June Bug

An Atlantic article attributes the low birth rate to the rise of the gig economy in Japan. Superficially it looks like the economy is full steam ahead, but because part-time work is counted in employment statistics, the 3% unemployment rate in Japan is misleading and many young Japanese men are piecing together several part-time jobs to make ends meet. The Mystery of Why Japanese People Are Having So Few Babies Many point to unromantic 20-somethings and women’s entry into the workforce, but an overlooked factor is the trouble young men have in finding steady, well-paid jobs. Google "low Japanese birth rate" and a ton of articles pop up. From a quick google search on availability of birth control in Japan: Abortion has been available in Japan since 1949 and there is no moral stigma attached to getting one. It is especially considered an option for couples that conceive out of wedlock, which could certainly account for the low number of out-of-wedlock babies vs. the US. Relatively recent statistics show there are about 250,000 to 300,000 abortions are performed each year. Japanese women are big on condom use (80% prefer it); birth control pills not so much but the increasing number of young women using the pill is cutting the number of abortions. Where were we? Oh, right. Yesterday I was at Breeds Hardware on 29th St. If you've ever been to the original (and awesome) Breeds on 29th St., you know it's half hardware with guys in red vests and the other half is high end kitchen stuff/gardening. I was admiring their display of gorgeous Japanese kitchen knives. There were no prices listed for those, so I'm assuming they are out of my price range, but the German ones are an option (> $100). Early on ARR (Spicewookie) bought some wonderful Japanese pruning saws (Samurai brand!) for trail work. They cut on the pull, require a deft touch with some finesse and trail work days tend to be high on the hearty masculine energy spectrum; there were some tool casualties -- bent blades. I think Fiskars brand folding saws and pruning saws are now in use.

More update! "Someone" (Beerworks guys re: TAF) came over and cleared up all of the gravel and dirt sometime on Thursday or Friday morning. All was well until sometime on Saturday, when the IPA crew rode through a sudden and inexplicable flood coming from the drainage ditch. By Sunday morning that flow was reduced back to a trickle; the retention pond was filled with truly nasty looking brown water. The ducks had bailed. So, (G)narnia is clean and dry. The pedestrian/bike walk signals are installed and there are buttons to push, BUT THE SIGNALS ARE NOT YET OPERATIONAL.

This brought back memories of people I blocked on Mojo. Good times!

Just miscellaneous place to post random stuff that COULD be useful, because I read this in the paper, it was pouring rain, I didn't get around to posting then, so here ya go: People steal tailgates from trucks. The actual tailgates. A replacement tailgate runs around $1300, so there's a thriving black market in tailgates, creating incentive to steal them. Plus, apparently it's not that hard to remove them. The couple that was arrested for a rash of tailgate thefts in the New Braunfels area (not so much Austin) did not look that smart in their mug shots, although smarter than some truck owners. You can get aftermarket tailgate locks to prevent this. Nine people were injured in a 32-car pileup on Texas 130, near Harold Green Road on New Year's Eve around 1:09 AM. Happy New Years! That's a LOT of cars! This happened when people drove into a very dense patch of fog and everybody ran into the car in front. Harold Green Road crosses Texas 130 halfway between Webberville Road and Hwy 71 and somewhat north of the Colorado River. I use Texas 130 a few times a month, so this is scary, but useful information. Feel free to post random stuff that COULD be useful in a practical or entertaining way. Or not.

It's close to settled science. A fb friend (actual scientist) posted a link to this info. She studies viruses and bacteria, but still, scientist. Researchers study more than 15,000 penises to determine average lengths around the world

Kinda glad we didn't go. Weather (wintry mix) was awful for the days we would have been there. Still have it on the list!

Fill out your darn waiver -- it's easy! The link is right here.

Are these pedals *pauses for dramatic effect, but not so long it's awkward* FLAT PEDALS?

Thanks, TAF!

The other nice thing about BBRSP is that it's rideable in the rain or right after a rain. The main trails just don't seem to be affected by rain. This is nice because storms come through in the winter, when we're usually there. This isn't true of the Airport ("Lajitas") Trails outside of the state park, which get pretty sticky and muddy in some areas when it rains.

Thanks, CharDog. I thought about calling but need to think how to explain what and where this is to the the 311 operator. I'll see if google maps can help me out.

Rode Narnia today. The crossing lights are not yet active. Everything was good until I got to the north section where the trail goes to the east and two drainages come in that cross the path, with this result. The water coming out of the large culverts was fine; the gravel was pushed in from the drainage ditch between the RR track and the building. Anybody know which mobility authority to contact about this? I don't think it's City of Austin.

