Sunday, July 26, 2009

Weird Style: Cast-Offs and Bolt-Ons

As some of you may already be aware, this past weekend was an auspicious one for this blog. Finally, I received acknowledgment from a famous media outlet I have goaded countless times. Of course, I'm referring to Craigslist, where I finally received a "Missed Connection:"


You on bike, me walking with Dachshund on Saturday - w4m - 26 (Prospect Park)
Date: 2009-07-24, 12:12AM EDT

You rode past really fast on the Southwest corner of the park and yelled something about me and my dachshund.

What did you say? I'm curious.

I'm blond, you were wearing crazy cyclist gear.


Well, to be completely honest, I'm not absolutely certain it was me because I don't remember the incident. Still, it very easily could have been me. Firstly, I often ride in Prospect Park. Secondly, as a dedicated and passionate heckler of dachshund owners it's very rare that I pass someone walking a wiener dog while out on my bicycle without shouting something, even if it's just a simple "put a bun and some mustard on that thing." Thirdly, the rider was apparently wearing "crazy cyclist gear," and cycling attire doesn't get any crazier than a full chicken suit, which is my outfit of choice when doing laps in Prospect Park. (In the Peloton of Insanity, chicken suits are standard team issue.) So given the fact that even in a city as large as New York there probably aren't that many people riding around in chicken suits yelling at dachshunds, I'm just going to go ahead and take credit.

Also, considerably less auspicious but still worth noting is the fact that there was an article about me in the New York Times yesterday. Here's an excerpt from it, translated from English to French and then back into English via a free online translator:

For the World of Bicycle, Hard Love OF one Described AUTOMATICALLY the Snob

IT keeps a day work in the edition sector. It takes his bicycle to work in Manhattan of Brooklyn. It married. It appreciates a margarita. It is a racer enthusiast of bicycle, but not a terribly voucher the one.

Those were little of the personal details the Snob of Bicycle wanted to reveal. It consented to meet for a tex-mex dinner in Does the Hill, Brooklyn, on the condition that a journalist does not unveil his true name, for fear that the world learns the true identity of the more of difficult mood and more blogueur of bicycle of talk about the moment. (The anonymity is, after all, the central element of his online role).


It also rubs the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again.

I must confess I found myself getting slightly misty-eyed while reading the article, flattered and grateful as I was that so many cycling luminaries took the time to comment. (Sure, I would have liked to have seen a quote from Cadel Evans as well, but he's Australian and the language barrier was probably insurmountable.) Also, you wouldn't think you'd learn anything from an article about your own blog, but I actually did discover a new word:

At first, I thought "weird style diktats" was a reference to the new penile tattoo craze sweeping Williamsburg, but it turns out it's just a more phallic way of saying "rules." In any case, this article could not have come at a better time, since I'm preparing to "drop" my very own brand of marmalade and I need all the press I can get:

This particular jar was spotted by the proprietor of Metal Inquisition in Spain, where I am currently test-marketing the "Guayaba" flavorway.

Speaking of test-marketing, Tour de France winner Alberto Contador seems well on his way to branding his now-famous "fingerbang" victory salute:


My guess is that a hat (shown here in the "fingerbang" colorway) will be the first item from the AC collection to "drop:"


Then, if the public is receptive, I would expect a wide range of garments to follow, and perhaps one day the logo will become so popular that it will attain the coveted status of Polo Shirt Left Nipple Ubiquity, like the Ralph Lauren polo player, the Playboy Bunny, or the Le Tigre tigre:

I only hope that in his rush to capitalize on his Tour victory by trademarking the "fingerbang" he doesn't neglect his signature "cockblock," as practiced on teammate Andreas Kloden during stage 17 to Le Grand-Bornand. In any case, Contador's win was an impressive one, and we may very well see him fingerbanging and cockblocking his way to victory for many years to come.

Of course, even if Condador's logo becomes all the rage, "Fingerbang Fever" has a long way to go before it eclipses "Messenger Mania:"


The above image was forwarded to me by a friend, and it comes from a catalogue produced by a company called eBags. I was particularly taken by the playfully suggestive manner in which the guy in the center of the page is propelling his Specialized New York City edition Langster forward with his groin. Here's another shot which is even more masturbatory:

Note his expression, as well the manner in which he's grasping the top tube. Note also the resigned manner in which the woman is defending herself, as if this is the sort of thing that happens to her all the time. She looks like she's saying, "At least just wait until I get off the phone."

It would seem then that the fixed-gear bicycle has officially attained parity with the electric guitar. Like guitars, fixed-gears are now just something people buy so they can waggle them around in front of girls. Also like guitars, most people who own fixed-gears have no idea how to actually use them. And perhaps most tellingly, whether it's a guitar or a bicycle, the average onlooker is completely unconcerned with the actual quality of the object; instead, all they see is the shape and the color(whey).

