Wednesday, January 30, 2008

More BSNYC Infrequently Asked Questions

Awhile back I posted answers to some infrequently asked questions. And because knowledge is power and we all want to register big wattage on the SRM of life, I've gone ahead and answered a few more below. So read and be misinformed. If you've still got any questions once you're done, check in with Fat Cyclist, since he may have some answers for you too:


What is a “century?”

A century is a word people who ride Serottas and Cervelos equipped with mountain bike pedals and compact cranks use to describe what the rest of us just call a long ride. There’s also something called a “metric century.” Riders use the same type of bicycles, but a metric century is shorter and probably involves more camelbaks and helmets with visors on them.

What is a “training ride?”

This is how roadies describe what the rest of us just call a ride. It can be long, short, fast, or slow. It can also be intermittently fast and slow, which is called “intervals.” Roadies call rides “training rides” so people know that they race. In fact, roadies only do two kinds of rides: training rides, and races. Any other type of riding is considered “garbage miles,” or “junk miles.” Garbage miles include any miles ridden offroad, any miles ridden for purposes of commuting or transportation, any miles not ridden in full team kit, and any miles during which the rider has any fun.

What is a “session?”

A session is a word fixed-gear freestylers, freeriders, and BMXers use to describe riding around in circles doing tricks. The term “session” is also used in relation to the Senate, therapy, and band recording. All of these sessions share in common the fact that they are generally self-indulgent, boring to watch, and in the end go nowhere.

How do I know if it’s time to replace my frame?

Inspect your frame closely for URLs. If your frame has any URLs on it, it means it is too new to be considered “vintage,” yet too old to be considered up-to-date. URLs on bikes went out in the late 90s and early Oughts, when manufacturers finally realized that even the dumbest person can figure out how to find a website without seeing a “www” and “.com” around the name.

Which is better, threaded or threadless steering setups?

Threadless.

As a cyclist, should I obey all traffic signals?

Absolutely not. The surest way to disaster is mindless adherence to rules, routine, and procedure, because they do not account for the unexpected—or, as I prefer to call it, the stupidity factor. Take pedestrians, for example. When you have the green, pedestrians will not think twice about crossing against the light, right in front of you. They will also usually look near you but not at you, as though they’re following Jerry Seinfeld’s procedure for admiring a woman’s breasts without being caught. Conversely, when they do have the light and you have a red, they’ll generally stop dead and look at you as though you’re about to run them down. When you’re dealing with this sort of stupidity, all bets are off. If you don’t believe me, go outside right now and stand at a busy corner. Wait until a large vehicle is approaching, and then run across the street. I guarantee at least five people will follow you to almost certain death. These bovine are simply too stupid to live, and if you blindly follow traffic rules they will take you right down with them.

More aggressively stupid are drivers. If you wait at a red light and then proceed when it turns green, you’re virtually assured death by yellow-miscalculating idiot.

Rules are not designed to protect you. They are designed to trap and kill you. Rely only on your wits, because that’s the only thing that will keep you alive.

Can I purchase a fixed-gear-specific hooded sweatshirt that is inspired by a Huey Lewis and the News Song?

You absolutely can! A reader just forwarded me the "Dissizit" hoodie. (Just wait for the chorus to find the Huey inspiration—if you can bear it.)



(Huey meets Hoodie.)

116 comments:

erik k said...

good morning everyone

Anonymous said...

Wow, this podium thing is not really that cool

Anonymous said...

I love seinfeld referances The snob is keep'n it real for

Anonymous said...

sure

Anonymous said...

i love cogsssssssssssssss


.com

Anonymous said...

Where's the trialsin?

C'mon! I've been waiting a long time.
And Hans Rey ain't getting any younger.

Scottie said...

Oh come on, you're seriously telling me you don't like Huey Lewis and the News? What about the section in the middle where the rest of the band is buried up to their heads in sand while singing the "doo-wop" parts? You can't tell me you didn't laugh when you saw the guy with the cigarette.

