Tuesday, January 19, 2016

What's Old Is Old Again

As the Transport Workers Union so rightly points out, when it comes to the safety of New York City's streets, pedestrians are a "menace:"


(Click here for some city-sanctioned victim-blaming.)

Oh, sorry, did I type "pedestrians?"  Because I meant drivers, like this homicidal moron who crashed into the Go Anus Anal after doing his best to rub out a mother and her baby:

Well yeah, technically it's the "Gowanus Canal," but only tourists call it that.  If you want to sound like a real local, be sure to call it the "Go Anus Anal," especially when asking for directions:


Anyway, so this guy hits a woman as she's loading her baby into her Toyota Camry:

Murphy allegedly struck a 41-year-old woman at Degraw and Court Street as she was putting her 1-year-old baby into her Toyota Camry, police sources said.

Then he flees at high speed, at which point he drives his Audi right into the drink:

Murphy then fled three blocks down Degraw but ran out of room on the icy, dead-end street. The car plummeted into the water around 11:15 a.m., sources said.

“What caught my attention was the speed of the car. It was going around 70, 80 mph,” said Maurice Deas, 36, who works on the set for the TV show “The Americans.”

And is ultimately rescued by a couple of bystanders:

Murphy was able to open the door – even as the car started to sink – and managed to escape, with Deas and another man helping him out of the freezing water.

Deas said Murphy, who was wet up to the ankles, was visibly shaken up.

“He was a little out of it. He kept saying he was an Iraqi war veteran,” said Deas. “He was a little delirious. He kept saying the ice made him slip. He was trying to stop.”

Wow, there's no way I would have helped that guy.  "Thank you for your service," I've had said while saluting as I watched the icy, gonorrhea-ridden "waters" (to the extent you can call that water) of the Go Anus claim him.

A captain should always go down with his Audi.

The smuggies claim bike lanes help make streets safer, but it's becoming increasingly clear that the most effective solution is probably more streets that dead-end at canals.  Consider Amsterdam, for example.  Notice anything?



I'll gladly trade all New York City's bike infrastructure for a vast series of canals with no guardrails or warning signs.  See, bike lanes are mostly just more police parking, whereas unexpected canals would probably weed out the city's reckless drivers through natural selection within a couple months.

Moving on to more bikey-type stuff, I still have the Marin Pine Mountain 1:


And after spending most of my precious recreational riding time on it this past week I'm officially adding Marin to my "blocked callers" list because I don't want to give it back.

Here is why I am an unabashed fan of this bike:

--It's metal
--It has no bouncy parts to futz with, nor does it need them
--It has quick release axles, "standard" spacing, and a threaded bottom bracket
--It's only about $1,000, you don't need to change anything to make it better, and you can ride anywhere with it.

Regarding that last point, the bike's versatility is due to the "27.5+" wheel and tire size.  Basically you get all the obvious benefits of tires with more volume (lots of traction, the ability to smoothly roll over small animals and children), yet they're not so fat that they feel sluggish or are onerous on smooth terrain if you find yourself riding to the trails as I often do.  (I mean, no more onerous than a "regular" mountain bike anyway.)  And who needs suspension when you can accomplish the same thing with your tires?

And by all means, go ahead call me a sellout, because I'm pretty comfortable with praising a "cheap" bike that's extremely fun to ride.  I am a bike blogger, you know.  Selling out would be if I said, "Fuck it, I'm getting a real estate broker's license" and started hawking condos.

(Which I haven't ruled out, mind you.)

Speaking of selling, a reader informed me that this vintage Rapha garment can now be yours for only £300 (which is like US$25,000):



The Original Rapha Stowaway Rain Jacket size medium, pre Sky and big time days, original and unique.
Made from 2.5 ply Polyamide material which is tough yet remarkably waterproof multi-layer fabric, it's thin and nicely soft to the touch.
I bought this from Rapha in 2007 but have never worn it.
Please ask if you have any questions.

Ah yes, who can forget the humble days before Rapha hit the big time?


