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
Showing posts with label irritance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label irritance. Show all posts
4.06.2010
...a quick lesson in race tactics/ettiquete
As a fast follow-up to saturday's race report, I wanted to explore an interesting phenomena that I believe only happens in the 5's.
When recreationally riding or competitively racing, one quickly realizes the benefits of drafting behind others, letting them do the work for you. In time, you get more comfortable riding extremely (onlookers might use the term suicidally) close to others at high rates of speed, building trust amongst the group. There are a multitude of ways to draft, but categorically, they can be divided into two distinct types:
cooperative pacelining and uncooperative drafting (aka wheelsucking)
Study for a moment, if you will, the above diagram showing four of the more common formations. Note that in each, the arrows imply group effort; when the lead rider is tired or has pulled his fair share, he slides to the back, while a fresh rider "pulls through", all the while maintaining the pace.
Obviously this is a grossly idealized representation of cycling in formation as any number issues can and will disrupt the smoothness of the group. Professional teams ride in this way while on training rides; and though things certainly appear more disorganized in a professional-level race, that is simply due to the simple fact that its a race and jockeying for position, blocking, etc.. are obvious tactics to be employed. Nonetheless, talented racers still concede that without the combined efforts of different riders from different teams, the race will suffer.
Now in category 5, my current hovel, racing tactics are either unknown or disregarded by nearly everyone. Even those who, like myself, have familiarized themselves with good racing skills, don't make use of these rudimentary maneuvers.
This is exemplified at pretty much every cat 5 race in the following way:
1. There is a peloton (if it could be called such) and at the front of that group there certainly is a leadout train comprised of 5-10 of the stronger riders in the field. They will do the majority of the work for the entire race.
2. Everyone is worried about getting dropped so nobody risks hard efforts on the front trying to do things like chase breakaways or drive the pace higher.
3. Nearly everyone is gunning for first (who doesn't want to win?), and coupled with the above point, riders huddle en masse, trying to conserve as much energy as possible for the sprint.
4. The pace fluctuates dramatically. Since most are concerned about their ability to just hang on, when one rider who's been pulling for far longer than he really should have tires, nobody pulls through. His pace drops significantly, which in turn slows the whole field.
To this last point, Every time I've pulled on the front to help out of just to try and blow the field apart, those that hang onto my wheel simply stay there. Swerve to the left and the leadout swerves left, swerve right, they go right... At Floyd Bennett Field on the previous weekend, I had to physically turn around, look the next rider in the eye and yell, "PULL! I'M OFF!" only then did someone share in the responsibility of keeping the pace up.
I think that if I can establish a breakaway with some other riders this weekend, we'll likely get an opportunity to make use of some serious progressive pacelining. Then again, when you try to break from the field in the 5's, everyone sees their chances at first disappearing and they all suddenly find their legs, making successful breaks rare.
As an aside, my favorite formation to see or be a part of is what I call progressive pacelining. It's the same as the single paceline illustrated above, but the direction of the arrows is reversed so the last rider rides up and takes the front position from the now-second-in-line rider. This very fast formation is used when you sense the peloton breathing down your neck but you think you've still got a chance to stay away. good stuff.
Hopefully once in the 4's or on a team, I'll have more support from other riders and we can make lemonade of lemons.
that is all.
When recreationally riding or competitively racing, one quickly realizes the benefits of drafting behind others, letting them do the work for you. In time, you get more comfortable riding extremely (onlookers might use the term suicidally) close to others at high rates of speed, building trust amongst the group. There are a multitude of ways to draft, but categorically, they can be divided into two distinct types:
cooperative pacelining and uncooperative drafting (aka wheelsucking)
Study for a moment, if you will, the above diagram showing four of the more common formations. Note that in each, the arrows imply group effort; when the lead rider is tired or has pulled his fair share, he slides to the back, while a fresh rider "pulls through", all the while maintaining the pace.
Obviously this is a grossly idealized representation of cycling in formation as any number issues can and will disrupt the smoothness of the group. Professional teams ride in this way while on training rides; and though things certainly appear more disorganized in a professional-level race, that is simply due to the simple fact that its a race and jockeying for position, blocking, etc.. are obvious tactics to be employed. Nonetheless, talented racers still concede that without the combined efforts of different riders from different teams, the race will suffer.
Now in category 5, my current hovel, racing tactics are either unknown or disregarded by nearly everyone. Even those who, like myself, have familiarized themselves with good racing skills, don't make use of these rudimentary maneuvers.
This is exemplified at pretty much every cat 5 race in the following way:
1. There is a peloton (if it could be called such) and at the front of that group there certainly is a leadout train comprised of 5-10 of the stronger riders in the field. They will do the majority of the work for the entire race.
2. Everyone is worried about getting dropped so nobody risks hard efforts on the front trying to do things like chase breakaways or drive the pace higher.
3. Nearly everyone is gunning for first (who doesn't want to win?), and coupled with the above point, riders huddle en masse, trying to conserve as much energy as possible for the sprint.
4. The pace fluctuates dramatically. Since most are concerned about their ability to just hang on, when one rider who's been pulling for far longer than he really should have tires, nobody pulls through. His pace drops significantly, which in turn slows the whole field.
To this last point, Every time I've pulled on the front to help out of just to try and blow the field apart, those that hang onto my wheel simply stay there. Swerve to the left and the leadout swerves left, swerve right, they go right... At Floyd Bennett Field on the previous weekend, I had to physically turn around, look the next rider in the eye and yell, "PULL! I'M OFF!" only then did someone share in the responsibility of keeping the pace up.
I think that if I can establish a breakaway with some other riders this weekend, we'll likely get an opportunity to make use of some serious progressive pacelining. Then again, when you try to break from the field in the 5's, everyone sees their chances at first disappearing and they all suddenly find their legs, making successful breaks rare.
As an aside, my favorite formation to see or be a part of is what I call progressive pacelining. It's the same as the single paceline illustrated above, but the direction of the arrows is reversed so the last rider rides up and takes the front position from the now-second-in-line rider. This very fast formation is used when you sense the peloton breathing down your neck but you think you've still got a chance to stay away. good stuff.
Hopefully once in the 4's or on a team, I'll have more support from other riders and we can make lemonade of lemons.
that is all.
2.24.2010
...silly asians
I often get quite aggravated by two glaring injustices in this world. First, the seeming unavailability of those little coctail sausages in Brooklyn, and my new phone's complete lack of cooperation when I'm wearing gloves which, in the winter months, is all the time. Especially when I'm on my bike, having to stop and remove two gloves before answering is really annoying. On the upside, I now know how my ringtone song ends...
I've heard putting a piece of aluminum foil on your fingertip inside the glove helps. Turns out it doesn't work very well at all, and it only serves to make your fingertip really chilly. Short of taking the scissors to a pair of knit gloves, I was out of ideas today when I came across this shockingly relevant item:
I've heard putting a piece of aluminum foil on your fingertip inside the glove helps. Turns out it doesn't work very well at all, and it only serves to make your fingertip really chilly. Short of taking the scissors to a pair of knit gloves, I was out of ideas today when I came across this shockingly relevant item:
from probablybadnews.com
I'm wholly in favor of this idea. I think sausages could be made in a not-intended-as-food-but-only-as-touch-screen-on-cold-weather-days-stylus-sausageway. Perhaps we'll see a general rise in surrogate/disposable digits. Inevitably, Americans and Japanese will demand them to be available in cute, portable sizes ala Muji. Then perhaps I'll finally be able to buy 'lil Smokies in New York...
...oh man I love 'lil Smokies...
Two birds with one stone, now if only we could do something about those jackasses who lean on the pole in the subway when hand-hold real estate is already scarce... bastards...
12.08.2009
... Teitelbaum v. Teitelbaum and the Birth of Responsible Cycling
If you live in Brooklyn and ride a bicycle, it is likely that Bedford Avenue is not only convenient for you, but downright necessary. That's why when the city had 14 blocks of it ripped up from Flushing Avenue to Division Avenue last week, pretty much everyone on two wheels got pissed.
A lot of strong words and sweeping accusations were made as to the reasoning behind the bike lane's removal, but in the 'end' nobody's gotten a straight answer from either the Hasidic community through which the lane passed, or any city agencies (It should be noted that the stretch of removed lane lies squarely within the portion of Williamsburg most densely populated by the Hasids) directly responsible.
The silence of the City, to say the least, is rather troubling. I for one don't like knowing that the government (at any scale) has the blatant disregard for its own citizenry to refuse to explain what it is doing, especially when what it is doing has a dramatic and adverse effect on its "green" ambitions and public safety.
For better or worse, hundreds if not thousands of cyclists ride this road every day to access both manhattan via the bridge and North Williamsburg; so it is to be expected that some bored hipsters would get it in their heads to retaliate with the only weapons they have -- art supplies and oodles of free time.
Rumor had it that these "gorillas" (whatever that means) were stopped by the Hasid community watch (Shomrim) who then notified the NYPD, who then arrested those involved. Of course, that rumor came from a Hasidic blog and turned out to be completely false. While both the Shomrim and NYPD showed up, nobody was arrested and nobody was even issued a summons. then again, nobody ever said Hasids held ideals of virtue and truth too high...
Despite what I just wrote, I don't like to pass judgment on a people before I know all I can about them and their customs. I have spent a great deal of time trying desperately to understand the mentality of Hasidic Jews and why they do the seemingly illogical and anti social things they do...
Unfortunately, I have had little to no luck on this front, thanks in large part to the tradition of strict isolationism they practice; so I am left only with speculation. However, there are a few things one can surmise peering in on their society from without:
First, Hasids have a deep-seated belief in "god" (aka yaweh), and must be so convinced both that he exists and that they are his chosen people, they have absolutely no fear of death, which is evidenced by the alarming frequency and heedlessness with which they jaywalk on every roadway that may stand in their way.
What's even worse is the fact that cavalier attitude toward very dangerous traffic sets an extremely bad example for their children, who flit in and out of the roadway with even less care than do their parents.
This is annoying because their principal argument for the Bedford Bike lane's removal is safety for their children, which given their pedestrian habits (pun very much intended) is complete bullshit. Their other argument is that girls on bicycles riding through their neighborhood dress in too racy a manner for their taste, and that for the preservation of their chauvanistic culture, the lascivious display of ankles and shoulders must stop, lest it give their women some crazy idea that they have a right to make decisions for themselves.
Secondly, Hasidic Jews openly dislike anyone falling into their "goiyem" category, and are socially encouraged to extort, defraud, and generally cause indirect financial hardship for anyone not like them.
For people so concerned with persecution and acceptance (nearly every jewish holiday has something to do with their ancestor's problems in Egypt, Palestine, Europe, etc...) they're really quite blind when it comes to reflecting on their own actions.
