Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Something to think about....

So Erik, posted this on facebook, and it is amazing the art that is done and the statistics behind it....makes you think.






So when you go to get that cup of Joe, bring your own fucking cup.



til next time

LADIES! LADIES! LADIES!

'ello everyone.

Right now, I'm working with a friend from Texas Bicycle Coalition on a campaign to advocate ladies wearing their helmets while riding. We're looking for about 5-10 female cyclists with their bikes and helmets to lend us a helping hand in making this happen.. If you're looking for celebrity status in Austin (ha!) you miiiiiiight get it because your face, helmet and bike are going to be plastered all over the city!!


(this is not for the weak of heart)

We also need a photographer. If anyone with a camera would like to help out, that would be awesome.

Please email me at boohoohooboo @ gmail.com if you're interested in participating in any way. This shouldn't take too long to get rolling, I just need some people to help us out.

And tell all of your friends!!

Ride safe.





P.S. Thank you, Leslie (from central Bicycle Sport Shop) for giving me a ride back to my apartment in the wee hours of the morning. Although my mom told me never to take rides from strangers, I figured a ride from a stranger would be safer than walking home by myself through the ghetto, past the crackheads at 5:50am. I've had 4 flat tires on my bike in the last week - 2 of them today. GHETTO!!

Dan Cakes from ATX fixed gettin yer done!!!!

So I was just doing my normal cruising, and saw Andrew from ATXfixed was the featured bike blogger/blog of the week, in Bike Blog NYC.



Andrew, had an interview with the blogger, I was happy to see that my blog actually gets read along with all the other great blogs out there. I know my blog is not as informative as Jason's, but fuck it. Sometimes I wanna say something too!!!














The interview:




Name:
Andrew “Dancakes” Stevens

How old are you?
22 yrs old

Where do you live?
Born and raised in Austin, TX, with a 2 years stint in Portland, Or.

What bikes do you own?
I own 1 Spanish track bike and 1 hand built eight-speed cyclocross/commuter bike.

What got you into track bikes?
I got into fixed gears/track bikes because they were cheaper than the bus in Portland and because I could work on them myself.

Have you ever been a messenger?
I have never been a messenger. I would like to be, but there are only, like, six of them in Austin.

What got you into alleycats?
I got into alleycats initially because they were the only way i could meet other cyclists to ride with. Now I’m into them to push myself to the next level physically and mentally.

What do you like about them?
I love the social aspect of alleycats because you get to meet riders from different cities and I love combining the culture of urban cyclists with actual athletic competition.

Why did you start the blog?
Chris Lee, Ahlee, and I started ATXfixed because we wanted to develop a singular voice for the Central Texas fixed gear scene. We, along with riders in College Station, Houston, Denton, and San Marcos are all working our asses off filming, editing, reading, drinking, hosting races and racers, wrenching, eating, training, and creating on our bikes in order to establish a powerful network of friends and peers, involve riders from different towns, and hopefully interest people in what we are doing down here in Texas. We started the blog in order to document our progression, and to get free shit

What Kind of people read your blog?
Typically it’s the riders who are looking for local events to attend. Because we try so hard to showcase original and exclusive content, we get a lot of feedback from locals that read our blog everyday after they read Tracko, Prolly, Bootleg, Zlog, and BBNYC, but ideally we want to appeal to the national audience by offering articles, pictures and opinions that are unique to us and our regional culture. We have a consistent and dedicated following for our monthly Fab Friday races and our weekly Sexy Sunday trick meet, but we are proud to have such a wide variety of people show up. Trialthetes, cyclocross and road racers, bmx and cruiser guys, mountain bikers and pedicabbers, messengers and food delivery folks, and then the predictable urban fixed gear riders all show up to our events after reading the blog, so we try to come up with content that is interesting to all of them, and hopefully we can continue succeeding at that.

What is the scene like in Austin?
The scene in Austin is just now coming into it’s own. There have been SO many races this last 9 months, whereas it was really hard to find them before. With our crew/group of friends starting the Fabulous Fixed First Friday races, we have definitely become a more solid social group, and a good amount of us have started going out to races in other parts of Texas, and hosting races so racers from out of town can come and crash on our floors and get drunk with us. We have freestyle dudes, commuters, and straight up mashers who can all hang out and talk about bikes and learn about bikes from eachother. At this point a lot of us are building up bikes for different purposes, like cyclocross, which is gaining a lot of momentum down here, or geared commuter bikes for groceries, or road bikes for longer training rides and short tours. It all comes back to the track bike standpoint, though, in the way we move ourselves through the city and react against all of the random variables. Essentially we are just cross training, which ultimately helps our riding on our favorite bikes: our track bikes.

What do you think of all these fixed gear blogs? What surprises you? What bike blogs do you follow?
I think fixed gear specific blogs are great, but I think that there too many of them out there that don’t update enough. It is really hard to update a blog consistently when you have a job that doesn’t allow you access to a computer (or when you don’t own a computer, like i didn’t for the first 4 months of ATXFixed!) or when you are a busy student like Ahlee and Chris, so we have added several moderators to try to make up for our busy schedules. It is also really really difficult to come up with original content, as opposed to just reading the bigger blogs and culling content out of them. I keep up with Prolly, Maca, Mash, Bootleg, Bike Blog NYC, and Tracko, as far as the big blogs go. I love Bike Jerks from Minneapolis and I always check Jason Abels’ and Les Bennetts’local blogs, ATXBS and OneLesCar. My reading has gotten narrowed down because I have eventually figured who puts up original content more often then others. Again, a lot of that seems to have to do with what kind of job you have. Guys like Prolly and Jason both work desk jobs, so they have access to computers all day at work, and that turns into where they get most of their blogging done. They get a lot of face time with the community and by being so accessable, they are given information first in order to post it and bring it to the masses. I appreciate how quickly they work, and at this point we are trying to figure out how to have that same access to original content so that we can eventually become a nationally read blog.