Anonymous said...

your falling off bike snob

Sprocketboy said...

Man, you were doing great: the SRM of life, Seinfeld, the-century-rides-that-Bicycling-is-constantly-training-you-for, but then came that hoodie and the pain of thinking about Huey Lewis. Do we deserve this kind of hurt?

Anonymous said...

I was going for the podium, but decided to hold back and prepare for the mountains.

It looks like Snobbie has been reading "Bikeforums.net" again, that wonderful domain ruled by Christian Texans who somehow figure out how to turn on a computer and lead the Texan-style mensa meeting with great threads like:

"how come theys ain't no negros in cycling?"

"which valve caps are made in Amuricuh?"

"Posted pic of something broken in carbon fiber -pruf the Chinese r out to git us"

"best handgun for a metrik century?"

"how can I fuck over my LBS yet still depend on them for survice?"

"check out my cool new motobecane"

And remember, it's just not a century ride unless you post mindless minutiae about your great ride in a forum, complete with pics of your pasty, doughy, white ass in a US Postal Kit and yellow rubber bands.
Support the troops.

Anonymous said...

Garbage miles definition was good. I've been tracking my trips/miles to estimate my avoided carbon footprint, and quantify general good times on the bike. It never occurred to me not to count distance to and from Chipotle for lunch, or all miles spent commuting. Too bad I rarely ever wear the kit getups, I guess I'm just invisible.
What is it with eschewing visors on helmets, I kinda like the way they work. Otherwise I'm just left squinting through my goggle wrap.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Et tu, Blood Waffles?

--BSNYC

Anonymous said...

I love commuter rants. Loooove them. Seriously. My dream is that in thirty or forty years the number of people in old age homes / loonie bins disassociatively ranting about potholes, car doors, oil slicks, NJ plates and pedestrians will easily outnumber the Napoleons (and not just because no one learns history outside of trashy 'historical novels' anymore.) Other common denominators will include jerking from side to side while awake, involuntary cries of "THIS IS A FUCKING BIKE LANE!", and a lump over one collarbone.

erik k said...

so if your ridding garbage miles, does that make you a garbage man ?

Bob Delaney said...

A serious "LOL" on that sweatshirt is in order. But honestly, Scott had it right on the money about Huey Lewis and The News!

Prolly said...

Good morning

Anonymous said...

hey, what's wrong with riding serotta?

Anonymous said...

bah, huey lewis & the news, where are the cool hall & oates inspired fixie hoodies?

Jim said...

Any other type of riding is considered “garbage miles,” or “junk miles.”

Especially any rides where the roadie doesn't "win." You may think it's not possible to win a training ride, but that's only because you're not a roadracer. Or a BikeTrailGuy (BTG™).

As for Huey Lewis... I liked him better when he played with The Dead. So too Bruce Hornsby. So too Jerry Garcia.

Oh yeah, one other thing. I can tell this blog is jumping the shark because all the commenters are morons, no exceptions. For instance, CommieCanuck is rolling out some tired-ass Michael Moore schtick, and when that gets rolled out (the schtick, not Michael Moore, whose shape is amenable to rolling), you know it's all over.

Anonymous said...

> Et tu, Blood Waffles?

Oh man, that there is some funny shit.

Tee hee hee....

Anonymous said...

Hey CommieCanuck,

Guess you missed the Google ad on the front page.

Bikes up to 60% Off List
New bicycles. Full factory warranty Buy direct. Save Big. Free Shipping
www.bikesdirect.com

SCORE!!!!

Anonymous said...

columbike said...

roadies eschewing visors on helmets, because when your ridding a road bike or in a tuck position, they get in the way and catch allot of wind, and will sometimes even strain the back of your neck... true roadies wear silly looking tight hats in bright colors

Anonymous said...

I wanna new bike. One that won't look like shit (to me). One that I can crash into parked cars, just like all of the hipster twits.

Jim said...

