tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post8145450907809682941..comments2024-03-27T07:25:55.115-04:00Comments on Bike Snob NYC: New Outside Column!BikeSnobNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11256142855437740163noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-55924474972692009072019-04-29T09:33:44.763-04:002019-04-29T09:33:44.763-04:00In defense of road racing, it can be fun but it ta...In defense of road racing, it can be fun but it takes a LOT of work to get to the point where its fun. I'm a lowly cat 3 and no Cancellara but I am fit and wily enough to get an occasional podium in the local p123 races - IF I race twice/week all summer. You have to be the kind of person who rides hard compulsively and loves training. It's then becomes natural to want to test yourself in a race. The fun from racing comes only if you are fast enough to play games at the front - just strong enough to get into and hang in a breakaway. In times when I'm not up to the task (after an illness or injury) the racing is in no-way fun.<br /><br />Eben I would love to speak to you about a crisis we are having in the local racing scene, it might be something you could help us with.STGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09938930457587263153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-69779365699532943182019-04-27T20:51:59.557-04:002019-04-27T20:51:59.557-04:00When I tried racing, almost half a century ago, I ...When I tried racing, almost half a century ago, I was under the misconception that the goal was to win. It didn't take long to recognize that wasn't going to happen. One day I realized that I had enjoyed the ride to and from the race much more than the competition itself, and that was the end of my racing career.<br /><br />The attraction I felt to cycling started through my appreciation of the mobility it provided. It expanded my horizons and supported my independence. When it came time to consider driving, I put off buying a car a couple years as the costs were so high compared to cycling, which was working fine for me. This cost me dates, to be sure, but as it turned out, I didn't miss anything. The bicycle also proved to be a fine platform to help me build my mechanical skills, and that has worked well for me over the years. I didn't have a lot of money, but through employee discounts I was able to have nice bikes, and putting them at risk by burying myself in a pack of other inexperienced racers didn't appeal to me at all.<br /><br />There has been nothing "cold and timid" about my riding, though. I ride fast, hard and long. I seek out the steepest climbs, complete double-centuries, and have ridden around the clock more than once. I've had people tell me they race because it gives them the incentive to ride. For me, the ride is its own incentive. It's all about the bike.Steve Barnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05141738452735566462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-47803645287862569582019-04-27T00:47:40.145-04:002019-04-27T00:47:40.145-04:00http://www.fox9.com/news/cyclist-seriously-injured...http://www.fox9.com/news/cyclist-seriously-injured-after-downtown-minneapolis-crash-with-produce-truck?fbclid=IwAR01umSVz2_NUkF_6_-8B_SV3DWkhkg5InNs_qlDgAekIARunj28s8N-kfMnhojnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-51113239061042604302019-04-26T16:28:31.180-04:002019-04-26T16:28:31.180-04:00Vision Zero is just bullshit here too
https://www...Vision Zero is just bullshit here too<br /><br />https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/its-absolutely-unacceptable-protesters-demand-safer-streets-in-dc/2019/04/26/e6f91ce2-652f-11e9-a1b6-b29b90efa879_story.html?utm_term=.e5197187bb54&wpisrc=nl_buzz&wpmm=1<br /><br />JLRBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-59069659648759143542019-04-26T16:23:53.653-04:002019-04-26T16:23:53.653-04:00Wow, mikeweb and wishiwasmerckx appearing on the s...Wow, mikeweb and wishiwasmerckx appearing on the same day! It's like old times in here. Babs?Comment deletedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16079738743211753599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-35450565179854831462019-04-26T14:08:29.735-04:002019-04-26T14:08:29.735-04:00Snob-
