It was well over 100 degrees when I found myself trudging up 24th Street, sweating, bike slung over my shoulder--its thin, flat tire hanging from the wheel.
After deciding to get the hardiest tire I could buy, my wallet was considerably lighter when I walked out.
Damn dirty bike lanes.
Cyclists in this town have a lot of perks, and one of the biggest is that Austin has miles of nice, wide bike lanes.
Unfortunately, we can’t trust them. And when a motorist sees a cyclist using the lane of traffic instead of the bike lane, that motorist gets mad at the cyclist. And that never ends well.
Why can’t we trust them? Because they’re dirty.
Sand, lawn clippings, gravel, wood chips, oil slicks.
And the worst--the very worst--glass. Not good. Sticks and stems and trees and rocks are not fun. But the busted glass? Dreaded.
People park their cars in the lanes with impunity, too. And behind the Texas DPS complex on Guadalupe Street, parked cars obstruct the bike lane year round.
Most bike lanes in Austin are fairly clean - until the trouble spots. Like the pile of glass I rode past on East 12th not long ago. They cause you to swerve into traffic, or they flatten your tire and pitch you over the handle bars.
And if you get killed because of that one trouble spot, it doesn’t matter how clean the rest of the lane was.
1) Motorists: Don’t park in bike lanes. Stay alert. And understand why cyclists sometimes take the road. When I’m rolling on a speed bike, and I’ve got the option to go through gravel and glass and sand, none of which is good for your wheels, or I can swerve it 8 inches to the left, I want the motorist to understand why I do that. I want the motorist to be prepared for us to swing out of the bike lane when we have to, and when it happens, don’t get enraged.
2) City officials: On Oak Springs near Airport, there’s a sign telling people not to park in the bike lanes. Let’s have more of those, and tickets for the cars that violate that. I believe they’re doing what they can to keep the roads and bike lanes clean. And, as bike shop employee Mark Coltharp said, single-stream recycling did a lot to get rid of broken bottles off the street. But they can do more - partner with a bicycling club and run a hotline for the trouble spots. They can launch a campaign to keep the bike lanes clean - like the Share the Road campaign.
3) Residents/non-cylists: Keep the road clean in front of your houses. Also, don’t throw your beer out the window like a drunk freshman.
4) Cyclists: Talk to each other. Austin.MyBikeLane.com is website where you can report people parked in bike lanes. Use it, or let me know of a better one. Get involved in local cleanup efforts, or better yet, organize one. Testify at city council meetings on bike issues and highlight the messy bike lanes.
Just watch out for those damn dirty lanes.
12th and Chicon
One of the weekend's major talking points was the addition of the new Paddock Hospitality track at the top of Turn 1. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Although he is not in contention for a repeat championship, Lando Norris remains a crowd favorite. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Kimi Antonelli led from the start, never losing placement as he claimed his ninth win of the season. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It was hard to get a moment with Paddock star the Ferrari Pope, who posed for pictures all weekend. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Kimi Antonelli greeted the Grandstand before boarding the trailer ahead of the Driver's Parade on Sunday. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Lily Zneimer stopped for a quick portrait before heading into the McLaren garage to support her boyfriend, driver Oscar Piastri.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
McLaren CEO Zak Brown and Michael Dell made their way to the McLaren garage just before the qualifying round on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It takes a well-oiled machine of a team to win races. No drama, just fist bumps and good communication. Oh, and a fast car.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
COTA's new attraction is the theme park, aptly named COTALand. Clearly, the jury remains out on the spectacle. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It's not uncommon to see fans lined up outside of the Paddock as they wait for their favorite drivers and teams to head out for the day. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Last year's US Grand Prix winner, Max Verstappen, finished third this year after starting second on the grid. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Alpine's pit crew got their warm-ups done shortly before race start on Sunday. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
"All we talk about are tires and batteries in this sport. (They're the) stars of the show," said Nic Cameron of Leeds, New York. Mercedes engineers stacked used tires from the qualifying session to send off for analysis.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Interior designer and Miss Jamaica Universe 1994 Angelie Spencer was on site to support her favorite team, Ferrari. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Having Cadillac driver and fan favorite Checo Perez back on the grid has been great for the US Grand Prix, as thousands of Mexicans come to Austin to watch their countryman race. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It's no surprise who fashion influencer Aimee Kelly supports.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Although Antonelli took home the winner’s trophy, he did not clinch the driver’s championship as some had hoped. He needed teammate George Russell to fall to 9th and ex-Mercedes world champion Lewis Hamilton to finish in 5th. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The Mercedes garage was full of adrenaline as they waited for Antonelli to arrive at parc fermé and take the traditional plunge into the hands of his crew.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The championship is all but Antonelli’s, with one hand firmly on the grip of the trophy. He is expected to complete his first-ever world championship this weekend in Mexico.Photo by Daniel Cavazos