Plan your week of riding with Kat and Litsa

Plan your rides for this week with Kat and Litsa. Calais Morgan, the president of Team Snacks Cycling joined us for our very first episode. The concept is simple: we just run through the list of a bunch of rides you can look forward to. Play it on your morning commute or as you fall asleep at night, and get excited for all the fun you’ll have on bikes this week!

Podcast

https://anchor.fm/deardiarycoffee/episodes/ep-e1ma3qs

Transcription

https://web.descript.com/5a1a4a15-5170-49ec-99f9-d67dc4d30d7b/a5854

ACB 2022-08-08

[00:00:00] Litsa: Yes. Holy cow, Lord lady.

[00:00:09] Hello, this is Lisa. Thanks for listening to the first Austin cycling bulletin, my partner KA, and I put this together because we thought it would be nice to give listeners a rundown of the various bike rides happening in Austin. Every week. Of course, there are so many, we cannot know them all. So we intend to invite friends to help us out every.

[00:00:31] Please enjoy. 

[00:00:32] Kat: Okay. All right. So the things that I know about from Mondays is, and it's not tonight because a lot of folks are outta town for the event, but the breakfast club babes group does a ride on Monday nights at 6:00 PM from the media, and it's a road ride. They. Go from the meteor across the lake or across over the lake to mountain Bonnell and ride up Mount Bonnell.

[00:00:56] Which so if you know, are from 10 in town and you [00:01:00] know what that means, you know, it can, it's a hard climb, but once you get to the top, we regroup and then it's an easier ride back to media where they have you. Wine and beer and tacos and all sorts of good stuff and 

[00:01:15] Litsa: pizza all week. So one day the eighth R lag, right?

[00:01:19] Like, like a girl is meeting at 6:00 PM at north brushy Creek. Uh, brushy Creek is kind of a big park, but if you Google 2, 3, 1 0 brushy Creek road, that is what they put on their meetup.com I believe. But if you go to ride like a girl, You can find information. If you go to Austin Ridge riders.com, because ride like a girl is a chapter of Austin Ridge riders and it's, um, it's just a, a all levels woman's ride.

[00:01:53] So that's tonight let's do Tuesday. Anyone got a Tuesday ride. [00:02:00] The ride I'm aware of on Tuesday is, um, the yoga ride, which meets at six 30 at Doug Sam hill. This is a social ride. So you can bring your commuter bike, your BMX, bike, your clown, dog, bike, your whatever. And it's just an easy roll around town with yoga included.

[00:02:21] So that's six 30. Tuesday night, Doug Sam hill, and then the Tuesday tear down happens too. But I don't have info on that. Do either of y'all know where and when with 

[00:02:33] Kat: that one, the only thing I noticed that it goes,

[00:02:38] Calais: I'm not, I'm not sure if the Tuesday tear down is going on. Uh, this week. I know that, um, phenoms, uh, been 

[00:02:48] Litsa: considering the heat, a. Okay. I'm personally not aware of a Wednesday ride. Do y'all know of anything? 

[00:02:58] Kat: I know that Rafa does some rides, [00:03:00] but I'm not sure I've not done those. I think it's a hill ride on Wednesday, 

[00:03:05] Music: Thursday.

[00:03:08] Calais: I know that, um, we have well team snacks and cat leads the early bird special on Thursday, like every Thursday morning. So it's a nice regular ride that cat leads out of psych lease at 7:30 AM each Thursday. 

[00:03:27] Litsa: Yes. KA who would enjoy that ride? 

[00:03:31] Kat: Um, that ride is great for folks who aren't crazy about climbing.

[00:03:36] And because the ride is almost, almost perfectly, not perfectly flat, but not mountain Bonnell either. Um, we average about 13 miles an hour, so that includes going up the Walnut Creek trail to, uh, the Y M C a and going across on 51st street and coming down Cherrywood. So it [00:04:00] has a really good mix of either offroad.

[00:04:04] No cars at all or protected bike lanes for almost the whole ride. Um, it's really, it's really fun. Um, I know it's hard for some folks to get out at seven 30 in the morning. Um, all I can tell you is if you can market in your calendar is a, is a offsite meeting. We can promise to talk about work a little bit while you're riding.

