Let me just start this off by telling you that I am the most uncoordinated, scaredy cat human in the world. If I can do this thing, so can you!
This past weekend I decided to switch up my Sunday Funday routine, which normally consists of lounging outside and consuming copious amounts of rosé. “Adventurous” isn’t a word I use to describe myself, but I decided to get crazy and book an excursion with Your Biker Gang.
Your Biker Gang is a guided tour around Austin on electric minibikes. Now, I haven’t ridden a bike since I was probably about 12 years old, and never in my life have I been on an electric one so I was super intimidated. I’ve also lived in Austin for 25 years, so going on a guided tour of the city seemed like it could be a tad bit lame. But I went for it anyway. I also made three of my most uncoordinated friends come along—if I failed, I wasn’t going to fail alone.
When we pulled up, we were greeted outside by Cope, our ride guide. He was super friendly and reassuring. We went inside and filled out our waivers and then got a 10-minute run down of the minibikes. He went over all the components and how to use them—gas, breaks, horn, etc. We also got fitted with super cute helmets, and then it was time to ride.
Luckily we were able to practice in an empty parking lot and garage, and Cope taught us how to turn, accelerate, and brake effectively so by the time the tour started we were all feeling pretty comfortable on our bikes. I’m not going to lie, when we first got on the bikes we were a little rough and 100 percent looked like baby giraffes learning how to walk. We had plenty of time to get accustomed to the bikes and build our confidence before taking it to the streets.
Our tour kicked off in Clarksville, and for two hours we made our way through West Austin, 6th street, 2nd street, the heart of downtown, and South Congress. There was music playing from Cope’s bike on a loud speaker so it was a ton of fun riding around and dancing. Everyone on the street could hear the jams too, so people were vibing with us throughout our whole ride! Cope had a ton of information about Austin and its history that I was previously unaware of. I learned so many interesting things about my hometown, and saw murals, sculptures, and views that I didn’t even know existed. Not to mention, Cope is a professional photographer and took the best pictures of us along the way!
My favorite part of the ride was toward the end when we rode across the Congress Bridge. Being on the road with the cars was scary at first, but my confidence grew throughout our excursion. Flying down the bridge (LOL at 28 MPH) was so freeing and exciting! Doing it with my besties was also great. It was a fun and novel way to have a girls day. The last stop was right off SoCo and it was the “Before I Die” wall. I worked on South Congress for three years and never even knew it was there. It’s an interactive mural where you write down your personal aspirations, and it was such a sweet way to end the adventure
I really didn’t know what to expect going into this, but I’m so glad I decided to do it! My friends and I had the best time. It would be such a cute date idea, family outing, or just a hang session with your crew. I know a guided tour seems corny, but once we got out there it was actually so chill!
The life of social distancing has been pretty dull to say the least, but my time with Your Biker Gang was an amazing and safe way to change things up. We wore masks the whole time except while snapping pics, so I never felt uncomfortable with the situation. Whether you’re new to Austin, have lived here for years, or are just visiting for a couple days, I would 10/10 recommend grabbing your gang and booking an excursion!