You could say to hell with racing, act your...Snob-<br /><br />You could say to hell with racing, act your age and join a dad band.dancesonpedalshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00164303442656489828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-82704949487266770262019-04-26T12:29:30.661-04:002019-04-26T12:29:30.661-04:00Teddy begged Woodrow Wilson to let him fight in th...Teddy begged Woodrow Wilson to let him fight in the Great War (WWI). Wilson probably saved Teddy's life by refusing to let the old guy into the trenches. <br /><br />Teddy didn't know when to "say when". Or when to hold 'em, and when to fold 'em. Or when to cash out and go home... or when to fold up his tent and hike out.<br /><br />Speaking of being a washed-up geezer, I just finished swapping out my early aughts-era Ultegra 53/39 crankset for a new Ultegra 52/36 crankset* with DA BB. Yes, I'm running an "11 speed" semi-compact crankset on a drivetrain which is otherwise "9 speed." <br /><br />Rapha 'curated' a ride near my home and called it "Killing Me Softly" because of the relentless lobdamn hills around here. The new crankset is a concession to my aging and perpetually sore muscles, including my lower back. (well, there is something going on with my left knee, too.)<br /><br />At least I'm not like those "cold and timid souls" who are riding compact 50/34 cranksets with 11 cogs in the rear which include a 32 tooth cog. Don't get me started on the SRAM 1X Freds I've seen crawling up the hills around here.<br /><br />*These new Shimano cranksets are some of the ugliest bits of bike tech, ever, but I'm enjoying the juxtaposition between the crankset and the rest of my nearly-antique road bike.Chazunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-28505312460335841512019-04-26T12:05:16.056-04:002019-04-26T12:05:16.056-04:00bad boy - The Tour de Bronx goes through Woodlawn ...bad boy - The Tour de Bronx goes through Woodlawn and it's very cool. Other times, you can't ride through Woodlawn.<br /><br />The cemetery is, however, making a pitch to be more welcoming to those of us still above ground. As part of that effort, the cemetery hosted its first ever rest stop for the Tour de Bronx last Fall. leroyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03489096287266831412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-45109086346424851202019-04-26T11:56:19.291-04:002019-04-26T11:56:19.291-04:00Finally got one of my fredier sleds back in workin...Finally got one of my fredier sleds back in working order - it's nice to ride without the squeaks and creaks of my winter abuse sled<br /><br />TREEP OLLEN<br />(requires thumb knuckle tats)JLRBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-7482606481173612242019-04-25T19:05:33.136-04:002019-04-25T19:05:33.136-04:00The credit belongs to the man who is actually in t... The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena...Who<br /> strives valiantly, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions,<br /> and spends himself in worthy causes. Who, at best, knows the triumph of<br /> high achievement and who, at worst, if he fails, fails while daring<br /> greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls<br /> who know neither victory nor defeat.<br /> <br /> <br /> Theodore "The Big Stick" Roosevelt.<br /> <br /> <br /> __O<br /> _\<_<br /> (_)/(_)<br />Grumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10888087510150612547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-58085987048049394632019-04-25T16:41:03.028-04:002019-04-25T16:41:03.028-04:00I do kind of miss the days of being in the pack an...I do kind of miss the days of being in the pack and hanging in there. And it was/is a pleasure to ride with a group of excellent bike handlers. Now in gravel "races" (really, events) the pack is not in existence for that long. But one cannot have everything - I still get that sense of good exhaustion at the end.Memoriesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-5992908041506708172019-04-25T16:39:19.995-04:002019-04-25T16:39:19.995-04:00Yep. I know Woodlawn well. I have family and frien...Yep. I know Woodlawn well. I have family and friends buried there.<br />I saw the "Duke" interred there.<br />Yeah, I'm that old.<br />Years ago an old girlfriend of mine and I decided to ride our bikes through there.<br />Nothing like being chased by an a-hole armed security guard to make sure we were out.<br />Now, I understand they have an occasional bike tour through there.bad boy of the southnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-31787094811848273672019-04-25T15:18:13.620-04:002019-04-25T15:18:13.620-04:00My dog syas he knows someone who sounds jealous be...My dog syas he knows someone who sounds jealous becuase in Brooklyn, we have trendy artisanal hubcap popup shops on our streets.<br /><br />In the Bronx, all you have are popup car and truck power washing services operated from the backs of vans parked on Webster Avenue along Woodlawn Cemetery.<br /><br />He claims that on Halloween, the ghosts of Duke Ellington, Joseph Pulitzer, and Herman Melville trick or treat descend on Webster Ave as the Pep Boys. He also says you can't tell who Miles Davis dresses up as because he's still turning his back on audiences.<br /><br />I'm not sure I buy his Pep Boys spiel, but the turn your back on the audience thing is classic Miles.leroyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03489096287266831412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-59172610219573521262019-04-25T14:00:16.309-04:002019-04-25T14:00:16.309-04:00wishiwasmerckx,
