Thursday, June 5, 2008

URBAN ASSAULT RIDE COMES TO AUSTIN JUNE 22ND


Beer, bikes, and big wheels are coming to town on June 22.
The New Belgium Urban Assault Ride will return to its roots on June 22nd with a stop in Austin, its home city. This will be the sixth year the Urban Assault Ride has taken to the streets of Austin.

The Urban Assault Ride is a funky bike scavenger hunt that sends two-person teams riding to checkpoints around town to complete crazy obstacle courses at each stop. Mental muscle is just as important as bike skills as teams of two choose their own course to checkpoints around the city. Obstacles are a surprise until participants arrive at the checkpoint and have included bike jousting, adult big wheel races, flying down an inflatable slip and slide, and much more. This pedal-powered urban adventure is an event that anyone can do.

The distance is around 25 miles and the ride takes two to three hours to complete. It is open to riders seven and older. The ride is followed by a huge after party with New Belgium beer, live music, and plenty of two-wheeled shenanigans. The ride starts and ends at RunTex on South Riverside Drive at 8:00 a.m.; checkpoints are Bicycle Sport Shop, Rowing Dock, Ozone Bike Dept, Jo’s Coffee, Jack and Adams, and Pease Park.
Austin is the most popular venue in the eight city series and routinely has the highest number of cyclists. Last year, more than 1,200 riders participated in this pedal-powered adventure, and more are expected this year. The secret to Austin’s success is its supportive cycling community and extensive cycling infrastructure.
Sponsored by New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale, the Urban Assault Ride is a green event designed to show riders that a bike is a great way to get around town. The event benefits Portland’s Bicycle Transportation Alliance charity – a group that opens and minds and roads to bike transportation. The Urban Assault Ride’s “green focus” extends beyond bike advocacy. The production powers the event with a solar generator, a bio-diesel truck delivers the gear to each city, and almost all event waste is composted or recycled.
--From a press release on April 17, 2008.

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