And let the record show I was a sellout as far back as 2009:

Rapha has managed to impress even the toughest of bike-world critics, including the anonymous blogger Bike Snob NYC, whose pointed critiques of cycling style have drawn a wide audience in the riding community (Mr. Armstrong was photographed not long ago wearing a Bike Snob “Seal of Disapproval” T-shirt.)

In an e-mail message, Bike Snob NYC said he was impressed with a “Fixed Jacket” that Rapha sent him to try. “It’s excellent,” he wrote. “It’s durable, the fit is good, and the pockets are in the right places.” The blogger added, “They’ve done a great job of not only evoking cycling history but also capturing a ‘soulful’ aesthetic that appeals to certain riders.” Still, he admitted: “As a cyclist, I understand it, but personally I sometimes find it off-putting. It’s a little rarefied for me ... I don’t want to feel like I need to be worthy of my clothes.”

By the way, here's the "Fixed Jacket:" 


That is emphatically not me, and is in fact from the 2008 series "30 Days of Rapha," which was the Bike Internet at its very best and most unintentionally hilarious:


Today's commute promised a cloudy cool trip to the office and rain on the way home. Scott from Australia, who blogs about his training and racing at SEVere Motivation was asking in yesterday's comments about jacket choices. Was I more concerned about temperature or precipitation when figuring out which to go with?

Well, today I chose the Rapha Stowaway over the Classic Softshell for two reasons. First with temps in the low 60s the heavier Classic would definitely have been too hot for the ride in. I calculated that even if the afternoon forecast for blowing rain materialized, the 50 minute trip home wouldn't soak me through and I'd be warm enough with base layer and cross jersey underneath. I paired the Stowaway with the Black Fixed Shorts giving the latter a racier edge.

If you think commuting by bike San Francisco Bay Area is so hard that it requires a walk-in wardrobe full of Rapha, then the people of Copenhagen would like to have a word with you:


And yes, if you're wondering, I still have the jacket:


I'm also working on my eBay description:

The Original Rapha Fixed Jacket size medium, pre Sky and big time days, original and unique.
Made from something.
Worn by a world-famous semi-professional bike blogger who got it for free and then mentioned it in the New York Times.  
Please ask if you have any questions.


Bidding starts at £1,000.

Lastly, speaking of the heady days of the urban cycling trend, remember bike polo?  Well now's your chance to fund a documentary about it:


In case you're unfamiliar with bike polo, first it was a "culture:"


Then it was an "identity:"


Nice tattoo by the way.  He must forget how to disassemble his hub.  What's on his other calf, a grocery shopping list?

Someone should really do a documentary about cyclists and their bike-themed calf tattoos: When you tattoo "Fuck Taxis" on your calves you pretty much tempt fate and guarantee that one day you'll need to seek work as a taxi driver--though if he does at least he can easily alter the tattoo:


Now that's a sentiment you never outgrow.

Anyway, as for bike polo, it went from "game" to "sport:"


And then from "sport" to "cliché:"


Though obviously it was already a "sport" back in 1902:


And here's the filmmaker:


Now to break it down to the nitty-gritty, in the last couple years I've seen, I've seen blood, I've seen broken teeth, I've seen friends fight with friends, I've seen friendships come to an end, I've seen people pick up and throw thousand-dollar bikes across the court when their team loses, I've seen people pick up and throw their bike across the court when their team wins.  I've seen something that I want to call the fire and the passion of competitive sport.

So basically road racing with less Rapha.

Bros will be bros.

100 comments:

Anonymous said...

NH cold Podium!

Anonymous said...

Welcome back from mini vacation WildCat.

Anonymous said...

What up podio!

Atherton said...

Weeeed podio

Anonymous said...

TOOP TEEN

Atherton said...

Weeeed podio

N/A said...

Does Amsterdam have an Anus canal? Feh!


Also, I likes my womens like I likes my bikes: with "standard" spacing, and a threaded bottom bracket.

Dorothy Rabinowitz said...

Suck it!

Anonymous said...

Top TENNIS!

Dorothy Rabinowitz said...

Take it from me, it ain't polo without the pony.

Bryan said...

Dammit if I hadn't gotten distracted or read first, I would have won the race to mediocrity! I don't need Rapha to get me there. 19 deg F(reedom) on my ride into work today. My balls have almost dropped again

Freddy Murcks said...