1) I've never had a car knoc...wishiwasmerckx, <br /><br />1) I've never had a car knock me over while on the river either.<br /><br />b) I'm not going to make it out of Cat 4. Not even going to make it into Cat 4.<br /><br />III) I've seen road races: lots of crashes and injuries, the odd death.<br /><br />iv) I'm a terrible swimmer, so all the cyclists in triathlons were well ahead by then. Problem solved.<br /><br />Funf) I started as a mountain biker. I was and am mediocre, but even the most mediocre-ist of all mountain bikers has bike handling skillz that would put the handling of the roadies in the group rides I've done to shame.<br /><br />seis) Wish I was Merckx too. huskerdontnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-15157561886828626462019-04-25T13:41:38.956-04:002019-04-25T13:41:38.956-04:00Wrench Monkey,thanks.Wrench Monkey,thanks.bad boy of the southnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-13249548132045502852019-04-25T12:31:23.963-04:002019-04-25T12:31:23.963-04:00wishiwasmerckx said..."It's the triathlon...wishiwasmerckx said..."It's the triathlons which would scare me. "<br /><br />I was nearly impaled by an aero-bar wielding tri-guy this morning on my way to the place I pretend to work.JLRBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-30479096621162673752019-04-25T12:28:39.832-04:002019-04-25T12:28:39.832-04:00BBotS, It's a Volvo 122s, or maybe even a (gas...BBotS, It's a Volvo 122s, or maybe even a (gasp) 123GT.Wrench Monkeynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-51609976698682597172019-04-25T12:15:20.306-04:002019-04-25T12:15:20.306-04:00Secret to happiness, I retired from road racing at...Secret to happiness, I retired from road racing at least a decade ago, but when I was "on the circuit," at the crits the masters usually had faster lap times than the pro/1/2's.<br /><br />Waiting for your competition to "age out" was a fool's errand.wishiwasmerckxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-88399903506199146692019-04-25T12:12:35.847-04:002019-04-25T12:12:35.847-04:00Huskerdon't, whitewater kayaking? So far as I ...Huskerdon't, whitewater kayaking? So far as I am aware, nobody has ever drowned in a bicycle race.<br /><br />If you can make it out of the Cat 4's, racers are for the most part excellent bike handlers.<br /><br />It's the triathlons which would scare me. Triathletes used to show up for our group rides and make a total mess of things with their non-existent pack riding skills. wishiwasmerckxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-30415029067411869232019-04-25T12:08:23.090-04:002019-04-25T12:08:23.090-04:00BBOS, I, too had a Saab in the bumblebee colorway....BBOS, I, too had a Saab in the bumblebee colorway. A real head-turner.<br /><br />I bought it twice with what I spent in repairs.<br /><br />I was secretly glad when my new-driver teen wrecked it and the insurer totalled it out.<br /><br />Am I seeing a trend? A correlation between bike racing and Saab ownership?wishiwasmerckxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-18381225549240307002019-04-25T12:07:43.206-04:002019-04-25T12:07:43.206-04:00The sense of surrender to the peloton speaks to me...The sense of surrender to the peloton speaks to me as I ease myself back into racing after a 25 year absence. That and simply hang on for dear life to the wheel in front of me.mikewebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17534302647612107660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-75778270258530806722019-04-25T11:59:58.290-04:002019-04-25T11:59:58.290-04:00Never was fast enough to race and at 53, I'm n...Never was fast enough to race and at 53, I'm not getting any faster. Good column, tho. Did the guy fixing his car in the street also have a batch of saison brewing in the boot?Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05261711556357548337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-42016457793154558282019-04-25T11:59:07.143-04:002019-04-25T11:59:07.143-04:00Since I sauntered over I should wear a helemente t...Since I sauntered over I should wear a helemente to protect me from the wrench<br />JLRBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-26845168227277198762019-04-25T10:56:41.424-04:002019-04-25T10:56:41.424-04:00I meant the car being worked on.I meant the car being worked on.bad boy of the southnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213956784784062266.post-43439292452938618412019-04-25T10:22:24.464-04:002019-04-25T10:22:24.464-04:00I like the 2 chairs, neither of which he seems to ...I like the 2 chairs, neither of which he seems to be using whilst presumably sitting at his little table. I do hop he had some music playing.ktachehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17033087773589049696noreply@blogger.com