Take the Republic bike for example, which in a certain way is the bicycle equivalent of a fake Les Paul. As many people are aware by now, this is the line of bicycles being sold by Urban Outfitters. I was recently enjoying a cocktail in a bar in Brooklyn when I noticed one of these Republic bicycles (in the "Ghost Bike" appearanceway) leaning jauntily against a wall like a prop:


Now, like any obsessive cyclist, I can't help feeling some contempt for Republic bikes for the usual litany of reasons. It's a mass-produced iteration of a type of urban bicycle once assembled by people on their own. Its frame is made of cheap hi-ten steel. It's sold via mailorder instead of through local bike shops. And so forth. As such, I caught myself glowering at the bike. However, your average bar patrons are completely unaware of and unconcerned with these details. Instead, they're simply seduced by the pretty colors and they want to touch it and try it out:


And of course, once someone has touched and tried out your bicycle, it's that much easier to convince them to touch and try you out as well:

("Want to check out my weird style diktats?")

So then, is the obsessive cyclist's fixation with a certain level of quality justified? Or is it the equivalent of the obsessive-compulsive's fear of microbes and germs? Is the Republic bicycle and the sort of interaction it inspires based entirely on superficialities? Ore are our standards so inordinately high that they are preventing us from enjoying life in a normal fashion? Furthermore, does the Republic bike represent an alarming drop in standards, or is it something that will ultimately draw people towards both bicycles and each-other? Is it a sort of "benign virus" that will spread the joy of cycling to the masses, or is it just a piece of crap that simply serves as a pretense for hipsters to copulate and exchange viruses with each-other? Only time will tell.

Social questions aside, it will also be interesting to see what happens to the bicycles themselves. It seems unlikely that the Republic bike will attain "Pistahood," since most self-conscious owners will probably choose to "upgrade" the frame before they "upgrade" the parts. Instead, it's possible that they'll just become bicycle flotsam. Right now the reigning ubiquitous street sign bicycle barnacle in New York City is the SE Draft. There is hardly an urban fixture that doesn't have at least one Draft clinging to it. Will the Republic bike supplant it? After all, many of these Drafts are now either in an advanced state of decay, or else have moved into the "dubious customization phase," and in either case they are nearing the end of their useful lives and are due for replacement. Here's one with an old Specialized Body Geometry saddle that has been stripped of its padding:

The Body Geometry saddle was designed to eliminate crotchal numbness, so I find it interesting that this person appears to have actually modified his in order to restore its impotence-inducing properties.

Here's a newer Draft which has already acquired an "Improvised Filth Prophylactic" (or IFP):


And here's a bike that is not an SE Draft, but is nonetheless noteworthy because it sports a pair of Bandaged Finger Bars:


Speaking of handlebars and bicycle evolution, in the heyday of the "flop and chop" bar (before the riser bar took over as the dominant urban fixed-gear handlebar) I wondered what must have become of all those severed drops. Well, a reader recently forwarded me this photo, which indicates that at least some of them might have found new life as actual handlebars themselves:

As the castoffs of yesteryear (or at least yestermonth) become the handlebars of today, it would seem that the fixed-gear fad has once again doubled over on itself like a brightly-attired yoga instructor. We shall see if it becomes increasingly supple or if it ultimately breaks its own back. And if it does keep getting more supple, will it one day attain a state of transcendence, or will it simply stay inside all day fellating itself?

Either way, I'm certainly enjoying all the diktats.

192 comments:

Astroluc (Find me on Tumblr and Instagram @Astroluc) said...

Contador!

wishiwasmerckx said...

Podium?

panino said...

me? there? nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Paul Bowen said...

Yay me!

Anonymous said...

Top Ten - like a mother fucker!

Anonymous said...

busting up a starbux!

Paul Bowen said...

haha - same placing as the Wigster!

Anonymous said...

Congrats, Snobby. You have officially jumped the Dutch bike.

BTW, do "fingerbangs" become "fingerfringe" in the UK? Just wondering.

Anonymous said...

boom boom

Asterisk said...

10th!

Astroluc (Find me on Tumblr and Instagram @Astroluc) said...

I just had all my shirts embroidered with the "fingerbang"

Cranky Mule said...

Whereami

mikeweb said...

Fingerbang!

mikeweb said...

It's good to know I live in "Does the Hill" Brooklyn. So, Pacifico?

Anonymous said...

i would have been first, definitely, but took me ages to fill the bag with my fake cock

Anonymous said...

Contador should have turned towards his left and given Lance a fingerbang at his head.

Interesting that even when beaten Lance still claims he's the boss of the peleton.

Anonymous said...

actually, in the uk, finger bangs have the rather snappy title of ....appendage formed into that of a firearm to show great joy to persons in the surrounding area
probably

Anonymous said...

caught the nyt article, congrats. any idea why today's post its dated Sunday and not Monday.

Paul Bowen said...