At any rate, what I found interesting in my research into these religious zealots is that within their hermetic enclave, they have divided into rivaling factions that have such animosity that they can be expected to vote against anything the other votes for. Roughly half of the Hasids in this neighborhood identify either with this guy, Zalman Teitelbaum;
Or this guy, Aaron Teitelbaum.
The particulars of these brothers' connection is complex and largely apochryphal, so i'll just leave it that Zalman, the usurper, hates the Bedford ave bike lane and so naturally, Aaron loves it. So it turns out that several members of the A. Teitelbaum sect were slated to come out to help the hipsters reinstate the bike lane, but made only a token appearance.
Since there is no clear way to make cyclists, hipsters, and Hasids happy; I wonder if something drastic could at least help move things in a positive direction.
What if there were no such things as bike lanes? I had previously tried mightily to rate and explain the pros and cons of bike lanes, though quickly came to the realisation that all bike lanes everywhere suffer from the exact same problems, no matter how they are designed or where they are implemented:
Bike-Salmon,
Double- or otherwise illegally- parked cars,
and pedestrians,
If you think about it, cordoning off a stripe of roadway is extraordinarily convenient for everyone except the cyclists it is supposed to be for. It is a secure area for salmoning where if it did not exist, the salmon might be too frightened to ride upstream. It is an out-of-the-way spot for taxis, delivery trucks, and the Police to park while conducting their business. It is a great place for pedestrians to walk while waiting to jaywalk or hail a cab.
In short, all of these problems might be at least partially solved if bike lanes simply didn't exist. People who double park might feel more self conscious about blocking a dedicated traffic lane as opposed to a bike lane since bikes apparently don't belong on the road anyway. Pedestrians might stay on the sidewalk or at least be more cautious about leading out from between parked cars to jaywalk...
Of course this would stymie our collective effort to get as many people on bikes as possible (as a "green" initiative only), as many riders inexperienced with riding in real traffic would simply opt to take the subway instead out of fear. But imagine for a moment if, due to the lack of bike lanes, thousands of people continued to ride their bicycles, though in traffic and not cowering at the roadside waiting to get sideswiped.
I think it would literally force drivers and pedestrians to once and for all take us seriously as legitimate road users. Also, motorists wouldn't be able to bitch that we're robbing them of a lane anymore, so we'd simultaneously be disarming our most vocal opponents of their most tired tirade.
Though this will never happen. Bike lanes are now the barometer of "green-ness" and if the government can't fool people into thinking it has their best interests in mind with sad little bike lanes, how will we then be fed self-satisfaction?
Sorry about the rant.... and the title-bomb... just had to get this off my chest
A lot of strong words and sweeping accusations were made as to the reasoning behind the bike lane's removal, but in the 'end' nobody's gotten a straight answer from either the Hasidic community through which the lane passed, or any city agencies (It should be noted that the stretch of removed lane lies squarely within the portion of Williamsburg most densely populated by the Hasids) directly responsible.
The silence of the City, to say the least, is rather troubling. I for one don't like knowing that the government (at any scale) has the blatant disregard for its own citizenry to refuse to explain what it is doing, especially when what it is doing has a dramatic and adverse effect on its "green" ambitions and public safety.
For better or worse, hundreds if not thousands of cyclists ride this road every day to access both manhattan via the bridge and North Williamsburg; so it is to be expected that some bored hipsters would get it in their heads to retaliate with the only weapons they have -- art supplies and oodles of free time.
Rumor had it that these "gorillas" (whatever that means) were stopped by the Hasid community watch (Shomrim) who then notified the NYPD, who then arrested those involved. Of course, that rumor came from a Hasidic blog and turned out to be completely false. While both the Shomrim and NYPD showed up, nobody was arrested and nobody was even issued a summons. then again, nobody ever said Hasids held ideals of virtue and truth too high...
Despite what I just wrote, I don't like to pass judgment on a people before I know all I can about them and their customs. I have spent a great deal of time trying desperately to understand the mentality of Hasidic Jews and why they do the seemingly illogical and anti social things they do...
Unfortunately, I have had little to no luck on this front, thanks in large part to the tradition of strict isolationism they practice; so I am left only with speculation. However, there are a few things one can surmise peering in on their society from without:
First, Hasids have a deep-seated belief in "god" (aka yaweh), and must be so convinced both that he exists and that they are his chosen people, they have absolutely no fear of death, which is evidenced by the alarming frequency and heedlessness with which they jaywalk on every roadway that may stand in their way.
What's even worse is the fact that cavalier attitude toward very dangerous traffic sets an extremely bad example for their children, who flit in and out of the roadway with even less care than do their parents.
This is annoying because their principal argument for the Bedford Bike lane's removal is safety for their children, which given their pedestrian habits (pun very much intended) is complete bullshit. Their other argument is that girls on bicycles riding through their neighborhood dress in too racy a manner for their taste, and that for the preservation of their chauvanistic culture, the lascivious display of ankles and shoulders must stop, lest it give their women some crazy idea that they have a right to make decisions for themselves.
Secondly, Hasidic Jews openly dislike anyone falling into their "goiyem" category, and are socially encouraged to extort, defraud, and generally cause indirect financial hardship for anyone not like them.
For people so concerned with persecution and acceptance (nearly every jewish holiday has something to do with their ancestor's problems in Egypt, Palestine, Europe, etc...) they're really quite blind when it comes to reflecting on their own actions.
At any rate, what I found interesting in my research into these religious zealots is that within their hermetic enclave, they have divided into rivaling factions that have such animosity that they can be expected to vote against anything the other votes for. Roughly half of the Hasids in this neighborhood identify either with this guy, Zalman Teitelbaum;
Or this guy, Aaron Teitelbaum.
The particulars of these brothers' connection is complex and largely apochryphal, so i'll just leave it that Zalman, the usurper, hates the Bedford ave bike lane and so naturally, Aaron loves it. So it turns out that several members of the A. Teitelbaum sect were slated to come out to help the hipsters reinstate the bike lane, but made only a token appearance.
Since there is no clear way to make cyclists, hipsters, and Hasids happy; I wonder if something drastic could at least help move things in a positive direction.
What if there were no such things as bike lanes? I had previously tried mightily to rate and explain the pros and cons of bike lanes, though quickly came to the realisation that all bike lanes everywhere suffer from the exact same problems, no matter how they are designed or where they are implemented:
Bike-Salmon,
Double- or otherwise illegally- parked cars,
and pedestrians,
If you think about it, cordoning off a stripe of roadway is extraordinarily convenient for everyone except the cyclists it is supposed to be for. It is a secure area for salmoning where if it did not exist, the salmon might be too frightened to ride upstream. It is an out-of-the-way spot for taxis, delivery trucks, and the Police to park while conducting their business. It is a great place for pedestrians to walk while waiting to jaywalk or hail a cab.
In short, all of these problems might be at least partially solved if bike lanes simply didn't exist. People who double park might feel more self conscious about blocking a dedicated traffic lane as opposed to a bike lane since bikes apparently don't belong on the road anyway. Pedestrians might stay on the sidewalk or at least be more cautious about leading out from between parked cars to jaywalk...
Of course this would stymie our collective effort to get as many people on bikes as possible (as a "green" initiative only), as many riders inexperienced with riding in real traffic would simply opt to take the subway instead out of fear. But imagine for a moment if, due to the lack of bike lanes, thousands of people continued to ride their bicycles, though in traffic and not cowering at the roadside waiting to get sideswiped.
I think it would literally force drivers and pedestrians to once and for all take us seriously as legitimate road users. Also, motorists wouldn't be able to bitch that we're robbing them of a lane anymore, so we'd simultaneously be disarming our most vocal opponents of their most tired tirade.
Though this will never happen. Bike lanes are now the barometer of "green-ness" and if the government can't fool people into thinking it has their best interests in mind with sad little bike lanes, how will we then be fed self-satisfaction?
Sorry about the rant.... and the title-bomb... just had to get this off my chest
11.24.2009
...the weekend madness (installment 14)
I guess as long as the AutoCAD is fired up at the office, you may find the frequency of posting relegated to the "whenever I get a free moment/have something worth saying" status.
In a rare turn of events this weekend past, I actually went out and socialized with other people!
Three bars in two nights, check.
$150.00 of bike-stuff money spent on booze instead, check.
Splitting headache both Sunday and Monday mornings, check.
Seems like it was a pretty fun time, unfortunately I can't seem to recall the last and middle parts of those evenings. Since I typically stick with beer and am frequently broke as a joke, going to a bar or saloon (which only occur in the Southwest US and are marked by their double acting entry doors and unsavory clientele) is for me a rare opportunity to remind myself why I don't drink liquor.
I wouldn't go so far as to say I get blacked-out, but I definitely wake up in the morning panicking that a lamp shade may still be affixed to my noggin, or wondering how many people I offended with my tomfooleries. Since I'd consider myself fairly mild-mannered, the answer is likely none, but that doesn't stop me from ruing my decision to down that fifth or tenth shot of Jameson and shakily ride several miles home after reassuring the pensive crowd that I am actually quite skilled at handling a bicycle (that's the booze talking, just to keep you up to speed... And the "crowd" was probably just one disinterested stranger).
At any rate, I went out for a ride in the park Sunday afternoon and as usual, after five or so laps I noticed I had four remoras in my slipstream. I don't really mind if people want to subvert their workout by letting me work out for them, but I do find it pretty irritating when those guys (female cyclists, I find, are much more docile) decide it's alright if, after sucking my wheel for a few laps, to start yelling and generally ruining my nice, Sunday ride.
This particular instance really got me pissed:
As I crested a minor hill, remoras all still attached, I saw, about 100m ahead of me in the road, a couple lazily pedaling along on heavy looking cruiser bikes. I gave a friendly whistle and they turned, noticing the five of us bearing down on them from behind. Being gracious park-goers, they attempted to move to the left to allow us to pass on their right, which unfortunately is the wrong side for passing. Since I was already well to their left I called out, "on your left!" which caused the lady to wobble a bit and frantically veer to the right (well out of our way, mind you).
At this point the dickhead sucking my wheel decided to verbally abuse the poor woman who was only trying to be friendly and lend us some road space. I can't remember word-for-word, but I think his curt tirade went something like this: "GAWDDAMMIT! STRAIGHT LINE! AWWW JEEEEZ! FUCKIN BITCH!"
The reason I'm relating this unpleasant experience here is that it typifies precisely what happens every time I happen to be deeply interested in a given sport, hobby, profession, etc...
When I was a skater in my more youthful years, this same shit happened. Invariably I'd go to Southside Skatepark or the local spot, and there'd be a bunch of archetypal skate-rats fucking up a good time for everybody by living up to our negative stereotypes of malfeasance and anarchy.
When I decided to pursue the trade of architectural design, I likewise found that If my colleagues weren't metrosexual, sophomoric, orange-shoe-wearing, ninnies; they were likely to be of the bribe giving/taking, hooker-employing, government-bureau-cheating, architect-way. (that's right, I just called you out)
Now having to deal with this crap in cycling, I'm getting fed the fuck up.