Denver airport has some type of train access to downtown, where you can connect to the Bustang system, a bus that heads west from Denver and stops in towns along the way on the Interstate: Frisco (paved trail goes over to Brenckenridge), Vail, Eagle, Glenwood Springs, continuing through Rifle, Parachute to Grand Junction. At least some of these little mountain/ski resort towns have invested in mountain biking trails to draw more tourists over the summer. These are big and very nice commercial buses; we were doing a credit card bike path tour from Frisco to Glenwood Springs summer before last and were able to tuck our bikes in the luggage compartments for the shuttle from Glenwood Springs to Frisco. Maybe you could Uber from Grand Junction up to Fruita. There's also a local bus service from Glenwood Springs up to Aspen. There were bike racks on the front of the bus, and a nice paved trail to ride back to Glenwood Springs, which is what we did. Not the right time of year, of course, but could be a possibility from early/mid July to through September. Bustang West Line

There's a rail trail from Mineral Wells to Granbury: Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway

Performance Anderson Lane still has 26" Velociraptors. Anyone? ANYONE?

We were at the Anderson Lane store about an hour ago. Still lots of bike, and lots of clothes that were 50% off. The only CamelBaks left were safety orange, probably Mules. Apparently, the south store is closing but is on a different (much later) timeline, so things down south are not marked down as much yet. Two or three bikes went out the door when we were there.

Was wondering if the Anderson Lane store was still open. Will stop by there today to see what's up. I had my eye on a jersey that I liked.

Good to know this works! The daily Austin American Statesman comes in a plastic sleeve. I've saved some and on the bike tours we've done over the past summers, I always put two in the panniers; in case we end up riding on a rainy day I could just slip them over the socks. Never had to use them, but nice to have a backup.

You had me at scent control!

So, this morning some friends invited me to ride from their house near the Mueller development to try the 80-layer biscuits at Confituras in South Austin. These biscuits are tall and puffy, but made with more butter than you think is possible. Just imagine a croissant with 20 x more butter in the dough. I know, I know, the biscuit thing, right up there with avocado toast at the tip of the hipster spear, but this IS Austin. Anyway, I finally just pulled on a pair of slightly fleeced regular tights over bike shorts; worked perfectly. Wool socks, running shoes kept the feet warm. Up top, two layers (base layer and medium wt smart wool top), light fleece vest, down jacket, light weight nylon bike jacket. On top, ear warmer and little nylon wind-proof beanie under helmet. Warm gloves. It was around 40 degrees when we started riding but I was comfy and warm; didn't start shedding upper layers (down jacket came off!) until south of the river. I saw bundled up people walking, bundled up people riding, runners in long sleeve tee and shorts, and hard core roadies not wearing much more than a long sleeve jersey, vest and shorts, because, you know....."40 degrees isn't even cold in Minnesota," or something. I don't do the "You'll be cold insanely f******* miserable for the first 20 minutes of the ride and then you'll warm up." I do the "Dress for the first freezing 20 minutes of the ride and then remove layers as necessary." Last week on Tuesday, which was nipppy, I did fleeced leg warmers with 3/4 bike shorts (knickers), which also worked fine.

I commute back and forth to Hyde Park Gym, usually three times a week: down Parkfield from Braker, crossing under 183 at Fairfield, down Grover, over to Guadalupe via Brentwood, then Avenue A. I never ride on the Guadalupe bike lanes south of 45 th St. A few months ago I saw a guy on a motorized skateboard on Guadalupe, just past Brentwood, using the bike lane. I was fine with that since he was already halfway down the block by the time I turned on to Guad. I start seeing scooters (both ridden and lying around everywhere) once I hit the Hyde Park neighborhood. Parking at UT is a nightmare; I can see the utility of scooters for getting back and forth to class from a close-in neighborhood with minimal traffic like Hyde Park. I also can see a scenario where UT employees park in a more outlying neighborhood and scooter in to work. Where I don't see scooters is at the UT bus stop at the Intermural Fields. I'd be interested to know UT's policy about scooters on campus

I've gone to spin class at Gold's Gym Tech Ridge. It was OK -- but small room crammed with sweating bodies was not so much my thing, especially because I'm pretty sure I caught a cold from *someone* (probably the instructor who was not as well as he thought he was) in one of those classes. Also, saddles on the exercise bikes at Gold's Gym Tech Ridge are insanely uncomfortable, mainly because almost all of them are set at a very weird angle. If anyone has gone to a spin class at Fitness Connection Tech Ridge 24 Hour Fitness near Parmer/I 35 Anytime Fitness in the same area please report on type of spin bikes, and general ambience.

Proud. It's the post-Blue Groove era.

I dropped in to post this same thing. Austin American Statesmen had an article on this in today's paper (yes, the one made out of actual paper). When something comes to the attention of the CDC and they decide to investigate, it's a public health issue that's reached the level of (potentially) an epidemic. ETA: AustinBike, you may be able to weigh in on the economic repercussions to these companies, but it seems the cost of insurance coupled with an onslaught of successful lawsuits over injuries would drive some of these companies out of business or just make it financially unfeasible to continue.

Saw two guys on one scooter today. It looked a little dicey and they were having trouble getting going.