NYT - get you! Sincere congrats.

I have to say I thought this:

"a pretense for hipsters to copulate and exchange viruses with each-other?"

was a bit harsh. Not on the bike but on the people in the pics. They don't look like what I understand by 'hipsters', more like just a couple of ordinary kids getting to know each other. Give em a break man!

Anonymous said...

i think snobby jumped jaws by this point

from your photos i had a feeling we had a similar commute. now i know we're neighbors. suhweet.

try oaxaca yet?

BikeSnobNYC said...

Paul Bowen,

Thank you!

Yes, they're just two people making a connection over a bike. I didn't mean to imply that about them specifically, and I'm sorry if it came across that way. It was just a broad and sarcastic comment.

--BSNYC

Anonymous said...

“Subconsciously, I think the blog was being written in my head for a long time,” he said.


Talk about working overtime...Jeeze

PBLT. said...

Sockin' dingers!

mikeweb said...

Snob, congrats on the recognition from the NYT! -and meeting Lance! Were you the one who convinced him to come out of retirement?

Anonymous said...

Welcome to Jamaica!

streepo said...

" Ore are our standards so inordinately high that they are preventing us from enjoying life in a normal fashion? "

Would that be be crabon ore?

c murder said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

"...Now freewheel ...everybody freewheel ..."

Surly Bastard said...

Diktats? Just because it's a word (thought it was a typo) doesn't necessarily mean it should be used. Nice article though. According to the NYT I guess you're a sorta-kinda-sarcastic bicycling Diktator, right?

The "yoga instructor" at the end was genius. Great start to the week. I'm giving it a double-embroidered finger-bang.

JM Sotiron said...

Fingerbangs and diktats make for some sweet looking porn.

leroy said...

Dear Mr. BSNYC --

My cousin Swiftie, whom my Aunt tells me is as "an important agent in the business," saw the NY Times article about your upcoming book and has what he is certain is a "can't miss" title guaranteeing success.

His suggestion: "Thinner Thighs in Thirty Days."

I was going to use that title for my memoirs, but Swifty says he's "feeling major gelt for you with the suits at the store."

I'm not sure what that means, but he says you should call him before you sign anything.

I thought you should go with something with "Harry Potter" in the title, but what do I know?

Daddo said...

DO NOT give away your ID with that book!

Your secret is hugely profitable.

leroy said...

And speaking of Stewie as Buffalo Bill....

Is it just me, or did Lance's Damien Hirst butterflies bike remind anyone else of the movie poster for The Silence of the Lambs?

Unknown said...

is that a blowjob - oh, rather - and il pompino you're riding in the photo?

Velocodger said...

Reminds me of the seventies..I used to say "choppers" used to be perfectly good motorcycles-until they were destroyed on the altar of cool. Now the current crop of fashion slaves are ruining perfectly good bicycles for "weird style diktats". Adolescent fashion slaves- throw off your chains!

kale said...

He's still fingerbanging and cockblocking?

Sounds like Condador needs a few more years of training from Tom "Poonin'" Boonen if he wants to be Lance's wingman next year. You got to be a team player if you're gonna slay the Olsen twins.

And Snob:

"May God bless you - or whoever it is that is alone to see the best, the highest possible to human hearts. You're on your way into hell, Snob."

Anonymous said...

post of the year.

Klaus Mohn said...

personal best

Mad Jack McMad said...

Vladimir Karpets!

Anonymous said...

I think its funny that in the messanger amnia pic that the guy with bike has his really tight jeans rolled but his shoe strings are not tucked in. I think this guy is a poser, jus sayin!
Woot! Woot!

Anonymous said...

You misspelled "litany". Otherwise, ok. B+

Anonymous said...

" ... just a couple of ordinary kids..."

Yes, ordinary. Each wearing the latest $400 fashion accessory. He the white on white fixie. She the gold leather gladiator sandals.

Shram said...

Wow, that was a lot of new Snobbie details for one day: let's see, married, publishing industry, margaritas, has a brother, yikes.

Anonymous said...

If you enjoy overpriced guitars appropriated by "lifestyle" and not "actual" guitar players, take a look at this:

http://thevaingloriousatrocity.blogspot.com/2009/02/and-you-are.html

And you also appeared in Lance's twitter page as "a daily must-read". Congrats! Hope the tex-mex was good.

Anonymous said...

Lance is Red Neckerson, btw. That's why he hasn't been posting as of late.

CommieCanuck said...

Good to see Firstie back in the blog.

Anon 1:30, while he gets a B+, remember, the class average on the internets is G-, so if we ever want these people to graduate, we'll have to curve the grades, so snob gets an A+++ with a smiley face and a gold star.

The internet, where the retarded can ride the curve to MIT.

andymax said...

Well ...in this case the snob was grumpling and the Republic owner got sum ...I'm off to get a Rep-Bike :-)

Luck E. Seven said...