Fortunately I'm not alone, someone called Steevo recently cobbled together this humorous tete-a-tete between two hipsters looking to break into the cyclocross scene with their haughty sense of entitlement and fixed gear bicycles:
This reminds me of another alarming subcultural phenomena, hipsters ultimately destroying other esoteric activities like cyclocross.
Though I take solace in the fact that where I want to go in cycling is where hipsters are unwittingly coming from; namely, track racing. I guess actually using an object or tool for it's intended purpose is against the hipster code of ironic conduct, so I can feel confident that they will be delightfully absent from the velodrome come springtime (fingers and toes crossed, I don't wanna be lumped in with anyone anymore, least of all noobs or freds, even though technically I am one).
Hopefully these territorial conflicts will be resolved more civilly than are rear end real estate disputes on the subway.
Speaking of track cycling (and of sitting around waiting to be accosted), I was delighted in the past few days to see that "TC" over at Fyxomatosis posted some sweet pics of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Melbourne, just at the time when my patience for roadies was wearing to it's thinnest yet.
If you're like me, and require your computer's desktop-way (which one never really sees any-way) to be cool and ever-changing, these two images are in super large format for just such a purpose. Check out the rest of the eye candy here, here, and here.
At any rate, it seems as though the anniversary of my birth is a mere seven days away, so if you feel compelled to congratulate me on being that much closer to death, please e-mail me directly or send a self addressed and stamped deep-fried turkey (ironically, deep-fried turkeys have a longer lead-time than 14,000 cubic feet of concrete, so good luck).
Until next time friends, steer clear of the zealots.
In a rare turn of events this weekend past, I actually went out and socialized with other people!
Three bars in two nights, check.
$150.00 of bike-stuff money spent on booze instead, check.
Splitting headache both Sunday and Monday mornings, check.
Seems like it was a pretty fun time, unfortunately I can't seem to recall the last and middle parts of those evenings. Since I typically stick with beer and am frequently broke as a joke, going to a bar or saloon (which only occur in the Southwest US and are marked by their double acting entry doors and unsavory clientele) is for me a rare opportunity to remind myself why I don't drink liquor.
I wouldn't go so far as to say I get blacked-out, but I definitely wake up in the morning panicking that a lamp shade may still be affixed to my noggin, or wondering how many people I offended with my tomfooleries. Since I'd consider myself fairly mild-mannered, the answer is likely none, but that doesn't stop me from ruing my decision to down that fifth or tenth shot of Jameson and shakily ride several miles home after reassuring the pensive crowd that I am actually quite skilled at handling a bicycle (that's the booze talking, just to keep you up to speed... And the "crowd" was probably just one disinterested stranger).
At any rate, I went out for a ride in the park Sunday afternoon and as usual, after five or so laps I noticed I had four remoras in my slipstream. I don't really mind if people want to subvert their workout by letting me work out for them, but I do find it pretty irritating when those guys (female cyclists, I find, are much more docile) decide it's alright if, after sucking my wheel for a few laps, to start yelling and generally ruining my nice, Sunday ride.
This particular instance really got me pissed:
As I crested a minor hill, remoras all still attached, I saw, about 100m ahead of me in the road, a couple lazily pedaling along on heavy looking cruiser bikes. I gave a friendly whistle and they turned, noticing the five of us bearing down on them from behind. Being gracious park-goers, they attempted to move to the left to allow us to pass on their right, which unfortunately is the wrong side for passing. Since I was already well to their left I called out, "on your left!" which caused the lady to wobble a bit and frantically veer to the right (well out of our way, mind you).
At this point the dickhead sucking my wheel decided to verbally abuse the poor woman who was only trying to be friendly and lend us some road space. I can't remember word-for-word, but I think his curt tirade went something like this: "GAWDDAMMIT! STRAIGHT LINE! AWWW JEEEEZ! FUCKIN BITCH!"
The reason I'm relating this unpleasant experience here is that it typifies precisely what happens every time I happen to be deeply interested in a given sport, hobby, profession, etc...
When I was a skater in my more youthful years, this same shit happened. Invariably I'd go to Southside Skatepark or the local spot, and there'd be a bunch of archetypal skate-rats fucking up a good time for everybody by living up to our negative stereotypes of malfeasance and anarchy.
When I decided to pursue the trade of architectural design, I likewise found that If my colleagues weren't metrosexual, sophomoric, orange-shoe-wearing, ninnies; they were likely to be of the bribe giving/taking, hooker-employing, government-bureau-cheating, architect-way. (that's right, I just called you out)
Now having to deal with this crap in cycling, I'm getting fed the fuck up.
Fortunately I'm not alone, someone called Steevo recently cobbled together this humorous tete-a-tete between two hipsters looking to break into the cyclocross scene with their haughty sense of entitlement and fixed gear bicycles:
This reminds me of another alarming subcultural phenomena, hipsters ultimately destroying other esoteric activities like cyclocross.
Though I take solace in the fact that where I want to go in cycling is where hipsters are unwittingly coming from; namely, track racing. I guess actually using an object or tool for it's intended purpose is against the hipster code of ironic conduct, so I can feel confident that they will be delightfully absent from the velodrome come springtime (fingers and toes crossed, I don't wanna be lumped in with anyone anymore, least of all noobs or freds, even though technically I am one).
Hopefully these territorial conflicts will be resolved more civilly than are rear end real estate disputes on the subway.
Speaking of track cycling (and of sitting around waiting to be accosted), I was delighted in the past few days to see that "TC" over at Fyxomatosis posted some sweet pics of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Melbourne, just at the time when my patience for roadies was wearing to it's thinnest yet.
If you're like me, and require your computer's desktop-way (which one never really sees any-way) to be cool and ever-changing, these two images are in super large format for just such a purpose. Check out the rest of the eye candy here, here, and here.
At any rate, it seems as though the anniversary of my birth is a mere seven days away, so if you feel compelled to congratulate me on being that much closer to death, please e-mail me directly or send a self addressed and stamped deep-fried turkey (ironically, deep-fried turkeys have a longer lead-time than 14,000 cubic feet of concrete, so good luck).
Until next time friends, steer clear of the zealots.
10.07.2009
...Industrial Society and Its Future
My disdain for the social circumstances of the present were stoked today after reading through Theodore Kaczynski's Manifesto. Here is a quotation from the section entitled 'Surrogate Activities', which seems to me a remarkably apt appraisal of a cruel social phenomena that I had lightly touched upon in several of my unpublished posts. The desire (nay need) for purpose and the fabrication of goals as a sort of psychological security blanket. Enjoy:
41. For many if not most people, surrogate activities are less satisfying than the pursuit of real goals (that is, goals that people would want to attain even if their need for the power process were already fulfilled). One indication of this is the fact that, in many or most cases, people who are deeply involved in surrogate activities are never satisfied, never at rest. Thus the money-maker constantly strives for more and more wealth. The scientist no sooner solves one problem than he moves on to the next. The long-distance runner drives himself to run always farther and faster. Many people who pursue surrogate activities will say that they get far more fulfillment from these activities than they do from the "mundane" business of satisfying their biological needs, but that it is because in our society the effort needed to satisfy the biological needs has been reduced to triviality. More importantly, in our society people do not satisfy their biological needs autonomously but by functioning as parts of an immense social machine. In contrast, people generally have a great deal of autonomy in pursuing their surrogate activities.
I strongly encourage you to read this text in its entirety. It is my belief that this whistle blower is one of the most admirable personalities of our age. While I cannot condone the use of violent force as a catalyst for awareness or vehicle of revenge; Theodore Kaczynski is a hero of so-called 'modern' thought. It is my personal belief that his insight into the schizophrenia of industrialized peoples is on par with Martin Heidegger's Question Concerning Technology, and could be taken as a less academic expatiation on those principles.
10.01.2009
... keeping it real Thursdays
I was dismayed to read that a new ghost bike has been chained to a signpost at Fulton and Washington where Julian Miller was fatally struck by a motorcyclist on September 18.
I really don't feel like getting into a road rules debate right now, but this article about what supposedly lead to her and the motorcyclist's death kind of got under my skin...
The article even relates one person's corroboration of reports of two guys on crotch-rockets racing up and down Greene Ave before the incident. I've got nothing wrong with clubs, or even gangs, that center around a particular vehicle, hobby, or sport; but I'm pretty sure everyone in Brooklyn is intimately familiar with the growing popularity of driving a motorcycle like a goddamn maniac in the middle of the night. So why aren't we doing something about the ones who are flagrantly disobeying both common sense and local law; and instead pleading with cyclists to be more "defensive," "watchful," and "vigilant" of them?
Since when is it the duty of the law-abiding citizen to accommodate the transgressions of the law-breaking citizen? All this mentality does for us is perpetuate this disgusting culture of fear we've submitted to both consciously and unconsciously.
Though after reading the "account" of what transpired, it seems that Ms. Miller was salmoning up Greene or riding off the sidewalk between cars in the dark of night.
If you'll recall, I recently be-frogged my bike in a clever lightway that helps me and my penchant for dark clothing stay visible when riding after hours, and as a result I've become keenly aware of many bikes' extreme lack of illumination. I don't want to encourage people to bedazzle their bikes with those stupid peel-n-stick neon green reflectors, but some lights or reflectors are always a good thing (bear in mind, if you have lights theres really no point in having reflectors too, since the light should outshine the light bouncing off the reflector; if it doesn't, you need new batteries for your lights).
I've also started riding around Prospect Park on Tuesday and Thursday evenings since I'm somewhat unhappy with the speed my fitness allows me to ride at. In doing so I notice an irritatingly common problem with bicycle traffic at this time of day: people salmoning, lightless, through the pitch-dark park to (I assume) save a few seconds on their evening commute.
But recently I haven't been vocalizing my disdain for bike salmon, and instead have adopted a live-and-let-live policy, only saying something when they directly affect my safety or path of travel. I figure nobody wants to get lectured at anyway, and hopefully one day they'll realize that riding with traffic is far less scary than the opposite by their own volition.
Then again, the Police certainly aren't helping the situation (that is assuming they lead by example, which we all know, they don't), as evidenced by this occurence I was fortunate enough to capture this morning as I walked my bike to the service entrance of my office building:
Yes, thoust eyes dostn't decieve thee; that is indeed a Cop-salmon. I thought i was going to catch him sidewalk-salmoning, but right as I managed to free my camera from my bag, he rode into the new protected bike lane on Broadway... Oh well, this just as bad if not worse in my opinion.
Not to leave you with a sour taste for cycling, I was heartened to see that the Bergen St. 2,3 station in Brooklyn now boasts bike racks for commuters to use.
I only wish we could see this at every train station instead of having people to resort to vertical locking jobs on scarce bike racks, fences and signposts... But it's nice to see people are at least riding part of the way to work...
I really don't feel like getting into a road rules debate right now, but this article about what supposedly lead to her and the motorcyclist's death kind of got under my skin...
