Yellow Bike Headquarters Update - We continue to be VERY excited about our new shop as we see many years of work finally bearing fruit.  Last month we finally got the go ahead to start construction of YBP's new headquarters, and this month we're happy to report that we are officially underway.  That picture over there is showing the excavated, graded, and filled foundation pad for our new shop!  The concrete forms for the slab should go in this week, weather permitting.  If all goes according to schedule, we should have a mostly complete shop in early January 2010.  More pictures of ongoing construction can be found here.

BIKE BONDS! - We are always amazed at the community support that pours forth for the YBP when we ask for help.  In the last month we signed loan contracts with some 30 wonderful folks and have collected all the money we need to pay the general contractors for construction of our new headquarters.  We still need a few more bucks to cover the materials for our mezzanine inside the shop and our outside deck and pergola; we also need funds or donated materials to set up the rainwater collection system and community garden.  We plan to use volunteer labor for this part of the project and we'd love to have your help on this; keep in touch and sign up here to help with construction on work party days, beginning at the end of this year.  Or, to help out with that last little nub of cost, please consider making a donation or loan.  ONE TRILLION THANKS to everyone who's already reached out and made this dream a reality!

Battle of the Non-Profits - Rugged clothiers Patagonia invited us to participate in their Voice Your Choice environmental campaign.  We tabled at their Congress Avenue store from 1-5 pm on the Saturdays of September 26th, October 3, and October 10th, "competing" for your votes with Poder Texas and the Save our Springs Alliance.  The "winner" gets an environmental service grant of $2,500, and the "loser" gets a measly $1,000.  Keep your fingers crossed that we take the big slice, and thanks to everyone who voted for us.

EVENTS -

Tour de Fat -  Ready or not, here they come!  The Austin Tour de Fat is rolling into town this weekend (October 17th from 9am-4pm at Fiesta Gardens | view schedule). New Belgium brewery travels the Western U.S. each summer with this whimsical celebration, leaving proceeds to the bike non-profits of each town it visits. By rounding up volunteers to staff the event, Yellow Bike, Austin Cycling Association, and the Austin Ridge Riders will each earn thousands of dollars while helping to put on one of the year's biggest bike bashes.  There will be music, wacky bikes, wacky people doing wacky things on bikes, and people just like you enjoying delicious New Belgium beers.  

New Belgium is also offering you the chance to publicly trade your car for an awesome fully-loaded custom commuter bike with racks, bags, and even a trailer!  Any old car will do, so long as it's the one you currently stress and smog and letharge around town in.  On stage at the TDF, you will renounce your old ways - instantly shedding over two thousand pounds and a lifetime of bills - and ride off transformed, a beacon of hope for a smarter, sexier, and funner way to move.  UPDATE: no entries have been made for the Austin car/bike swap.  If you are considering doing this, consider too that there's a very good chance you'll be picked.  Go for it!  Look here for details, and submit your plea.

Boneshaker Book Talk - Thursday, October 15, 7pm at Monkey Wrench Books.  Boneshaker is a Bicycling Almanac that believes that the bicycle, when conceived of and used appropriately, can become a tool for social change and community building. Modeled loosely after the War Department’s 1941 Soldier’s Basic Field Manual, Boneshaker fashions itself to be the practical bicyclist’s literary periodical-style handbook. Join us for a reading by editor Evan P Schneider from the third issue of Boneshaker (BA 42-300), which will be followed by a leisurely ride and libation stop!

Bike-in Movie Night - Also at 7pm on the 15th, the League of Bicycling Voters and New Belgium are putting on a bike-in outdoor presentation of the early Wes Anderson flick Bottlerocket in Triangle Park.  Go to www.LOBV.org for more info.  While you're there, think about becoming an LOBV member.  They're working hard these days to crank up their local advocacy efforts and encourage cooperation among other local bike groups.  Austin's been needing something like this, a private force running alongside the growth of our public bike infrastructure, so you should definitely think about getting behind it. 

OH, SNAP! -  This is perfect if you're looking for something to do after the Tour de Fat.  Starting at 4pm on Saturday the 17th, a group of bands and variety acts will be actin' the fool just blocks from Fiesta Gardens.  Admission is $10, and includes free food and free beer.  All proceeds go toward starting a scholarship to bring international students to Texas.  Visit www.ohsnapbenefit.com for more info

Austin Tree Folks Tree-Wheeling Bicycle Tour - Saturday, October 24; 4-mile, 15-mile & 40-mile routes showcasing famous Austin trees; all routes begin at 9 am at Pease Park, at the south end near the playground and bathrooms. This event will celebrate the significant contribution these trees make to our communities (by sequestering carbon, absorbing storm-water, reducing our energy bills, and making our lives so much more pleasant!  Thanks, Trees!)YBP volunteers will SaG each ride with basic tools to make sure everyone's rolling smooth.  Check the Treefolks website to register or get more details.