Well-sculpted post, as if.

All this finger banging is going to inspire a new smellway. Maybe salt and vinegar?

What is with "each-other"?
You're a fucking good writer and purportedly in the publishing industry (janitor? security guard? tracer?), but I'm missing the necessity of the superfluous hyphening of these two words.

Um...just sayin'.


A

Anonymous said...

FYI, in your post you stated that Republic Bikes are being sold by American Apparel.

Jennifer Love-Hewitt said...

I'm missing the necessity of the superfluous-hyphening of these two-words.

Anonymous said...

re: questions raised by republic bikes, reminds me of the first time i went to ikea. as a long-time furniture snob, i thought i had a brain aneurysm and passed out for a while. there is no stopping democracy i guess

Paul Bowen said...

@Anonymous 1:37.

$400 is hardly a King's ransom for a bike and you can't possibly know what the girl's sandals cost, you big silly; I stand by my comment.

Snobbers: just read that NYT piece - the detail about Lance turning up and just standing outside your apartment is simply unbefuckinlieveable!
I support the comment that you should stay anonymous when the books hit the shops, that way they'll already be autographed, kinda.

Anonymous said...

Cadel!

jolene said...

I road with ricky this weakend and got a gooseeg on my elber the size of a gooseeg from when i rund over a old bottle in te trail boy howdy whats the cure for that

CommieCanuck said...

Just thinking, that could have been me yelling at the dog, "you should put some lube on thing before using it."

So the 09 Tour De Lance is over, after sitting aimlessly on my couch for 6-7 hours today, I came to one conclusion: It was heartening to see that Richard Moll could find a second career after acting and start a successful bike company.

Firstie said...

"you should put some lube on that thing before using it."

CommieCanuck said...

“He’s the first consistently funny guy in the realm of bikes.”

This is saying a lot in the context of the historic breeding ground of comedy cycling has provided us.

I was once described as, "the first consistently funny guy in the realm of natural disasters."

bikesgonewild said...

...***BIKESNOB NYC***: the musical coming to broadway soon...

..."a hugely entertaining evening of song & dance based on the on-line columns & best selling book by bsnyc/rtms" - ny times-arts & entertainment review...

..."the snob lambasts cycling's 'cultureways' in a wacky & uproarious night guaranteed to have you rolling like an 'alleycat' & questioning yer own cycling choices" - bicycling magazine ...

..."fun for the whole peleton" - lance armstrong...

..."it rubs the lotion on it's skin or else it gets the hose again" - buffalo bill...

..."que es el snobbo pokie-pokie fun at me, eh ???...i wait for la movie w/ titlesubs so i cans understand" - alberto 'el pistolero' contador...

..."shit...here we go again" - john "prolly" watson...

..."i can't afford to see it 'cuz i made so little money at 'le tour'...my team wouldn't ride for me...my bike was never quite right...why did i ever leave mountain biking ???...i'd do my own broadway play &/or team but i can't get backing...don't touch me !!!" - cadel evans...

..."bsnyc/rtms...he's just ironically sayin'" - bikesgonewild...

Asterisk said...

Paul Bowen @ 2:05

Snob lives in Brooklyn, by Prospect Park. Central Park is in Manhattan:

"Mr. Armstrong followed with a longer message and told the Bike Snob he’d simply wait for him outside his apartment near Central Park."

*

CommieCanuck said...

I wonder if Lance is one of the anonymii in the top ten here every day?

This must explain my offer to join team RadioShack in 2010. It's hard to turn down $50,000 in "D" cell batteries.

bobby g said...

Contador gives Armstrong the coveted post-tour middle finger-bang.

Very sweet, especially considering Lance's defensive handling of Wiggo on Stage 17 -- until he motored, presumably after catching wind of Alberto dropping Kloden for a Schleck family fingerbang. AYHSLB*

(*singular)

ken e. said...

great post, dangerously revealing...

(mustach-e-od)

STAY ANON

BikeSnobNYC said...

Anonymous 2:03pm,

Oops, thanks! Maybe American Apparel will follow...

--BSNYC

Anonymous said...

FNGR BANG

Anonymous said...

AYHSMFB!

Contador

Paul Bowen said...

@ Asterisk: ah yes of course, thanks. Does that make the story more or less extraordinary I wonder?

wishiwasmerckx said...

Commiecanuck, if you keep making light of that great American icon, "Night Court," you can expect a beat-down; the old-fashioned kind with the non-ironic hyphenation.

Marmalade Boy said...

Do I smell a marmalade collabo coming?

Paul Bowen said...

Lots of attention for a misplaced hyphen but noone mentions that the NYT has gone to press with a solid gold howler like 'triathalete'.

BTW: "Lance Armstrong...was photographed not long ago wearing one of the Bike Snob’s “Seal of Disapproval” T-shirts". Will these become more generally available?

theshepherdsdog said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I see your only mustache is on your bike Good!

ant1 said...

