Friday, April 25, 2008

Alarming Frequency: One Gear, Too Many Choices



While I’m certainly not alone in believing that a Fixed-Gear Apocalypse is pending, I can only speculate as to the form it will actually take. It’s natural to assume that when it arrives it will do so with lots of pyrotechnics, as a yawning chasm opens in the Earth into which the sinners will cast their cursed Pistas, their low-end steel smelted and re-fashioned by Hephaestus into whatever the next trendy bike will be. However, recent evidence suggests the onset of the Apocalypse may be more subtle. It may not be a great conflagration. It may instead take the form of the trend sort of doubling over on itself and imploding, like an alpaca chasing its tail (assuming they have them) or trying vainly to nibble off an irritating dingleberry.

There are two blips on my Apoca-dar that have been approaching each-other on a collision course for some time now. The first is this:


Nothing wrong with a cheap road-oriented fixed-gear, but when the secret website’s sister site is selling one (at a 40% discount plus an additional 15% until Saturday, which by my calculations means it costs $17.50) the assimilation is complete. But this is hardly noteworthy in and of itself. The assimilation has been complete for some time. I do, however, feel that it is noteworthy in conjunction with the other blip on my Apoca-dar:



Yep, Serotta, the favored marque of lawyers, accountants, and dentists everywhere, is now offering its own take on the road-going fixed-gear.

When a certain type of bicycle enters the zeitgeist, it’s normal for the avid cyclist to want to build one up for himself to see what all the fuss is about. Whether it’s fixed-gears, singlespeed mountain bikes, 29ers, or cyclocross bikes, if it’s in his face for long enough the handy cyclist with a full complement of tools and a brimming spare parts bin will inevitably hit the classifieds and cobble one together.

The Serotta Singolo, however is for the sort of rider who has the disposable income to add a sixth or seventh bicycle to his stable and who also gets itchy and uncomfortable when forced to ride “low-end” or mass-produced bikes. You probably know someone like this yourself. If you want to know how he feels astride lesser bicycles, imagine hating Billy Joel. (Which it’s not difficult to do.) Then imagine having to wear a Billy Joel t-shirt for a full day. You’d want to stop strangers on the street and explain that you actually hate him. You’d fold your arms in front of yourself as much as possible. And you’d probably try to wriggle out of it eventually. If you’ve ever tried to put an article of clothing on a cat, you’ve got some idea of what I’m talking about.

So when the low frequency of Performance meets the high frequency of Serotta, weird things are bound to start happening. Apocalyptic things. It’s kind of like that movie with Michael Keaton where he can talk to dead people through static. (Or at least like what I imagine it would have been like if I had actually seen the movie.)

Also noteworthy is the copy:

Horizontal (track) drop outs allow for perfect chain tension adjustment. No after-market "tensioners" needed. "Road" geometry (it's not just a track bike with brakes) offers handling familiarity and comfort.

Ooh, no pesky tensioners needed! That should save me ten bucks. And besides the fact that track ends aren’t drop-outs, I couldn’t help noting that Serotta are also boasting that it’s got road geometry and isn’t “just a track bike with brakes.” There are lots of other bikes that have actual horizontal dropouts and have road geometry too—they’re called old road frames. Why not get one of those? Their own forums are crawling with them. You might even be able to find an actual Serotta road frame. In fact, there’s one on eBay right now. It’s Scott Moninger’s old bike:


Granted, I can’t tell from the photos if the dropouts are horizontal, but the frame does advertise a cheap beer, and nothing’s hotter in the fixed-gear community than cheap beer. That alone makes it worth using an Eno hub if necessary.

And if all these frequencies aren’t deafening enough, Serotta’s “not just a track bike with brakes” is apparently an “imitator” according to Bianchi:

Imitators use modified road frames with road offset, so look and ride before you buy.