[00:04:29] So what 

[00:04:30] Litsa: time do y'all usually, uh, finish the ride and get back to cycle east? 

[00:04:34] Kat: We generally are back to cycle east around nine o'clock to nine 15, depending. Uh, you know, it's a, it's a no drop ride, so we never know who's gonna show up. And if we have mechanicals or anything like that, we don't leave anyone.

[00:04:49] So, you know, we don't have a, a, a hard and hard and fast stop time, but in general, we're usually done around a little after nine. And then, [00:05:00] uh, we usually spend a little bit of time at flat track coffee, having some coffee and breakfast tacos and. Getting ready for the day. So, 

[00:05:12] Litsa: well, tell us about the Thursday night RO social ride.

[00:05:15] Colay where do people go? What time? 

[00:05:18] Calais: Well, the Thursday night social ride is with social cycling Austin. And I know that, um, often that they can sometimes change where, where that happens. I'm trying to see where they have this week. Um, 

[00:05:36] Litsa: I think it's usually starts 

[00:05:37] Calais: at th uh, um, Thursday nights at seven 30. Um, do you wanna, but I'm not sure where exactly they're meeting this 

[00:05:45] Litsa: time.

[00:05:46] Do you wanna look it up while I talk about the Friday rides? Yeah, I'm trying to find now actually. Okay. So while Kalay does that Friday, there's a couple cool rides. One is there's a ride [00:06:00] called the coffee ride. They haven't posted where they're meeting yet, but if you're inter in, if you're interested in doing another early morning ride before work, just kind of getting the juices flowing before your work day, the coffee ride can be found on Instagram.

[00:06:19] So if you just head on over to instagram.com and you do a search for the coffee ride, which I'm doing right. Um, the handle is the dot Austin coffee ride. And they post on a weekly basis where they're meeting. And it's just one of, it's kind of like the Thursday ride, but the coffee ride is co-ed and they visit a different coffee shop every Friday morning.

[00:06:47] And then this Friday, August 12th is the annual full moon cruise. And that. I don't know about now that Austin has so many rides, but back in the day, [00:07:00] when there was just like critical mass and club rides, uh, the full moon cruise was kind of. The cycling Christmas for commuters, that one meets at the Fluger pedestrian bridge at 11:00 PM.

[00:07:15] And just kind of rides all through the night. It's actually not a long ride. It's a commuter oriented ride. So again, bring your BMX or clown, dog, your steel bike or whatever. But, um, they traditionally had kind of, uh, a loop that just. North towards SCHL Creek. That area that I believe they go in great Northern or always used to in the past.

[00:07:40] And that ride goes clear until like four in the morning, but you can drop off any time. And it's just honestly, uh, meandering around in the dark with hundreds of other people. Pretty fun. Okay. Saturday is the phenom fitty that leaves from cycle east at seven 30 in the morning. There are a lot of Saturday [00:08:00] morning rides, especially when it comes to road riding.

[00:08:03] So if you wanna get a longer, faster group ride in Saturday's the morning to do it pretty much every bike shop. Has some road ride leading out of their shop. But since cycle east is kind of our favorite shop, I'm aware of the phenom fit seven 30 co-ed ride, but a pretty good mix of men and women and everyone, uh, in between.

[00:08:27] So, uh, then also Saturday, KA, are you aware of the MC day night ride this Saturday? Yes. You wanna talk about that one? 

[00:08:37] Kat: Um, that's gonna be a gravel ride. It's it's technically a race it's 30 or, uh, 60 miles and or 49 miles. Sorry. Um, but, um, it's at night, so you'll have to have lights. You'll have to have gear that you can be seen in at night, uh, for the [00:09:00] locals cuz they don't close any roads or anything like that.

[00:09:04] I love riding gravel at night. It is so much fun, especially in summer when it's so hot, that it finally is a little bit cooler for these rides. And also you see things that you don't see, uh, during the day, you know, wildlife and, um, the locals, um, you could say, um, but, um, If you have never done a nighttime gravel ride, I'd definitely recommend it because it is so much fun.

[00:09:34] Just make sure you got a good light. Make sure it's charged. Make sure you have a backup because if you are 20 miles from the car and your light goes out, it's gonna be a long walk back home prepared and to be, be a good kid and, and prepare well for that. 