MexicArte Dia de los Muertos street festival - This festival is cool enough anyway, with its awesome parade and all the delicious arts and foods, but MexicArte is also pushing for a major bike presence at this year's festival, encouraging fest-goers to arrive on two wheels.  It'll go from 2:00–10:00 PM on Saturday October 24, and Mellow Johnny's will be there providing bike valet.  Come decorate bikes, dress in fun costumes, eat yourself silly, learn, appreciate, and participate in the parade.  More details here.

Wurst Ride - Saturday, November 7.  Ride from Austin to New Braunfels, enjoy beer and brats, then get a lift home in the van.  Regular registration ends October 14th, so hurry up and register!  More info here.

TALKING HEADS! - Last month, droves of cyclists came out to see musical genius and cycling advocate David Byrne host a panel on bike advocacy at Austin's Paramount Theatre.  The event was a great success and informed many cyclists about what's going on to make cycling for transportation a viable option for all.  We tried to thank everyone who sponsored the event in last month's newsletter, but in our excitement we neglected to mention that Bicycle Sport Shop was a major sponsor - sorry about that, Sport Shop!  In fact, they can also be thanked for setting up that awesome bike valet station that made parking all those bikes so dreamily easy.  In addition, this event was sponsored by League of Bicycling Voters, The Yellow Bike Project, Austin Cycling Association, Mellow Johnny's, New Belgium, H.E.B., Ride2Walk.com (Lone Star Paralysis Foundation) and Tyrex Ltd.  

GET INVOLVED/LOCAL ADVOCACY -

Give Council Feedback on New Bicycle Facilities - In May over 300 bicyclists showed up for the adoption of the Bicycle Plan Update. Because the plan was backed by a broad coalition of cyclists who showed up in numbers, the aggressive plan passed council unanimously.  Within the last year new bicycle lanes have been installed on Dean Keeton, Anderson, Steck, East William Cannon, Amherst, Medical Parkway, Brodie, Latta, West Mary, and Chicon. We have also seen the installations of Austin's first three climbing lanes on South Lamar, MLK and Dean Keeton and the completion of the portion of the Lance Armstrong Bikeway along Cesar Chavez.  If you like what you see, email city council and tell them what these facilities mean to you. We hear that there are many great facilities coming but we need your help to change the priorities on OUR streets.

Support the local safe passing ordinance! - On August 27th, City Council directed City Manager Mark Ott to draft an ordinance banning text messaging while driving or cycling, and requiring drivers to pass cyclists and other vulnerable road users at a safe distance of at least three feet.  Legal changes like this are another important piece of the growth aimed at by the Bike Plan, so let Council know that you appreciate this step.  Thank Council members Riley and Martinez and Mayor Leffingwell, especially, for bringing this to the floor and giving us some respite from the careless whims of our wayward Governor.  Over the next few months, the proposed ordinance will wriggle through a maze of Boards and Commissions and public hearings on its way to a final Council vote.  The resolution itself is pretty general, so public input and support will be needed to ensure the final product is all that it should be.  Keep your ears peeled at the local bike blogs for updates on this process(ATXBS.com is a good one, and keeps a master list of all the others.  Bicycleaustin.info is another great place to keep yourself in the loop).

Bicycle Advisory Council - Austin's Bicycle Advisory Council is a citizen body that meets with staff of the City's Bicycle and Pedestrian Program from 6:30 to 8 PM on the 3rd Thursday of each month. October's meeting falls on the 15th. Meetings are held in the 8th-floor conference room at 505 Barton Springs. A BAC meeting is a who's who of the movers and shakers of local bike advocacy. If you're looking to get involved in the kind of growth that Austin needs, this is a great place to start.

Texas Bicycle Coalition News  BikeTexas' petition to Governor Perry is still circulating and now carries over 4,400 signatures. A good showing but, ahem, you know who are and you know what to do!  And after you have...This past legislative session was a hot one for Texas bicycle issues, and future sessions will only get hotter. In the Capitol lobby, the Texas Bicycle Coalition (TBC) has got our backs, but they need our help. Let's give 'em a hand, ya'll, and help out where we can! To stay informed on TBC's statewide advocacy efforts, sign up for their email newsletter here.

SHOP NEWS - 

Monroe Shop - We're settling into our new satellite shop on the South side - 411 W. Monroe St.  We don't have a lot of parts yet, but we do have three tool sets with work stands, and a lot of experienced coordinators.  This shop is held in the back corner of a large shared warehouse space out of the sun, rain, or whatever Mother Nature throws our way, and we've expanded hours for this month to two days a week:  Monday 4-9pm, and Friday 4-7pm.  Come on by and help the newest Yellow Bike shop develop it's own distinctive vibe.

Treasure City Shop - We continue to run four weekly shops at our main transition shop in the Treasure City parking lot (1720 E. 12th, at Salina).  Please note that collective meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month, and so there are no shops on these days, and since it's held outside, we're closed in the event of rain.  As always, it's best to check the schedule before stopping by.

LadyBike - The much-beloved LadyBike workshops are back on a monthly basis! Saturday, October 31st, come on down to our Treasure City shop for some low-testosterone Halloween-themed bike talk and tweaking from 9:30 to noon.

SCHEDULE - Subject to change after the first Tuesday of the month - Check the website before coming by . . .