Yikes. So is this how the Apocalypse will come? Will bike companies simply bewilder us with choices, options and counter-claims until the whole thing collapses under its own weight? Will a trend that began under the guise of simplicity become impossibly complex? How many different types of fixed-gears will tomorrow’s customer need to consider before making a conclusion? Road fixed-gears. Track fixed-gears. Fixed-gear freestyle fixed-gears. High-end, low-end, mid-range. Will it chase it’s own tail into oblivion?

I don’t know. All I do know is that I just missed out on buying the World’s Most Pimpin’ Giant Bowery:



UP FOR AUCTION IS MY GIANT (BOWERY) FIXED GEAR BICYCLE. JUST HAD IT CUSTOM BUILT THREE WEEKS AGO . I,VE RIDEN IT ABOUT 20 MILES. IN SHORT IM SELLING MY BIKE TO PUT THE MONEY TOWARDS BUYING A CAR. IF YOU LIKE FIXED GEARS I GARRRENTEEE YOUR SATICE- FACTION . ITS A NICE SOLID RIDE, AND I HATE TO SEE IT GO BUT I,VE HAD AN OPPERTUNITY TO MOVE ON TO BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS. THE BIKE COMES COMPLETE WITH EVERYTHING DESRIBED BELOW:


FRAME: '08' GIANT BOWERY (ALUMINUM) 350.00
HUBS: PHILWOODS (FRONT AND REAR) 500.00
WHEELS: VELOCITY DEEP-V'S (FRONT -GUN MEATAL GRAY, RADIAL LACED/ REAR-ROYAL BLUE 4-CROSS) 150.00
CRANK SET: FSA 100.00
CHAIN: 20.00
HEAD SET: STOCK WITH FRAME
CHAIN RING: ROCKET 48 TEETH 35.00
COG: FIXED GEAR 16 TEETH
1RST SET PEDDLES: EGG BEATERS 145.00
2ND SET PEDDLES: TOSI DOUBLE STRAPS WITH DIMENSION PEEDLES: 80.00
STEM: ORIGIN8 45.00
HANDLE BARS : ELEVEN 81 40.00
SATTLE : STOCK BOWERY SEAT
CHAIN TENTIONERS: ROCKET 25.00
PIN STRIPPING: CUSTOM 70.00
KRYPTONITE LOCK : 100.00
TOTALING A LITTLE OVER 1,500 BUCKS.
I RESEARVE THE RIGHT TO END THIS AUCTION EARLY DO TO ITEM BEING SOLD LOCALLY. SHIPPING WILL BE UNDER 100.00 BEPENDING WHERE IT WILL BE SHIPPED.
ANY QWESTIONS CALL : RAY AT [deleted] / RON AT [deleted]


I will be kicking myself all weekend.

102 comments:

Anonymous said...

Podium!

Anonymous said...

there

Anonymous said...

le tete en course

Anonymous said...

Third?

Anonymous said...

three?

Anonymous said...

Curses, foiled again.

OpenYourEyes said...

...bikesgonewild... when I saw this at breakfast this morning I immediately thought of you...

please, please, please be careful. we wouldn't want anything to happen to you...

Anonymous said...

follow me

brother yam said...

While I’m certainly not alone in believing that a Fixed-Gear Apocalypse is pending, I can only speculate as to the form it will actually take.

Gozer the Traveler. He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldrini, the traveler came as a large and moving Torg! Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the McKetrick supplicants, they chose a new form for him: that of a giant Slor! Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you!

Wait, different NYC apocalypse. My bad, sorry.

Anonymous said...

Apocalypticists, beware, of the apocalyptic, comma!

sprider said...

openyoureyes, that's a confirmation of my suspicion that RTMS/BSNYC is really an Onion writer or writers. Inside information, picking on bikesgonewild, seems to have a lot of time on his hands?

Anonymous said...

RTMS,

Isn't there a danger that the apocalyptic warnings make us complacent? If we smugly think we know what the future holds, we might not deal with the problem, and thus by default become contributors.

Chunk said...

Here's what I love about stopping by here every morning. You never know what you're going to see but you know it's going to be good and something you won't see anywhere else.

