Texas - Very jealous...

Spent a three-day holiday in Austin at the request of the Aussie in-laws. Really loved downtown Austin. Full of weirdos, but also full of active people and especially lots of cyclists! First thing I did upon arrival back here in Dallas was log onto UTD and look for jobs that I qualify for.

Was wondering what the cycling scene is like in Austin? The general road populace seemed to be a little more cyclist friendly than what we're used to up here (there was an evident lack of rednecks in large trucks). Another plus -I've heard Austin has actual HILLS!!! Also saw lots of bikes tied up downtown awaiting their masters return. Seems like it would be fun tooling around Austin gawking on two wheels.


We're kind of looking for a change of 'scenery' and Austin seemed to fit the bill. I've never liked Dallas since I moved here. Lived in San Antonio for around 7 years and didn't much care for that hole either. Loved San Diego when I was there for 4 years. Austin seems to have a similar feel, at least the downtown area.

Is it just a 'fence is greener on the other side' syndrome?

Doggus -- My wife and I have often thought about doing the same thing...moving to Austin. We go to Austin quite often just to hang out. You are definitely right, the city does seem more bicyclist friendly. All of the cyclists that I know that live there love it. I'm normally there to visit friends and for the social scene so I have never taken my bike with me on my visits.

I'm going down to Austin mid-next month. I wonder if I'm going to come back with similar ideas and thoughts floating around my head. Part of me hopes so, part of me hopes not. We'll have to see.

We moved to Austin from the SF Bay Area 14 years ago. It was the only place in TX we considered and haven't ever regretted the move. There are a lot of cyclists and great places to ride. There are also a lot of organized events throughout the year if you're into that sort of thing.

As far as being cycling friendly, I think I'd call it "cycling aware" instead. We still have our share of drivers who don't think cyclists belong on the road but find that drivers will often exhibit appropriate levels of caution when cyclists are present.

My wife and I lived in Austin for a few years in the late 80s. We loved the town, and loved living there. Unfortunately, we were just unskilled labor at the time and with student labor, we could hardly make a living. We've thought about moving back a few times, but it just never seemed to be the right time.

I have no doubt you will love it.

Austin is really fun.