Austin Bike Sherpa is my way of spreading the joy and substantial health benefits of cycling. Through this program, I hope to become a cycling mentor, someone who can help make cycling a part of your lifestyle. If you’re already riding and looking to expand your cycling experience, I can help with that, too.
Riding a bike is something that has been central to my development over the years. When I was a kid, learning to ride was a right of passage, kind of like learning to walk. Riding became a source of confidence as well as an essential element of my relationships with neighborhood friends. As I got older, the bike became a portal to independence. I didn’t have to depend on my mom or an older sibling to take me where I needed to go – I could hop on my bike and go anywhere. Sure, going uphill was a lot of work, but my dad was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis before I was born and was couldn’t move from the neck down. I figured having limbs and muscles that worked was a gift not to be taken for granted.
As I started a career and a family, the bike faded from view. But in the late 1990’s my wife and I bought mountain bikes and started riding the trails at Walnut Creek Park, the Barton Creek Greenbelt, and what used to be Forest Ridge off Loop 360 near Bull Creek. A few years later, we bought road bikes, and the resurrection of my biking obsession was in full bloom. Since then, I’ve ridden thousands of miles each year, split between road bike and mountain bike. Most of those ridden miles have been on the streets of Austin, riding to and from work, and just riding for fun. I can help you determine the safest bike routes and teach you how to ride confidently in traffic alongside cars and trucks.
Even if you want to avoid riding on Austin’s busy streets there are less stressful cycling options such as mountain biking or riding more rural roads that still provide real health benefits. Whatever your level of interest, the Austin Bike Sherpa can help guide you on your cycling journey.
Austin Bike Sherpa 