Best of Austin? That's what they tell me!

I've been hinting around it for the last few days, but this evening I went to the Austin Chronicle's "Best of Austin" Party and picked up my certificate for a Best of Austin Critics Pick. Sorry for the quality of the pic (it was taken with the only camera we had on-hand) but here it is:

The certificate is illegible but the award is for "Best Blogger Aptly Reppin' Austin's Bodacious Bicycle Culture". Here's what they have to say about it (pg. 100 in tomorrow's Chronicle):

Best Bike Blogger Aptly Reppin' Austin's Bodacious Bike Culture
Jason Abels,
ATXBS.com

There's never been a shortage of commentary online and off from Austin's bombastic bike community, but not until this year's debut of the blog Austin Texas Bike... Stuff, or ATXBS.com, did local pedal pushers have a forum focusing on the wild side of biking in Bat City. The clean-lined blog is a treasure trove of timely listings for stuff like Critical Mass rides, nighttime group cruises, underground alley-cat races, and pub crawls. Blogger Jason Abels doesn't just talk the talk, either. He's a fixture at most local cruises and guerrilla rides, typically supplying jams via a custom, bike-mounted sound system or a bigass boom box in tow. Abels, a tattoo-laden techie, is also quick with wry, insightful words on bike politics, from building a better infrastructure to avoiding accidents with asinine motorists. In short, ATXBS is the best blog on two wheels.

holla@atxbs.com
www.atxbs.com

Thanks everyone who voted for me! I didn't even find out I was in the running for something until after the polls closed so I wasn't able to whore myself out for votes or anything. Though this is definitely positive reinforcement that this site is an effective tool for getting the word out, the number one thing that keeps me going and makes it all worth it is hearing from you guys how the site has helped you out. Nearly every ride or event I attend I have a couple people coming up to me thanking me for running ATXBS.com, and it really means the world to me. THANK YOU!

Without all of you showing up, riding, and doing your thing the rides wouldn't be what they are, and I wouldn't have the opportunity to meet and cruise around with all you wonderful people. This community of ours has been growing in leaps in bounds, and it always blows my mind to see how quick y'all are to step up and help out another biker, a local shop, or a local cycling-related cause. Keep it up, kiddos, because thanks to you guys the future of two-wheeled transportation in Austin looks like it's going to be a wonderful place, and I can't wait to be a part of it.

Specific thank yous: Every time I see an award ceremony the guys at the podium are thanking people until the music plays, so here I go...

First off, thanks Ed for running shit and keeping the site humming. Without you the server would have cratered and ATXBS.com would only be bits on a non-spinning hard drive. Second, thanks Jamie for always crashing worse than me, and for being the best biking friend an asshole cyclist like me could have. Thanks Justin for tearing it up on the 20" and always showing up for everything, month after month, for longer than most of us have been involved. Thanks Will for being the most spirited biker I know and always making me feel better about doing what I do. Thanks Damon, your rides are always the best, even if I never know where I am or where I'm going. Thanks Mims, the pub crawls are awesome, the themes are a riot, the stories are unforgettable, and the scars are indelible. Thanks Rachael, your energy knows no bounds and just your being there always seems to make a great event even greater. Thanks Michael Bluejay for laying the groundwork. Without your site I wouldn't have started mine. Thanks Dan for writing from our side of the windshield, and for all the excellent coverage of the local cycling community. Thanks Joe D for occasionally being my foil, and for the unpaid editor position you seem to have taken up lately. Thanks Bob for bringing the tunes and not being too cool to hang with us youngsters. Thanks Les, though we don't always agree what you say always makes me think, you're a true friend. Finally, thanks Elisabeth for supporting me through thick and thin, and not being too pissed off when I stumble through the door at 5am, stinky, sweaty, bloodied and not a little bit wasted. You're my #1 and I love you. By now I'm sure the music would have drowned me out so I'll shut up already. THANKS ALL OF YOU!

P.S. I got to meet Mike Dahmus and Stephen Moser, both of whom seemed to be pretty swell fellas. Despite his online persona "M1EK" didn't froth at the mouth or show any other signs of rabies, and Stephen was both incredibly friendly and fully capable of keeping his murderous rage towards cyclists in check. Don't worry y'all, I think we're safe.