Austin, Texas & Mountain Biking — Technology
Technology cannot be an end in itself but must aim at solving long-term social and ecological problems. -Richard Rogers
There’s a gut feeling brewing that Austin, Texas, will be an epic place where technology/research entities and mountain biking meet. Think smart bikes, AR goggles, drones that follow and films you, a very forward-thinking city parks department providing us tons of green spaces; Austin is just Austin with bikes and weird things.
As a college dropout, I had majored in industrial design at two different schools. We focused our learnings on product design and market an appealing product to a mass market. Designers envision the future and build something to propel the idea in the direction with problem-solving skills. We are seeing many new high-tech products and solutions all around us as week by week goes on. Technology is converging on top of each other with other technologies. It’s time to put on the lens filter of an industrial designer’s perspective to see further into the future.
TECH IN AUSTIN
Austin has some of the most robust tech talents in the country and growing rapidly, with 30+ companies relocating since 2004, almost 70 in 2014. More and more people migrate to make Silicon Hills a real deal. The growing tech hub adds about 6% a year after year growth of new employee hires. There’s a cash capital flow that keeps the healthy growth going as long there’s innovation in the capital; Austin’s private companies raised a total of $1.7 billion in 2019, up 28% from 2018. With Tesla’s buildout of the 1 billion dollar gigafactory, there are bound to be many more companies setting up shop next to the gigafactory.
I made a screenshot series of Austin maps to give you an idea of what the city provides in terms of waterways, forest space, park space, trails, and more. I also added tech company logos on the map to show you how close major tech influences are to Austin’s mountain bike scene trailheads. There are smaller tech companies not mentioned here that also have an impact.
The other maps showed later in this piece will help you look into the future with Austin’s 2040 growth plan. There is so much more to Austin’s mountain bike scene today than there is tomorrow, an evolution of mountain bike trails being built right before our eyes.
THE FUTURE OF MOUNTAIN BIKES
It’s due time that the sport of mountain biking will see dramatic technological advancements more than ever with the increase of e-bikes, bike computers, smart suspensions, AR glasses, smart clothes, chainless hybrid drive, and more. It’s all converging with one and another to become something that’s from the future.
Take a look at this awesome concept bike piece here by Cristian Curmei from Autoevolution, who wrote about Kendall Toerner’s Tesla-branded EV Bike concept. Can you imagine this happening right in Austin, TX? I can.
A tech startup stuffed with passionate engineers migrated from the west and east coast could build bikes like Greyp right here in Austin, Texas.
Reevo bikes are pretty cool. Can you imagine this bike being a mountain bike? YES! Built and ridden around here in Austin, Texas? YES!
I feel Austin, Texas is one of the sweet spots for mountain biking and technology to make a substantial converging impact. Sure, Austin doesn’t have mountains and trails like Colorado and California. It has a solid, strong community base of mountain bikers. Sure, Austin does not have a huge tech hub like Silicon Valley, and Seattle does. Austin is still a growing tech hub infused with VC money, semiconductor manufacturing on the outskirts, and within the “Texas Triangle” sphere of influence. It’s quickly becoming “The electric vehicle capital of the world.”
TRAILS IN AUSTIN AND THE POTENTIAL
The city of Austin has several hundreds of different kinds of master plans for the city itself to prepare for its future rapid growth until the year 2040, with an additional 2+ million people to move to the city. Austin is going big, or it’s going home. One of the master plans Austin has unique to the cycling community. The Urban Trails of Austin, a couple hundreds of miles of running and biking trails in the city's recreation corridors. Now, this is where it gets fun; they’re all aimed to be connected by the time Austin matures its growth. Take a quick snapshot below what the urban trail map will look like when completed. Tech company logos are imprinted on the map to show their locations.
During the November 3rd, 2020 election, Austin passed its Proposition B bond to improve transportation infrastructure. Urban trails and Bikeways will get about $140+ million in property tax funds to plan and build the proposed trail system.
As you can see above in the trail map, a mass web network of trails in the creeks and rivers. The City of Austin and Travis County planned it this way for greenbelt spaces around the flood plains. Rain collects on top of the surface than going into the ground, thus making the waterways prone to flooding.
GREEN SPACES IN AUSTIN AND WHATS IN THEM
Trees, water, flowers, animals, and city-owned properties are in the green spaces. These are the places you are likely to find hiking and biking trails that are a stepping ground for the public to get from point A to point B or back to A.
Tesla is coming to Austin with the building out of the gigafactory. Check out what Elon said about bike trails near the new gigafactory location.
“We’re gonna have a boardwalk where there will be a hiking, biking trail,” he continued. “It’s gonna basically be an ecological paradise — birds in the trees, butterflies, fish in the stream. And it’ll be open to the public as well.”
Technology companies have the privilege of being next to green spaces with delicate waterways and alternate connections for a commute. It makes sense to contribute to the green spaces to help keep the environment clean and accessible to everyone, just as everyone else has the privilege. Mountain biking communities bridge technology entities and the general population with Austin’s trail systems connecting one place with another.
MY MESSAGE TO TECH EXECS. AND PHILANTHROPISTS OF AUSTIN.
I propose tech executives and philanthropists to donate funds, time, and their influences to Austin Ridge Riders, Team Trail Party, land purchases, Parks and Recreation of the City of Austin, Travis County Parks. Just how the Walmart heirs donated $74+ million to ensure trails are being built around Bentonville, AR. My part is to recognize and document the growth.
Austin has a wonderful community of contributors on Trailforks.com, working hard to map out trail systems. Travis County Parks, State parks, PARD are working hard to install 10 feet bike lanes with natural trails on the greenways and green spaces. Non-profits are working hard to advocate trails and moderating dialogues between 2 parties. The city has tons of small individual efforts building legitimated trails around Austin. The tech scene is brewing and brewing in the background. It’s all about to converge, explode, and become something incredibly unique.
Be part of the growth that is to come!