It never occurred to me not to count distance to and from Chipotle for lunch,

Columbike, methane has roughly 50 times the global warming effect of carbon dioxide given an equivalent quantity of methane. If you're really worried about not treating Mother Earth like Ned Beatty on a camping trip in the Deep South, why don't you go for the bike ride but skip the Chipotle? Would it kill you to go a bit easier on the salsa and barbacoa, and maybe take some Gas-EX?

Mother Earth really hates stinky bastards. It hurts Her when you cut the cheese, blow the ass whistle, or fire the heavy fartillery piece. From a cost-benefits standpoint, if you people care about Her, you'll stop farting. Otherwise, you're really no better than Exxon, just more sanctimonious. And stinky.

Some of the rest of you probably ought to think about cutting down on the Genny Cream Ales and PBRs as well, for the same reason.

Evershed said...

Bravo!

Anonymous said...

good morning good morning everybody, in the news this morning, good morning.

All the miles covered by the pros in the 90s were junk miles.

Anonymous said...

BSNYC --

"Et tu, Blood Waffles."

That was laugh out loud funny.

If only I had a nickel for every time I've wanted to say that. (Sigh.)

As always, thanks for the informative post.

Jim --

Et tu, Blood Waffles?

Oh what? Like it's only funny when Bike Snob says it?

Hmmmmph. My mama warned me some folks might call me a moron.

But she told me I ain't nearly as dumb as I look.

So there.

Peter said...

I am new to BS NYC, so I read the read the Earlier FAQ post and all it's comments, fun stuff.
BSChi ?!?! what a jackass.

Anonymous said...

I love it when you make fun of other people. Great stuff.

Making fun of people who own Serottas w/mountain bike pedals and who wear camelbacks, on the other hand, is just not cool.

Anonymous said...

Jim said...
From a cost-benefits standpoint, if you people care about Her, you'll stop farting. Otherwise, you're really no better than Exxon, just more sanctimonious. And stinky.


This is true, Al Gore does not fart. He's sporting a prototype NASA carbon recovery device up his ass, which explains the way he talks.

Installed by the Canada Arm, of course.

Anonymous said...

yo, yo, yo, me and my bros with the Strohs, yeah we Sesh all the time baby...skiddin for the hoes

putting in that group buy on the fixie hoodies brah, cuz thatz how we rolls

Anonymous said...

Roadies will be roadies; they just can't help themselves. I went on a "chat" ride with a bunch down here...gonna keep it at 17 mph they said, so we can talk while we ride. Pretty soon we were up to twenty, then twenty-one. They were getting all twitchy and looking around at each other and back to see who was coming up. The only talking was smack-talk. We got to the half-way point in the ride and all hell broke loose...guys started going off the front, wild-eyed big dudes in tights with their asses up in the air and their heads down by their crotches...jesus, what a sight. They lost me at twenty-four, never to be seen again.
Good riddance. I'll chat by myself from here-on-out.
Roadies. Pe-tweey.

K Sizemore said...

This is the highlight of my work day! after i get up before the crack of dawn and throw away some junk miles, i sit around entering numbers and talking to strangers for 9 hours. my one delight is when nine o'clock rolls around and i get to read the new post. sadly, none of my co-workers can appriciate why i'm laughing myself to tears, and the rest of the day is pretty much spent reading calssicrendezvous threads and serfing ebay so i'm sure that they all think i'm some sort of lunatic. (which as anyone who spends too much time on their bike is bound to become)anyway, to make a long story short, Bike Snob, you provide me with hours of hysterical pleasure, please don't ever stop.

also, i'd really like to know who "matt in seattle" is, it sort of sounds like my roommate but he denies it, i worked in a shop that had a bunch of used parts and drew a pretty big hipster crowd, so i feel like i've probably at least seen him.

LK said...

Blood Waffels-------
“You’re” is always a contraction of “you are.” If you’ve written “you’re,” try substituting “you are.” If it doesn’t work, the word you want is “your.” Your writing will improve if you’re careful about this.

