...an open letter to the 'chic' cyclist

I just read this article which I found via the venerable BSNYC web log, and was for some reason moved to pen a letter to its author. I decided to copy the letter here because I think this is the most neatly composed explanation I've been able to write concerning my growing irritation with this whole chic-cycling movement (if it can be called such).

Though I point to several direct references from the article, I like to think of it as an open letter to all those pretty young ladies you'll frequently see egregiously breaking the law or too preoccupied with being/looking stylish to care that they're a danger to themselves and all other road-users (except for cars, of course; after all, it is their road that they graciously allow us to use the shittiest parts of)

Ms. La Ferla,

Having just read your article "Bicycle Chic Gains Speed," and myself being an avid cyclist, I thought you might be interested to know how your article is being received by people of my ilk, though I'm fully aware that we likely aren't your target audience, so to speak.

Firstly, in the interest of clarity, I think articles such as yours should take care when stereotyping cyclists with sweeping generalizations of language. For instance, where you write "...Mr. Bliss said, referring mostly to the athletes and messengers who whiz by in that all-too-familiar forward-thrust posture that has, he said, 'alienated every pedestrian.'" While you are correct in implying that people who flaunt the law and appear reckless are often riding racing-style bicycles (typified by handlebars with drops), it is certainly not a truism, and I think it's an exaggeration that lumps many well-meaning cyclists in with the malfeasant. This "forward-thrust posture" you refer to, while perhaps not the most comfortable for EVERY cyclist, is in fact the most mechanically efficient way to power a bicycle, resulting in a greater capacity for speed and maneuverability than an upright position.

Further to this point, you later go on to describe Ms. Page-Green who apparently "...likes to speed around on the sidewalk, has encountered hostility. 'When you’re going too fast, people get mad at you,' she said. 'I’ve had canes waved at me in the distance.'" It strikes me as odd that in the very same article where recreational-, utility-, and professional-cyclists (messengers) are roundly vilified, blatantly illegal cycling (NYC Traffic Code says nobody over the age of 12 may operate any wheeled vehicle on a sidewalk) and a pedestrian's appropriate reaction thereto is blithely excused as mere happenstance. In my thinking, actions like this are more to blame for any alienation cyclists may feel from pedestrians.

Considering the article was written not for experienced cyclists, but presumably for fashionable ladies, I think it would be best to at least make mention of the fact that doing something like that, while perhaps stylish in some way, is the principal obstacle to cyclists as a whole gaining respect from pedestrians who, contrary to what you state in the very next sentence, are quite vocal about cyclists not respecting pedestrian space (consider too, that elderly pedestrians, the cane-shakers, are our most outspoken and active detractors).

I'm sure you don't care, but in the interest of accuracy, you should also note that no cyclist wears latex. Racing cyclists and touring cyclists wear a fabric called Lycra, which is composed of a spandex-like material (and is much thicker as well) that offers free movement and greater comfort when in the saddle for a long time... Also, you mention aerodynamic helmets. These are worn by almost no one aside from professional road racing cyclists doing a variety of race called a Time Trial, where they will don the archetypal "pterodactyl" helmet to lessen drag and thus move faster with greater ease. I have seen in my ten years living and riding in this city, exactly one (1) person wearing an aero helmet... and it was done as a joke.

I thank you for taking the time to read this through, and I can assure you, knowing the NYTimes is at least mentioning cycling in a somewhat positive light makes me hopeful for a day when a majority of New Yorkers get on two wheels. Cycling is not only my favorite sport, but also my favorite mode of conveyance, leisure activity, hobby, and way to keep fit. Verily, this growth in popularity is not bad thing, but we must remember the most wonderful and irritating part of bicycles is that anyone of any age, of any social strata, of any level of experience, can swing their leg over a bike and go merrily about their day in speed and comfort; but many potential cyclists have ZERO knowledge of how to cycle legally and courteously, perhaps you could make mention of the prevalence of well dressed ladies riding the wrong direction (against traffic), as they are the worst offenders aside from food delivery guys (who almost unanimously refuse to ride with traffic).

