Back On Track

Cruise Austin's iconic Circuit of the Americas track during bike nights this fall

Bike Nights paused for the hotter summer months, and is gearing up again on September 13.

Courtesy of Circuit of the Americas

It’s the Circuit of the Americas, not the Circuit of gas-powered vehicles. Starting on Tuesday, September 13, bicycles are taking over. Tuesdays at 6 pm, anyone who owns a bike can take the activity to the max on the 3.41-mile track. After pedaling their hearts out or enjoying a leisurely coast, riders are invited for drinks and food truck snacks.

Bike Night is already a tradition at COTA, where bikers have had years of fun on two wheels without worrying about any traffic. The series paused this summer and is back for cooler nights, bike gods willing.

Bikers can take a break at any time and can spend it peering off of the Observation Deck, if they consider hanging out on a 25-story platform relaxing ($10 online, 12 on-site, $5 for kids).

Not that anyone needs a theme to get on a bike, but each ride is a new experience with something new to celebrate. The themes are a little opaque, but no one is going to kick you off your bike if they don’t like your Lorax costume. Curated playlists will fit each night’s theme. (Although another theme day is listed on September 6, a COTA representative confirms the series restarts on September 13.)

September 13 is Oh the Places You’ll Go Night
September 20 is Rock of Ages Night
September 27 is Disco Night

Two shirts will be on sale on the last night: the 2022 season shirt and a Disco Night theme shirt, both $20 with proceeds benefiting Dell Children’s Medical Center.

Although it’s famous for Formula One racing, the Circuit of the Americas hosts all kinds of events, including karting and camping. This is not the only opportunity to get on the COTA track, but the most regular and accessible. RideSmart, an outside organization, lets riders bring their motorcycles on the track, and a special fundraising event in 2020 allowed drivers in their personal vehicles.

More information about Bike Night and links to purchase tickets ($10 for adults, $5 for kids) at thecircuit.com. Helmets are not required, but strongly recommended.

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keep austin healthy

Austin is the 2nd 'healthiest' city in America, Forbes says

Photo by Max Bender on Unsplash

There are plenty of places for Austinites of varying abilities to be active.

The city's abundance of yoga studios, health-conscious restaurants, and run clubs is paying off: Austin was just named the second healthiest city in the nation in a new study by Forbes Advisor.

The report, "Cities With The Least Healthy (And Healthiest) Populations, Ranked" examined 2021 health data from the City Health Dashboard for 46 of the most populated cities in America. Eight metrics were analyzed for each city, such as the number of heart disease or opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 residents, the percentage of adults with diabetes or high blood pressure, among others.

The study focuses exclusively on physical health, and leans on broad risk factors more than the actual occurrence of specific diseases or conditions.

Austin ranked second to San Jose, California, which was dubbed the No. 1 healthiest city in America.

Forbes found that Austin has the lowest percentage of adult high blood pressure out of all 46 cities in the report, at just 22.5 percent. Only 7.4 percent of Austin residents have diabetes, which is the fourth-lowest rate nationwide. The city also boasts the fifth-lowest percentage of adults who smoke (11.3 percent).

Here's how the report ranked four other metrics for Austin:

Eighth-lowest number of heart disease deaths per 100,000 residents (175.5)
Eighth-lowest number of opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 residents (9.6)
10th-lowest percentage of adults who report having obesity (28.2 percent)
10th-lowest percentage of adults who report being physically inactive (18.5)

Austin has a reputation for being an accommodating city, whether it's through restaurants expanding their culinary offerings for vegans and vegetarians, or through local organizations adding exercise equipment to outdoor trails. And you can't forget about all the new gyms and country clubs opening around the city.

At the opposite end of the study, Detroit, Michigan landed as the most unhealthy city in the country.

Elsewhere in Texas
Though Austin is one of the healthiest cities in the U.S., and the healthiest in the state, several other Texas cities fell far behind. Houston appeared as the No. 12 most unhealthy American city on the list, and unhealthiest in Texas. The report attributes this to a high percentage of adults who report binge drinking (18.2 percent), smoking (17.2 percent), and more.

"Houston has the seventh-highest percentage of adults who report having obesity (37.7 percent) and the eighth-highest percentage of adults with diabetes (12 percent)," the report said.

San Antonio ranked as the 15th unhealthiest U.S. city, followed by Dallas (No. 18), El Paso (No. 22) and Fort Worth (No. 25). Arlington appeared as No. 30, technically making it the No. 18 healthiest city in the U.S.

The top 10 cities with the most healthy populations are:

No. 1 – San Jose, California
No. 2 – Austin, Texas
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – San Diego, California
No. 5 – Denver, Colorado
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – Boston, Massachusetts
No. 8 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 9 – Colorado Springs, Colorado
No. 10 – Minneapolis

The full report can be found on forbes.com.

austin healthy reports rankings