BSNYC Friday Fun Quiz!

If someone from outside of the United States were to ask me how Americans feel about people who ride bicycles, first I would show them this:



Then I would show them this:


Along with the following comment:

groundhog2008

This cyclist did not appear to try to stop, or even slow down.  And, it looked like there was room to make a safe pass.  This doesnt make sense to me, unless he was looking for a reason to blame a motorist for something.  I just looked it up, and it is true that maintenance vehicles legally drive on this bridge, and there are NO signs forbidding other vehicles from doing so, either.   I get tired of these obviously queer guys wearing those tight girly pants and causing traffic mayhem wherever they go!  It doesnt matter to them, whether they are on the road, sidewalk, walking trails, or whatever, they ALWAYS feel like they have the right of way, whining about something that didnt go their way!!  A lot of them are rich, and dont work, so this is what they do.  If some of these people get run over once in a while, that is what they should expect when they knowingly take the risks of being out on the highways, totally unprotected by anything but those cheap styrofoam helmets!!!!

I wonder if "groundhog2008" experiences physical pain from being so stupid.  You'd think there'd be some sort of dull throbbing in the cranial region.  Also, he says most cyclists are rich homosexuals who don't work as though that's a bad thing.  We should be so lucky!  It sounds like a very pleasant lifestyle, and instead of reading stupid bike blogs at our crappy jobs all day we'd be riding back and forth from our Chelsea townhouses to our summer places on Fire Island.

Of course, if this same person would ask me if I enjoyed riding bicycles, I'd answer thusly:


I'd probably answer more emphatically if I had a better wheelset, and I've currently got my eyes on the new Zipps, which are a bargain at only $3,600:

The upgrades from the 404 Firecrest carbon clincher to the 404 Firestrike don’t come cheap. The 404 Firecrest currently costs $2,725 and it will remain in the line. The new 404 Firestrike wheelset will be available as a higher end option for $3,600. The Firestrike is just 20 grams lighter than the Firecrest 404, and uses largely the same shape; clearly the new wheels will appeal only to a very specific rider, one who often rides in the rain and, most importantly, is willing to shell out serious cash for marginal gains.

Sure, $3,600 sounds like a perfectly reasonable price for a pair of dedicated rain wheels, which is why I plan to put them on my dedicated rain bike, where the improved aerodynamics will cancel out the resistance caused by my rusty chain:

I suppose I could also just use the $3,600 to buy another bicycle, but a pair of absurdly-priced wheels that will be obsolete as soon as road bikes move over to "hydrolic dick breaks" seems like a much better investment.

And now, I'm pleased to present you with a quiz.  As always, study the item, think, and click on your answer.  If you're right that's fantastic, and if you're wrong you'll see the Bicycle Blues.

Thanks very much for reading, ride safe, and ride safely.



--Wildcat Rock Machine

1) What is this?

--A L'Eroica-legal cleat with float
--What Freds do when they're happy
--A rider struggling vainly to extricate himself from his toe clips
--A revolutionary new pedaling technique whereby you reduce your pedal stroke to a single degree and "ratchet" your way forward

(Vélib' bikes come stock with the baguette.)

2) Vélib' in Paris is preparing to launch:

--A bike share program for children
--A three-week long bike share stage race to coincide with the Tour de France
--A bike share program for dogs
--A doping control program

3) What was "Let Levi Ride?"

--A fake grassroots campaign launched by Trek in 2008 to protest Astana's Tour de France ban
--A real grassroots campaign launched by bike messengers to protest USA Cycling's ban on "jorts" in road racing
--A "tramp stamp" tattoo worn by Odessa Gunn
--The first track on mandolin virtuoso Letle Viride's seminal 1973 self-titled debut album

4) What is this rider doing?

--Salmoning
--Shoaling
--Circling
--Sharting

(Via a reader.  Thank you, reader!)

5) According to the seller, this recumbent comes with:

--A parking brake
--A safety flag
--An emasculation
--All of the above

6) You should always wear a helment when handling bamboo.

--True
--False

(DJ Midlife Crisis on the Wheels of Steel)

7) Fixed-gear streetwear is now evidently the domain of middle-aged men.

--True

--False

***Special "ALLIGATOR UP!!!"-Themed Bonus Video***