If someone thanks you, write back “you’re welcome” for “you are welcome.”

Also

their/they're/there They're all pronounced the same but spelled differently. Possessive is "their" and the contraction of "they are" is "they're." Everywhere else, it is "there."

Now onto petals and breaks.

What I Think said...

"Inspect your frame closely for URLs" - that's right, forget about cracks or rust. Frikkin' brilliant.

Marrock said...

Hmmm, wonder if that hoodie comes in black and green instead of B&W...

thefutureofamerica said...

So, Dissizit!'s myspace says that Slick is a graph legend. That means he explains the meaning of the circles and arrows on a graph, right?

Cameron said...

There is no other "century" on earth where you will find a larger, demographic boggling, (in)harmonious assembly of the above mentioned riders, than at an annual MS150. Every time I do one, I'm more irritated than the year before, yet I still keep coming back for more.

Anonymous said...

The obliviousness of pedestrians crossing against the light is so typical. They won't even look at intersecting traffic with the right way that is bearing down upon them, unless it is motorized:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bicyclesonly/2218920232/

Bobby said...

Hey Ka_Jun

The Hall and Oates hoodie will be on market soon. It'll be the one with the built in ironic mustache.

WheelDancer said...

What is a “training ride?”

... any miles during which the rider has any fun.

Great comment Snob! Out of all the riders I see, the racers are the ones almost always wearing scowls, trying to squeeze one more watt out of their team-kit-wrapped asses...

Does one have to give up their sense of humor/enjoyment to be a racer?

Anonymous said...

If getting to a ride does not involve a car, then you are not displaying any real commitment and all of your miles should be regarded as junk miles.

Anonymous said...

It could just as well be a McDonald/Loggins hoodie.

It'd really be better that way.

Anonymous said...

The preferred pedestrian against-the-light maneuver in Brooklyn is to step off the curb and look the cyclist right in the eye with an I-dare-you-to-hit-me stare.

Anonymous said...

What a fool Beleeeeeeves
Can you seeeeeeeee
The Bikesnob hates the Racer...

God I hate MM and GL sooo much.

-BunE

Anonymous said...

In the hood the prefered pedestrian manuever is to just cross the street without looking at all. This is perefect since it's very predictable, they maintain a constant speed and it's very easy to plan a course to avoid them and even give them a wide berth.

It's when you get to the Slope that you see the dumbasses standing and starring at you even though they have a walk signal.

Anonymous said...

Hey, what's wrong with MTB pedals?

I've been riding since the days we used to nail TA (modele Anquetil, of course) cleats to the bottom of our Dettos and Duegis. Now, I like Time ATACs.

If you wanna poke fun, poke at those silly styrofoam crash hats all the noobs be sportin' these days!

Sprocketboy said...

URLs on bikes--did many manufacturers actually do this? The worst case I saw was at a bike show in Germany in 2000, where Pinarello had brought an 18 wheeler to set up as a show display. Every bike they had had www.pinarello.com on both chainstays and both sides of the fork. The angels blushed. Even Super Mario wouldn't have ridden one of those.

Andrew said...

good morning everyone

Anonymous said...

Uh.. Mike..too many drugs dude...I'm seeing double.

Anonymous said...

Also in Brooklyn it's safest to ride at night without lights or reflective materials. Cars can't veer out of their way to hit you if they can't see you.

Anonymous said...

Mr.Complaint,

Thanks for the enlightening (and to me, always amusing) explanation of English grammar. I am constantly annoyed by the hooked on phonics generation of punks that never learned how to use the shift key on a keyboard, think punctuation.....is... for...... added.......effect, and think that as long as you can "sound it out" correct spelling is optional. Your (I mean you're) comments were by far the best and funniest post of the day.

Anonymous said...

My road bikes have mountain bike pedals so I won't look like a complete doofus-with-road-shoes-and-look-cleats (envision a duck walking in high heel boots), not to mention all the unplanned rapid descent trips down the steps on the GW Bridge north side, carrying extra crap like cleat covers, etc that come with road pedals.

