info.

Weekly Ladies Ride presented by Mellow Johnny’s
3:30 PM, Mellow Johnny’s Bike Show, 400 Nueces St
Starting at 3:30 sharp, it’s a 2 hour ride for ladies only. Join experienced riders from Mellow Johnny’s for a friendly and moderately paced social ride (14-16mph average). Get more comfortable riding in a group, learn tips & tricks, and meet other like-minded cyclists. Stay afterwards for champagne and strawberries at Royal Blue Grocery across the street! Some things to keep in mind before meeting us for this ride: Have a road bike in good working condition, Bring a helmet, Wear cycling clothing, Bring plenty of water, Are able to ride comfortably for 2 hours without stopping.

Monday, November 23

Heavy Metal Fitness Ride hosted by Social Cycling ATX
7 PM, Lamar Blvd Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge, Lady Bird Lake
Hosted by Social Cycling ATX, this ride is a higher pace and more challenging than their Thursday Night Urban Ride. The ride is 20-30 miles and usually ends with free beer and a dip in the water. Meet up at 7 PM. Ride leaves at 7:30 sharp.

Tuesday, November 24

Dirt Derby
5:30 PM, Austin/Del Valle Motorcross Park, 15400 Pearce Ln, Del Valle, TX
Austin’s weekly cyclocross series returns for its fourth season at the the fully illuminated motocross course and surrounding fields at Austin/Del Valle Motorcross Park (ADVMX). There are A, B, beginners, women’s, and children’s races in cyclocross and short track mountain bike. New this year are monthly 4 week series and A2W and Violet Crown Cycles have come on board as sponsors of the cyclocross series. Each time you race you are entered into a drawing for a custom cyclocross frameset by Violet Crown Cycles. The more you race, the more chances to win.  $10, women, beginners and kids only $5. Second race same night $5. All types of bikes are welcome.

Wednesday, November 25

Wednesday 11 AM Ride hosted by Social Cycling ATX

11 AM, Lamar Blvd Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge, Lady Bird Lake

The lasted new ride from Social Cycling ATX. Social paced ride for the riders that can make it out during the work week. We will have a few stops one at a coffee shop and one for lunch. All levels are welcome. Share with your “funemployed” friends.

Weekly Bike Maintenance and Flat Repair Classes hosted by Mellow Johnny’s
6 PM, Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop, 400 Nueces St
Every Wednesday at 6pm Mellow Johnny’s has bike maintenance and flat repair classes. Learn how to fix a flat tire and add life to your bike with simple maintenance and repairs. Please RSVP to Chuck atchuck@mellowjohnnys.com if you plan on attending on of the classes. Classes fill up quickly so RSVP soon so you don’t get left out!