[00:09:50] Litsa: If you wanna, and lots of. If you wanna do that gravel ride that is at 6:00 PM in McAdee Texas.

[00:09:58] You'll go to 2 [00:10:00] 33 Edmondson ranch road. However, it is technically a race hosted by capital city racing. So you have to go to bike reg.com/mcdade. Dash night dash ride or just Google it, um, or go to capital city racing.com either way, get yourself on over to the registration and pay that fee to do it. But it is pretty darn fun.

[00:10:25] It's worth it. Sunday. How about, um, do y'all have anything lined up then? Um, yes. Can 

[00:10:33] Calais: y'all hear me? Yes. Okay. So, uh, we're team snacks is leading the Rafa women's training ride. This coming Sunday on August 14th. Um, it's wheels down at 7:30 AM. Uh, we're gonna be meeting at the Rafa clubhouse on west sixth street.

[00:10:57] And this is a women's ride. [00:11:00] It's about 37 miles. We're gonna be doing what's called the Mainer loop. So midway we'll have a break stop at the Mainer 

[00:11:09] Kat: grocery. I'm gonna be helping to lead that ride that was talking about, 

[00:11:14] Music: so, oh, awesome. 

[00:11:17] Litsa: Uh, okay. The one I'm aware of Sunday is every single Sunday at, uh, Walnut Creek Metro metropolitan park at 10:30 AM the Austin Ridge riders meet up.

[00:11:29] It's a co-ed ride, usually around 50 mountain bikers, meet up and split up into groups based on however you consider your skill level to be Walnut Creek Metro. Paul Park is really fun and really punchy, but also really confusing cuz most of the trailheads aren't marked. However, if you ride with the Ridge riders, you'll be following someone that knows their way in and out of that park.

[00:11:53] Awesome. Well, I guess that's, that's all the rides. Thanks to you guys.[00:12:00] 

[00:12:38] Kat: I am cat steel. I am, uh, Lisa's partner and, uh, been riding since, um, the nineties, uh, mountain biking and road Viking, and lately gravel rides and, uh, live here in Austin. And, um, I just love, I love being on two wheels, [00:13:00] no matter what I'm doing. Kalee. How about 

[00:13:03] Litsa: you? I'm colle. 

[00:13:07] Calais: I am currently president of team snack cycling, which is a women trans fam in non-binary club in Austin, Texas.

[00:13:17] Um, I've been riding my bike, my whole life, using it for various reasons, recreation and, um, commute and other purposes as well. Um, I do ride some road. And some gravel, I like touring and bike camping, but mountain biking is probably my favorite thing to do on bike. Um, and it's just pure fun. So, um, besides that, um, I like finding new places to ride bikes and finding new people ride bikes with.

[00:13:51] So that's pretty much 

[00:13:52] Litsa: me. Kalee is also. Quite active in volunteerism and has [00:14:00] orchestrated trail building and has helped coordinate volunteers for hill country ride for aids and amongst other things. Also you're super involved in project transitions. Well, you remind us what that is. Project 

[00:14:16] Calais: transitions is a nonprofit organization in Austin that helps with housing, medical care, social care, um, basically all your basic needs for folks living with HIV 

[00:14:33] Litsa: and aids.

[00:14:34] Yeah. KA you didn't mention that you are. Gravel collective leader. Yes. And also a leader in, um, breakfast club. You wanna talk about that? 

[00:14:46] Kat: Sure. Um, the gravel collective is an organization I found out about through their Houston chapter. They had a Houston in San Antonio, Texas chapter first, and [00:15:00] I inquired with them about when I saw their rights, that they were posting about having an Austin chapter and they were all for it.

[00:15:07] So, uh, Myself and Laura, Thane are the Austin leaders for the gravel collective. And so far we've had three monthly rides and they're, they are a blast. They are the idea with those rides is that you lead from the back. So, um, if you have the route and you know what you're doing, and you're fast, you can ride as fast as you want.

[00:15:32] And you can do the whole route in 10 minutes. But if you're with me, you're on a no drop ride. You are gonna get, um, you know, if there's any mechanicals, if you have problems, if you have questions, I'll be right there. And, um, that's just the way those rides work is. We want to make sure that everyone that go that comes out can enjoy themselves on the ride.