For today that sliver of uniqueness is the word "qwestions" as found in that eBay ad.

Really, the q+u combo... I thought that was universal knowledge.

AH said...

Brother Yam -- Nice! Where is Rick Moranis nowadays?

BikeSnobNYC said...

AH,

He is a country singer now.

--RTMS

Cameron said...

I'm not grammersmith, but I'm pretty sure the "Serotta's" at the end of that ad should be "Serottas", or are they talking about "all of Serotta's bikes"?

Cameron said...

a

Anonymous said...

can we just drop the red pen and not worry about grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc? I mean, for fuck's sake (that's is including each and every fucks sake), bikesgonewild has been given a hall pass of apocolyptic proportions. We all know how to spell and punctuate, we just maybe can't type so good.
just my $.02

Barbarosa said...

America, My Truck
by Rick "Cougar" Moranis!!!

God Bless Life! She may be a fickle mistress, but when she's on, SHE'S ON!

Anonymous said...

$500 hubs on a $350 frame? Kind of reminds me of the $2000 spinning rims and megawatt stereo on the crappy '96 Corolla I saw the other day. I'm sure the Bowery is an original piece of work with its unique "peddles, sattle" and "custom pin-stripping". And $145 MTB "peddles" to boot.

I think the apocalypse has hit here in Denver. I am seeing more hipsters on 10-speeds with suicide levers and pie plates lately (as seen in Juno) than on fixies. Maybe I can load up on Reynolds and Columbus steel frames once the market crashes.

Anonymous said...

In the not-so-funny bike-related news, a triathelete was eaten by a shark while training this morning in San Diego.

Anonymous said...

anon 1:15- pointing out the apparent typo in the serotta ad is different from correcting the grammar of bsnyc or a commentor. it's an advertisement! they've spent thousands of dollars on that thing. serotta should know where to put they're apppostrophe's!

bikesgonewild said...

,,,open,your,eyes,,,i, appreciate yer concern, &, thank,,,you for the heads,up,,
,,,if william sa,fire & the, onion are involved then th,is may be a sure sign of A great apocalypto gram,matical demise, similar in nature to nature,s global warming!,!,!,

,,,cunn,ing linguists world wide will be monitoring, the phenomena on their monitors world, wide,,,

,,,(quick, aside),,,rtms/b,snyc ,,,please clarify,,,is that a photo OF erik k or, a, photo accredited to er,ik k ???,,,

AnnaZed said...

Yike, that appears to be true:

http://tinyurl.com/4286ry

I propose a week long desist from bagging on tri-folks.

Poor guy.

Anonymous said...

either an unsuccessful shark-jump attempt or a sign that the fixed-gear apocalypse is nigh...

AnnaZed said...

In other news, whomever brought up that whole coma thing has just created a monster and I for one do not appreciate it. The ... worked quite well for me bikesgonewild ... please ... go ... back ... to ... it.

I'm just sayin'.

Anonymous said...

I love my Serotta, and would marry it if I lived in Massachusetts.

bikesgonewild said...

...fear not, annazed...twas merely an anomalous foray into an uncharted grammatical landscape, even by my standards(sic)...

...just sayin'...

Some Guy on the Innernets said...

Man, I wish eBay would put in an automatic spelling checker. Something oppressive and hard to miss, like what you find in Word.

Anonymous said...

I, got all nervous, when I saw, that, we, were all doomed, to comas.

Then, I realized, my, mistake.

Some Guy on the Innernets said...

And a Grammar Nanny (tm) too.

Anonymous said...

One thing's for sure. We now know that triathlon has not, in fact, (successfully) jumped the shark.

Anonymous said...

bikes..gone wild..writes...like that because he's a graduate of the William ...Shatner...Literary College. Free toupee with every bachelor's degree.

Scat tante is a mix of Italian and latin for " a lot of shit". Another great brand name is On-one's "Pompino", which is Italian slang for a blow job, which is American slang for fellatio, which is latin slang for the Canadian hose job.