The article even relates one person's corroboration of reports of two guys on crotch-rockets racing up and down Greene Ave before the incident. I've got nothing wrong with clubs, or even gangs, that center around a particular vehicle, hobby, or sport; but I'm pretty sure everyone in Brooklyn is intimately familiar with the growing popularity of driving a motorcycle like a goddamn maniac in the middle of the night. So why aren't we doing something about the ones who are flagrantly disobeying both common sense and local law; and instead pleading with cyclists to be more "defensive," "watchful," and "vigilant" of them?
Since when is it the duty of the law-abiding citizen to accommodate the transgressions of the law-breaking citizen? All this mentality does for us is perpetuate this disgusting culture of fear we've submitted to both consciously and unconsciously.
Though after reading the "account" of what transpired, it seems that Ms. Miller was salmoning up Greene or riding off the sidewalk between cars in the dark of night.
If you'll recall, I recently be-frogged my bike in a clever lightway that helps me and my penchant for dark clothing stay visible when riding after hours, and as a result I've become keenly aware of many bikes' extreme lack of illumination. I don't want to encourage people to bedazzle their bikes with those stupid peel-n-stick neon green reflectors, but some lights or reflectors are always a good thing (bear in mind, if you have lights theres really no point in having reflectors too, since the light should outshine the light bouncing off the reflector; if it doesn't, you need new batteries for your lights).
I've also started riding around Prospect Park on Tuesday and Thursday evenings since I'm somewhat unhappy with the speed my fitness allows me to ride at. In doing so I notice an irritatingly common problem with bicycle traffic at this time of day: people salmoning, lightless, through the pitch-dark park to (I assume) save a few seconds on their evening commute.
But recently I haven't been vocalizing my disdain for bike salmon, and instead have adopted a live-and-let-live policy, only saying something when they directly affect my safety or path of travel. I figure nobody wants to get lectured at anyway, and hopefully one day they'll realize that riding with traffic is far less scary than the opposite by their own volition.
Then again, the Police certainly aren't helping the situation (that is assuming they lead by example, which we all know, they don't), as evidenced by this occurence I was fortunate enough to capture this morning as I walked my bike to the service entrance of my office building:
Yes, thoust eyes dostn't decieve thee; that is indeed a Cop-salmon. I thought i was going to catch him sidewalk-salmoning, but right as I managed to free my camera from my bag, he rode into the new protected bike lane on Broadway... Oh well, this just as bad if not worse in my opinion.
Not to leave you with a sour taste for cycling, I was heartened to see that the Bergen St. 2,3 station in Brooklyn now boasts bike racks for commuters to use.
I only wish we could see this at every train station instead of having people to resort to vertical locking jobs on scarce bike racks, fences and signposts... But it's nice to see people are at least riding part of the way to work...
9.15.2009
...you gotta be kidding me
It seems the universe has been teasing me lately by dangling tantalizing possibilities in front of me and then letting reality snatch it away just as I reach out for it...
I know it still too early to tell, but I'm a little worried that I haven't heard anything from the construction company I had interviewed with last Friday. I fear that I'll forever be stuck in this unproductive rut and also that as the first to feel the effects of a failing economy, the architecture industry will likewise be the very last to recover from it.
Considering the tenuous nature of my current employment, I can't be too cavalier about spending my paychecks (when I get them) on things that aren't absolutely essential. That's why when browsing the bikes section of Craigslist last night, seeing this bad boy on sale severely depressed me.
At first I thought the posting was surely a mistake because nobody in their right mind would be hawking an S-Works track frame for a measly $380.
In a fit of excitement I e-mailed the owner who reaffirmed the price to me and offered I take a look at it tonight as it had not yet sold. Realizing blowing nearly $400 on a track frame that has no possibility of accepting brakes of any kind just a few months before winter might not be the smartest move, I let this deal go...
Still curious about how much a nice bike like this costs, I consulted BikePedia, where I learned that the complete build from Specialized retailed for $3,800 in 2007.
Of course the red bike, unlike the black version above, is being sold without the Zipp 404 wheelset, drivetrain, seat, or handlebars, but its going for only 10% of the MSRP.
If I owned this bike, instead of trashing it on the street by flying around recklessly, I'd use it on the track next spring and sign up for a track racing class at the Kissena Velodrome; which pretty much means if I did have the grapes to blow $400 today, it would just sit on my wall for the next six months, teasing me.
The irony didn't stop there, it seemed, because this morning I saw this thing "chained" to a light post outside the office.
Yep, that's right... a Strida spotted in the wild. I have to admit I had doubts that anyone would ever actually purchase one, much less ride it around. Though I suppose folding bikes are all the rage among commuters recently, I always assumed this thing would go the route of the penny farthing, an antiquated symbol of the days of yore when cycling hadn't yet matured into its present form.
I must applaud the owner of this triangle-with-wheels for continuing the spirit of irony by not only locking the compactable bike outside, but doing so with the puniest lock and chain I've ever seen on a bike.
Though the chain is square-section and cloth covered like every hipster's favorite theft prevention device, this chain is curiously in proportion to the miniscule Strida it supposedly protects from theft.
...Not that anyone would go out of their way to steal this bike anyway; shit, I bet you could leave it completely unlocked and it would sit there untouched except in the case of a passing leprachaun, (which, strangely, is the only character I could imagine seeing atop it without chuckling to myself for hours).
Anyway, bike trends could definitely be a lot worse, as evidenced by this day-glo monstrosity I spotted on CWMD the other day.
I'm not 100% certain what the deal is with the 650c front wheel or if this bike is even rideable, but I've been seeing more and more set ups like this on fixed-gear blogs such as prolly, tracko, and FGG.
Maybe I'm jumping the gun with my criticism, but unless that set up is specifically for riding at the velodrome, this bike not only looks retarded with it's BBC/Ice cream shop 'colorway', but looks equally uncomfortable. This bike is to track racing as funny cars are to drag racing.
I wonder what they'll come up with next...
I know it still too early to tell, but I'm a little worried that I haven't heard anything from the construction company I had interviewed with last Friday. I fear that I'll forever be stuck in this unproductive rut and also that as the first to feel the effects of a failing economy, the architecture industry will likewise be the very last to recover from it.
Considering the tenuous nature of my current employment, I can't be too cavalier about spending my paychecks (when I get them) on things that aren't absolutely essential. That's why when browsing the bikes section of Craigslist last night, seeing this bad boy on sale severely depressed me.
At first I thought the posting was surely a mistake because nobody in their right mind would be hawking an S-Works track frame for a measly $380.
In a fit of excitement I e-mailed the owner who reaffirmed the price to me and offered I take a look at it tonight as it had not yet sold. Realizing blowing nearly $400 on a track frame that has no possibility of accepting brakes of any kind just a few months before winter might not be the smartest move, I let this deal go...
Still curious about how much a nice bike like this costs, I consulted BikePedia, where I learned that the complete build from Specialized retailed for $3,800 in 2007.
Of course the red bike, unlike the black version above, is being sold without the Zipp 404 wheelset, drivetrain, seat, or handlebars, but its going for only 10% of the MSRP.
If I owned this bike, instead of trashing it on the street by flying around recklessly, I'd use it on the track next spring and sign up for a track racing class at the Kissena Velodrome; which pretty much means if I did have the grapes to blow $400 today, it would just sit on my wall for the next six months, teasing me.
The irony didn't stop there, it seemed, because this morning I saw this thing "chained" to a light post outside the office.
Yep, that's right... a Strida spotted in the wild. I have to admit I had doubts that anyone would ever actually purchase one, much less ride it around. Though I suppose folding bikes are all the rage among commuters recently, I always assumed this thing would go the route of the penny farthing, an antiquated symbol of the days of yore when cycling hadn't yet matured into its present form.
I must applaud the owner of this triangle-with-wheels for continuing the spirit of irony by not only locking the compactable bike outside, but doing so with the puniest lock and chain I've ever seen on a bike.
Though the chain is square-section and cloth covered like every hipster's favorite theft prevention device, this chain is curiously in proportion to the miniscule Strida it supposedly protects from theft.
...Not that anyone would go out of their way to steal this bike anyway; shit, I bet you could leave it completely unlocked and it would sit there untouched except in the case of a passing leprachaun, (which, strangely, is the only character I could imagine seeing atop it without chuckling to myself for hours).
Anyway, bike trends could definitely be a lot worse, as evidenced by this day-glo monstrosity I spotted on CWMD the other day.
I'm not 100% certain what the deal is with the 650c front wheel or if this bike is even rideable, but I've been seeing more and more set ups like this on fixed-gear blogs such as prolly, tracko, and FGG.
Maybe I'm jumping the gun with my criticism, but unless that set up is specifically for riding at the velodrome, this bike not only looks retarded with it's BBC/Ice cream shop 'colorway', but looks equally uncomfortable. This bike is to track racing as funny cars are to drag racing.
I wonder what they'll come up with next...
9.14.2009
...the weekend madness (installment 8)
Boy it was a wet one this weekend; Friday saw me tromp through the rain on the rugged streets of LIC's waterfront to that interview I mentioned last week; and of course since I want the job, I needed to arrive looking presentable which, combined with the all-day downpours, necessitated taking the subway again.
Needless to say, I was getting tired of being forced indoors by the time Saturday rolled around, so a few of us braved the drizzling rain and went down to Red Hook where the cool breeze and soggy atmosphere lent a Homer-esque mood to the day (Homer as in this, not this; just to be clear).
I only wish my new Rapha cycling cap (aka breeze-induced-fro prevention device) had come in the mail earlier so I could have appeared all poignantly grey-scaled against the solemn maritime backdrop, much in the way Rapha depicts their products in use.
If you're not familiar with Rapha or their products, they claim to make "the finest in cycling clothing in the world..." and while I haven't yet tested the worth of that claim, I do know that they're one of the very few companies a cyclist like myself can turn to for reasonable cycling gear that doesn't make you into a rolling billboard for enterprises you have no stake in or reason to support.
However they do make it a point to advertise with seductive photography and the organization of "gentlemen's races" around the country wherein eleven teams of six rider compete on an open course (meaning cars, uncontrolled intersections, etc..) in a picturesque environment.
Here's a video of the gentlemen's race in New Paltz NY earlier this year...
I find it interesting that while it's been dubbed a "gentlemen's race" the brusquely competitive reputation of New Easterners precedes them even in what is essentially a for-fun race. I've taken note of this as well when I do laps at the parks or ride up to Nyack, as I did again this weekend.
The "me first" attitude of New Yorkers really bugs me sometimes and becomes really obvious when coupled with the seemingly grouchy nature of roadies in general. When I first started riding seriously, I definitely got my fair share of 'asshole roadies' yelling at me to hold my line or shooting me disapproving glances for other reasons I couldn't figure.
