Tag & Release

[ornoth_cycling]

Some years ago, I participated in a cycling scavenger hunt game called Tag-o-Rama. In brief, someone posts a photo of their bike in a somewhat-recognizable local location. Then people have to figure out the location and ride there. The first person to take and post a photo of their bike in the same spot then gets to post a new mystery photo of their own devising, and the game continues from there.

I discovered Tag-o-Rama when I moved to Pittsburgh, where the game was hosted on BikePGH’s public discussion group. From 2016 to 2019, I claimed no less than 45 tags before it all fell apart. I quit when one participant started being openly abusive to others, then BikePGH shut down their forums, COVID-19 hit, and I moved to Austin.

If you want, you can read my first post about Pittsburgh’s Tag-o-Rama, or all my posts that talk about the game.

Pittsburgh’s game was fun while it lasted. At first – being new to town – it was a struggle identifying places, but it became a good way to learn about what the city had to offer (and how to get there by bike). Then it kept me riding through my big lull in 2018.

As you might imagine by now, the upshot is that there is a similar “bike tag” game here in Austin, hosted on the BikingATX Reddit subgroup, and today I claimed my first tag.

It’s kind of funny, because I find myself in the exact same situation: having moved to a new city, trying to familiarize myself with its sights and bike routes.

But there is one difference worth noting. Having picked up the HoverAir selfie drone, I now have the option of a whole new viewpoint with aerial shots. Here’s the photo I used to claim my first tag in Austin:

As rewarding as my first tag pickup here feels, I probably won’t get as involved with Austin’s game as I was in Pittsburgh. I’m still upset by how BikePGH’s game turned so ugly. Plus Austin’s still unfamiliar, a bit too spread-out, and harder to get around.

But I’ll keep an eye out for targets of opportunity. However, there’s no sense picking up another tag until I’ve found a good location for my subsequent tag drop…