I love how mainstream articles about anything bike related have to mention lance to get published. I counted 15 "snob" or "bike snob" mentions to 10 "armstrong" ones (and not a single ant1st! I might add, unbitterly). Did Liggett and Sherwin write the article?

bikesgonewild said...

...actual velonews headline #1: "Prudhomme credits Armstrong for exciting Tour"...

...armstrong comment:- "well, merci monsieur prudhomme...i told you everything would be awesome on my return, n'est pas ???"...

...actual velonews headline #2: "Contador rips Armstrong...

...Tour de France winner Alberto Contador on Monday launched a stinging attack on teammate Lance Armstrong, saying relations between the two were tense throughout the race.

..."My relationship with Lance is non-existent. Even if he is a great champion, I have never had admiration for him and I never will," the Spaniard told a news conference in Madrid."
...

...armstrong comment: "i don't think i wish to comment on that...oh, wait...the tour is over & 'brunny' & me have got our own team next year...hey 'berto, you little fucking spanish princess...come see me in texas & you'll be wearing barbed wire bibshorts for yer next ride...just sayin', bitch"...

Norman said...

Wossa dif'rence tween a Republic and a Swobo, then? Is one the bisexual and t'other the "ruh-roh"sexual? Do they not "hang out" at the same bars, or are they in competition on the same sexual playing field (Not That There's Anything Right With That)?

Also: first post!

ant1 said...

man, I can't wait for next year's tour. all this shit talking is gonna make for a sweet race. just 342 days to go...

Anonymous said...

ken e. and anon 2:54, I'm thinking I spy ye olde WTB dirt drops the snob be palpin; and NOT moustache bars-(Frida or otherwise)

Luck E. Seven said...

Paul B, wouldn't leaving nitpicky grammar comments for the NYT on this board be missing the point a little?

"No one" is 2 words, btw. Jeez, I'm tired of filling in for Disgruntl Ed. Thankless fucking job. That's right Jennifer Love-Hewitt, I'm looking at you.

Next we'll be awash in a sea of ironic hyphening. I'm getting this done right away:

---- ----



A

ant1 said...

7 - not to be too nit-picky, but i would have gone with
KNUK-TATS, or KNIT-PICK
---- ---- looks like a game of knuck tat hang man.

Kieran Rogers said...

Believe it or not, Contador uses the fingers to point at the sour losers who have not digested too well not having won the TdF. He is also pointing at the wannabe blogger who -the mother of the innovations- writes about bikes, people and life in general in NYC.

Oh, yes, and congrats on the recognition by the Times. Enjoy it.

bikesgonewild said...

..."Norman said...

Wossa dif'rence tween a Republic and a Swobo, then?"
...

..tell ya what, norman...beyond the parody...swobo bikes are designed by a chick named sky yaeger...sky 'fucking' yaeger WAS bianchi usa for years...el jefe', finger on the pulse, knows her shit, dictates trends (pista, anyone ???)...can ride like a lady or a sonavabitch...

...she n' the whole swobo crew go to sleep at night w/ a beer & an old chainring under their pillows just so they'll wake up in the right frame of mind for their next ride...

...republic ???...eh, not so much...now THAT'S the difference between swobo & republic...

CommieCanuck said...

ant1...I doubt it. Besides, anyone who follows the tour for the last decade knows it's not over until mid-August, when all the blood tests are finished, then mid-October, when the appeals are heard, then three fucking years later after tribunals, inquiries and books are written, plus Larry King interviews, and opinions from Greg Lemond are heard.

The Giro was over in May, Di Luca was found +ve just last week.

CommieCanuck said...

What's the difference between a blogger and a "wannabe blogger"? Is there a license? a Test? secret handshake?

Anonymous said...

http://nyvelocity.com/content/2009/topic-07272009-0210

mikeweb said...

bobby g, et. al.

Neither berto nor lance come off as totally noble and lily white over the last 3 weeks.

Each of them have legitimate beefs. Everything started, let's be honest, when LA decided to come out of retirement and relegated contador (a 3 grand tour winner already) from team leader, to co-leader -sort of.

As far as the whole Kloden thing, so instead of waiting for schleck to attack, contador attacks and kloden gets dropped - that's unfortunate and contador already said that he feels bad about it.

Basically, the TdF played out as a lot of people predicted it would when you have 2 of the top favorites on the same team: as an episode of 90210 (the new version, BTW), complete with gossip and cattiness -not just from Astana either...

What did everyone expect to happen? At least it makes for good blog fodder...

Kieran Rogers said...

Hey CommieCanuck is the bashing (sorry, the opinion-giving-exercise) unidirectional of what? Just trying to express myself freely. Unless you guys don't like that and I need to open my own blog to do so.

Cheers and happy riding!

Luck E. Seven said...