Sellout! You said that you'd never get a fat bike because you didn't have enough storage space to justify one, but when somebody gives you one....

Captain Oblivious said...

Now that I made top ten, would like to offer a few observations-

I don't think Snobbie is a sell-out, but with 17 kids and a wife (presumably) with a paying job outside of the home in addition to being the mother of said 17 kids, he will be taking off all national holidays, including those of other nations, like Zamunda, Equatorial Kundu, Elbonia and Bezerkistan. Also, I suspect that Grant Peterson, Eric the Chamferer or some other advertiser with similar clout has put a quota on the number of appearances Recumbabe can make. Or Snobbie has moved on, or some of his 17 kids are getting old enough to read the blog. Sometimes the best way to appreciate something is to be without it for a while.

Now as to the hit and run driver that ended up in the Go Anus Anal, he may be ticketed for illegal parking. Since it was a hit and run, he won't get off with "No Criminality Suspected." But if he has a good lawyer, his defense will include blaming the victim - should a 40 year old woman really be having a baby? And no, I don't believe there is anything wrong with that, just speculating what may come next?

Anonymous said...

How dare you praise an "affordable" bike. You don't even suggest a $1000 wheel upgrade. What kind of bike blogger are you? stock bike? pffft. You suck

dop said...

Can you bring Art Is Anal Cheese for a picnic by the Go Anus canal? (The Venice of Brklyn)

N/A said...

Go Anus Go!

JB said...

Now to break it down to the nitty-gritty, in the last couple years I've seen, I've seen blood, I've seen broken teeth, I've seen friends fight with friends, I've seen friendships come to an end, I've seen people pick up and throw thousand-dollar bikes across the court when their team loses, I've seen people pick up and throw their bike across the court when their team wins. I've seen something that I want to call the fire and the passion of competitive sport.

Bike polo sounds like exactly what I've been looking for in my life. To the artisanal tattoo maker guy! I'm thinking about getting the exploded diagram of an XT dick break, you know ironically. Who needs breaks!

recumbent conspiracy theorist said...

Great! Thanks for the bike polo coverage. Been too long.

Scranus.

Anonymous said...

disembodied toes...

N/A said...

Wildcat,

Is the Marin running the stock build? Anything you would change about it? It does seem to be a pretty compelling choice for a rigid steel ride.

McFly said...

I wonder how many DEAS NUTS Maurice has to deal with on a weekly basis.

I rode a Trek Stache a couple of weeks ago. That motherfucker was sweet.

JB said...

N/A: pretty sure it is a stock build (there may be more than 1), but I think Our Dear Leader mentioned that he may/would change out some of the "fit" items: saddle, stem, grips.

Serial Retrogrouch said...

...Is there any kind of anal besides anus?

JuanOffhue said...

Good one today, Snob! And you made me kind of want a Marin, even though I already have a perfectly good MB-5 that I rarely use.

Unknown said...

What? It took 4 years to make " It Takes Balls" ? Even the new Star Wars movie didn't take that long.

Grump said...

Snobby, if you really wanted to "sell out", you could get a part time job selling used Hyundai's. As for the hit and run driver, they should have waited three or four minutes before hauling him out of the water.

Mr. Pedantic said...



Does the "semi" still apply?

Captain Obvious said...

Fake Captain Obvious is fake. I am the real Captain.

Anonymous said...

Bike polo has also gotten a lot more exclusive: DZR shoes, Fixcraft mallets, polo specific frames, disc brakes, team jerseys, Bern helmets,....etc

Lieutenant Oblivious said...

Hey Captain Obvious - I said I was Captain Oblivious, sorry for the Confusement. I will demote myself to Leiutenant Oblivious as I defer to your rank!

Anonymous said...

"A captain should always go down with his Audi."

And the co-pilot should always go down on the captain.

Captain Obvious said...

Sorry (Captain) Lieutenant Oblivious - Reading comprehension is not one of my strong points.

Charlie said...

I know you like your Cambium saddle. I tried one for a few weeks then ditched it for the old B17. This guy is not a fan either Link

Anonymous said...

