This weekend is the annual Team LIVESTRONG Challenge Austin, benefiting Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG Foundation. On Saturday morning, the 5K Walk/Run starts early on the First Street bridge and loops through south Austin. The Livestrong bike ride is on Sunday morning about 20 miles west of Austin near Dripping Springs in the Texas Hill Country. Bill has participated in this ride for four years now. We picked up his ride packet this evening.

Years ago Lance started this event as “Ride for the Roses” with his cycling buddies. He still attends each year (and rides a lot further than Bill is planning to). Lance still has a home in Austin and a ranch in Dripping Springs. His ex-wife, Kristin, lives in Austin with his three oldest children.

Lance’s Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop on Fourth Street is the center of this weekend’s LIVESTRONG Challenge activities. Mellow Johnny’s sells (and rents) bikes and anything cycling-related. Bill has taken his bike to their repair shop for tune-ups. The building even includes a little coffee shop for cyclists who want to linger after those long, long rides.

Mellow Johnny’s offers free guided bike tours each week. Bill likes the intermediate 20-25 mile rides. As a result, he now has a pretty good idea of how to safely and easily bike around and in and out of downtown Austin. They also have an easy six-miler up to UT and back which I want to try….that’s more my distance!