Anonymous said...

The 15% off, at, Performance, doesn't, include, bikes.

OpenYourEyes said...

Isn't there a trunk monkey for grammar and punctuation?

A desk drawer monkey or something.

Anonymous said...

$100 dollars for a lock? Hum, it must be the coolest lock ever!

thejakesnakes said...

Here's a lesson in apocalypse...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMolzESn4oI&NR=1

AnnaZed said...

Ahem, wiseass insensitive smartypants, I actually sort of meant that about the moratorium, but I'm not the boss of here - so, keep it up if it makes you feel good.

I'm just sayin'.

bikesgonewild said...

...commiecanuck...hey, billy shat's & i were both born in the great white north...& we were both encouraged to leave...he due...to...his talent & moi, well that's a different kettle 'o' cod...
...& toupees ???...gonna need to stitch about 3 a those hairballs together to cover my dome...

Anonymous said...

I was once considering crossing into the fixed gear continium, but have spent the last 6 months (literally) trying to decide which one to get. I could go MTB, Road, Road conversion, Cyclocross, or BMX. I like to ride trails, but I also ride road. should it be steel, aluminum, carbon, ti or a combo? Should it be a truly dedicated "fixie" or something like a Surly Crosscheck where it can be geared later after the apocalypse? Decisions, decisions. I think the predicted fixed gear apocalypse jumped the shark while the shark was eating the triathlete.

AnnaZed said...

Ok, I give up.

Anonymous said...

Snob, do you have a cat?

Anonymous said...

annazed,
why only when a triathalete dies in a most unusual way? don't messengers, racers, hybrid riders, kids on tricycles, etc get killed all the time and most or all of them are fair game even though. seriously. the dude got eaten by a fucking shark. that's a week's worth of comments.

i'm just pointin' out the obvious.

Marrock said...

I have an old mid-70s Gitane frame up on craigslist in the vain hopes that some hispter wanna-be will want to build up his own personal death trap.

I've even stripped the brakes off it already to help him on his way.

Anonymous said...

We're sorry, anna. Humor is my poor attempt at showing love.

In case anyone is interested, there's a thread about this incident on slowtwitch:

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/Shark_Attack_kills_swimmer_in_San_Diego_P1767211/

Anonymous said...

I like the fact that the guy with the Giant Bowery paid $145 for fifty dollar eggbeaters.

Oh...and I'm going to an unnamed bike benefit in Atlanta tonight (I heard they have kegs of sweetwater) and I feel confident that there will be a FGPP there. I will try to get a photo.

Anonymous said...

Atlanta? Isn't that where the famed Klingons VS Furries bowling tournament was once held?

Cameron said...

Everyone gets, so rambunctious, on Fridays!

Anonymous said...

could be the thought of 2 days sans bsnyc that makes us all a little fussy?

Anonymous said...

Annazed, does the moratorium include a ban on shark-fin soup? Just asking.

Anonymous said...

All this time I thought the apocolypse arrived when people started thinking that everyone else would want to read about said people heralding the cycling doomsday.

Anonymous said...

@smartypants: no idea on that bowling event...can you clue me in?

The "unnamed benefit" tonight is "Bikes To Rwanda", and there will surely be tons of fixed gear kids there. I'm trying to think of the most obnoxious bike/clothing combo possible to piss off/bewilder/offend those in attendance as I guzzle as much SweetWater420 as possible before my inevitable ejection.

Bobby said...

I can't tell you how much fun it was the other day to explain to a hipster why it was going to be all but impossible to outfit his prized fixie with gears.

Crushing someone never felt so good.

Anonymous said...

The kid on the bikestorwanda home page is sporting the next calfee model. once the bamboo thing works it way out, it looks like he's going to pine. BikesToRwanda.com

Anonymous said...

i should point out the new calfee is a single speed, but I think the lack of the chain takes it out of the fixed category

bikesgonewild said...

...krazygloo...wear a "tom richey is like a GOD to me" t-shirt...but be sure to misspell it as i just did, to increase your candor...