What was one of the most interesting experiences you had on a bike?
To me, the most consistently interesting thing about riding my bike is hanging out with all of the awesome people that get together to ride. I loved (and hated) hosting all 6 of the raven feeders during SXSW this month, as well as ben w and justin from feetbelts and bootleg sessions. We got to ride all day for a week, simultaneously filming and drinking, talking shit and playing dice, and I got to be a part of some of the most elevated riding I have every witnessed. Recently, all of the races and premiers we have been helping with have put ATXfixed in the forefront of the austin fixed gear community. We like that. We like to bring people together. We like hearing other ideas and seeing how different towns call for different bike setups and riding styles.

Any memorable posts or comments you want to share?
The one that ahlee posted on my birthday about me being a fatty.
Atxfixed.blogspot.com/2009/03 growing pains
The comments on Tracko about Arak’s video.
Tracko

What are your future goals for the blog?
More content. More recognition. More race sponsors. Personally, I want to be able to go to NYC or SF or Seattle and hang out with the people who write what I read. Big blogs like Bootleg, Maca, MASH, Prolly and Tracko are really seen as tastemakers in the fixed gear culture, and I feel that ATXfixed has a role to fill, too. I really have a huge amount of respect for those bloggers, and I pull information and inspiration from their hard work and connections. Ideally, we want to be able to supply enough content to get readers in other parts of the world interested in what we are doing in Central Texas, but on a day to day level, we are just glad that we get to write about how much fucking fun we have.




So there you have it, one of our own, is getting some recognition from all the way in NYC
!!!!!


Congrats Mr. DanCakes!


til next time



OLC

Monday, March 30, 2009

This....

Has to be my favorite post by bikesnob....true....so true

video from the start....

Soooo here is the raw video from the start of the race. I really need to invest in a helmet camera, so I can strap that shit to someone and make a proper video.


Drop Dead Alleycat part deux from Les Bennett on Vimeo.


til next time


OLC

Sunday, March 29, 2009

After Race report

So first, I would like to say thanks to everyone who came out and raced on such a beautiful windy day!! We raised $106 dollars for YBP, and 479 cans of food for the Austin Food bank!!!!!!! Holy shit everyone!!! Thats a lot of food, for the food bank!


The race had 5 checkpoints. All the check points were at HEB. All racers had to purchase 2 cans of food at each HEB. Every extra can of food purchased, got 20 seconds knocked off of their time.



The checkpoints:

Congress and Oltorf
Riverside and Pleasent Valley
7th and Pleasent valley
41st and Redriver
2222 and Burnet





Now onto the race results

1st place: Cloyd, came in at 121.05 with cans, made his time 1:17.05
2nd place: Sterling, came in at 1:22.02 with cans, made his time 1:19.02
3rd place: Andrew, came in at 1:30.46 with cans mad his time 1:24.46
4th place: Ryan, (last years winner) came in at 1:29.02. Ryan had no extra cans of food, but did bring back a six pack of Modelo's.
5th place: Chris, came in at 1:31.54 with cans, made his time 1:30.54
6th place: Chris Lee, came in at 1:44.08 with cans, made his time 1:34.08
7th place: Ahlee, came in at 1:44.10 with cans, made his time 1:35.10


Erik, got DFL, and got an "I love my bike" bell, Love ya Erik!


That rounds out the folks who got prizes. Andrew got the first fixed prize, but actually came in second as far as fixed, Sterling, should have gotten first fixed prize.....sorry Andrew, I fucked up, but I do have a brand new tire for ya!!!


Rest of the group is as follows. Jenn didn't write everyone's names down, because when they finished, they didn't have extra cans, so they unfortunately did not get written down in the book. Sorry guys.

Wyatt 1:40.50
Brett 1:42.42
Tanner 1:45.01
Matthew 1:46.31
John Rencho 1:48.00
Jason 1:48.57
Adam 1:58.00
Erik 2:01.03

Thanks again everyone, I consider the race a success. I'm going to put on the halloween alleycat again this year, and it should be pretty epic. I know there were some haters from last year, but fuck it, going to try and go all out again, we'll see.



Also, I will post the pictures and video Jenn took from the race. I'm at work right now and don't have the camera, so come back to see those. Ahlee, don't wear clip-less shoes again, if you're going to be running. :) Who the fuck drives a car to a alleycat race and then pulls out their trainer.. apparently.the guy who wins the race.....














til next time


OLC

Friday, March 27, 2009

TOMORROW!!!!!

Ok kids, the big day is tomorrow. You're going to want to meet at Eastside Pedal Pushers @ 2pm for registration and the race will be starting @ 3pm. Hopefully the weather will cooperate with us and that it won't be raining or brutal fucking winds. Again, bring a bag 5 bucks to enter and two cans of food. Also remember to bring a few extra bucks for each of the stops. All of the money goes to YBP and all the food goes to Austin Food Bank. So fucking bring it!!!!







Rain or shine we race!!!!