Now, having ridden quite a bit with cyclists of all types, I've found that not only are the curmudgeonly racers right, they're justified in letting you know. One has to respect the fact that everyone rides a bike for an entirely different reason; some do it as a random leisure activity, others do it strictly for fitness, and others still do it simply to travel pleasantly from place to place.
Roadies gripe at other "less serious" cyclists not so much because of some haughty self righteousness, but because the majority of people on bikes in the US have absolutely no idea how to operate one and as such, present a danger to those who do. If all cyclists observed but a few frequently forgone rules of the road, everyone would be much happier.
Bad sportsmanship is not only ungentlemanly and distasteful, but can really damage your performance as evidenced by Serena Williams' tirade yesterday (justified as it may have been). Right or wrong aside, there's no appropriate excuse for hindering the pursuits of others for personal convenience or aspiration.
Obviously doping tops the list of unsportsmanlike conduct because it obscures the successes of clean athletes, but unsporting behavior also applies to social decorum. Kanye West and Rep. Joe Wilson are the most recent examples of this and they would do well to aspire toward more gentlemanly conduct in the future.
For this reason I applaud Rapha in their campaign to bring a level of civility and normalcy to the often neon-logoed world of competitive cycling. Perhaps more cyclists will don classy, logo-free gear (assuming they can afford it) and perhaps the growing interest in tweed garb will usher in a new era of cycling dandiness where the bicycle isn't shunned as a dirty, childish, or pedestrian (in the social sense) way to perambulate.
(On that note, be sure to peruse the photography at Velodramatic for more poetic visions of road cycling in the Rapha vein by a staunch fan of theirs)
Til' next time remember, nothings more stylish than the mild-mannered confidence of a pro in control...
Needless to say, I was getting tired of being forced indoors by the time Saturday rolled around, so a few of us braved the drizzling rain and went down to Red Hook where the cool breeze and soggy atmosphere lent a Homer-esque mood to the day (Homer as in this, not this; just to be clear).
I only wish my new Rapha cycling cap (aka breeze-induced-fro prevention device) had come in the mail earlier so I could have appeared all poignantly grey-scaled against the solemn maritime backdrop, much in the way Rapha depicts their products in use.
If you're not familiar with Rapha or their products, they claim to make "the finest in cycling clothing in the world..." and while I haven't yet tested the worth of that claim, I do know that they're one of the very few companies a cyclist like myself can turn to for reasonable cycling gear that doesn't make you into a rolling billboard for enterprises you have no stake in or reason to support.
However they do make it a point to advertise with seductive photography and the organization of "gentlemen's races" around the country wherein eleven teams of six rider compete on an open course (meaning cars, uncontrolled intersections, etc..) in a picturesque environment.
Here's a video of the gentlemen's race in New Paltz NY earlier this year...
Rapha Gentlemen's Race - New Paltz, NY from RAPHA on Vimeo.
I find it interesting that while it's been dubbed a "gentlemen's race" the brusquely competitive reputation of New Easterners precedes them even in what is essentially a for-fun race. I've taken note of this as well when I do laps at the parks or ride up to Nyack, as I did again this weekend.
The "me first" attitude of New Yorkers really bugs me sometimes and becomes really obvious when coupled with the seemingly grouchy nature of roadies in general. When I first started riding seriously, I definitely got my fair share of 'asshole roadies' yelling at me to hold my line or shooting me disapproving glances for other reasons I couldn't figure.
Now, having ridden quite a bit with cyclists of all types, I've found that not only are the curmudgeonly racers right, they're justified in letting you know. One has to respect the fact that everyone rides a bike for an entirely different reason; some do it as a random leisure activity, others do it strictly for fitness, and others still do it simply to travel pleasantly from place to place.
Roadies gripe at other "less serious" cyclists not so much because of some haughty self righteousness, but because the majority of people on bikes in the US have absolutely no idea how to operate one and as such, present a danger to those who do. If all cyclists observed but a few frequently forgone rules of the road, everyone would be much happier.
- Ride right, pass left: you'd be surprised at how many apparently "experienced" cyclists can't follow this simple rule... If you feel like you're being overtaken a lot, you need to be on the rightmost side of the path because you're slow. Deal with it or ride faster.
- Don't pass-n'-stop: If you are riding behind someone you'd like to pass, make sure you're not going to have to slam on the brakes right after you overtake them, cause doing that's just mean.
- Make your intentions known: Hand signals, yelling, eye contact, whatever... the prime cause of enraged roadies is being cut off or run into by someone going half their speed without so much as a glance over their shoulder to check for overtaking cyclists.
- No half-wheeling: This is more of an etiquette thing, but it's also extremely dangerous to have your front wheel overlapping another cyclist's rear wheel... If sudden movements are made, you're both going down. If you want to chat with someone, ride directly side by side. that in mind,
- No jerky movements: If you are riding around other bikers, sometimes you have to just accept rolling over that manhole cover or pothole you'd normally swerve around. Keep a straight line whenever possible.
Bad sportsmanship is not only ungentlemanly and distasteful, but can really damage your performance as evidenced by Serena Williams' tirade yesterday (justified as it may have been). Right or wrong aside, there's no appropriate excuse for hindering the pursuits of others for personal convenience or aspiration.
Obviously doping tops the list of unsportsmanlike conduct because it obscures the successes of clean athletes, but unsporting behavior also applies to social decorum. Kanye West and Rep. Joe Wilson are the most recent examples of this and they would do well to aspire toward more gentlemanly conduct in the future.
For this reason I applaud Rapha in their campaign to bring a level of civility and normalcy to the often neon-logoed world of competitive cycling. Perhaps more cyclists will don classy, logo-free gear (assuming they can afford it) and perhaps the growing interest in tweed garb will usher in a new era of cycling dandiness where the bicycle isn't shunned as a dirty, childish, or pedestrian (in the social sense) way to perambulate.
(On that note, be sure to peruse the photography at Velodramatic for more poetic visions of road cycling in the Rapha vein by a staunch fan of theirs)
Til' next time remember, nothings more stylish than the mild-mannered confidence of a pro in control...
9.02.2009
... oh the irony
So this is what the new Sands St. separated bike lane has been reduced to; a parking spot for cable repairmen. If you've ridden this luxurious route to or from the bridges, like me you will wonder how these guys thought it was ok to hop the 6" curb that's obviously meant to deter vehicular traffic from violating the bike route.
Whatever, it's ok they're just doing their job right?
Speaking of jobs, some of us have jobs that consume our lives; we derive a sense of worth and accomplishment from the daily struggles at the office and know that it's for the benefit of both ourselves and the companies we work for.
Then there are those of us whose jobs are pointless and trite, though because we could be worse off, we stick around to continue the flow of income to fund "real life" which happens on the weekends and evenings.
Even lower on the great career totem are people like me, who've somehow gotten stuck getting paid little more than unemployment insurance would provide, yet stick around in vain hopes of one day being financially or productively vindicated even though the boss has more pressing matters to attend to.
I suppose that if you stay in the latter two situations long enough, you start to define your life by other means as necessary for coping with the extreme inequity of your situation. I have started filling my time with cycling and blogging, for instance, and I feel slightly heartened to read that others derive pleasure from similar things as well.
NYC's best Woody Allen impersonator to-date fills his mornings, weekends, and evenings exploring the city's 600+ miles of bike lanes. Apparently he's recorded each bike lane he rides and for how long and far, and has just completed riding on every lane in the city, culminating with Chrystie St. recently.
Well, this utterly shames the Bike Lane Rideability Index with its comprehensiveness. Though I do hope to one day have ridden every bike lane as well, and document each one here for the benefit of all, I doubt I could do it in the befuddled and self-depricating manner of Mr. Kronenberg there.
Curiously, he rode all that way on a $120 department store mountain bike. I guess it goes to show that any bike is better than no bike.
Speaking of which, I've put a few miles on my 'poor-man's road bike'; my odometer just rolled over 1000mi on my commute in this morning. whopee.
8.06.2009
...back from nowhere
Sorry about the recent lack of posts. I've been pretty busy for a change, working on getting my parent's beach house to a build-able state and hunting for new employment as I had mentioned last week.
Alas, the transition from 'architect erk' to 'bike mechanic erk' isn't going as smoothly as I'd planned, especially considering the recent upswing in available freelance telecommuting positions for draftsmen such as myself. While I'd be very content doing zen shit like polishing bearing races, It would be sweet if I could snag a job where my commute is 20 feet and the local lunch spot is my kitchen, imagine the freedom!
Fear not though, soon there will be an ebb to my workload and I can resume blogging about the frivolities and tomfoolery of society and it's denizens.
One subject that has piqued my curiosity (and will surely soon be the focus of in-depth cultural analysis by yours truly) is the dramatic spread of hipsterdom throughout the country.
Only a few years ago, tight pants, day-glo throwback sneakers, and garishly patterned sweatshirts were merely a novelty of the late-eighties-early-nineties, places like NYC, and other dense urban places populated by kind-of-artsy 'twenty somethings'. Now, when taking bike trips and such to more rural locales, I notice that the hipness has been latched onto by youngsters everywhere.
This notion that it's hip to be hip ironically lies in stark contrast to what was previously deemed hip in the era to which hipsters seem to ascribe themselves. I don't usually take issue with most of the fashion faux pas I see (as I'm certain that to some, I probably look like a tool of one subculture or another), though some trends I find troublingly popular and under critiqued.
One such trend is girls wearing is 'mom-cut' jeans and shorts. You know, the ones with three extra inches of fabric above the natural waist and extra lateral room for post childbirth hip expansion?
I'm really not sure why this is becoming a 'hip' look. I can't speak for everyone, but when I see chicks in pants like this, I throw up a little in my mouth. Certainly, more shapely women can appropriate this (aesthetic?) mode to sexier ends, but for regular people with regular rumps, pants like this are just about the most unflattering thing one could wear.
I suppose if your goal is to quell cat-calls, then wearing these would likely aid in your de-sexification to positive effect. The flip side is that the wearer is rendered sexually mute and will experience difficulty securing a mate of the opposite sex; so maybe carrying mace or a rape whistle would be a bit more reasonable in everyday circumstances.
However, I am nonetheless worried about this influx of high-waisted pants. Has there been a spike in cases of Oedipus complexes amongst male hipsters? Because usually men aren't attracted to saggy butt-cheeks and cinched bellies, this must be the case. Either that or (the more likely scenario) women just don't really care what guys think and dress more so for each other in an unspoken, platonic fashion competition.
Whatever the case, please, women of the world, heed the satire of SNL!
My only hope is that like these women, hipsterdom is acting out a wardrobe deadpan comedy (WDC from now on) as opposed to truly and wholeheartedly liking antiquated failures of fashion. Who knows, Pharrell seems intent on pushing this wave of bubblegum bullshit to the breaking point by opening kitchy stores like the new BBC/Ice Cream store in SOHO.
'til next time friends, ride safe.
