Firstly, I’d prefer to thank the nameless commenter who designed a headbadge for my fledgling bike firm:
It’s as elegant because the bonded aluminum bikes it should adorn.
Secondly, after a protracted stretch of driving street bikes I slid into a bath filled with heat mac and cheese over the weekend and boy did it really feel good:
I additionally raided the saddle a hair, moved it again a smidge, and lowered the bars a dollop–delicate tweaks knowledgeable by my current street bike bender that make the bike just a bit extra inclined to gallop…
…while nonetheless sustaining 100% of its consolation, dignity, and poise.
Just like the maillot jaune on the penultimate stage, the Homer has this yr’s Trip Bike contest all however sewn up, and at this level it might take a real calamity for its place to be usurped…which feels like a good way to jinx myself, and right here’s me with out even a wood bike to knock on anymore:
Do me a favor, for those who’re out that manner knock on it for me, okay? And if the store proprietor makes an attempt to mind you with a seatpost for hitting his valuable artifacts simply inform him I gave you permission. I usually don’t advocate for carrying helmets, however on this case you would possibly need to take into account it.
Talking of calamities…
Because it occurs, over the weekend we have been driving within the native “protected” bike lane with my youthful son. (I put “quotes” round “protected” because it’s a “protected” bike lane that’s periodically bisected by high-speed parkway entrance and exit ramps, leading to an exciting pit-and-pendulum impact that actually retains you in your toes.) As we rode, we have been intermittently set upon by riders on varied scud-like e-contraptions. Some would beep annoyingly from behind as they overtook us–and for those who’re unfamiliar with the horns the most recent e-whatevers are outfitted with, right here’s what they sound like. Others would come at us head-on in our lane as they handed different riders, and at the least one made a valiant try and t-bone us as he sailed by a pink gentle at one thing like 20mph. After all none of that is in any manner exceptional–it’s simply what bike lanes are like now in New York Metropolis–however while you’re driving with a seven-year-old who’s nonetheless mastering his machine it’s more durable to disregard them, particularly as a result of he’s nonetheless too younger and small of stature to make use of correct e-bike encounter protocol, which is to say, “Fuck these guys” and play rooster with them.
None of that is to begrudge individuals their e-contraptions, or to even essentially to say they shouldn’t be utilizing them within the bike lane. Positive, a few of these riders suck ass, however a few of these bike lanes additionally suck ass, and arguably the buck stops with the individuals who design them. (Although possibly it’s extra correct to say the buck stops with the riders, however sadly the idea of private duty is not in trend.) Nonetheless, amid the present mania to champion any conveyance that’s not a automobile (no matter how ridiculous it might be), it’s develop into unacceptable amongst advocates to critique the Hydra of Annoyance that’s “micromobility,” which apparently some individuals nonetheless naively imagine goes to free us from motorized vehicle dependence. So whereas I embrace transportation evolution, and other people’s freedom to get round within the method that they select, and their proper to avail themselves of the various weird fruits of our present lithium ion battery obsession, I additionally suppose we have to at the least embrace our personal freedom to articulate what douchebags a few of these individuals could be. I imply who is aware of? Perhaps some good would possibly come of it. However even Twitter is sensitive about it:
After which there’s the separate matter of the supply business and cheap-ass batteries burning individuals to dying:
Alas, it’s unlikely we’ll see a decision to any of those twenty first century transportation issues anytime quickly, particularly once we’ve solved nearly none of our twentieth century transportation issues–with the potential exception of local weather management on subway trains, which is a particular enchancment.