Ant, I like the knuck tat hangman idea! Also, would the hyphens in your examples be split between the thumbs?

HANG -MAN

Sorry, I may be trapped in an endless cycle of nit-picky-ness.

DAMN BLOG



A

ant1 said...

commie - the after race "surprises" are one of my favorite aspects of pro cycling. I don't know how the cycling media managed to ignore the obvious di luca doping story throught the giro. It's almost like they don't think anyone is doping. They were showing some 2005 TDF ITT last night on versus, the riders they kept talking about, besides lance, of course, were rasmussen, ullrich, landis, kloden, basso, vino... Hindsight is hilarious. I'm personally hoping for a Contador/Schlecks DQ, making lance the winner.

hillbilly said...

conrats, snob, I don't care what anyone says, it was nice publicity, especially with a book coming out, and it's all well deserved.

grog said...

. . . put some marmalade on that thing before you use it . . .

T. Herman Zweibel said...

I say, "Well put, Bike-Snob!" The noble hyphen is under-used these-days. You should give no credence to the nay-saying of small-minded literary "Freds," as we men-about-town often call them.

BikeSnobNYC said...

T. Herman,

Thank-you very-much.

--RTMS

CommieCanuck said...

keirin..don't pay attention to me, I'm just a wannabe comment writer.

Snob, don't you remember what happened to The Unknown Comic? (ask a nearby Canadian). This guy was HUGE, HUGE, so huge he thought he would reveal his identity, ...and then, it all went tits North:

From Wikipedia:

...he accepted an offer to appear on The Gong Show. However, he was reportedly embarrassed about appearing on the show, so he put a bag over his head, memorized a few old jokes, and became "The Unknown Comic". The character was a hit, and soon developed a cult following, appearing on more than 150 Gong Show episodes. ... In the early 80s Langston revealed himself as the Unknown Comic on an episode of Real People...

In the early 1990s, Langston decided to retire from show business ...

Gill said...

Hey are you throwing us all off, that blue bike is not your ironic orange julius bike. Or is it that the ironic orange julius bike is really blue and not so ironic?

CommieCanuck said...

I'm pretty sure he's now working in a Tim Horton's shop in Hamilton injecting jelly into donuts.

Gnarles Darwin said...

The meeting was definately at LOBO.
Tex Mex and grande Margaritas.

Snob I never ever want to know your name. Please don't. I do look forward to reading the book though.

"JAWS JUMP"

CommieCanuck said...

Gill, I think that's his new depression colorway, "malaise".

Anonymous said...

Mr. Langster Messenger Crotch is going to get his laces caught in his drivetrain. Oy gevalt!

bobby g said...

mikeweb,

While I disagree that Lance merely announcing his return is tantrum-worthy, it's pretty obvious that berto kicked everyone's ass at Verbier, proving he deserved both the yellow jersey and LeMond's precious acrimony.

It doesn't surprise me at all that Alberto won the tour. He deserved it. In the process, though, he's also earned my ridicule for going out of his way to be a dick on a select few occasions. The Schlecks had already attacked several times, and 360 and Kloden had stayed on their wheels. That's why I think that move was more about distancing his time from Lance than dropping Kloden, but whatever. He just kept looking back and played dumb after the stage, so we'll never know. I suppose it's possible that AC was actually stupid enough to think Kloden could keep up with him.

You're definitely right about the 90210-ish-ness of it all. And I'll say this about Alberto: Even though he acted like an aloof bitch before and after the tour, at least he kept his mouth shut during the tour.

P.S. I hope Radio Shack signs Cadel and Hincapie, just so we can see a three-way, retroactive, passive-aggressive, slow-motion whine-off between the lot of 'em if/when Alberto wins again. Oh my G, it'd totally be like that episode when they go to the rave, drop "U4EA", and Steve winds up getting his yellow 'vette vandalized.

Norman said...

cuaccen bikesgonewild mit er meat-hole...

swobo bikes are designed by a chick named sky yaeger...sky 'fucking' yaeger WAS bianchi usa for years...el jefe', finger on the pulse, knows her shit, dictates trends

You ever heard "Fields of Gold" by Sting?

You ever heard "Sting Cannot Possibly Be the Same Guy Who Was In the Police" by Atom & his Package?

Now, what was your point?

Anonymous said...

Not sure if you saw this, but Conto's Madone comes with a custom fingerbang paint job. No word on its availability to us mortal thumb bangers.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/photos/alberto-contadors-astana-trek-6-series-madone/80314

Luck E. Seven said...

---dashes are the new ellipses---

---sorry bgw, but THZ, The Lord-of-the-Freds, has spoken---



A

Anonymous said...

Looks like you are directing a hipster love story at that bar sponsored by American Apparel.

mikeweb said...

bobby g.

Well put.

The next TdF will be, like totally, like the awesomest season finale!

I can't wait.

ant1 said...