Alas, the transition from 'architect erk' to 'bike mechanic erk' isn't going as smoothly as I'd planned, especially considering the recent upswing in available freelance telecommuting positions for draftsmen such as myself. While I'd be very content doing zen shit like polishing bearing races, It would be sweet if I could snag a job where my commute is 20 feet and the local lunch spot is my kitchen, imagine the freedom!
Fear not though, soon there will be an ebb to my workload and I can resume blogging about the frivolities and tomfoolery of society and it's denizens.
One subject that has piqued my curiosity (and will surely soon be the focus of in-depth cultural analysis by yours truly) is the dramatic spread of hipsterdom throughout the country.
Only a few years ago, tight pants, day-glo throwback sneakers, and garishly patterned sweatshirts were merely a novelty of the late-eighties-early-nineties, places like NYC, and other dense urban places populated by kind-of-artsy 'twenty somethings'. Now, when taking bike trips and such to more rural locales, I notice that the hipness has been latched onto by youngsters everywhere.
This notion that it's hip to be hip ironically lies in stark contrast to what was previously deemed hip in the era to which hipsters seem to ascribe themselves. I don't usually take issue with most of the fashion faux pas I see (as I'm certain that to some, I probably look like a tool of one subculture or another), though some trends I find troublingly popular and under critiqued.
One such trend is girls wearing is 'mom-cut' jeans and shorts. You know, the ones with three extra inches of fabric above the natural waist and extra lateral room for post childbirth hip expansion?
I'm really not sure why this is becoming a 'hip' look. I can't speak for everyone, but when I see chicks in pants like this, I throw up a little in my mouth. Certainly, more shapely women can appropriate this (aesthetic?) mode to sexier ends, but for regular people with regular rumps, pants like this are just about the most unflattering thing one could wear.
I suppose if your goal is to quell cat-calls, then wearing these would likely aid in your de-sexification to positive effect. The flip side is that the wearer is rendered sexually mute and will experience difficulty securing a mate of the opposite sex; so maybe carrying mace or a rape whistle would be a bit more reasonable in everyday circumstances.
However, I am nonetheless worried about this influx of high-waisted pants. Has there been a spike in cases of Oedipus complexes amongst male hipsters? Because usually men aren't attracted to saggy butt-cheeks and cinched bellies, this must be the case. Either that or (the more likely scenario) women just don't really care what guys think and dress more so for each other in an unspoken, platonic fashion competition.
Whatever the case, please, women of the world, heed the satire of SNL!
My only hope is that like these women, hipsterdom is acting out a wardrobe deadpan comedy (WDC from now on) as opposed to truly and wholeheartedly liking antiquated failures of fashion. Who knows, Pharrell seems intent on pushing this wave of bubblegum bullshit to the breaking point by opening kitchy stores like the new BBC/Ice Cream store in SOHO.
'til next time friends, ride safe.
7.20.2009
... its all the same
As promised, I rode up to Nyack this weekend (almost twice), though I'm sorry to report that I failed to bring my camera with me, I swear, I had it in the pile of things to be stuffed in my jersey pockets but still managed to leave it behind. To that end, I'll have to appropriate other people's pictures to illustrate my synopsis.
The ride was nice as ever and the roadies were out in full force (which is to be expected), peddling diligently toward this quaint little riverside village near the Jersey border. There was a street fair happening on Broadway as we rode into town, so we dismounted and walked a block or two through it to the Runcible Spoon Bakery.
After scarfing an egg-salad wrap and a ham, cheese, and lettuce sandwich; I reclined in my seat, pondering whether the egg salad might have been better between the slices of rye that the ham and cheese came on and vice-versa.
After my compatriot finished eating we went outside to fill our bidons and free our bikes from the tangle of bikes on the rack that is so generously provided by the cafe for weary travellers and weekend warriors alike. I like this rack because it proves yet another unsurpassed efficiency that bikes have. In the photo linked above, you can't see the whole series of racks, but I assure you they occupy a space no longer than one car would use, and hold no less than 30 bikes during the busiest hours of the day.
Remarking at some of the fancier looking rides, my friend made the obvious but true observation that at a certain point, it all amounts to dick-measuring. Of course this can be said of anything with a subcultural following, though it is glaringly obvious in cycling and comprehension of it comes in waves of disturbing realization.
Earlier, when riding along the Hudson on a beautifully shaded drive up and down the palisades, I took note of a woman riding a Felt TT past us as we stopped to eat some fruit and take in our surroundings. My first reaction was one of awe and excitement, but that quickly reverted to my furrowed brow of cynicism as I pondered the necessity of a $6500.00 wonderbike on these roads. Certainly the only those who intend on racing in time trials or triathlons could feign need for equipment like this, right?
Even so, if one is out to 'train' on rolling hills, why ride a bike that is essentially useless on anything but the flattest, straightest roads? Being in a TT tuck position is inherently unsteady, as I showed in a recent KIRT post, and the nature of the route prevents one from attaining any appreciable speed where a TT bike would begin to show its usefulness. Furthermore, If you are pro, you likely have a multitude of bikes and are hopefully skilled at selecting the right bike for the right terrain.
This aero/carbon obsession also defies the conventional logic regarding training... Wouldn't it be smarter to train on a heavier bike that has few of the aerodynamic or material advantages of a TT rig? In my thinking, if I can grind up a climb on a 25lb bike, shouldn't I be able to conquer that same hill with much greater ease on a 15lb bike? "Training" on a bike like that will only plateau your fitness goals faster, so why do it?
The only reasonable explanation left to us is the ego massage... As I said before, it's all about dick measuring (which is funny, for one because the rider of the Felt was a woman; and two, she was slower than christmas on climbs); the attempt to impress ones peers with an assumed air of skill and mavenhood. Ironically, as with most subcultural trends, this backfires easily, rendering you a poseur, devoid of any credibility from the peers you so hope to impress, highlighting your hypocracy.
This is important because while other sports (skateboarding, for example) suffer from the same gear-obsessed affliction, none are as seemingly oblivious to the rediculousness of it all as cyclists. Bicycles we see today are as much a product of advancing technologies as they are resulting from clever ad campaigns and manufactured jealousy. Suddenly, the branding of your bike preempts your 'cred' amongst other roadies as does the 'colorway' of your handlebar tabe and tires.
I'm of the mind that equipment must be used to its limit to exact maximum efficiency from it. If you buy an ultra-stiff Roubaix with vibration dampers, you should take it to the cobbles in Soho, or go try to win some field sprints at the local criterium races. If you have a bike that has a really big front wheel and a really tiny rear wheel, are you prepared to don tweed knickers and coif your facial hair? Therefore, one must ask themselves when gazing at the motorcycle-priced carbon frames gleaming in your LBS's window display, "can I fully realize the potential of this bike?"
Speaking of realizing potentials, I missed both stages of the tour this weekend since I was busy critiquing people's logical missteps. I came home yesterday, sweaty and tired, only to find that el pistolero won the days stage in the tour.
Diatribes flow easily from my fingertips when writing about people like Alberto Contador, though that is not to say that I don't feel some amount of contrition for talking smack about talents I don't have and things I can't do.
The first of many things that annoy me about contador is the grossly unimaginative victory salute he does whenever he wins, which unfortunately for my aesthetic principles is a lot.
The Finger-gun? honestly? Why would you use the trademarked douche salute on purpose? perhaps it holds some meaning for Al here; it could signify his shooting down of his opponents, but perhaps he's more esoteric than I originally credited him for... Maybe it is intended to be a threatening gesture, meant to strike fear in the hearts of his opponents, lest they get in front of him and be finger-banged from behind. Then again, the most likely explanation is that Contador is one of those whiny people that yearns to be known by some witty nickname like all the other golden-boys of cycling, but noone came up with one for him so he makes up his own and starts telling people to call him that. Sorry dude, it doesn't work that way.
Lastly, Contador's puny bag-o-victory-salutes is contrasted by Mark Cavendish's extensive repertoire of salutes, from which a new one (as reported by BSNYC) will be drawn on the occasion of his 100th career victory (this is all hear-say as I've no hard evidence this is in fact the case, though I hope it is). Being an unbeatable sprinter I can only hope that day is not far off.
Remember, don't be a poseur... ride for your own reasons lest you earn the ire of Bernard Hinault.
The ride was nice as ever and the roadies were out in full force (which is to be expected), peddling diligently toward this quaint little riverside village near the Jersey border. There was a street fair happening on Broadway as we rode into town, so we dismounted and walked a block or two through it to the Runcible Spoon Bakery.
After scarfing an egg-salad wrap and a ham, cheese, and lettuce sandwich; I reclined in my seat, pondering whether the egg salad might have been better between the slices of rye that the ham and cheese came on and vice-versa.
After my compatriot finished eating we went outside to fill our bidons and free our bikes from the tangle of bikes on the rack that is so generously provided by the cafe for weary travellers and weekend warriors alike. I like this rack because it proves yet another unsurpassed efficiency that bikes have. In the photo linked above, you can't see the whole series of racks, but I assure you they occupy a space no longer than one car would use, and hold no less than 30 bikes during the busiest hours of the day.
Remarking at some of the fancier looking rides, my friend made the obvious but true observation that at a certain point, it all amounts to dick-measuring. Of course this can be said of anything with a subcultural following, though it is glaringly obvious in cycling and comprehension of it comes in waves of disturbing realization.
Earlier, when riding along the Hudson on a beautifully shaded drive up and down the palisades, I took note of a woman riding a Felt TT past us as we stopped to eat some fruit and take in our surroundings. My first reaction was one of awe and excitement, but that quickly reverted to my furrowed brow of cynicism as I pondered the necessity of a $6500.00 wonderbike on these roads. Certainly the only those who intend on racing in time trials or triathlons could feign need for equipment like this, right?
Even so, if one is out to 'train' on rolling hills, why ride a bike that is essentially useless on anything but the flattest, straightest roads? Being in a TT tuck position is inherently unsteady, as I showed in a recent KIRT post, and the nature of the route prevents one from attaining any appreciable speed where a TT bike would begin to show its usefulness. Furthermore, If you are pro, you likely have a multitude of bikes and are hopefully skilled at selecting the right bike for the right terrain.
This aero/carbon obsession also defies the conventional logic regarding training... Wouldn't it be smarter to train on a heavier bike that has few of the aerodynamic or material advantages of a TT rig? In my thinking, if I can grind up a climb on a 25lb bike, shouldn't I be able to conquer that same hill with much greater ease on a 15lb bike? "Training" on a bike like that will only plateau your fitness goals faster, so why do it?
The only reasonable explanation left to us is the ego massage... As I said before, it's all about dick measuring (which is funny, for one because the rider of the Felt was a woman; and two, she was slower than christmas on climbs); the attempt to impress ones peers with an assumed air of skill and mavenhood. Ironically, as with most subcultural trends, this backfires easily, rendering you a poseur, devoid of any credibility from the peers you so hope to impress, highlighting your hypocracy.
