Here’s a quick run down of recommended events for the coming week from our comprehensive calendar of all cycling events. Thanks to Jason at ATXBS for letting us know about some events we couldn’t find elsewhere. As always, if there is an event you know about that’s not on our calendar contact us, and we’ll add your event on and possibly add it to the weekly round up.

Thursday, June 18

Kenny Hill AutoWerks’ Driveway Criterium Races
4:30 PM, Community Rally, 5:30 PM, Races, The Driveway, 8400 Delwau Ln
Weekly Thursday night road racing through October that takes place on the closed car-free driving course at the Driveway. Races include Cat 4/5 at 6:10, Cat 3/4 at 5:30, Pro/Cat 1/2/3 at 6:45 to choose from with a fourth Masters race (40 + years old) running from May 21- August 6 starting at 7:45. Open riding during Community Rally from 4:30- 5:30 PM. Races registration $20, Rally $10. $5 off with 8 oz can donated to Capital Area Food Bank. See our article about the series for more info.

Thursday Night Bike Polo
5:30 PM, Eastwoods Park, 3001 Harris Park Ave
The Austin Bike Polo Club has added another weekly match to the regular Sunday afternoon affair. All bikes and skill levels are welcome and spare mallets and balls are available if you don’t have any. Check out our recent article on bike polo for more info.

Red Licorice Events Tri Clinic #7
5:30, Bicycle Sport Shop Central, 517 S. Lamar Blvd. 
Red Licorice Events continues their clinics with this one on everything you need to know about bicycle gearing and tire repair (fixing flats, etc).

Bicycle Advisory Council
6:30 PM One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Rd, 8th floor large conference room
The Austin Bicycle Advisory Council is a committee of Austinites representing cyclists’ interests to the City of Austin and meets monthly to advise staff of the City of Austin Public Works Bicycle and Pedestrian Program.

Urban Night Ride
7:30 PM, Lamar Blvd Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge
A ride from the Facebook group Social Cycling ATX. Meet at Pedestrian Bridge at 7:30p.m. leave at 8:00p.m. sharp. Bring your cameras & twitter phones and get some good sunset shots. This week Lift Beverage Cafe has hooked the ride up with buy one get one free smoothie cards. If your interested in going to Lift before the ride contact the group through their Facbeook page. Ride will be heading east and back to Jackalope for more free beer for riders 21 or older.

Friday, June 19

Traffic Skills 101 sponsored by Austin Cycling Association
5 PM, REI Round Rock, 201 University Oaks Blvd, Suite 1100, Round Rock, TX
Do you want to ride your bike but are afraid of traffic?  Or are you an experienced cyclist who would like to learn how to get more courtesy and respect from motorists? If your answer to any of these questions is “yes”, you should take Traffic Skills 101, the League of American Bicyclist’s (LAB) street cycling course for adults. Traffic Skills 101 will help you ride safely and effectively – to work, to the store, around your neighborhood, or around the state. Traffic Skills 101 is taught by LAB-certified instructors, and the curriculum covers everything from bike selection to simple maintenance to fixing a flat, to strategies for riding a bike safely and confidently. It is taught to very small classes (generally 5 to 10 students), in two sessions: 4 hours on a Friday evening and 5 hours on a Saturday morning. Registration is required.

Saturday, June 20

Mellow Johnny’s intermediate & beginner Mamma Jamma ride
8:30 AM, Mellow Johnny’s, 400 Nueces St
Mellow Johnny’s is hosting weekly training rides for the Mamma Jamma ride for breast cancer. It’s a great cause and everyone is welcome. This week’s New Rider distance: 15, Experienced Rider distance: 30. Meet up at 8:15 for coffee and roll out at 8:30.

Mellow Johnny’s Scout-A-Ride Shop Road Ride: Mueller Meander
8:30 AM, Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop, 400 Nueces St
Saturday mornings spent exploring City of Austin bike routes finding new neighborhoods and ways to get around on your bike. This week’s theme is Mueller Meander, cruises through the east side to check out the new Mueller development then visits Cherrywood and loops a bit in Hyde Park before returning. Routes: 54, 63, 30, 59, 42, 49, & 47. These rides are meant for exploring so bring questions not your heart rate monitor. Come at 8:00 for pre-ride coffee. Ride organizer: Eileen Schaubert at eileen@mellowjohnnys.com or 512-426-4851.

Austin Mountain Bike Patrol
9 AM, Barton Creek Greenbelt
Sponsored by the Austin Ridge Riders, the Austin Mountain Bike Patrol (AMBP) promotes bike safety and proper trail etiquette, as well as providing minor first aid and mechanical assistance to all trail users as needed. You don’t need to be a skilled bicyclist to ride with us, but you must wear a helmet and have a mechanically-sound mountain bike to participate. If you do plan on riding with the patrol, always call beforehand to confirm, as the weather and/or trail conditions may necessitate a ride cancellation. Meet in the parking lot in front of the ball fields off Toomey Rd. at 9:00 a.m.  Contact John Southrey at 589-4543 or via e-mail at amicovered@att.net.

