Splash!

A Typical ATX Social Cyclist

Photographer: Patrick Steadman

A weekly tradition: The ATX Social Cyclists' Thursday night belly flop contest.

It was a warlike festival. Everyone was shouting and cheering loudly, rooting for their champion belly flopper—a white, balding, middle-aged man in a tight red swimsuit. He was about to perform his diving routine. Then suddenly a silence. A few seconds later, a monstrous splash. The champion had just won another gold medal. The cyclists went wild.

Social Cycling ATX (Austin Texas) is an organization for Austin cyclists who wish to meet, socialize, and of course ride with their kindred spirits.  Just as we had given up hope of something interesting happening on our second night in Barton Springs, they descended on Barton Springs like a swarm of college aged locusts.  Most of the cyclists are students at the University or in their mid to late twenties.  They come to the pool after nine, when the pay side becomes free.  The atmosphere is electric, as one can see from the video.  It seems as though the social function of this group is a kind of mass blind-date setup.  Flirting, snuggling, snogging, trying to impress, and other human courtship behaviors were observed throughout the night.   Meeting the cyclists gave us a view of Austin’s vibrant youth culture that we had not yet seen. 

- Billy Kim & Jonathan McJunkin

Social Cycling ATX has a blog: http://socialcyclingatx.tumblr.com/