Anonymous said...

Snob, here's an off topic question for you, I would appreciate a reply- Do you ride(commute on) a fixed gear bike? The reason for my query has nothing to do with the cool factor or any such nonsense.
Certain people need to know
Thanks

Strayhorn said...

The ol' commie wanted to know:

"how come theys ain't no negros in cycling?"

Because black guys keep getting road rash on their glans.

"which valve caps are made in Amuricuh?"

The orange ones.

"Posted pic of something broken in carbon fiber -pruf the Chinese r out to git us"

Must be a Trek.

"best handgun for a metrik century?"

Haenel/Schmeisser in 6.35mm

"how can I fuck over my LBS yet still depend on them for survice?"

Start sleeping with the shop rat of your preference.

"check out my cool new motobecane"

Is that a real Moto, or a Sears Moto?

BikeSnobNYC said...

nolucker,

You can tell certain people that I sometimes commute on a fixed-gear, depending on circumstances.

If they think they saw me, though, they didn't.

--BSNYC

Anonymous said...

WheelDancer-

No you don't have to give up your sense of humor to ride. The small dicked gymclassfailures trying to dominate on a local ride/ race provide excellent comedic material...(ellipses used w/o permission of BGW)
You know you're amongst the santorum afterbirth crowd when the rider next to you at the charity ride has his entire frame aerofaired out with cardboard and duct tape. Rattle canned to match the frame of course...

Anonymous said...

Fucking Strayhorn, you owe me a monitor cleaning. Road rash on the glans- TFF

bikesgonewild said...

...erik k, m. weed, bune...classy, guys, almost a dot.com love fest, but damn classy...

...& bikesnob, if you're really jimmy savile, then you are still "top of the pops"...that was a fucking hilarious read...

...& i run 'time' road pedals on my serotta so i can wear ostentatious white sidi's...i'm just that way...

Anonymous said...

Cervelos....compact cranks...mountain bike pedals....you're killing me....

Anonymous said...

roadies are a bunch of dicks
it's hip to be ...

Anonymous said...

Kelsey, I don't think I've bought a part off Boat St. since I was offered $50 for my full XT rig by Dave R.

You may have seen me there, but only with friends who had business to deal with. More likely you'll see me loitering in LQA at Seattle's best bike shop for those who want what they want without being hassled/coddled, Counterbalance.

Anonymous said...

Incidentally, we've never lived together.

LK said...

A century is twice as far as you should ride a horse in a day. Therefore a metric century is twice as far as you should ride a metric horse. I guess.

One need never replace a frame. There are all sorts of cheep McManisons to store them in. Given todays market.

So, when it's raining and I take my bicycle on the subway, those are junk miles. When I run to the corner store in the rain I'm a triathlete.

Don't you mean dressed as bike racers , like dressed like a hipster?

I don't get the idea Snob dislikes any racers, he is one.

I believe MC Hammer Hoodie wore that hoodie - upsidedown.

Schorsch said...

What is with the freakin' print hoodies!?!?!exclamationpointquestionmark? Aren't these people ugly enough? Campus looks like the eighties barfed on everyone's clothes last weekend. Come on, people.

Anonymous said...

Bike lanes in Brooklyn are like showers at Auschwitz. "Be good and come over here so it'll be easier for us to kill you."

Anonymous said...

Mr. Complaint

Good lesson on contractions. Don't even start on the "petals" and "breaks" (leaves a taste in my mouth like I'd just finished a whole can of Chelada in one swig). It only detracted slightly from your post that you misspelled "waffel" - dooohhhh!

Anon 3:44 pm
You must be talking about me. I'm that small dicked gymclassfailure who always tries to dominate local rides. Hey, I admit it, but it was either become an arrogant roadie or pay a shrink to try to undo all the mental damage that was inflicted on me by all the high school jocks (btw, I went back for my 20yr reunion, and they're all fat, bald losers, living in the past).