The Go-Go-Anus Canal ain't got squat on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland that used to catch fire. Top that for pollution Go-Anus Canal!

Anonymous said...

I can't think of a less interesting subject than bike polo. Seriously. this guy needs to get a real job if this is what he is wasting his time and effort on. I think Frisbee golf has a larger following than bike polo.

Fred Nifacent said...

NYC fun quiz was not that fun. They really didn't put much effort into it. They could have come up with at least one link of a person getting hit by a car blowing a red light or jumping the curb.

Unknown said...

vsk said ...

Could "the filmmaker" at least took his epic dump first before sitting for the picture??

Bezerkistan ... I'm stealing that one Captain ObLivious !

You can use Gowanus Canal Anal Fluid in the power steering pump or the windshield washer reservior in small quanitities as it never freezes.

vsk

Anonymous said...

http://www.bikerumor.com/2016/01/19/the-hydrate-mate-electronically-monitors-water-levels-and-consumption-in-any-hydration-pack/

In case you need to remotely check your camelback

Anonymous said...

Frisbee Golf is another example of the decline of the gene pool. 2,000 years ago we had the Roman Colosseum, now we have Frisbee Golf.

Captain Oblivious said...

Captain Obvious at 12:50 PM

You are both right and wrong

He posted as "Captain Oblivious" not Obvious (as he noted later) but he is still an impossible as I am the real Oblivious

But I am willing to let the matter die as he smartly demoted himself to Leftenant.

ChamoisJuice said...

N/A:

BikeSnob is not really living up to his bike snob moniker. He is more of a run what you brung, bikeen is awesome guy these days. I see he did get around to lowering his bars a little bit, by flipping the stem. It would look better and be lighter, to just cut the steerer down/lose some spacers/rep the stem with an assertive erectile angle, but snob cannot be bothered. Prolly, didn't even cut the seatpost down.

Cheap upgrades for the chubby bike:
-convert tires to tubeless, lose a bit of rolling weight, less flats
-inexpensive shimano hydro brakes use organic pads. Sintered metal pads work better. If you wanted to get cray, the finned XT heatsink pads fit.
-normal chainring. A simple front guide or a N/W ring would cut down on chain falling off when shredding the face off siktor gnar.
-ching chong QR skewers with the plastic piece that always gets deformed. Shimano skewers clamp harder, work easier.

One of the coolest things about this not very cool bicycle, is that it will take 29" wheels with normal tires, same diameter as the 27.5+ chubby tires. Snob will not try this setup, because it would reinforce how fucked up the custom geometry on his Engin is.

Anonymous said...

" "27.5+" wheel and tire size"

What's that in lumens?

In a world where a "29er" is nothing more than a fat 700c, (meaning a 29er is smaller than a 27"), it could be anything, but if it's 27 and a half inches doesn't that mean it requires its own esoteric tyre and tube? It's hard enough to source the once bog standard 27" tyres and tubes these days, let alone a whole new wacky size.

BamaPhred said...

Scranular Condition frigid, with a coating of frost. Tomorrow it's rain.

dop said...

At 2:09 ...


Anonymous said...
Frisbee Golf is another example of the decline of the gene pool. 2,000 years ago we had the Roman Colosseum, now we have Frisbee Golf.



I miss Vivisection of The Wounded.

DB said...

I find it hard to believe that Joe Walsh and Keith Richards outlived Glenn Frey.

Anonymous said...

My review for any worthwhile contemporary cycling garment:

Not dayglow green.

Captain Obliviator said...

CJ - Eat a bag of dicks and then go fuck yourself. And start your own fucking blog if you want to give people unsolicited bike advice. I am sure that your loyal Reddit following, to whom you have been advising about the best deals on dept. store and mail order bikes, would slaver over every word.

Move on, Go About Your Business, Nothing to See Here said...

"Sculptor Thomas McAnulty, a professor emeritus of art and art history at New York's Adelphi University, has died of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident Thursday, January 14.

A motorcyclist crashed into McAnulty as the artist crossed the street on West 96th Street in Manhattan. DNA Info [a NYC Blog] reports that the sculptor was in the crosswalk at the time of the accident. The motorcyclist remained on the scene as emergency personnel responded.