[00:15:57] And we usually try to. [00:16:00] Do it in a way that, um, puts something fun in it. The route that we're doing later this month ends at the same Marcos rivers. And it's beautiful. You can just jump in, in your kit and get cooled off. So, um, it's really fun. And, um, the gravel collective is expanding right now. It's uh, Houston and San Antonio.

[00:16:24] Austin. There's a chapter in New York in Rochester, and they're starting a chapter in Arizona and Phoenix. 

[00:16:32] Litsa: All right. Well, that was the rundown. I hope that was helpful to you. Now we both know that that was not a comprehensive list. What about the bagel rides? What about bike and Bettys? What about Thursday?

[00:16:43] Throw down. You're right. There are so many rides in Austin and Kat, and I can't think of it all on our own, so we definitely want help. We really appreciate COE's help this time around, but if you wanna get in on this. Please. You're welcome to [00:17:00] email KA and I at Austin cycling bulletin, dear diary.coffee or ACB, dear diary.coffee works so well as well.

[00:17:12] So one thing that I wanna add is. This, this podcast is new. It's a new concept. And one thing KA and I would like to do is to have diversity in our pre presenters, like the level of diversity that we would love to see in the cycling community at large. So I'm telling you that to help, you know, how we prioritize our guest as.

[00:17:38] now that I'm older. I don't experience this as much. And in Austin, I don't experience this as much, but as a woman in my early twenties, I often felt single singled out. On rides. I got too much attention. I would end up with someone riding with me on like a super long endurance ride. And I couldn't [00:18:00] not ride with them.

[00:18:01] Like, you know what I mean? Like, I didn't want their company. I didn't get the right vibe off of it, but I'm in the middle of nowhere. And so that's not fun, but I know what it's like to feel. part of a, um, a minority in a group setting or feel tokenized and like I'm getting too much attention. that's my experience when I was a young woman, now that I'm older and now that I'm in Austin, I don't, I don't really experience that so much, but I have observed that in Austin.

[00:18:32] We're not perfect. I feel like the woman's cycling community is so big and so great. And I get. I have the privilege of writing in truly mixed groups where I get to just be a writer, like, like I get to just be there because I wanna be there and I'm a cyclist and that's it just as easy as that. And it's ridiculous that that can't be the experience of everyone, but it ought to be.

[00:18:58] And I feel like we're making [00:19:00] strides here in Austin now, groups that. I think are still just really small and not getting enough representation would be, uh, black, African American community. Like there, there are black writers in Austin, but not near enough. So, and of course, if there's only a handful of you and everybody knows your names, then you just get more attention than you want.

[00:19:27] You should have. Be able to relax on rides and just be a writer. So African American community, really young writers, we don't see a lot of teens on group rides, but I think most group rides would welcome them. But if you're a younger person interested in riding, I think, um, just. It's kind of intimidating being amongst all these adults and you don't know where you're welcome.

[00:19:53] And I think that's a shame because I see a lot of young riders on races. Um, and they're really [00:20:00] great. So why can't they be part of our social cycling community as well? Um, uh, there's a lot of retirees that ride here, so I don't think we have any lack of representation in the 65 plus group, but still maybe, um, You are of an age where you feel like you're kind of a minority singled out.

[00:20:20] Like for example, we don't see as many older women in our cycling community. So. So we have a ways to go when it comes to diversity. And I think a tiny little way that this, this podcast can help is by having guests come on, that represent all those groups. So then as a listener, if you can relate to that person, you know, you're not alone and we are building those parts of the community as well, or that's the hope anyway.

[00:20:47] So I, I hope you appreciate that sentiment. I hope you will email me if. In helping us list all the rides of the week, if you're just a listener, if you're new to Austin. Um, thank you so [00:21:00] much for listening. I hope this just gets better and better and more helpful for you. All right. Cheers.

Files

Feel free to use any of the media we’ve generated as part of this episode to promote your own club, team, or rides. The purpose of Austin Cycling Bulletin is to help folks in Austin discover new rides and participate fully in our awesome cycling community!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FcLetY8ZHg8x235mZ99c6xNgy0QododW?usp=sharing