REMEMBER BE SAFE WHILE RACING!!!!!!!!,

Hey Ladies!!!!!

No, I'm not talking about the Beastie Boys song,







I'm talking about all you wonderful ladies of Austin. Mo over at what's the rush? is getting together a weekly/monthly ride, just for you ladies.


Instead of hosting a race that pits women against one another, I have a better idea. Unity.
I am calling on ladies only, young, old, gay, straight, fast, slow, new to cycling, old pros, to join me in a weekly cruise about town. I want you all, and your mamas, and your friends. I want you to be safe, have fun, and get your legs under you! Wear a helmet without being embarrassed. I am comfortable with being sexy and showing the world the respect I have for my lovely brain. I wear sneakers, pedal pushers, short shorts, and spandex and feel comfortable in them all! I love my strong body, and I want you to love yours too!



So what are you waiting for? Drop her a line( mo.grady@gmail.com) and get in on this.


Mo, I still think you should put together a race just for the ladies. I know Jenn would race in it, and a few other ladies. I'm sure you wouldn't make it as brutal as Chris Lee's race (fuck the wind), so that might help in pulling some more ladies to race.


Alright Ladies, there you have it, get off yer arse's and get in contact with Mo!!!!



til next time


OLC

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Never Nude!!!!

This should be an interesting ride to say the least....


Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Stephen Moser arrested!!!!!

This just in. Stephen Moser
is arrested!!!! I'm sure everyone remembers him for his famous rant,

Speaking of bikes, my heart began to turn to stone as I was stopped at Riverside and Lamar watching a parade of bikes indulging, presumably, in some form of civil disobedience. What that meant was that dozens of clowns on bicycles took up the entire street and brought most traffic to a standstill. After several minutes of obnoxious waving and smiling from the riders, I was ready to pull a Lizzie Grubman and plow right through them and be on my way. But I was hesitant to rack up a lot of hit-and-run charges against me ... and then there would be all that damage to my car. The thing is, all the smiling and waving did not make me sympathetic to the scofflaws' "cause." It made me think: "Don't give bikes the right. Give 'em the finger.

You also can't forget this one,

THEM? AGAIN? We had a near-miss with a small group of members of Critical Mass (wouldn't that be an Inconsequential Mass?) on South First recently – six or seven poorly dressed but well-behaved bicyclists took advantage of a red light, turned their bikes toward the cars, and put out their hands like they were the Supremes singing "Stop in the Name of Love." I jabbed Stephen Rice in the side with my finger: "It's them! It's them!" With traffic completely blocked, they began their slower than slow procession – so slow it made me wonder how they stayed on their bikes at all. Perhaps they were superglued to the bicycle seats or perhaps permanently impaled upon them. I'm sure if they'd known who was in the car they were blocking, they probably would have attacked me with air pumps and water bottles. Fortunately, Stephen and I were able to neatly sidestep any possible melee by zipping through an opening in their ranks and leaving them in the dust. I used to have an issue with Critical Mass, but now it's a full-blown subscription.


Well, just like the title of the blog says, he was arrested.

Austin fire investigators say a man has been arrested in a car fire in the Austin City Hall parking garage earlier this month.

Stephen MacMillan Moser, 51, is accused of setting the fire early on March 13. Moser has been a fashion writer for the Austin Chronicle.

Lt. Jack Garner, fire investigator, says in a court affidavit that Moser and the owner of a black Toyota got into the vehicle, and Moser backed out and hit a concrete barrier. The two got into an argument, and the vehicle owner left the parking garage. Investigators say the cameras in the parking garage show that Moser was still in the car when a fire started inside the car, and Moser left.



The fire was quickly put out and there was no damage reported to the building structure.

Fire investigators say the fire started in the passenger seat, and Tuesday afternoon, investigators had to forcibly enter Moser's home and arrest him. They say they recovered the clothing he was wearing that night as evidence.

Moser is charged with arson -- a 2nd degree felony. If convicted, he could face 20 years in prison







Great mugshot Mr. Moser, from what I heard while listening to KLBJ, is that the car he set on fire was one of his roommate/s. I guess everything wasn't all roses between them anymore.

I say good riddance, another person behind the wheel of a car, that obviously has issues with cyclist, is off the streets. I'll have a drink to that!!!!!


til next time


OLC

Monday, March 23, 2009

Friday, March 20, 2009

POLO!!!!

Some good video from thyneighborsbike, makes me want to play so bad. Stupid broken leg!!!




Austin Bike Polo from Thy Neighbors Bike on Vimeo.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Aftermath.....

You can find more here. Thanks to Doug for all the great shots!!
















Tuesday, March 17, 2009

A Bit of Bad News

Just saw this over at ATXBS and thought Would spread it around.


A little bit of bad news: the committee hearing for SB 488 will be postponed indefinitely. Instead of pushing the schedule back one week, the clerk informed me that they will continue with the planned schedule, and the bills that would have been heard last week will be "fit in at some later time, maybe." Basically, there is no date now, and it might not be for another several weeks.

In the meantime, all we can do is flood the offices with support letters. If you could post this message, that would be great. Also, if you know any bike blogs that are Texas related, but not Austin-specific, let me know so I can forward it to them. I'm hoping we can find some people that are constituents of committee members.