...ooooh, i feel so nasty...

Jim said...

The fixed gear AlpacaLips again? Nice.

FWIW I think the triathlete was only killed, not eaten. Anybody who rides a bike in sleeveless jersey, sticks food to it and pisses on themselves mid-ride is too tasteless to eat.

Anonymous said...

Johnb (2:42) --

If you really want to impress, you should use one of these as the basis of your new fixie:

http://www.businessweek.com/1998/02/b3560041.htm

I guarantee you'll be turning heads!

Cycle Jerk said...

Possible modes of transportation after the Fixed-Gear Apocalypse...

http://tinyurl.com/49grrt

Anonymous said...

this post cast a level 10 spell of bewilderment over me. It amazing what you lowly human scum will write about. I sit her quaffing one of your cool earth beverages, I feel you remind me of the Elves of Dispare in the Klkwyak district...a pitiful group.

LK said...

Jade and cobalt are very valuable materials. Like cinnamon, nutmeg, saffron and salt. I think Nino Serotta knows his customers.

I wonder if the saddle on that Coors Serotta still smells like Scott Moninger. I sure looks like it.

I think it's very nice that all those fixie kids are riding too Rwanda. I wish them luck.

Judi said...

Sheesh - let the triathlete RIP already.

Nice try Anna but remember what you told me - these guys still live at home and work in bike shops. LOL.

BGW - what is this? Do we have the Grammer Nazi's on BSNY now?

My b/f has a 76 Serrata - you can see it here (I hope this works):

http://milesandmadness.blogspot.com/2008/02/dominics-latest-creation.html

Judi said...

It's an 83 not a 76, my bad. ROTF.

Anonymous said...

The end IS deservedly coming, as fixed gear riders are not courageous nor adventurous. They repeatedly set out on bikes to tool through streets already known to them as, unfortunately, their limited capacity gearing leaves them unprepared for hills to newly conquer.

Anonymous said...

@bikesgonewild I think I've found the way to disturb them the most. I'll shower before the event.

bikesgonewild said...

...nein, fraulein judi...but ve haff vays of korrecting zos who don't shpell 'serotta' in za proper manner, ya !!!...zis ist heresy, mein liebchen...
...'serrata' und 'primo' vill not be tolerated...zis is klear to you now, ya ???...
...zen you are dismissed !!!...

Anonymous said...

It's not neigh. The Americano doesn't come stock as a fixie. Yup, that bastard has a freewheel on it.

LK said...

Judy with an eye:

Sprocketboy is wrong about your boyfriend's bicycle. His saddle is level and he has a brake if he needs. The only problem here is the chain tension. A bit loose.

bikesgonewild said...

...whoops, forgot my politically correct disclaimer...

...to anyone of german or austrian heritage (including my dysfunctional family) i hereby wish to...yadada, yadada, yadada...

...hey, at least i'm not making jokes about sharks w/ bad tastes in their mouths...doh...

Judi said...

BGW - I just cannot catch a break (brake) - lol,,,,,,,,

:) Serotta. My bad. Very much so.

bikesgonewild said...

...judi... :-) ...

Anonymous said...

Quite like that you point out that track ends are not "drop-outs", that's quite snippy (and correct).

Anonymous said...

i love how you call out "lawyers, doctors, dentists" as if you are somehow above them because they may choose to ride a single speed or fixed gear bike and yet who are you to judge? some guy who sits behind his computer and rants the same shit everyday..."you're ruining my subculture, stop riding bianchi pistas!!!" if you're so offical why don't you stop bitching and spend less hours in front of computer and more on a bike. pathetic. btw, have some balls and post this.

Anonymous said...

73rd!! Whoo-hoo!

I was a tough race. Halfway through I thought I was DNF, but I dug deep and toughed it out. Sure, I crossed the line 6.5 hrs after the winner, but I consider it a personal triumph that I finished at all.

Anonymous said...