.- .-.. .-.. - .... .. ... -.. .- ... .... . ... .- -. -.. . .-.. .-.. .. .--. ... .. ... - .- .-.. -.- .. ... -- .- -.- .. -. --. -- . .-- .. ... .... .. -.- -. . .-- -- --- .-. ... . -.-. --- -.. . .-.-.-

ant1 said...

put that through your google translate!

Anonymous said...

Snob married? *sob* Another dream smashed to smithereens...

Bikefag said...

Goddammit Bikesnob, you're too good!
Also, the series of photos involving the Republic Bike and the douchebag rider fills me with the type of rage that I can only compare to the feeling I felt in high school when my friend Valerie who I was in love with went off with some douchebag football player and asked me to take her car home for her.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Ant1,

.- .-.. .-.. / -.-- --- ..- / -- --- .-. ... . ... / ... ..- -.-. -.- / -- -.-- / -.-. --- -.. . .-.-.-

--RTMS

ant1 said...

snob, knog should make a light that blinks that. can you pull some strings (don't pull a sting, as mentioned earlier, that's not cool) and make that happen?

bikesgonewild said...

...sorry, norman but that went right over my little pointed head...

...but then again, i've known sky 'fucking' yaeger for like twenty (20) fucking years so it prob'ly doesn't matter...

...& my bianchi cyclo-cross (hey, a hyphen) bike proudly sports a "chick designed" sticker...wouldn't have it any other way..

Anonymous said...

"So then, is the obsessive cyclist's fixation with a certain level of quality justified? "

The fixation is that many "serious" cyclists hope to achieve some sort of recognition for their abilities, knowledge of, and dedication to the sport, and thus feel affronted when a femme-boy in skinny jeans is makes time with hotties simply by spinning about on a bike that cost less the a carbon crankset, and without all the training miles.

Anonymous said...

Hugo and Treats, the awful Australian hip-hop artiste, is so dreadful that I felt compelled to complain about him again today.

tom said...

Snob-b b palpin the IOJB @ Hillier in the Alps of NJ on 8/23?

Anonymous said...

All you horses suck my code?

masshole, aka Anon 5:10 said...

Sorry, I posted under the wrong name a sec ago.

I've been gone for too long, my bad!

Paul Bowen said...

@Luckers:

"No one" is 2 words, btw.

Gah! Thank you, how silly to make that mistake, especially in a post that actually referred to alleged overuse of the hyphen!

Anonymous said...

Does this burgeoning fame mean that the BSNYC “culture” will “close” soon?

bikesgonewild said...

...luck e 7...

..."---dashes are the new ellipses---
---sorry bgw, but THZ, The Lord-of-the-Freds, has spoken---"
...

...hey, i'm tranquilo w/ that..just leave me behind on the grammatical slopes, if you will...i'll post my posts...i'll be relegated to the back of the punctual peleton, if i must...i'm not as young & as 'hip' these days, so sure, whatever...

...just really sayin' "you kids get off a' my syntactical lawn, godammit !!!"...

Anonymous said...

Does Contador make anyone else think of this?

http://www.hulu.com/watch/23222/the-simpsons-bang-bang-bart

innerlighter said...

I'm anxiously awaiting the "Fingerbang" Primal jersey...

...de rigeur for any self-respecting, pot-bellied, Trek-palping century rider.


meh

Luck E. Seven said...

Ant sez-
All this dashes and ellipsis talk is making me wish i knew morse code.

Snob sez-
All you morses suck my code.

LE7 sez-
-.. . / -.. --- / -.. --- / -.. --- / -.. . / -.. .- / -.. .- / -.. .- .. ... / .- .-.. .-.. / .. / .-- .- -. - / - --- / ... .- -.-- / - --- / -.-- --- ..-

Also,
.. / - .... .. -. -.- / .-- . / -- .- -.-- / .... .- ...- . / ..-. --- ..- -. -.. / ... --- -- . / .... .- .--. .--. -.-- / -- . -.. .. ..- -- / .... . .-. . --..-- / -... --. .-- .-.-.-



.-

bikesgonewild said...

...btw...how ironic is it that when contador stood on the top step of the podium, they played the danish national anthem...

...other than andy schlecks directeur sportif, bjarne riis, there wasn't a dane for fucking miles...

Fred said...

Sorry to break in here, but Sheldon Brown is the one true Lord-of-all-Freds. I personally tithe Harris Cyclery monthly.

Not sure who this THZ is, or how you pronounce his name. It reminds of Fizik, insofar as it as onomatopoeically like a silent fart.

Asterisk said...

@ Paul Bowen at 2:31

I know it sounds wierd for LA to be just hanging out just outside the Dakota, or wherever his apartment is, waiting for Snob.

But, if THE paper of record printed it, and LA is quoted in the article, why should we doubt Snob? Shouldn't we assume NYT checked with Lance if he was just chillin across from the park, as Snob said?