Here's the gist of it:

If you want to express your support for the Safe Passing Bill that is currently going through the state's legislative process, go to this link to find out who represents you, and send your State Senator and State Representative an email letting them know how you feel. Make sure to include your address so that the office can confirm your residence in the district.

http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members.htm
(at the bottom of the page)

All you have to say is, "As a cyclist, I support the safe-passing bill (SB 488) and its companion in the House (HB 827)."

Honestly, say whatever you'd like. Just mention the bill numbers and that you support them.
Forward this to anyone you know who would like to express their support.

(Also, if your Senator is Carona (chair and bill author), Watson (vice-chair), Davis (co-author), Ellis (bill author), Huffman, Nichols, Shapiro, Shapleigh, or Wentworth, they are on the Transportation Committee, which will be hearing the bill on Wednesday, March 18, 2009. Urge them to support the bill in committee.)



To me, this is an important bill, fuck to everyone who rides a bike, it is an important bill. If you haven't emailed or snail mailed, you should. This will be an improvement to the infrastructure of cycling if we can get it back in and get it passed. Things don't happen, unless you make it happen. Please do your part and help get this back were it needs to be and get it passed.

Post it where you can, in your blog/website, forums or even just on the streets and to friends. Do what you need to do if you care about riding your bike and feeling safe doing it.

If you don't know where to get started, you can start here or here to find out who represents you. You can contact Mark at mark@biketexas.org


til next time


OLC

Monday, March 16, 2009

MIDNIGHT RIDAZZZ!!!!!!

RIDE ON!!!!!! It is on Saint Patties day as well....going to be epic!!!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Update on the Rhizome Party






The party has been moved to CLUB DEVILLE. Tell your friends! (I've included the press release about the Rhizome below)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rhizome Collective Sounds International Call: Code Violations May Force Eviction

Austin, Texas – March 11, 2009 - The Rhizome Collective is a consensus-run 501c3 nonprofit organization that has operated a center for community organizing and urban sustainability in an East Austin warehouse since 2000. This warehouse was inspected on March 3rd by officials from the Building and Standards Commission of the City of Austin. On Thursday, March 5th The Code Enforcement Division of The City of Austin delivered a letter outlining a list of code violations to the Collective. The City mandated that the residents and organizations based in the warehouse must vacate before March 16th. The Collective is looking into all options, but is preparing to vacate the warehouse by the deadline. Before this inspection, the Collective was in negotiations to buy the warehouse from its current owner.

Contractors are currently completing an estimate of the cost required to bring the building into compliance with city building codes. Given the breadth of the reported violations, the contractors do not believe it will be possible to give an estimate and obtain permits by the City’s deadline.

The Rhizome Collective including Inside Books, Bikes Across Borders and Food Not Bombs is making an international call to supporters. The Collective is seeking monetary donations, in-kind donations, funding sources and statements of solidarity. Donate through the link below and earmark your donation for one of the organizations above.

In 2004, the City of Austin donated a 9.8 acre brownfield in the Montopolis neighborhood to the Rhizome Collective. The property served as a legally operated municipal landfill from 1967 to 1970, and was illegally dumped on for approximately fifteen years following the closure of the landfill. In the same year, the EPA awarded the Rhizome Collective with a $200,000 Cleanup Grant as part of their Brownfields Program. From January 2005 to July 2006, 680 tires, 10.1 tons of trash, and 31.6 tons of recyclable metal were removed from the brownfield. This property is not being affected by the code violations on the warehouse.

The Collective is an internationally recognized model for intentional communities that comprise a massive movement focused on justice and autonomous sustainability.

In the nine years of its existence, the collective has collaborated with many local, national and international organization by providing free or low cost space and through direct participation in their initiatives. The Collective has provided space to people working with the organizations mentioned above and, to name a few others: The University of Texas, Campaign to End the Death Penalty, Acción Zapatista, Rosa Clemente and Monkey Wrench Books. Members of the Collective have supported initiatives including projects of Indymedia, PODER, El Comite Obrero Fronterizo, Pastors for Peace, The American Friends Service Committee, The Student Farmworker Alliance and communities in both Mexico and Cuba. Inside Books sent over 18,000 books to Texas prisoners last year. Bikes Across Borders has organized more than fourteen bike delivery caravans since 2001, sending over 700 bicycles to Cuba, Mexico, and Central America. Projects directly benefiting the community have been prioritized at the Collective such as the creation of educational systems for sustainable living in urban areas, workshops on puppetry and street theatre, after-school programs focusing on bicycles, gardening and the arts.

The people affected include those who work at the Collective in order to: furnish books to Texas prisoners, feed the homeless, teach neighbors how to fix their bicycles, run independent media projects and organize workshops on urban sustainability. The work performed here over the past nine years is a point of pride for the Collective, the greater Austin community and communities worldwide.

This is an official communication arrived at by consensus of the Collective.

For more information, please contact Laura Merner.

Contact Info:

Laura Merner

Collective Member

Phone: (201) 739-6341

Email: lorax@riseup.net

Web:

-DONATE NOW
-rhizomecollective.org/
-insidebooksproject.org/
-bikesacrossborders.org/
-kpwr.org/
-myspace.com/austinfoodnotbombs

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Results from Bike Poll

So after a few weeks on the blog, the results are in. Seventy people voted on the poll. Thanks everyone who voted.

18% of the votes only have one bike.
24% have two bikes.
20% three bikes
34% have four or more. That's a lot of bikes for some of you out there!