Anonymous said...

Anon 4:47:
The people you talk about at your reunion are what I term GCF's. They always seem to flash back to friggin' high school to bolster their current societal standing. The guys that took their shit and made something of themselves are not GCF's. Personally, I stay away from this trash- don't give a fuck about what happened in the (insert relevant era here). Apologies for any confusion.

LK said...

Anon 4:47

If I was younger I'd be considered dyslexic but I'm from a time when the nun just hit your hand with a ruler and moved your pencil back to the right where god meant it to be.

It's cocktail hour.

the witness said...

i love you bsnyc, in that non-special way.

Anonymous said...

When I was on the psychologist couch the other day in between regressive shock therapy the doc showed me a series of ink blots that I swear are reproduced on that Huey Lewis Hoodie. I recall seeing a scene with my mother, a gimp mask and a snarling Doberman. The doc said I was normal so I hopped on my fixie and went down to the bar and sank a few brews in celebration

Anonymous said...

Snob

Do you commute by bike because you're poor?

BikeSnobNYC said...

Questioning,

No, I'm poor because I commute by bike.

--BSNYC

bikesgonewild said...

...ah, but so much richer in spirit, bikesnob...

Anonymous said...

Hey Snob, on the link to your other "infrequently asked questions" the tag was "mountian bikes".
Deliberate error, or chink in the armour?

Viewers, you decide!

More at 9.....

Anonymous said...

Hey Slartibartfast,

the post mentions mountain bikes, which probably explains the tag. nice try. i'll be watching CSI at 9

Hey Questioning,

get lost.

Kevin Jaeger said...

Dear Mr. Snob,

I never thought i'd have to write you you for advice, but I have a dilemma and don't know what to do. My pie plate cracked and I'm afraid it will fall off soon. If the dork disc falls off completely other cyclists will start expecting that I'm one of them.

When those grannies in the beach cruisers start putting me in a spot of bother I'll be expected to unpack that suitcase of courage and stick to their wheel through the hurt, instead of just letting them drop me like they do now. But without that dork disc I'll be like Linus without his blanket.

Do you have instructions on how to repair the pie plate? Could I just slap a BSNYC Seal of Disapproval on it to give it a little more life?

PCM said...

It all made perfect sense... almost. Why is a threadless headset better than threaded? I always thought threadless headsets were just a solution to a nonexistent problem.

Anonymous said...

Nice way to end the day.
Very zen question...it has no answer

Anonymous said...

Kevin Jaeger -

I sincerely hope you haven't graduated from high school yet.

On the other hand, its more likely that you're halfway through a PhD in creative writing at some minor university. Who you are kidding? This isn't interesting and you don't write that well.

SkidMark said...

ditto the dis on the jaegermeister

Anonymous said...

After a grueling winter of long base posts, low cadence post intervals and topic repeats, the bike snob is back in top form.

Anonymous said...

Dear Questioning:

You asked BSNYC if he commuted by bike becaue he was poor.

His brief response was eloquent and astute and I would not presume to attempt to improve upon it.

I would note, however, that if you give a man a Metro Card, he will commute to work for a day.

If you give a man a bike, however, he can commute to work year round, but will find excuses to get there later and later.

Unless, of course, you give him a brakeless fixed gear with pink rims, purple nipples, gold anodized components and a seat 12 inches higher than the handlebars notwithstanding a distinct groundward tilt reminiscent of a truffle hunting sow.

In that case, he won't bother commuting. He'll just park the bike in front of a watering hole and drink PBR all day.

It beats working.

Hope that helps.

Anonymous said...

Dear Questioning:

In my last post to I suggested that you "get lost," but I've thought about it a little more and your question deserves a better answer, if not for you than for anyone else who had the same question.

My daily commute is 10 miles round trip. Lets say I bike to work 4/5 days each week and work 50 weeks a year (2 weeks vacation) which means I commute by bike 200 days/year.