Violet Crown Cycles Custom City Bikes at the Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market
9 AM- 1 PM, Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market, Tony Burger Center Parking Lot, 3200 Jones Rd
Austin’s newest framebuilder, Violet Crown Cycles, now has a booth at the Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market. Violet Crown Cycles is a builder of custom, handbuilt Dutch style city bikes. View and test ride sample bikes, browse custom options, and have your questions answered about the bike building process and the features of bikes truly built for transportation. Come out and see the bikes and get some fresh, locally grown food while your at it.

Shop-to-Shop Alleycat hosted by FastFolks
4 PM Party, 7 PM race start, FastFolks Bike Shop, 2513 A East 6th St
Race starts at Fast Folks, head strait to No Comply pick up a spoke card and race back. Guess what, the first person back wins! There will be a trick compition too as well as a HUGE party starting at 4 pm. with music by Shapes Have Fangs, American Shark, Cartright will be playing LIVE. There will be lots of free stuff and free beer.

Sunday, June 21

Sunday Morning Fixie Ride
8:20 AM, Posse East, 2900 Duval St
The ride is focused on fixed-gear bikes, but everyone is welcome. The ride will proceed at a social pace from the UT campus to just west of Manor and back in on a 26-miler over flat to moderately-rolling terrain.

Capital City BMX Weekly Race Series
1 PM, Capital City BMX, 15010 FM Road 620 North
The Capital City BMX opened in November 2008 and offers you a chance to learn and race BMX. BMX races are held every Sunday with rider check-in 1-2 PM. Cost $10/rider. (There is also practice time on Saturday’s. Check Capital City BMX for more info.)

Hardcourt Bike Polo
4 PM, Eastwoods Park, 3001 Harris Park Ave
Join fellow bike polo enthusiasts as part of the newly formed Austin Bike Polo Club for a friendly Sunday match every week. All bikes and skill levels are welcome and spare mallets and balls are available if you don’t have any. Check out our recent article on bike polo for more info.

Monday, June 15

Weekly Ladies Ride presented by Team Hotel San Jose and Mellow Johnny’s
5:30 PM, Mellow Johnny’s Bike Show, 400 Nueces St
This is a weekly Monday ride reserved just for the ladies! Join experienced and knowledgeable riders from Mellow Johnny’s and Team Hotel San Jose for a friendly and moderately paced social ride (14-16mph average). This is a perfect chance to become more comfortable riding in a group, ask questions about pack riding or racing, meet other ladies like yourself who also enjoy riding, and keep up your fitness. We start at 5:30pm and will ride for 1-2 hours. 

Ride Like a Girl Women’s Mountain Bike Rides
6 PM, Muleshoe Bend Park
The Austin Ridge Riders are hosting a five month program of weekly Monday evening women’s mountain bike rides, plus weekend rides at local mountain bike trails/parks. This is an opportunity to meet other women to ride with, learn new trails and learn new skills. Each ride will divide up into groups based on riders’ abilities and speed and will have a beginner clinic/ride, intermediate, and advanced group rides. Rides will last 1 – 2.5 hours. Prizes and gift certificates from our sponsors will be raffled away after every ride. All riders must wear a helmet, bring plenty of water, and have a trail-worthy bike in good working condition. Please arrive 15 minutes before the start time.

Tuesday, June 23

Monthly Bike Time Trials by RunFAR Racing Services
5:30 PM, Mopac Veloway, 4848 La Crosse Ave
RunFAR Racing Services is back doing their twice a month TT series on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. An approximately 8 mile Bike Time Trial, the race is free or all Chip Owners. You can rent a chip for $5.00 if you do not own a chip or forget your chip. You may purchase a chip at the RunFAR Store OR we will have personal chips for sale at registration. First cyclist starts at 6pm. Riders may start at their discretion. Registration begins at 5:30pm and closes just before 6:55pm. Course: S. Mopac Loop. Starts on the southbound shoulder just past La Crosse Ave. And finishes on the northbound shoulder just before La Crosse Ave. Results will be posted ONLINE ONLY. 

Wednesday, June 24

Early Bird Rides hosted by Social Cycling ATX
7 AM, Once Over Coffee Bar, 2009 S. 1st St
A new ride from the Facebook group Social Cycling ATX. Meet for morning coffee and ride. Easy pace to get the day started. Route will be set once there is interest for this ride.

Pedal for the Pizza Ride hosted by Austin Cycling Association
6:15 PM, Anderson High School parking lot (4000 Steck Ave, at Mesa Drive)
Do you ride to eat or eat to ride? Prefer thin crust or pan? Heart-healthy veggie or mouth-watering sausage? We’ll do a 20 mile easy paced (12-14 mph rolling average) ride thru quiet urban neighborhoods, or you may do self-paced laps up and down the Mesa hill. Reward afterwards www.brooklynpie.com You may meet you culinary soulmate and share a Large. Ride Organizer: Niles Seldon nseldon@ix.netcom.com  or cell at ride 626-5212