34% of you have track bikes.
61% of you have road bikes.
41% of you have mountain bikes.
20% of you have cross bikes.
18% of you have BMX cruiser bikes.
18% of you also have beach cruiser bikes.
1% of you have a recumbent bike.
30% of you have a shitty fixie (conversion) bike.
5% of you have a bike just for polo.

Again, thanks everyone for voting, I'll put up another poll sometime soon.


til next time


OLC

Bikes Across Borders




The organization Bikes Across Borders is based at the Rhizome Collective. The collective is an east Austin center for community organizing and urban sustainability projects. Bikes Across Borders is a local nonprofit bike workshop with an international mission. Since it began in 2000, the organization has repaired salvaged bicycles as well as provided bicycle and bike trailer workshops to area cyclists. The group has also delivered more than 500 bicycles to countries south of the U.S. border.

The idea to help those in Mexico and elsewhere was born when group members learned that assembly plant workers in Mexico were spending up to 15 percent of their salaries on transportation costs. In 2001, the group coordinated with Comite Fronterizo de Obreros, a human rights organization in Piedras Negras, to bring about 80 bicycles into the area. Since then, Bikes Across Borders has delivered bikes to Cuba and Central American countries as well.



I'm going to try and make it out to this. I'm pretty sure I will be fucking exhausted from the race earlier that day, but I'm sure it will be a good time.

Go and check it out and support the cause.


Also, check them out online.


til next time


OLC

Monday, March 9, 2009

Need a fix for something more?

Go and check out Fouteenteeth.

While I'm on the subject

I can't fucking believe what I just saw.


WARNING GRAPHIC VIDEO




That's right a Dallas police officer breaking the law.

According to Dallas police policy, officers can only go 20 miles faster than the speed limit with flashing lights and sirens. In school zones and residential areas, officers must follow the posted speed limits. The only exceptions are when another officer's life is in danger or during a pursuit.


"We do not want our officers speeding, violating any traffic laws unless they are doing it with red lights and sirens on," Kunkle said.


HOLY FUCK NUGGETS.....I can't even describe how I feel after watching that and reading about it. Great job Senior Cpl. Michael Vaughn, I sure hope you're proud of yourself. I know when I go to Dallas, I'd feel a lot safer having you NOT on the streets, so called "protecting" me.


Sorry for bringing up the DFW stuff, but I used to live there and I have friends you ride there. Apparently it is not safe even from the cops to ride your bike.



Hopefully officer Vaughn is off the streets and in jail.

til next time


OLC

Child on bike fatally struck by SUV in Dallas

FUCKING AMAZING!!!!!

DALLAS - A young boy was struck and killed by a SUV while riding his bike at about 3:30 p.m. in West Dallas.

Juan Rey Marin, a six-year-old student at C.F. Carr Elementary School, was riding near his home at Singleton Boulevard and Kingbridge Street when the SUV struck him, wedging his bike underneath the vehicle.

Family followed the ambulance as the child was rushed to a nearby hospital, which was where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The boy's uncle, Filiberto Zamudio, said a witness told him he saw a DISD counselor exit the Thomas A. Edison Middle Learning Center's parking lot in the SUV that struck the child. The accident was not in a designated school zone.

"He was outside on the porch watching the kids," Zamudio said of the witness. "He told the lady, 'Stop, stop,' but she didn't see the kid crossing."

Marin's father said the woman driving the car was talking on her cellphone at the time of the accident. Police have not confirmed if the driver was using a cellphone, but said she was not speeding.

No charges are expected.



Note the fucking sarcasm. I can't believe this. When will people stop talking on their phones while they are driving and pay attention to the fucking road. No charges are expected Really? There should be some kind of consequence for this ladies actions........ NO CHARGES EXPECTED, unbelievable.

My thoughts go out to the family.

This is from one of the members of the family of the person driving the SUV,

I am a long time viewer of WFAA and today I am sadly disappointed in the media after reading this story. I am a family member of the person driving the SUV. Here are some facts that the media hasn't told you:
1. The police have ruled this as an ACCIDENT.
2. The driver WAS NOT on the phone when the accident happened. Police were able to pull phone records and through these records they were able to confirm this.
3. The driver was seen getting out of the SUV talking on the phone. That is correct, because she was on the phone with 911.
4. The driver was not speeding. With the set up school, the house where the child was playing, the street traffic, etc. the police ruled it was not possible that she was speeding.
5. The driver never saw the child until after the accident. And YES it was an accident.
6. The family of the child has a long history of neglect when it comes to the children. There have been many CPS reports filed on this family. And if I understand correctly CPS is in the process of taking the children away from the parents. (This information came from a member of the child’s family)
This was a very tragic accident and fingers shouldn’t be pointed without giving all the facts. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of this boy, but my thoughts and prayers also go out to my family member who is grief stricken over this and is being persecuted because the media isn’t informing every one of ALL the details and facts.


This may be the case, but WTF. I mean if you are driving through a school zone, or anywhere around a school zone, you should know that there are kids playing. There should be some course of action for the driver, be it a suspension of the DL or community service or something. Something more than nothing.


til next time


OLC

Ride a bike...may have to pay road tax

So I have mixed feelings about this. As someone who drives a car and someone who pays taxes already, this kind of sucks. On the other hand though paying $54 dollars every 2 years to have more bike lanes and awareness.... well I'd do that. Still it sucks to hear people who only drive cars saying, I pay for the roads so you should pay taxes.... I do ass wipe, I drive also, but I choose to ride as well.






Tell me what yo think.....


til next time

OLC

I'll be there....will you?