Despite efforts to eliminate pedestrian deaths through New York city's Vision Zero plan, traffic-related fatalities continue to occur, including the death of Brooklyn-based curator Victoria Nicodemus last month.

"We are looking for any leads or tips that would help the police with this case. At this time it has not yet been deemed a criminal event, only an accident," [his niece said].

Spokey said...

db

don't know about walsh. he's been clean for quite awhile now. as for keith richards, what makes you think he outlived frey?

UnAnusymous said...

The Marin Pine Mountain 1 has received good reviews from everyone, included when it was tested near Moab; except from the stupid anus anal CJ. Go anus anal yourself CJ.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous @ 2:14pm

27.5+ is uses the 650B rim diameter. Sheldon Brown explains it all.

grog said...

I tried bike polo for a while. It was alright.
I tried being anonymous once. It was alright.
I tried to remember Recumbabe. It's not right.

1904 Cadardi said...

Shouldn't the Bike Polo movie be called "Jumping the Shark"?

DB said...

Good one Spokey.

Lieutenant Oblivious said...

VSK, you wouldn't be stealing Bezerkistan from me, that is a fictitious country used in "Doonesbury." Zamunda is from "Coming to America," Equatorial Kundu from "The West Wing," and Elbonia from "Doonesbury." When we closed for MLK on Monday we determined we would close for the National holidays of all nations, such I got to work looking for some more off the beaten path.

Sorry to the real Captain Oblivious, didn't realize you were out there due to my own obliviousness. I've been using Anonymous, Carlos Caliente and a few others, maybe I will stick with Lieutenant Oblivious?

Red Ross said...

FUCK TAXIS

George: "I'm not taking a cab."
Jerry: "I'll pay for it."
George: "It's not the money."
Jerry: "Well, what is it you object to? The comfort? The speed? The convenience?"

P. Bateman said...

i still like my 27.5/650b except that i've had 3 flats in 3 rides so thinking my tires may not be up to the rugged duty that riding around florida entails.

instead of recycling people just break any and all glass they can find on my bikeen route.

actually up in charlotte this week and 2 pedestrians killed in 2 days. some mother fucker ran someone over then managed to flip his damn car on the main part of tryon which is like a 25mph zone that is usually packed full of pedestrians.

damn pedestrians. they are a menace.

Dilbert said...

Elbonia is not from Doonesbury

P. Bateman said...

Pound Town - thats in Donnesburies His Bone

Anonymous said...

Give those pathetic pedestrians a goddamn 15 feet flagpole and be done with it.

Lieutenant Oblivious said...

Sorry Dilbert, I meant you, was so concentrated on my spelling and punctuation I became oblivious to my typing!

Ranger Dick said...

Interesting sidenote: Slate Olsen, general manager of Rapha, died at the peak of the tweed biking craze.* Surly persons unknown were so angered by his foppishness that they beat him to death with his artisanal framepump.




*I obviously made this up, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was true. His foppishness and status as an utter twit certainly angered me.

Anonymous said...

"A captain should go down with the Q-ship." fixed that for you

Anonymous said...

Anon 2:47

Thanks for the Sheldon link. This is what the Sainted One has to say about 27.5:

"Marketing term for wide, knobby 584 mm tires. Some Mountain bikes"

Couldn't find 27.5+ anywhere, but there's still no indication what "actual size" 27.5" is.

Disregard the width for a moment, is it 26", 27", 700c or something else altogether? To the best of my, admittedly limited, knowledge those are the only common wheel sizes for "full size bikes". So, in the name of all things holy, how the fuck can a "29er" refer to a 700c (something a little smaller than a 27" wheel)!? And why the fuck would you label a wheel 27.5" if it's not actually, you know,a twenty-seven and half inch wheel!? Why!!??

babble on said...