My old company would reimburse $0.40/mile to cover gas, car insurance when I'd visit clients, which is a good estimate for part of the cost per mile of driving. A little multiplication and presto! That's about $800.00/year in savings.

Yearly repair bills are usually more, but lets say there was an additional $400 bucks to keep the ol' clunker running. This works out to $1200/year or about $100/month.

This is real savings. And I'll show how it adds up over time. Left alone in my Orange savings account which gets a spectacular rate of about 4% per year the breakdown looks like this:

5 years $6,629.90
10 years $14,724.98
20 years $36,677.46
25 years $51,412.95
30 years $69,404.94

Not enough to buy that second house in Tahoe, but not chump change either.

So to be fair, the Snob is wrong, he's not poorer because he bikes - and neither are the rest of us, you are because you don't.

Joe

Anonymous said...

Bikesnob NYC does in fact commute on a fixie, but he travels via a wrinkle in the time-space continuum, so do not expect to capture a photo of him.

Anonymous said...

oh god i hope this never ends

Anonymous said...

About to ride a half-century

http://ladybunny.net/blog/uploaded_images/balls-716641.jpg

Anonymous said...

that just burned a hole in my retina.

Anonymous said...

Joe...you're vastly underestimating the cost savings of a car over a bike.
A $29,000 car purchased 5 years ago with minimal mileage has a trade-in value under $4000, you can lose $5000-$10000 annually just in depreciation.

These days, most people rent their cars ("lease agreements") because they can't afford them, they can't afford them, because of the idiot feedback factor of people driving up prices due to rentals, not ownership.

I work at a BMW dealership, 80% of our vehicles are leased. That arrogant look you get from 'luxury' car owners? It's all bullshit. They lead bullshit lives. I manage financing and see the records, they live paycheck to paycheck in $120k jobs. For the ones who do make payments to own, they often owe more than the car is worth, and I can tell you, our cars are not worth owning after three years.
These people are on their way to the retirement plan of eating a bullet at 60-65 once the shit hits the fan.

But that's just money, car people spend hours in traffic every day, and 3.2 million get injured every year, with 41,000 killed. To put it into perspective, that 700% more deaths than 9/11 every year. Even if they survive a lifetime of sitting in traffic, they have poor health and will probably pay tens of thousands in health care costs and time lost at work, then the forced retirement due to heart and stroke issues.

But this is America, 'losers' ride bikes.

Anonymous said...

NUMBER 92!!! EAT IT YO!

Anonymous said...

Jeez, why don't you tell us how you really feel. With that much hostility, you won't need to worry about retirement because you will have a stroke or aneursym long before then. BTW, you couldn't buy a BMW for $29K, even 5 years ago.

K Sizemore said...

"Matt in seattle", i'm pretty sure i do infact know who you are now. if you are who i think you are, we have a mutual friend or two. and you've been known to play a little polo?

Anonymous said...

Kelsey, here and there. As in I was there at the beginning of messenger-style polo. I'll be waiting for an exclusive interview with BikeSnob, let's talks polo yo!

LK said...

I think questioning was a baited question.

Daniel said...

Jeez, why don't you tell us how you really feel. With that much hostility, you won't need to worry about retirement because you will have a stroke or aneursym long before then.

Ah, an innumerate! Math=hostility, right? Anon 10:19 was one of the most coherent and relevant posts I've ever seen in this comments section. Do you think "hostility" toward the idiocy of debt-slavery will give Anon 10:19 an "aneursym", but worrying about thousands of dollars of "negative equity" on an expensive toy designed to impress other mildly-retarded object-fetishists will not?

BTW, you couldn't buy a BMW for $29K, even 5 years ago.

BTW, you can buy a used one for a fraction of that amount, today. They don't hold their value. That's the point.

Anonymous said...

Computers don't understand irony

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Timothy J said...

The small dicked gymclassfailures trying to dominate on a local ride/ race provide excellent comedic material.