Last day to vote

On what kind of bike you ride....be sure you do it!! I'll put together all the info in a couple of days.


OLC

A little bit of a change

So obviously the blog has changed up a bit. Felt like something different. Let me know what you think.


til next time


OLC

Sunday, March 8, 2009

bike scavenger hunt

Just a heads up......


We are having a bicycle scavenger hunt on Sunday March 15th, 4pm-8pm. Teams are meeting at the State Capital at 4, starting the hunt at 4:30, and ending at the Chris Riley campaign head quarters by 7pm for music spun by Sweet DJ D, food, and winner announcements. Teams made up of 3-5 people will follow clues to 10 different locations around town.

I am a supporter of the Chris Riley Campaign for Austin City Council Place 1. Chris Riley is a native Austinite who has worked and served our city for over a decade. Chris will take action to create green jobs, protect our local businesses, improve public transportation, and preserve our city's character. He is a former chair of the Planning Commission and Downtown Commission, founded Austin CarShare and the Alliance for Public Transportation, started a neighborhood association, and served on the boards of the Austin History Center and the Austin Parks Foundation. Chris is a transportation cyclist. And he has the support of over 700 prominent Austinites. You can learn more about him on his website: www.chrisforaustin.com

Chris' campaign is working with many people who love our town on some free community events. The purpose of these events is to bring together people who make up vital parts of Austin's character and show that the cultivation of our music & arts, cycling, and sustainable foods scenes need to be a priorities for our City, as they will be if Chris gets elected.



Sign up here

Bike Messenger Helps Nab Robber

This is Awesome!!

CHICAGO (STNG) -- A bicycle messenger is being credited with helping catch a man who allegedly robbed a bank using a butter knife Monday afternoon on the North Side.

The 44-year-old man was arrested at 4:30 p.m. at 2000 W. Belmont Ave., according to Shakespeare District police, who were citing preliminary information.

He remains in custody and hasn’t been charged with anything as of 1:15 a.m. but the FBI is investigating whether he may have been involved in other bank robberies, police said.

The robber, armed with a butter knife, is suspected of walking into the North Community Bank, 2800 N Western Ave. and threatening a teller. The suspect allegedly grabbed money from the teller, who was counting it, and fled the bank by jumping into a cab, police said.

A bicycle messenger who saw what was going on began following the cab, which was weaving in and out of traffic. The messenger was able to use a cell phone to call authorities and direct police to where the suspect was, police said.

The messenger’s name was not immediately available but police said he may be considered for some type of recognition for his efforts.



So it is nice that the bike messenger may get some recognition for his efforts.... maybe some folks won't look down on cyclist so much.


til next time


OLC

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Drop Dead in 3 weeks




We're three weeks away folks. You're going to want to bring five bucks to enter and 2 cans of food. Yes, Yes I know, sounds a lot like Chris Lee's race. I promise it will be different, I have something in store for you my pretties!!!!! Bring a bag (BIG) and some extra cash.

All the money is going to YBP. We've all been there done some volunteering, and of course fixed our bikes. I want to see them up and going in the new shop as soon as possible. I know a couple of other folks have the same idea, but it's a good one.

So come out three weeks from now. It will start at the new East Side Pedal Pushers location (5th and onion) registration 2 race 3.

See ya there


OLC


***Edit***

BIG THANKS, to the one and only Chase Maclaskey for making the flyer!!!

Friday, March 6, 2009

Ride to work

So I rode my bike into work today, it was about a 17 mile ride. It felt great outside, and I'm glad to finally be back on the bike so I can ride to work. Normally I would be going out tonight because it is Friday, but I have a 40+ mile training ride tomorrow morning for the Tour de Cure, I consider it a training ride for the MS 150 as well since I am riding in both. After that ride is a rally for the Tour de Cure. There is going to be some grub and some prizes as well I think. So if you wanna ride, give me a shout and you can ride with Jenn and I.

til next time


OLC

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

ha ha BMW Fail

Saw this over at ATXFixed and had to post it again.






til next time


OLC

For Art

Since it is suggested that you carry the laws of the road for bikes, I thought I would just put this out there. I got it from Michael Bluejay's site.

Bicyclists' Rights
Bicycles have a right to the road
A person operating a bicycle has the rights and duties applicable to a driver operating a vehicle under this subtitle... Sec. 551.101(a)

Cyclists don't always have to ride on the right
A bicyclist is NOT required to ride at the right curb or right edge of the roadway when (s)he is:

moving as fast or faster than other traffic.
passing another vehicle moving in the same direction
preparing to make a left turn.
avoiding a condition on or of the roadway, including a fixed or moving object, parked or moving vehicle, pedestrian, animal, or surface hazard prevents the person from safely riding next to the right curb or edge of the roadway.
operating a bicycle in an outside lane that is: less than 14 feet in width and does not have a designated bicycle lane adjacent to that lane; or too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to safely travel side by side.
riding on a one-way road with two or more traffic lanes, in which case the cyclist may ride as near as practicable to the left curb or edge of the roadway. Paraphrased from Sec. 551.103. Operation on Roadway
Bicycles may ride two-abreast
Persons operating bicycles on a roadway may ride two abreast. Persons riding two abreast on a laned roadway shall ride in a single lane. Persons riding two abreast may not impede the normal and reasonable flow of traffic on the roadway. Persons may not ride more than two abreast unless they are riding on a part of a roadway set aside for the exclusive operation of bicycles. Sec. 551.103(c). Operation on Roadway

Bicycles may ride on the shoulder
A limitation in this section on driving on an improved shoulder does not apply to... a bicycle. Sec. 545.058 (c)(3). Driving on Improved Shoulder

Bicycles can park on the sidewalk
A person may stop, stand, or park a bicycle on a sidewalk if the bicycle does not impede the normal and reasonable movement of pedestrian or other traffic on the sidewalk. Sec. 545.302(d). Stopping, Standing, or Parking Prohibited in Certain Places.