This is important because while other sports (skateboarding, for example) suffer from the same gear-obsessed affliction, none are as seemingly oblivious to the rediculousness of it all as cyclists. Bicycles we see today are as much a product of advancing technologies as they are resulting from clever ad campaigns and manufactured jealousy. Suddenly, the branding of your bike preempts your 'cred' amongst other roadies as does the 'colorway' of your handlebar tabe and tires.
I'm of the mind that equipment must be used to its limit to exact maximum efficiency from it. If you buy an ultra-stiff Roubaix with vibration dampers, you should take it to the cobbles in Soho, or go try to win some field sprints at the local criterium races. If you have a bike that has a really big front wheel and a really tiny rear wheel, are you prepared to don tweed knickers and coif your facial hair? Therefore, one must ask themselves when gazing at the motorcycle-priced carbon frames gleaming in your LBS's window display, "can I fully realize the potential of this bike?"
Speaking of realizing potentials, I missed both stages of the tour this weekend since I was busy critiquing people's logical missteps. I came home yesterday, sweaty and tired, only to find that el pistolero won the days stage in the tour.
Diatribes flow easily from my fingertips when writing about people like Alberto Contador, though that is not to say that I don't feel some amount of contrition for talking smack about talents I don't have and things I can't do.
The first of many things that annoy me about contador is the grossly unimaginative victory salute he does whenever he wins, which unfortunately for my aesthetic principles is a lot.
The Finger-gun? honestly? Why would you use the trademarked douche salute on purpose? perhaps it holds some meaning for Al here; it could signify his shooting down of his opponents, but perhaps he's more esoteric than I originally credited him for... Maybe it is intended to be a threatening gesture, meant to strike fear in the hearts of his opponents, lest they get in front of him and be finger-banged from behind. Then again, the most likely explanation is that Contador is one of those whiny people that yearns to be known by some witty nickname like all the other golden-boys of cycling, but noone came up with one for him so he makes up his own and starts telling people to call him that. Sorry dude, it doesn't work that way.
Lastly, Contador's puny bag-o-victory-salutes is contrasted by Mark Cavendish's extensive repertoire of salutes, from which a new one (as reported by BSNYC) will be drawn on the occasion of his 100th career victory (this is all hear-say as I've no hard evidence this is in fact the case, though I hope it is). Being an unbeatable sprinter I can only hope that day is not far off.
Remember, don't be a poseur... ride for your own reasons lest you earn the ire of Bernard Hinault.
7.09.2009
...keepin it real Thursdays
So today I'll regale you with three tales of gore and intrigue... Firstly, on Tuesday evening, as I was cycling home down Christye St. about to come to the base of the Manhattan bridge, I was suddenly cut off by a silver station wagon that had been driving to my left and slightly in front of me. Thanks to my cat-like reflexes, I was able to avoid riding headlong into the rear windshield; though I didn't avoid contact altogether.
Since I was riding with my hands on the brake hoods, my right-hand knuckles went onto the tail-light of the offending Volvo, though I didn't realize this until later... Thinking I had just bumped into the car, I stopped riding to admonish the driver for not yielding to bicycle traffic, but he beat me to the punch, so to speak. The guy jumps out of his car and starts cussing me out at the top of his lungs, insisting that I intentionally and maliciously punched his car, 'cause as he said, "I see you people hit cars all the time! Don't try and act like it was an accident!"
By "you people" I can only assume he meant bike messengers, since they're usually the only cyclists in this city that are skilled and confident enough to tap a moving vehicle while evading the threat and not falling over. Actually I was somewhat flattered to be mistaken for the one of the "bad boys of cycling", though I'm not entirely certain of what led him to think I'm a messenger, I suppose it has something to do with my being on a bike, while wearing a backpack, since as we all know, backpacks are worn solely by messengers and no one else.
Once he felt his tirade was complete, he got back into his car and sped away, leaving me incredulous, staring after him. Then, trying to get pen and paper from my backpack to report him, I noticed that my middle finger looked a lot like this though on the other hand and more bloodied (sorry, I didn't have a camera with me that day):
I wish I had been able to remember the name of the lawyer in Carlito's Way, but alas, I'm terrible at coming up good insults on the fly. Anyway, he looked just like that character, so needless to say, it was pretty disheartening to get told off by a curly little punk like that. To make a long story short, it took me a while to both re-locate my finger and forget the guy's diatribe.
To help get my mind away from my worldly troubles, I escaped to the cozy confines of the Tour de France, reveling in the cyclists' determination. However, there certainly are traffic fiascos in the pro peloton too. Watching stage six end on wet catalan streets this morning, I just knew we could expect some spectacular crashes. Behold! Within three kilometers to the finish of a 181.5km stage, famed coke-head and German national road-racing champion, Tom Boonen (pronounced bonin' [as in fornication, yes...]) slips on a road marking, taking out 5-6 other riders in the process.
Unfortunately for Boonen and those other guys, when you're in a crash that close to the finish, they count the time gap instead of giving you the same time as everyone else (as was discussed yesterday) as when the peloton finishes.
Lastly, Mark Cavendish is yet again wearing the green jersey despite the best efforts of Thor Hushovd the stage's winner. During the ritual re-donning of the jersey, he sure didn't look too happy about having to actively defend it tomorrow.
Since tomorrow's stage is a highly anticipated mountain course where Armstrong, Contador, and Cancellara are expected to battle it out for the maillot jaune, the likelihood that the 'dish (strictly a sprinter) will be able to keep the points jersey is pretty slim. It's OK though Mark, I know someone who feels your pain. perhaps he can offer some consolation in song form:
Without a doubt, one of the more touching odes to self worth.
Since I was riding with my hands on the brake hoods, my right-hand knuckles went onto the tail-light of the offending Volvo, though I didn't realize this until later... Thinking I had just bumped into the car, I stopped riding to admonish the driver for not yielding to bicycle traffic, but he beat me to the punch, so to speak. The guy jumps out of his car and starts cussing me out at the top of his lungs, insisting that I intentionally and maliciously punched his car, 'cause as he said, "I see you people hit cars all the time! Don't try and act like it was an accident!"
By "you people" I can only assume he meant bike messengers, since they're usually the only cyclists in this city that are skilled and confident enough to tap a moving vehicle while evading the threat and not falling over. Actually I was somewhat flattered to be mistaken for the one of the "bad boys of cycling", though I'm not entirely certain of what led him to think I'm a messenger, I suppose it has something to do with my being on a bike, while wearing a backpack, since as we all know, backpacks are worn solely by messengers and no one else.
Once he felt his tirade was complete, he got back into his car and sped away, leaving me incredulous, staring after him. Then, trying to get pen and paper from my backpack to report him, I noticed that my middle finger looked a lot like this though on the other hand and more bloodied (sorry, I didn't have a camera with me that day):
I wish I had been able to remember the name of the lawyer in Carlito's Way, but alas, I'm terrible at coming up good insults on the fly. Anyway, he looked just like that character, so needless to say, it was pretty disheartening to get told off by a curly little punk like that. To make a long story short, it took me a while to both re-locate my finger and forget the guy's diatribe.
To help get my mind away from my worldly troubles, I escaped to the cozy confines of the Tour de France, reveling in the cyclists' determination. However, there certainly are traffic fiascos in the pro peloton too. Watching stage six end on wet catalan streets this morning, I just knew we could expect some spectacular crashes. Behold! Within three kilometers to the finish of a 181.5km stage, famed coke-head and German national road-racing champion, Tom Boonen (pronounced bonin' [as in fornication, yes...]) slips on a road marking, taking out 5-6 other riders in the process.
Unfortunately for Boonen and those other guys, when you're in a crash that close to the finish, they count the time gap instead of giving you the same time as everyone else (as was discussed yesterday) as when the peloton finishes.
Lastly, Mark Cavendish is yet again wearing the green jersey despite the best efforts of Thor Hushovd the stage's winner. During the ritual re-donning of the jersey, he sure didn't look too happy about having to actively defend it tomorrow.
Since tomorrow's stage is a highly anticipated mountain course where Armstrong, Contador, and Cancellara are expected to battle it out for the maillot jaune, the likelihood that the 'dish (strictly a sprinter) will be able to keep the points jersey is pretty slim. It's OK though Mark, I know someone who feels your pain. perhaps he can offer some consolation in song form:
Without a doubt, one of the more touching odes to self worth.
7.02.2009
...keepin it real Thursdays
All week I've been trying to come up with an epic fail to write about for today's post. Not coming up with any good ideas, I decided I'd go for a short stroll to organize my thoughts and hopefully happen upon some freak occurrence worth relaying here. I didn't watch any heads roll, though seeing the state of my local bike lane this afternoon brought many opinions to the front of my mind.
Frustrated by these menaces, I cast my gaze skyward hoping for consolation and an explanation from a god I don't believe in, and noticed the sunny skies had become overcast... Walking at a leisurely pace back to the office, I was caught in the initial rainfall before I could make it to the dry indoors.
A woman, scurrying into the lobby, slipped a little before catching herself on the door handle and simultaneously gave me exactly the idea I was hunting for.
July 4th, this coming Saturday, is not only the best day to visit an overpopulated city park or get inebriated on cheap beer; it is also the start of the 96th Tour de France!
As you can see from this video, courtesy of the french, the race starts with a team time trial through Rotterdam, NL (strange that it doesn't start in France, huh?). update: i was confused here, it did in fact, start in Monaco.
If you've no idea what a team time trial (TTT) is, its just like the individual time trial (ITT) where the starts are staggered and each rider races the clock, though in this case, the whole team rides together to get one guy across the finish line fastest. Needless to say, a lot of fancy bikes and pterodactyl helmets come out for these events, both of which are not known for aiding in bodily protection or handling.
This recalled to me the gripping last few minutes of the three-week-long Giro d'Italia 2009. Dennis Menchov, being the race leader, was the last to start the ITT through wet, cobbled, roman streets. If that sounds like a recipe for disaster to you, your instincts serve you well:
This aired in New York around two in the morning and thinking the race was as good as done, we practically shit ourselves when we saw this. One of the most interesting things about this fall was how fast the mechanic got out of the team car, removed a new bike from the roof-rack, and had it standing, ready for Menchov to ride away on before he could even really stand up. That guy deserves a raise if you ask me.
Of course as I said before, Saturday is July 4th which marks the first large-scale refutation of British colonial administration practices. Enjoy the "freedom" eveybody...
Frustrated by these menaces, I cast my gaze skyward hoping for consolation and an explanation from a god I don't believe in, and noticed the sunny skies had become overcast... Walking at a leisurely pace back to the office, I was caught in the initial rainfall before I could make it to the dry indoors.
A woman, scurrying into the lobby, slipped a little before catching herself on the door handle and simultaneously gave me exactly the idea I was hunting for.
July 4th, this coming Saturday, is not only the best day to visit an overpopulated city park or get inebriated on cheap beer; it is also the start of the 96th Tour de France!