No bids for the Giant @4:45 PM MST. Snicker. Great "Comments" section up until Anon @ 6:53 who actually thinks he's of some import. Fucking douchebag. Don't like it? Don't read it?

Some Guy on the Innernets said...

Anonymous Pista owning professionals are not known for their sense of humor. With any luck, he has now had a glass of overpriced wine, and is calming down. Or not. Maybe he'll start a bistro brawl.

Anonymous said...

Say, Bikesnob, where were you when we needed someone to predict the mountain bike apocalypse? Or the skateboard apocalypse? Or the roller blade apocalypse? It didn't happen. Why? Because they were fun to ride. Fun stuff never dies. Live on..

Love your posts!

Ryan said...

Another telling sign of the apocalypse is finding Giant's Bowery in the "Lifestyle" section of their website - right alongside a folding bike and other "biking w/o all the suffering of biking" bikes. Getting Maxim's stamp of approval can't be too good either...
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/lifestyle/

Jim said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jim said...

Judi, I love ya babe. You know that's too good of a crack to let drop. Besides, you're free to make all the 'roadies with pipe cleaner arms' jokes you want. As for this by Anon:

i love how you call out "lawyers, doctors, dentists" as if you are somehow above them because they may choose to ride a single speed or fixed gear bike and yet who are you to judge?

As a rider who happens to practice law, one of the things I hate worst is lawyers who can't take a good lawyer joke. It's a sure sign of taking yourself wayyyy too f***in seriously when a crack like that is enough to give you the vapors. Dude, you need to consider packing in the whole law/medical/dental practice thing - I suspect law because your grammar is comprised primarily of sentence fragments and improperly used punctuation marks - before you get an ulcer, and consider moving to a Tibetan monastery, or perhaps taking a job at Starbucks or the local Mailboxes Etc. like all the other Fixie hipsters. Don't take it personally - most of us are clueless asswipes most of the time. I know I sure am. So welcome to the club and remember you can always console yourself with counting your Benjamins, your Serottas and your ex-wives.

vacuumrunamok said...

@ Anonymous 6:53pm

Believe it or not, some of us reach a magic point in our lives called "real adulthood" where our parents stop depositing money into our accounts every two weeks and we have to get jobs. Some of us are lucky or deluded enough to find jobs that don't involve sitting behind a computer for 8 hours a day, but most of us end up that way.

Actually, my dream job involves sitting behind a computer for more hours per day then I do at my current job.

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:56

I'm right there wit cha in 81st. This was a wicked hard comments course, especially that jackass who finished right before you.

Unknown said...

my bike loves me, and I love your bike

Anonymous said...

We need a new triple degree program in medicine, law and dentistry. This super "Docyerentist" would have the ability to sue himself for inevitable malpractice, or just sue himself to stay busy, and fix his own broken teeth as he is obviously an obnoxious asshole who pisses people off daily.

btw, have some balls and post this.

(OOOooo...plagiarism and copyright infringement!)

Anonymous said...

Nothing says 'track' like those ATB pedals--sorry, peddles, in CLspeak--on the pista.

Anonymous said...

I love Billy Joel. I wear his T-shirt proudly. And I've never been asked to defend my choice of clothing. If you insist on being a snob, stick to bikes.

AnnaZed said...

"I love Billy Joel. I wear his T-shirt proudly..." Anonymous 12:03 PM

Yet you note that this declaration was posted anonymously ...tee hee...You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right.

Judi said...

BSNY - check out this Google ad on your page. WTF? It is pretty funny though.

Your Pretty Mexican Bride
is Waiting for You. Browse 100s of Profiles & Find Your Perfect Match!
latinwomensite.com

Anonymous said...

Our local farmer's market here in Portland, OR has reopened after the winter. But the normal hippie-dippy coffee stand is gone. In its place is "Velo Cafe"...there are always lots of people standing around it (track standing?), not because it's all that popular but because it's slow: they make the coffee one cup at a time, drip style, exotic bean of your choice. Small only, $2.50.