Bicyclists not required to carry ID
A person commits an offense if he intentionally refuses to give his name, residence address, or date of birth to a peace officer who has lawfully arrested the person and requested the information. A person commits an offense if he intentionally gives a false or fictitious name, residence address, or date of birth to a peace officer who has law-lawfully detained or arrested the person; or requested the information from a person that the peace officer has good cause to believe is a witness to a criminal offense. [A person must identify him/herself only if arrested; no ID is required.] Sec. 38.02. Failure to Identify

Motorist Offenses
Actual or threatened harm by a motorist is Assault
A person commits an offense if the person: intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes bodily injury to another, ...; intentionally or knowingly threatens another with imminent bodily injury…; or intentionally or knowingly causes physical contact with another when the person knows or should reasonably believe that the other will regard the contact as offensive or provocative. Sec. 22.01. Assault

Threatening harm with a motor vehicle is Aggravated Assault
A person commits an offense if the person commits assault as defined in Section 22.01 [above] and the person: causes serious bodily injury to another…; or uses or exhibits a deadly weapon during the commission of the assault. An offense under this section is a felony of the second degree, except that the offense is a felony of the first degree if the offense is committed [under certain circumstances]. Sec. 22.02. Aggravated Assault. "Deadly weapon" means... anything that in the manner of its use or intended use is capable of causing death or serious bodily injury. Sec. 1.07(17)(B). Definitions

Recklessness which could hurt somebody is Deadly Conduct
A person commits an offense if he recklessly engages in conduct that places another in imminent danger of serious bodily injury. Sec. 22.05(a). Deadly Conduct

Reckless driving is a criminal offense
A person commits an offense if the person drives a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. Sec. 545.401(a). Reckless Driving; Offense.

Motorist must stop if injuring someone
The operator of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of a person shall:

(1) immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close to the scene as possible; (2) immediately return to the scene of the accident if the vehicle is not stopped at the scene of the accident; and (3) remain at the scene of the accident until the operator complies with the requirements of Section 550.023 [below].

An operator of a vehicle required to stop the vehicle by [as described above] shall do so without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.

A person commits an offense if the person does not stop or does not comply with the requirements of this section. An offense under this section is punishable by: imprisonment in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for not more than five years or confinement in the county jail for not more than one year; a fine not to exceed $5,000; or both the fine and the imprisonment or confinement. Sec. 550.021. Accident Involving Personal Injury or Death.

Motorist must stop if injuring person or vehicle
The operator of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in the injury or death of a person or damage to a vehicle that is driven or attended by a person shall:

(1) give the operator's name and address, the registration number of the vehicle the operator was driving, and the name of the operator's motor vehicle liability insurer to any person injured or the operator or occupant of or person attending a vehicle involved in the collision;

(2) if requested and available, show the operator's driver's license to a person described by Subdivision (1); and

(3) provide any person injured in the accident reasonable assistance, including transporting or making arrangements for transporting the person to a physician or hospital for medical treatment if it is apparent that treatment is necessary, or if the injured person requests the transportation. Sec. 550.023. Duty to Give Information and Render Aid.

Injury caused by DWI is Intoxication Assault
A person commits an offense if the person, by accident or mistake, while operating a…motor vehicle in a public place while intoxicated, by reason of that intoxication causes serious bodily injury to another. "Serious bodily injury" means injury that creates a substantial risk of death or that causes serious permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ. An offense under this section is a felony of the third degree. Sec. 49.07 Intoxication Assault

Death caused by DWI is Intoxication Manslaughter
A person commits an offense if the person: operates a motor vehicle in a public place… and is intoxicated and by reason of that intoxication causes the death of another by accident or mistake. An offense under this section is a felony of the second degree. Sec. 49.08 Intoxication Manslaughter





Download a copy and keep that in your bag.



til next time



OLC

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

I learned something yesterday

From the meeting with the Art Acevedo yesterday, I learned that cyclist and car collisions are not the not the only incidents where the person at fault does not receive a ticket. Apparently, of the 40,000 collision incidents called in to APD last year, only about 1/2 of the people actually stuck around for a cop to come to the scene. Of those 20,000, only 8,500 were issued citations. Overall, only 20% of collisions end with a citation.

I think this needs to change. I've said it before - obviously when 2 objects collide on the road, one - or both - of the parties are at fault and if no citation is issued, there is no consequence for running that red light, killing that cyclist, or running over that pedestrian. I'm not all about big governments, but laws are in place to keep citizens safe and when they're not being enforced, it is hard to trust the enforcers.

Second of all, I think the Police Chief needs crack open the dusty bicycle law handbook and read it over a time or two. I think he served as a great example to himself and everyone in the room - though not meaning too - that APD knows little to nothing about bicycle laws in the city of Austin. I give props to everyone for calling him out when he had no clue what he was talking about...