As you can see from this video, courtesy of the french, the race starts with a team time trial through Rotterdam, NL (strange that it doesn't start in France, huh?). update: i was confused here, it did in fact, start in Monaco.
If you've no idea what a team time trial (TTT) is, its just like the individual time trial (ITT) where the starts are staggered and each rider races the clock, though in this case, the whole team rides together to get one guy across the finish line fastest. Needless to say, a lot of fancy bikes and pterodactyl helmets come out for these events, both of which are not known for aiding in bodily protection or handling.
This recalled to me the gripping last few minutes of the three-week-long Giro d'Italia 2009. Dennis Menchov, being the race leader, was the last to start the ITT through wet, cobbled, roman streets. If that sounds like a recipe for disaster to you, your instincts serve you well:
This aired in New York around two in the morning and thinking the race was as good as done, we practically shit ourselves when we saw this. One of the most interesting things about this fall was how fast the mechanic got out of the team car, removed a new bike from the roof-rack, and had it standing, ready for Menchov to ride away on before he could even really stand up. That guy deserves a raise if you ask me.
Of course as I said before, Saturday is July 4th which marks the first large-scale refutation of British colonial administration practices. Enjoy the "freedom" eveybody...
7.01.2009
...salmoning on shore
I was standing on the sidewalk in front of my place in Brooklyn the other day, minding a friend's belongings while she raced to return a rented moving truck. I was chatting with my woman, minding my own business when I hear someone say politely, "excuse me!"
I turn around expecting to see a grocery-laden neighbor or something like that, but to my surprise it was a smiling woman on a folding bike..... on the sidewalk.
I suppose she was on the sidewalk because she decided that it was safer or more convenient than salmoning in the street. What's funny is how slow she was riding, making her sidewalk salmoning all the more beguiling. I bet if she rode on the street one block up in the correct direction, it would be much faster than slowly weaving through pedestrians who aren't expecting to encounter a bike in their space.
I snapped that picture and assumed it was a fluke, that surely this isn't common practice and that most cyclists are, like myself, reasonably law-abiding. I returned to my loitering and breeze-shooting for not five whole minutes before I saw another sidewalk salmon!
My camera took longer than usual to take the photo for some reason and I actually couldn't see this guy anymore when I took the picture. Upon opening it on the computer, I saw the common-though-elusive "sidewalk fry," the youthful version of the sidewalk salmon that is known to flit to and fro on neighborhood sidewalks.
I suppose this is the time of year when salmon are greatest in number and I should learn to disregard people who's behavior I find questionable, though sidewalk salmoning attains new levels of ridiculousness and should be quickly nipped in the bud.
Cyclists are always whining about how everyone is against them and nobody respects the bike lanes and blah blah blah... I have to say, abiding by the rules isn't going to make people sing your praises, but breaking them isn't going to win you many fans either.
Next time I see sidewalk salmon, I can assure you I won't be quietly shooting photos, instead I'll be shooting mean glares and perhaps say something derisive if I can break my stony, disgusted silence.
I turn around expecting to see a grocery-laden neighbor or something like that, but to my surprise it was a smiling woman on a folding bike..... on the sidewalk.
I suppose she was on the sidewalk because she decided that it was safer or more convenient than salmoning in the street. What's funny is how slow she was riding, making her sidewalk salmoning all the more beguiling. I bet if she rode on the street one block up in the correct direction, it would be much faster than slowly weaving through pedestrians who aren't expecting to encounter a bike in their space.
I snapped that picture and assumed it was a fluke, that surely this isn't common practice and that most cyclists are, like myself, reasonably law-abiding. I returned to my loitering and breeze-shooting for not five whole minutes before I saw another sidewalk salmon!
My camera took longer than usual to take the photo for some reason and I actually couldn't see this guy anymore when I took the picture. Upon opening it on the computer, I saw the common-though-elusive "sidewalk fry," the youthful version of the sidewalk salmon that is known to flit to and fro on neighborhood sidewalks.
I suppose this is the time of year when salmon are greatest in number and I should learn to disregard people who's behavior I find questionable, though sidewalk salmoning attains new levels of ridiculousness and should be quickly nipped in the bud.
Cyclists are always whining about how everyone is against them and nobody respects the bike lanes and blah blah blah... I have to say, abiding by the rules isn't going to make people sing your praises, but breaking them isn't going to win you many fans either.
Next time I see sidewalk salmon, I can assure you I won't be quietly shooting photos, instead I'll be shooting mean glares and perhaps say something derisive if I can break my stony, disgusted silence.
6.19.2009
...trolling the net
As I've said before, due in part to the sad state of the financial sector, I spend much of my time at "work" surfing online, keeping tabs on the ridiculousness of the world we live with. Thus, I routinely dedicate at least a solid hour of my day to reading and finding good blogs in the other world we occupy.
Some that I read most frequently can be found to your right, below pitifully small list of followers.
To be frank, all bloggers eventually write something that just rubs me the wrong way. If the issue is one that I am empassioned about, and the offending words were composed just so, I have a hard time ever reading that blog again. And in the continued spirit of frankness, BLDG BLOG is a good example; I find what it reports on/about reasonably interesting, but because its an architecture-centric blog by a dude from LA, I doubt I'll ever again muster the fortitude to read his blog which is known to be rife with glowing appraisals of my arch-nemesis...
One that I return to at least weekly is Copenhagenize, a blog which, I surmise, is dedicated to cycling news in Copenhagen. I must confess, I found and read this blog the first 10 or so times more so because I'm Danish and really like Copenhagen as a city, than due to its subject matter or opinion. Now I read the blog cause I've found that, unlike Its sister site, Copenhagen Cycle Chic (which is starting to really bug me for some reason), Copenhagenize is more geared toward advocacy and cyclist's issues, not just in Danmark, but the world over, which piques my curiosity.
Anywho, the subject of today's post at Copenhagenize tests the limits of rediculosity. According to The Daily Camera (which I've never heard of 'til just now) , a new law in colorado is being put into effect that essentially raises the penalties for motorists that behave maliciously toward cyclists.
In wording, I think it essentially brings them to where we are in New York with road-sharing rules. Among the rights cyclists in New York enjoy are: the right to not ride in the shoulder or bike lane if it is deemed unsafe by the cyclist. This means that because the bike lane is, as i've said before, the worst place on the road to ride a bike, you have the ability to take a lane over by riding in the middle of it.
Apparently because cyclists are being afforded rights to life and liberty, one maniacal resident of Boulder, CO is trying to organize a car sit-in of sorts, calling on residents along the route of a popular colorado century ride to drive slowly and "break down" along a designated stretch of the ride, in effort to annoy the cyclists and i guess "give 'em a taste of their own medicine".
So let me get this straight, they intend to block traffic to "send a message" about needing the road clear of what they regard to be obstacles?? Forgive my levity, but that's about as smart of a plan as you could expect from those suburban morons, most aren't clever enough to see how self defeating something like that is.
Then again, its not all peaches and cream for cyclists in Australia, their government has just enacted laws that significantly raise the penalties for "rouge riders" that cause problems.
I totally agree that people have to be held accountable for their actions and most of these laws sound quite fair and even-handed, with the exception being the nearly $14k fine for "dangerous riding." I only hope that the fine would be imposed on a cyclist because they actually did something really fucking dumb and casued injury to someone or something; and not for simply being a cyclist unfortunate enough to run into a hard-ass, bike-hating cop. Maybe the risk of that is lower in Victoria, but in NYC, a law like that would just be another obvious attempt by the Bloomberg administration to have the poorest societal strata pay down the public debts incurred by the city's wealthiest.
Also worth a look is this crazy altercation between a toronto bike courier and a littering motorist. An old article but daaaaaaaamn, people need to chill the fuck out... seriously.
Stay calm, friends, and ride drama-free this weekend!
Some that I read most frequently can be found to your right, below pitifully small list of followers.
To be frank, all bloggers eventually write something that just rubs me the wrong way. If the issue is one that I am empassioned about, and the offending words were composed just so, I have a hard time ever reading that blog again. And in the continued spirit of frankness, BLDG BLOG is a good example; I find what it reports on/about reasonably interesting, but because its an architecture-centric blog by a dude from LA, I doubt I'll ever again muster the fortitude to read his blog which is known to be rife with glowing appraisals of my arch-nemesis...
One that I return to at least weekly is Copenhagenize, a blog which, I surmise, is dedicated to cycling news in Copenhagen. I must confess, I found and read this blog the first 10 or so times more so because I'm Danish and really like Copenhagen as a city, than due to its subject matter or opinion. Now I read the blog cause I've found that, unlike Its sister site, Copenhagen Cycle Chic (which is starting to really bug me for some reason), Copenhagenize is more geared toward advocacy and cyclist's issues, not just in Danmark, but the world over, which piques my curiosity.
Anywho, the subject of today's post at Copenhagenize tests the limits of rediculosity. According to The Daily Camera (which I've never heard of 'til just now) , a new law in colorado is being put into effect that essentially raises the penalties for motorists that behave maliciously toward cyclists.
In wording, I think it essentially brings them to where we are in New York with road-sharing rules. Among the rights cyclists in New York enjoy are: the right to not ride in the shoulder or bike lane if it is deemed unsafe by the cyclist. This means that because the bike lane is, as i've said before, the worst place on the road to ride a bike, you have the ability to take a lane over by riding in the middle of it.
Apparently because cyclists are being afforded rights to life and liberty, one maniacal resident of Boulder, CO is trying to organize a car sit-in of sorts, calling on residents along the route of a popular colorado century ride to drive slowly and "break down" along a designated stretch of the ride, in effort to annoy the cyclists and i guess "give 'em a taste of their own medicine".
“On July 25, in celebration of driver’s rights, many cars will use the Left Hand Canyon Road, drive slowly and many may break down unexpectedly, blocking areas to the cyclists on the return leg of the ‘Sunrise Century,’” the anonymous, one-page note reads. “Many cars and safe drivers all working together can send a message to the Statehouse to restrict cycling on our roads which are our only alternatives during family emergencies, commuting and required duties.”
Then again, its not all peaches and cream for cyclists in Australia, their government has just enacted laws that significantly raise the penalties for "rouge riders" that cause problems.
"The maximum penalties under the new act include:
Dangerous riding - $13,610 or prison for twelve months or both.
Careless riding of a bike - $681 for a first offence and $1361 for a subsequent offence
If a person is killed or seriously injured by a cyclist and the rider has not immediately stopped and offered assistance - $68,052 or five years in prison IF property is damaged by a cyclist and the rider has not immediately stopped and offered assistance - $284 or seven days in prison for a first offence and $567 or prison for between seven and 14 days for a subsequent offence."
Also worth a look is this crazy altercation between a toronto bike courier and a littering motorist. An old article but daaaaaaaamn, people need to chill the fuck out... seriously.
Stay calm, friends, and ride drama-free this weekend!
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