Ranger Dick - Wait, I'm confused ... so a person should never ride a Surly in their Rapha gear?? I never get a chance to go broke on Rapha cause our club is sponsored by Sugoi and Cannondale, but now?? I dunno. Snobberdooder's auction is mighty tempting. Mind you, with a mere $1000 minimum open, you know that the bidding will be fierce. Enquiring minds will want to know: did he actually sweat in it?? Is it enhanced with the "funk of snob"? Or, -gasp!!- is there a hidden reason for the steeply discounted price?? It it in reality quite unremarkable? Has the Mrs inadvertently tossed it in the wash?!?

Cause it matters, y'know.

1904 Cadardi said...

Anonymous @4:18pm

It doesn't have a damn thing to do with wheel size. It's rim bead diameter. 700C rims have an rim bead diameter of 622mm which is used for road bikes and 29er mountain bikes. 27" wheels use a 630mm rim bead diameter.

"Is is 26", 27" 700C or something else altogether?" It's 700C

A 29er wheel (tire mounted on a rim) is about 29" in diameter. A 27.5 is pretty close to 27.5" in diameter. And a 26 wheel is actually pretty close to 26", and all vary depending on the width and height of the tire. But the important measurement is the rim bead diameter which is confusingly the same between 700C road and 29ers, but smaller than a 27" rim.

Also, you used "in the name of all things holy" with regards to bicycle "standards". Hysterical!

P. Bateman said...

i accidentally watched a film called the Trial of Billy Jack last night.

didnt realize its actually part 3 in a series. its quite the mind fuck and now i really want to see the rest of them.

i recommend you check them out too if you haven't seen them.

Dooth said...

Buried deep in the anals of history: the Go-Scranus Canal.

Spokey said...


PB

just that char-lots is progogressive. they're just helping peeps find a deetch and get into it.

Spokey said...


i was a bit shock-oed by the gore-anus canal bit. does it really have enough water in it these daze to actually drown?

Pathetic Old Cyclist said...

Donald Trump just shot himself in the foot with Sarah Palin. What a dick.

In other news involving useless dicks, De Blase has announced that this past year was the safest traffic year in NYC in 100 years. Only 14,888 peds / cyclists were injured by automobiles. Only 231 were were killed, but, incredibly, on 31 were prosecuted under the Failure to Yield provision of Vision Zero.

Vision Zero an unmitigated success, ask 15000 victims


JP Cheaves said...

-"Fuck it, I'm getting a real estate broker's license" - that's been my fall back plan since college.

Anonymous said...

Dear 1904 Cadardi,

Your 4:40PM post perfectly encapsulates just how totally fucked tyre sizing conventions are.

I do get the pretext behind the sizing, but even the straight forward answer that the wheel in question is 700c doesn't answer my initial question in an earlier post asking if the thing requires special tyres?

I also reject your assertion that a wheel is a "tire mounted on a rim". A wheel is an assembly of hub, spokes and rim. With or without a tyre mounted, it remains a wheel of a particular size. If a wheel is to be sized according to its size with tyre mounted, they should all carry a "v" for variable designation as with differing air pressures and treads wearing away, the size does indeed vary.

In a just world, wheels would be classified by just its size (26", 700c etc) and the range of tyre widths it can accommodate (23 to 35, for example). Or is that a too soothing, sedate and sensible concept for marketing hucksters?

Reggie said...

In the words of Ice Cube, "Today was a good day. I didn't have to read no Ted K."

Anonymous said...

Anonymous @ 5:51,

"In a just world..." is catered for by the ISO/ETRTO system, which quotes tyre sizes accurately by width and bead diameter in millimetres. You wheel rim needs to have the same bead diameter as your tyre, and vice versa.

Try clicking the link to Sheldon Brown at 2:47pm and reading that.

26", 27", 29", 650c and 700c are just labels, historic approximations to the combined wheel/tyre diameters..

Yes, there's a lot of marketing hype behind it all, but if your surname was Robinson, would you expect people to bitch about it if you father wasn't called Robin and you were actually someone's daughter? Relax. ;)

JLRB said...

Gow C

King Quaff said...

I fear no beer!

leroy said...

Oh great. Karaoke night and my dog is singing "I'm too sexy for my shirt."

He'll change his tune when we go out later. It's freaking chilly.

Anonymous said...

Frey

bieks_bieks!!!! said...

Great gaping brosephs!