Actually, my favorites are the former jocks from high school and college who try to start doing triathlons and suddenly want "clydesdale" divisions because their fat asses are too slow to race against the guys who were too small to play football and basketball. Suddenly they whine about it not being fair because of size differences. At least cycling did not sell out and start having "large" people's divisions.

Anonymous said...

Mr Complaint,

You could be right, but its a common sentiment shared by many.

Anon.

Yeah, I completely agree you, and I went low to make a point. Also, I don't think you're hostile, but I gotta wonder what its like for a bike guy to work at a BMW dealership. It'd probably get to me too.

Joe

Jim said...

gttim - has somebody got a case of the overcompensatings? I think so...

K Sizemore said...

Matt,
It's interesting that you say that CounterBalance offers a no hassle atmosphere, everytime i've gone in there i've felt really awkward and unwelcome. and believe me, i Do know what i'm after when i go into a place like that, so there should be no reason for a reaction like that. also, i tried to take my bike in there after work like a week and a half ago, but they were closed randomly in the middle of the day on a wednesday. is the rumor that they are moving to TiCycles location true?

but anyway, did you race cross for them this past season?

The Gorbott said...

so cool. so hip.

Anonymous said...

They're opening a 2nd locations in the old TiCycles place, it should be open in March. They're keeping the TiCycles mechanics so that's pretty cool. Don't be put off by the guys in there, they're just all business and no frills. You won't get a happy face most of the time, but they're a couple of the best mechanics in Seattle by far. Besides, I like my mechanics surly and greasy instead of questioning used car salesmen.

Anonymous said...

The mid-week closing was due to inventory, BTW.

K Sizemore said...

fair enough. i've heard that they are really good from quite a few people actually. (that's why i took my bike there and not to my old shop) that's really cool about the second location! thanks for the info.

Ahhh. i see. i did not know that. i'll take it back tomorrow when they are open (hopefully) and see what the salty bastards can do!

P.S. where's the new post already, BSNYC?!

K Sizemore said...

and yes, we were certainly guilty of being "used car salesmen" on good ol' Boat St. sorry if i ever tried to sleeze a sale on anyone reading this.

Anonymous said...

Dear Matt and Kelsey: please just rent a room already and spare the rest of us your excruciating flirtathon. And I say that out of love and concern for both of you.

Anonymous said...

Dear Anon 1:24 (aka Mr. -insert bike brand here-), eat it.

Anonymous said...

A "large people" division at bike races? I love it. I'm coming out of retirement. What is it called? Cat 200?

Anonymous said...

Anon 10:19, lots of people wind up in jobs they do not like. However, to get up and go to work every day at a place where you hold everybody in such outright contempt corrodes the soul. All of us die just a little bit every day. I fear that daily, you die just a little bit more than the rest of us.
Anon 11:23

Anonymous said...

Is that a real Moto, or a Sears Moto?

Nice FZ reference, Strayhorn.

Unknown said...

A few years ago I switched from being a century rider to a roadie. I'm riding my crappy bikes more often and my milage log has plummeted. The matching kit cost so much, that I still have mountain bike tires on my time trial bike (which is the same as my "century bike" with a set of 80's vintage aero bars on it). Fortunately it doesn't have URL's on it, I think Raleigh stopped making Techniums before the World Wide Web started. Guys on the team tell me it was the bike of their dreams in middle school. I think it is time to switch to becoming a Trackie. Is a guy with kids and a mortgage too old to become a trackie?

Unknown said...

I stll have mountain bike "pedals" not tires!

Anonymous said...

dear god, i had my credit card number plugged in and everything for that hoody. somebody in my office caught me trying to buy it and luckily disconnected me from the computer with a swift blow from a folding chair.

i have no self control.

Bob said...

Great answer to this: As a cyclist, should I obey all traffic signals?
Here here!

Unknown said...

That hoodie's got mad steeze, I'm buyin it.

Anonymous said...

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