Riding Down South if I Wear Out 99 Pair of Tire

This is the last one for today. Let me get up on my soap box before I write this... ok. Here we go.

So I came to Austin, TX about one month ago. I've since parked my car behind my house and have just been getting around by bike (It's hard to stand on this soap box when you're on your high horse too.) So how is riding in Austin. Well everyone was repping Austin as a bike friendly city. Sike! Not so much. I'd say it's pretty much average in terms of cities to ride in. I get honked at, cut off, and pains in my groin from the potholes.

I've also been on the various Austin bike blogs, craigslist, been riding 20 miles plus solo around the city, been riding with critical mass and other such rides full of shenanigans and I would say I'm pretty much sick of the bike/car animosity around here, and really everywhere.

What the solution? Laws? Law Enforcement? Infrastructure? New forms of human powered transport?

I would say understanding for starters. Not only understanding from our fossil fueled friends but also from our aerodynamic spandex friends, our badass faceplanting bmx friends , our cuties on cruiser friends, and our hipster fixie friends.

People just get so pissed about the topic of bikes on the roads. We are all allowed to be there. Some people drive cars, some people can keep up with those cars, some people can't keep up with them. Some understanding from bikers could come from the fact of how do you pass someone on a bike? I don't even really know how. I just pass people but when I'm driving I know how it can give a jolt when a 4 cyclinder camry is redlining trying to pass you and you feel like they're going to hit you. Some understanding from cars could come from the fact that the person on the bike is doing a lot more work than you are. Put yourself in that other person's shoes.

We'll until next time don't look up when the wild geese come flyin from the west.

O and I've been talking to different people in Cincinnati. A bike festival is hopefully in the plans for next June. Bike Kill? Slaughterama? Six Day Party?