Russ Roca
Strong cycling culture in the State Capital
The social cycling scene in Austin is incredibly rich. There are multiple rides every day and newcomers are never left without a chance to hop on two wheels and meet new faces. But what this city has going for it above all else is a diverse and friendly cycling population. Roadies, hipsters, commuters, tall bike hooligans, BMX riders and students share and litter the roads at every turn.
Meets
Austin hosts some fantastic weekly rides that are not to be missed. They are rated from easy (1) to more difficult (5). The Thursday Social Ride, Critical Mass and the Full Moon Cruise are great for all ages, but beware that they can get a bit lively.
- Heavy Metal Fitness Ride (Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge) Meets Mondays at 7pm. Difficulty Level – 5
- Yoga Ride (Fiesta Gardens) Meets Tuesdays at 7pm. Difficulty Level – 2
- Hump Day Nooner Ride (Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge) Meets Wednesdays at 11:45am. Difficulty Level – 2
- Thursday Night Social Ride (Festival Beach – north side of Lady Bird Lake just east of the I-35) Meets at 7:30 p.m. and the ride starts at 8 p.m. Difficulty Level – 1
- tinyurl.com/7re5my8
- Critical Mass (University of Texas at Austin West Mall) Meets last Friday of the month at 5pm. Difficulty Level – 1
- Full Moon Cruise (Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge) Whenever the moon is full, this ride sets off at around 12:30 a.m. Check the atxbs.com calendar for event updates and information. Difficulty Level – 3
Refer to atxbs.com for detailed ride information and schedule changes.
In addition, local bike shops such as Bicycle Sport Shop, host regular scheduled rides, as well as ride series for riders of all ages.
Find out “where to ride” in the Austin area through the Bicycle Sport Shop's website or pick up a bicycle map with all of the streets and trails marked by level of difficulty from the City of Austin.
Austin’s downtown may be sleepy during the day, but after dark it’s a whole other animal. Here are a few of our favorite things to do, on and off the strip.
The Jackalope (404 East 6th St.) Amazing food, cheap Lonestar and metal; need we say more? Oh, you can bring your bike inside too.
Alamo Drafthouse (13729 Research Blvd. and other locations) Beer and food service while you watch awesome movies. Check out their Master Pancake Theater, Terror Tuesdays, Weird Wednesdays, Hecklevision, Quote-alongs, etc. Great for the whole family!
Elephant Room (315 Congress Ave.) Fantastic live jazz. Spend an evening listening to local talent in a relaxed atmosphere.
Eats
The food trailer movement in Austin has swept us off our feet, out of restaurants and into the streets. Find information about most trailers online at austinfoodtrailers.com.
East Side King (1618 East 6th St.) This is not your typical bar fare and absolutely not to be missed.
Torchy’s Tacos (1311 South 1st St.) Here you’ll find untraditional tacos that are so addictive, they could be why some people don’t leave Austin. torchystacos.com
Holy Cacao (1311 South 1st St.) Imagine a bite of cake so moist and rich you couldn’t care less about the rest of the slice. Have your cake and eat it too with these cake balls.
Comments (1)
Comment FeedCome see us to see Austin by ebike!
Nicole Zinn 165 days ago