Kindest Regards,
Erik Pedersen

universally recognizeable

I wanted to write this down for myself because I don't want to forget the ridiculousness of this brief exchange with the police:

I was on a date with a very pretty young lady this past Saturday night and both being fairly competent cyclists, we were meandering from place to place, chatting and getting to know one another as people typically do on first dates. We had a lovely dinner at Marlow & Son on Broadway; went to a neat rooftop in the Navy Yard; and then decided to hit up some bars and continue the cavorting over beer.

Of course we'd already shared a bottle of wine with dinner and had a couple beers on the roof, but we were by no means drunk; or even tipsy for that matter. Since Saturday night traffic in Clinton Hill Brooklyn is relatively tepid, it's not at all unsafe to ride two abreast, assuming you courteously return to single-file riding when cars need to overtake you. So we're lolling along next to each other, enjoying the weather and company, and I hear cars coming up on us from behind so I rode ahead of my lady friend.

A fair amount of time passes (proof to me that I made my move appropriately ahead of time) and then a police cruiser pulls up behind and to the left of us, matches our speed, and gets on the loudspeaker, "DO NOT RIDE TWO ABREAST! YOU MUST RIDE SINGLE FILE!"

The cop repeats this three more times so I give him a salute with my left arm to non-verbally indicate to him that I heard him, understood him, and there's no need to continue berating us very loudly and very publicly. pulls up alongside me and (I'm a little hazy on exactly what he said and in what order, so I'm gonna give this the one-draft approach) says, "Hey mister sarcasm, you should ride over to [indistigushable street names] and look at this biker who got hit over there, you don't even know what you're doing, etc, etc, etc...."

Anyways, so at the exact moment I saluted them (which, admittedly, I did do with sarcastic intent) the girl I was riding with was kind of pleading with them to just shut up. That sealed it. I like this girl.

I tried valiantly to explain that I was just singalling to him that a. we heard him the first time and b. he was berating us for something we weren't even doing (when the cars were present). But he was doing that thing cab drivers do when you try to reason with them where they just start yelling incoherently so you can't get a word in edgewise and you have no idea if they've even heard, or understood what it is you were trying to tell them. I've always assumed this is something they do because they know the person they're doing it to will just give up to have them stop yelling. Anyways, I finally got him to leave us alone by saying, "Hey man, if we've done something illegal, you need to write us a ticket or summons and leave us be." that shut him up pretty quick.

So in retrospect I realized that as cyclists, we try to be as frank and understandable as possible when signalling to other road-users, but motorists and pedestrians are less adroit at pseudo-sign-language and take some things as sarcastic or too blunt. I also came to understand that perhaps this cop thought he was really helping to keep us safe and we likewise didn't immediately understand his incredibly rude approach to warning us of dangers.

Luckily though, this sort of thing happens to me on nearly a daily basis so I'm pretty good at letting encounters like this roll off my back and not holding too much of a grudge. My lady and I made it safely to our bar of choice and continued our awesome evening largely uninterrupted.

Post Script: I decided to write this down here because as I was just walking to get lunch, I thought of something really awesome I could've done that totally would've taken those cops off their high-horse. I should've pointed at him and said flat-out, "you. pull over now. I want names and badge numbers."

Then again, I don't think that would have been too conducive to having this girl want to hang out with me again.

Jens Voigt Facts...

apochryphal and often hilarious 'facts' about everyone's favorite hardman:

my favorite so far has got to be, "Some people wear superman pajamas. Superman wears Chuck Norris pajamas. Chuck Norris wears Jens Voigt pajamas."

via urbanbixi magazine

Empire of the Sun

Empire of the Sun. from Elle Carcamo on Vimeo.

...just found out about these kids, I like their sound a lot...