TAF

33 minutes ago, Ridenfool said:

I didn't get up to the North end, but it has a few green trails that might be gentle. There's miles of paved park road and a lot of retired Corp of Engineers asphalt roads,  but the COE roads aren't on the park map.

There's a TMBRA race out there now - I scored it this past year. Come join me next year!

On 12/18/2018 at 8:31 PM, RidingAgain said:

I've taken my wife <snip>

Now there's a patient woman, I would think.

15 hours ago, CBaron said:

.or do you want to be sucker punched with Thumper stealing your soul?

Thumper quite literally stole my soul ... the sole of my shoe came off after I slipped into a gully (sorry, into a trail feature) and I was lucky that a fellow rider had duct tape with him.

St Ed's / Thumper pre-ride - Sat, Dec 22. MEET (not arrive) at Arboretum Duck Pond at 0830. Roll out at 0840.

19 minutes ago, Chief said:

I just saw scooters as far north as 183 and Burnet Road yesterday. 183 and Burnet Road? Pretty busy place for these ridiculous transportation devices. As far as injuries you never see any of the people riding them wearing a helmet. We seem to think because it's not a car or motorcycle you don't need a helmet. Most fatal and serious head injuries occur at less than fifteen MPH. People that ride these things without prior experience or a helmet are just giving us an example of Darwins theory in action. I think all it's going to take is a few good lawsuits to curb this latest fad.

They're at almost every intersection on Burnet Rd now - mostly parked (I'm assuming by the juicers) so that they block ADA access.

8 hours ago, cxagent said:

Wondering if the LCRA problem has been solved. I am pretty sure there is no building permit required in that area. The only two things I can think LCRA would complain about are 1) they think it is a power line or 2) it crossed an LCRA easement. I would think anybody putting that much money into the project would have already covered both of those issues.

OK - one more issue. If the LCRA did not think they had capacity to supply all the electrical power needed. Spider Mountain could install their own motor generator sets. Could be done but it would cost a lot of money.

Kinda hoping there will be some Mt Lakeway-style switchbacked singletrack up that easement ...

9 hours ago, RidingAgain said:

Same photos as I used here on this site. Also, the manner of the comments reminds me of someone I've encountered on Mojo and this forum.

Bamwa?

50 minutes ago, Teamsloan said:

Urban is confirmed, whether or not you would rather still ride WC is up to you. It'll be pretty lonely there though, but some people enjoy that kind of solitude. You're welcome to join in on the urban ride.

Anyone know how much parking is available down there at Uncle Billy's?

Billy's on Burnet, which is on Burnet Rd -- NOT Uncle Billy's, which is NOT on Burnet Rd.

Desperately grasping for a silver lining - the social media 'epic fail' videos are starting to emerge ...
 

29 minutes ago, crazyt said:

It is a usac fun event. Would he be allowed to participate

Probably not -- for the same reasons that he was not allowed to participate in the Castell Grind a year or two back.

11 hours ago, MrTheCatLady said:

but I think CS is CS, national chain or not.  PB has no reason to be not as good as, say, REI on the CS front.  I mean, I've never bought a bike at REI, but I have received uniformly excellent CS regarding every single thing I have ever bought (and, especially, returned) there.

Also, while we're on the subject of the brands they sell, what do you think about Fuji?  I thought the Altamira I bought had pretty good value for the quality of frame, groupset, etc.

Absolutely agree - customer service is key - you may or may not know who I work for, but you'll often find us near REI stores, and we totally believe in customer service. As does REI, and I would certainly overwhelmingly recommend their bike repair shop over Performance. 

As for Fuji - dunno - I have a disgustingly expensive custom Ti habit, I'm afraid.

9 hours ago, MrTheCatLady said:

I...I'm not sure how to take this.  Being completely earnest here...they are both bike shops, so what could be baffling about comparing them?  Granted, they are both very different (local vs. national, privately-held vs. corporate), but they still offer the same exact types of products and services, right?  Are you saying that one to the other is like daylight to darkness, such that comparing them is just...silly, or something?  Please explain, seriously.