You guys haven't lived until you learn Schwinn's wheel sizes. They made new rims for the express purpose of selling the tires. That's all. New model bike, new model spare parts..Oh and the tires? You could only get from Schwinn for about 1 year.


700c on a mountain biek is too whacky for small framesets.
At least one of the "new" sizes is actually from a wildly unpopular standard that is smaller than a 700c, bigger than a 26" and has been around a very long time.
26" was and still is a solid choice.

dop said...

Does it bother anyone that there's no snow on the ground when uma rides her motorcycle to the house of blue leaves, but when she has her duel with oren is hi the ground is covered?

bad boy of the north said...

pedicab accident on good day new york on fox.....that's channel 5 in the nyc area.

Unknown said...

vsk said ...

Another crappy market day in store ...

I'm glad my 401K is heavy in ColumbusSL and Reynolds531.
What's the Fixie Index at rt now? I can't seem to pull it up on CNBC.

With gas heading to under $1.oo a gallon maybe I should pick up an old trucklike thing, ... back from the time period before they were called SUVs.

vsk

JLRB said...

VSK - You need to diversify into Chris King, Crabon, and allocate 10% into each of the above discussed wheel sizes.

With some of the "affordable" bike prices, SpecialEd should name its next model the 401k.

Spokey said...

nah

trucks be trucks

suv, crossover, etc are all the old station wagon or at times more like hatchbacks

Morris Minor 1000 Traveller

Jensen-Ford woodie

Pontiac Woodie

i'd say the original ford explorer was a small truck due to its body on frame while in recent years ford revamped it into a station wagon when it changed the old boxy style to the lower more streamlined version and moved it to a unibody type platform.

Spokey said...


yeah the market tanking again. glad spousy and moi have defined pensions as our savings are down a couple hundred grand so far this year.

Unknown said...

vsk said ...

Prefer the precious metals of Columbus and Reynolds to the fiat currency of crabon.
King's a good idear tho.
Maybe jump the NY ship altogether and move to a place like Perfection, Nevada a la Tremors. Stock up on ammo and get a 5 ton ex military truck for running "errands". Fat bike w kevlar runflat tyres. Small airplane behind the trailer for when I want to visit friends.

More currently, gotta run to the local big everything store and get some salt for the coming snowpocalypto.

vsk

Roille Figners said...

It's times like these when you're like "Well golly, I'm glad I was a shifty layabout, and then a spendthrift, and then spent years getting socked for child support, because now I'm not so unfortunate as to have a positive net worth that is all wrapped up in a market that is doing badly." Hey it's a certain kind of problem to have.

bad boy of the north said...

good bye stock market.....hello refrigerator box.

dop said...

Roille-That reminds me of William "Beep" Patterson, who ran the Penn Square Bank into the ground. After he went bankrupt, he gathered his family for a meeting.

"I got some good news. We don't have to worry about estate planning anymore"


He had a great business model. He would make large shitty loans & sell them to larger banks. Didn't have to hide them in mortgage bonds.

Freddy Murcks said...

Since Snob is a semi-employed, semi-pro bike blogger he must stay home and see after the seventeen (17) human children. Aside from popping out a new human child roughly every 10 months, I wonder what Mrs. Snob does to occupy her time. (This is the kind of idle speculation I am reduced to when Snob is late with the post because he's too busy indulging in the Wednesday weed.)

JLRB said...

The FUCK TAXIS tat looks like it was drawn in sharpie.

JLRB said...

There is an inverse relationship between the Dow Jones and the comment count

Sell Short said...

If we hit 100 the Jones will hit a 5 year low

Unknown said...

vsk said ...

Gotta

Unknown said...

Tank

Unknown said...

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-35371230

John J Beckman said...

I wonder how much of a wardrobe these people would need to deliver food for 12 hours in "wintry mix" conditions... Meanwhile all I pack is two extra pairs of socks.

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Anonymous said...

Can you find another alternative pithy finish to post on bike polo players? There's a bunch of folks who play who ain't bros.
Punk's not dead?
3-2-1 smash?
Watch your chiclets?
Yours in editorial integrity and like, equality and stuff.
Jack