They recently started offering coffee in regular pots so you don't have to wait, at $2 each. Small size only.

Is this place the fixed-gear of coffee?

Anonymous said...

Commiecanuck, among the Snob's people, this coveted triple degree is known as the "Hebrew Hat Trick."

SkidMark said...

Anon 6:53
You obviously don't have any balls, since you posted your comments anonymously - nice touch

Anonymous said...

Is it still legal to sell Spinergy wheels?

http://newhaven.craigslist.org/bik/658601284.html

Anonymous said...

LOL!

"They were too scary for me on downhill"

Translated:

"Here, YOU ride these deathtraps"

Anonymous said...

Bikesnob-

Wanted to bring this to your attention.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkS59cpKzeU

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love Billy Joel. I wear his T-shirt proudly. And I've never been asked to defend my choice of clothing. If you insist on being a snob, stick to bikes.
.

Billy Jo-el? Isn't he Superman's brother?

Crackhead said...

I barely knew what fixies were until I started reading this blog, and now I not only know what they are, I'm learning which ones are a piece of crap. But I'm not entirely sure they aren't just a joke.

Oh--also I'm buying the Elite Custom cage(and I linked to your blog since I'm just dying to be laughed at for having them. But they are going on my Pinarello Dogma, so I think they are justified.

And you all can also laugh at me cuz I'm a triathlete.

Only 3 commas.

Anonymous said...

Now I'm getting confused. Are we allowed to laugh at eachother if we fit in some of the same groups, but not others?

For instance, let's take crackhead and myself here. I own a fixed gear bike and I have no interest in 12g bottle cages. So there's grounds for me to laugh. However, I am also a complete and udder tridork to the core. Hence no grounds for laughter on my part directed at crackhead there.

Oh -- this comment also has exactly three commas and two dashes. Laugh or no laugh?

I need to start my own blog so I'll have a place to write about this.

anydaynowww said...

If the apocalypse is coming, best to be dressed appropriately

www.charliehorse.co.uk

pantaloonfan said...

As much as I have all the love in the world for your stuff, and find it stupidaholic to spend just under 1700 bones on a fixed gear bike frameset, if you look at the serotta page, they aren't horizontal dropouts, they are actually track ends on the singolo.

Doesn't mean you aren't a dip for buying one, it's just a minor note.

Anonymous said...

Pantaloonfan, that's just the point. They are indeed "track ends," yet Serotta's own marketing material refers to them as "drop outs."

They've managed to put the "correct" piece on their frame, yet they aren't capable of correctly describing it in their marketing copy.

Am I going to "start" a new "trend" of putting "waaaaay too many" "quotes" on "comments?"

Anonymous said...

Reading this was definitely a waste of time. One good point was made in this article: that riding a single speed shouldn't be about glamour. Then this jackass waxes intellectual for 700 words of bike geek masturbation that only serves to expose him as being more petty and snobby than the guys he makes fun of. So sorry if I wanted to own a bike that actually fits me! I live in Indy where good frames aren't just lying around to be dusted off and built up. So sorry that the common folk are treading on the turf of the cycling elite these days. Jesus! I'm gonna run downstairs right now and primer over the paint job on my Bowery. That's right douche, I ride a Bowery. I ride it every damn day rain or shine. It's my primary means of transportation and I like it just fine. Apparently I'm not cultured enough or know enough about building bikes to be worthy of riding a refurbished piece of shit from the '80s just so I can act urban and trendy. I log alot more miles than alot of self righteous twits out there though so I don't feel bad that I resorted to buying a reasonably priced, shiny new single speed. And no, I can't tell you how many miles I average in a week nor have I taken the time to measure my dick, so spare me that cross examination. I've got buddies who ride in the Little 5 every year who are less concerned about what people ride than you do. And yes, they built their own bikes using recycled parts.

Anonymous said...

It is rather interesting for me to read the blog. Thanks for it. I like such themes and anything connected to them. I would like to read more soon.
Alex
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