Erm, well - Performance Bike, as you point out, is a nationally-held chain. They sell (sold) mass-produced bikes, mostly lower-end, and the skill set of their mechanics was at best, dubious. Every other weekend they had a 40% off sale! BSS, as you point out - and indeed any of the numerous small shops around town - sell far better quality, including custom, bikes, and have excellent mechanics. You answered your own question, really. But no, they do not offer the same quality of products and services - nowhere close - I'm struggling to understand how you came up with that one, but it does explain why you arrived home with a faulty bike!

7 hours ago, MrTheCatLady said:

I say good riddance as well.  I've done business with the Anderson Lane location and I think it is a terrible place.  The staff is often moody and/or sarcastic and their service is second to all IMHO.

I bought a brand-new Fuji Altamira road bike with rim brakes from them last year

I'm baffled as to why you would compare Performance Bike with BSS. How long have you lived here?

18 hours ago, Seths Pool said:

I just hang a gallon jug on a rope from my handlebar. the weight is a little lopsided but the jug is always there!

That DOES explain a lot! Do you freeze it first?

9 hours ago, zero said:

really though - been rocking these for a year and never had one pop out of the frame.

... until now?

51 minutes ago, DesertNomad said:

from a charitous corporation

I'm calling you on that word. Were you typing one-handed while riding something bumpy and rocky?

13 minutes ago, Ridenfool said:

If you wanted to throw something off Mansfield Dam (on the lake side) as a sacrifice to the trail/rain/weather gods, that might be just the ticket.

Probably a couple of Lime scooters laying about up there, by now.

57 minutes ago, ARR said:

She can register to be your assistant.

He's not the boss of her!

Can we assume it will be hero dirt as usual, tomorrow?

6 minutes ago, ATXZJ said:

<snip>Red river and dirty sixth is a f@cking mess to deal with when you want to go see a band or catch a movie at the ritz. The homeless issue is truly embarrassing and the city should be ashamed that it has gone on for so long. 

That, and why the f&ck has Shoal Creek Blvd remained in such a shitty condition for so long? They ripped it up to replace the pioneer-era sewage drains about a decade ago, promised to re-surface it and never did, and now it's full of potholes and temporary sealant, and a real hazard to cycle on. I guess it's only time until we see it on a bond proposal -- something which we've already paid for at least once, I'm sure.

Indeed, Kent. My approach is to first distinguish between bonds to fund projects that should already be funded by my existing property tax, or by promises (ha ha) which the City has previously made ... and the rest. Funding for parkland is always in 'the rest', for me, and I continue to vote in favor of it.

12 minutes ago, Tree Magnet said:

I think we rode UP Beauford and UP Jester on the same ride!!

And Smokey Valley.

1 hour ago, Teamsloan said:

I just don't get why we need bonds to get things done like maintaining our roads and public pools. Does City Council not know how to follow a budget? A lot of what we are approving bonds for seem like basic services that a city should have money budgeted for. I voted against for a bunch of stuff because I can barely afford my taxes as they are now. Quit throwing money away with corporate incentives and maybe our city would actually go back to being affordable without having forced generosity to provide affordable housing.

EXACTLY! And to AntonioGG, the alternative is to pay for basic infrastructure improvements using the remainder of my $15,000 tax bill, instead of continually asking for more money to do the same job. Don't even get me started, youngster.

The City of Austin currently has approximately $1 billion in debt (and interest owed on this debt). Assuming the 2016 published debt service rate of 10.62 cents per $100 of taxable assessed property value, I pay in excess of $700 per year to support the City's debt service.

From the 2017-18 Fiscal Budget presentation: "and second, the debt service portion of the tax rate is growing one third of a penny due primarily to the continued implementation of voter approved bond programs."

So it might add up to more than you think, all you do-gooders who vote in favor of all the props every year.

2 hours ago, AustinBike said:

Basically amounted to ~$5 per home per initiative. 

Note: per month.