Hilltop Views Sports dedicates the month of October to special coverage of cycling culture. Every week will feature a unique cyclist, from the environmentally conscious casual rider to the sports’ poster child, Lance Armstrong.

The Dam Loop: a biking route that begins at Bee Caves and Hwy 71, extends out to FM 620, crosses Mansfield dam by Lake Travis, circles back around on FM 2222 and finishes up on Loop 360. This route is approximately 50 miles and is a staple ride for junior James Austin.

A category four cyclist, Austin has competed in numerous races and is a member of 787 Racing, a non-profit organization that makes competitive cycling accessible while promoting the highest athletic and ethical standards of training and racing, according to the 787 Racing website.

Last spring, Austin upgraded his cycling license from a category five to a category four.

“To race you have to have a license, which starts at category five and goes down to one,” Austin said. “Fives are the beginners, and category one is for the people who are the fastest, the ones with the most experience and the ones with the most points. To upgrade, you have to do a certain amount of break.”

Austin has never been seriously injured doing the sport he enjoys. Since he has seen many cycling accidents, he is an advocate of wearing helmets and following all traffic laws that motor vehicles abide by.

“We have to share the road,” Austin said. “There’s a mutual responsibility between cyclists and drivers and it has to be respected. I’ve seen guys running red lights and running through stop signs. I don’t want to die, so I stop. We have bike lanes, and I stay within ancient.”

Austin said his ideal bike would be a Cervélo S5, an aerodynamic road bike inspired by demands from pro-riders. And as winter slowly descends upon us, Austin will continue to ride—trading in his tan lines for a more even complexion.