...Boy oh, boy, did he ever upset me when he said cyclists should use "common sense" or "better judgment" and move out of the way when a car gets pissed off behind you. Cyclists should "share the road" and "be courteous." FUCK THAT!! What about drivers sharing the road with us (seeing as how we are a vehicle) and being courteous when we're around?? This lecture of "common sense" went on for a while... "Just use common sense," he kept saying. "We want you guys to be safe." Then he went on to talk about how it upsets him when drivers don't yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk... that he'll just step out in front of the car. (I'll paraphrase)... "It is law that motorists have to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk, and people may think I'm crazy, but I'll step out in front of a car if I have the right to walk." C'mon now, Mr. Acevedo... Is that the wisest thing to do?? Does your common sense tell you that stepping out in front of a 2 ton vehicle is the safest way to handle the situation??

In response to the lack of citations at collision scenes involving cyclists and motorists, Mr. Acevedo said, "If the witnesses stuck around and there is enough evidence to prove one or both parties are at fault, we should be issuing tickets." I understand APD should be issuing tickets, but obviously they're not... So, what are you going to do the enforce and ensure that citations are being issued when they should be?

Overall, I thought he and the two other lieutenants (Donald Baker and Brian Gruetzner) were very responsive and willing. Mr. Acevedo spoke about a lot of things the department needs, or more resources he wishes the city had. My biggest concern is, since we don't have these spiffy gadgets you speak of, how are we going to improve our conditions? How do you plan to change the department and the city in regard to bicycle law, safety, and prosecution with the resources we currently have? Can we see a plan?

If you guys didn't make it out, you missed out. I really enjoyed being able to speak up to the Chief of Police and voice my concerns. We all had great questions last night, and even better comments!! Glad everyone could make it!!!

On Monday, March 23 from 6-9PM, there will be a City Council Candidate Forum on cycling and pedestrian issues. It will be located at 301 East 8th street (corner of San Jacinto). From my understanding, it will be much like the forum held last night.. Questions, answers, and tons of passion.

See you guys there!!

Ride Safe!

Monday, March 2, 2009

Craigslist, some good and some bad #11

So just cruising the CL and found a couple of things that made me laugh.

to the fixie rider at 4th & congress that i slammed a door into (4th and congress)

dude. soooooooo sorry man. i ALWAYS check my mirror before i exit, i don't know what happened this time. anyway, i'm incredible sorry about that. i've been hit by cars on my fixed with no brakes and it blows. if your gf needs proof of evidence that you were late, come by (more slowly) and i'll apologize personally. and valet her car if necessary. i'm glad i didn't destroy your hand, or bike, or fork, or wheel. or your head. a true testament to why every cyclist should wear one, me included. if i hadn't had customers standing right there (this wouldn't have happened, and,) i would have laid that jackass out. seriously, i should have spoken up and told him it was my fault and to go fuck himself over what wasn't even a couple scratches on his piece of shit tahoe. fuck him. gr. anyway i'm glad you're alright and didn't make a huge deal out of it; i'm pretty sure we both knew cyclists aren't technically supposed to pass on the side, but i've done it and got mine too, not that i'm blame placing because it was (in my eyes) both our faults. i've dodged cyclists before and will from now on. best of luck. sincerest apologies. if your headset needs a tune-up, i've got a couple spares.


At least this does sound sincere.

adorable bike courier this morning - w4m - 23 (downtown)

you: bike courier wearing black cut offs and vans
me: bite size blonde receptionist with an armload of mail, blushing uncontrollably

you came by to pick up some forms and i'm glad i had mail to distribute because i had to take a minute to regain my composure. it's not every day someone so delightfully good looking comes into the office! you asked my name before disappearing forever, and yes, first names are typically better, but not when you are trying to stalk someone on the internet. of course, i mean stalk in the sweetest way possible.

i've been here four months and couriers come in all the time, typically wielding sandwiches or cookies, but this is the first time you've ever delivered something here. i probably missed my only opportunity. too bad because i really want to have a casual encounter with you in the elevator. or anywhere else.

if your name is james and you are the adorable bike courier that came into my office today, please respond! i want to feed you lone star and blackberries.

if you know this person, give him a heads up!



James (not Clayton).....you've been called out.....

to the jerk who stole my bike light (Half Price Books N Lamar)

I hope you get a paper cut on your asshole and then sit in lemon juice.


HAHAHA!!!!


and in response, sure this isn't the person who did it, just some jackass.


To the Dork missing a bike light (Half Price Books N Lamar)

Thanks I needed one


Some jackassery in any way that you look at it. I wish people wouldn't fuck with other people's shit.

54cm fixed gear 390$ - $390




fixed gear, good for someone between 5'6 and 5'11, good condition, bike retails at 700$ call me at 541 610 **** if u are interested

I pulled this before it was, for some reason deleted.


Date: 2009-02-27 11:02:26

re fixed gear $390


If you actually do somelooking around, you can find the same exact bike on http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/kilott.htm for cheaper, with free shipping.....just sayin










"fixed gear, good for someone between 5'6 and 5'11, good condition, bike retails at 700$ call me at 541 610 **** if u are interested"


They used the same picture and everything. I mean, come on folks do some research before you just buy anything off of CL. I mean fuck, you can get the size you want, the color you want here


There are more, but I have to leave for work. Feel free to let the above mentiond folks, know whatever they may need to know.



til next time



OLC
Enough Waiting for Bicycle Infrastructure. Click Here to Sign The Austin Bike Plan Petition

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