Or am I just being gullible?

bikesgonewild said...

...luck e 7...if you didn't have luck e "slashes", that wouldn't even a word jumble...

Dave said...

Keeping your anonymity would be fun, but your publisher will be looking to get that advance back. And unless you're outing congressman, an anonymous author is about as popular as a finger-bang tie tack in Texas. I suppose you could attend book signings in a balaclava and Oakley Over the Tops.

The photo in the NYT article can be read as a subtle personal outing or an elaborate ruse. Is that YOUR Gotham jersey or was it borrowed/found at Prospect. Were the mustache bars a nod to readers in the know?

Anonymous said...

The difference between Republic and Swobo is the difference between hi-ten and chro-mo.

Anonymous said...

Does Contador remind anyone else of Lewis Hamilton?

red neckerson said...

mon enfant, ma soeur, songe a la doceur d'allez la-bas vivre.....

whoa fuck that shit

hey jolene let me gets a contador and well meat behind the bowling alley

or as them dam frenchers say allez

mindtron said...

who says you need a fixie to do tricks on your bike. http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/cgi/gallerypicget.asp?pic=http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/races09/tdf09/tdf09st21-fumy.jpg

Anonymous said...

@Asterisk: Apologies to you and especially Snobbers if anyone thought I used unbelievable to meant I don't believe it (which would be a reasonable assumption after all). I didn't,I meant unbelievable like Ace of Spades by Motorhead is unbelievable; that is, so excellent that my brain struggles to process the fact of its existence. I totally believe the story, so if you are gullible you at least have company. But apart from anything else, if it were a lie it would be too easy to disprove to be worth telling.

Yonk said...

Oh, please, no reveal. For the love of all that is good, keep hidden, Snob.

Anonymity and mystery are unfortunately highly underrated and unappreciated these days. Let me say, I appreciate your work and value your anonymity.

Be Bartleby-like and unknowable (just without the dire consequences). Be the Bike Snob NYC. That is truly enough.

Thank you, sir.

Paul Bowen said...

Pah, that's me at 6:08. And yes, I meant mean not meant at line 3.

Anonymous said...

If you want to join us SNOBS here in Oregon then go here http://oregonbeer.org/snob/

Asterisk said...

@ Anon 6:08 and Paul Bowen 6:18

Thanks for explaining.

ALLS COOL

*

bobby g said...

Gotta say... I love my Swobo Otis.

Not only is it an awesome bike and perfect (IMHO) for commuting and weaving through traffic in BK and Manhattan, but the combo of a front disc break and rear coaster increases both the likelihood that I'll be perceived as some sort of would-be lone wolf salmon -- in that I choose to swim with the current when clearly I might do otherwise. That and the fact that it's only three gears with an internal hub has the effect of pissing off people who presume it's either a single speed or an amply-gear'd bike. Built like a tank, great for commuting, even better for not getting hit by a delivery truck or gypsy cab, chicks dig it (I think), solid components, and it doesn't scream "I tasted the rainbow and all I got was this lousy fixie" like the pseudo-custom Republic bikes do.

Not hatin', just sayin'. There's no comparison.

Besides, it's a great company run by outstanding 'mericans, Norman.

Rubb said...

RTMS:

As a "personal acquaintance" of Mr. Armstrong, can you defend "your boyz" lack of team spirit (skipping celebration for Radioshack 'party') followed by his plea, via twitter, for Mr. Contador to thank his teammates?

Also, will Radioshack become the Costco of excuses in 2010?

Leprechaun said...

Not trying to be a perv (no trying necessary) but with all this talk about finger banging can "smell my finger" be the official slogan?

RB1 said...

Isn't anyone else bothered by the NYTimes writing about an 'anonymous persona' ? Bike Snob is anonymous, yes, and he has an online persona, yes, but his persona isn't anonymous. If anything, his persona is rich and multifaceted and quite unique. Sorry to go all william safire in public, but these things are important.

and nice to hear from t. herman. I hope he buys the bloody newspaper back from the chinese. the nytimes needs the competition.

bikesgonewild said...

...rubb...it's all about "what can you do for me" in sponsorship deals...

...astana & an uncooperative contador = done...

...radio shack & the future = i just got my 37 year old, half retired ass up to 3rd on the podium...thanks for the faith, guys & i'll be shooting for the top step next year...

...basically, the ol' lance-ster couldn't have had a better tour...said n' did all the right things...humble when needed, held his tongue when he mighta said more...welcomed back by the peleton & fans, old & new...3rd rather than 1st, so he is believable...

...despite tales of his ego, i gotta believe he'll see this a perfect return tour...but watch out next year, motherfuckers, just watch out next year !!!...

Nathaniel said...

enough finger banging -- more cycling!

mylanternrouge.blogspot.com

johnhall4945 said...

Is it true that you're identity is being protected by the last remnants of the Dead Rabbits (on fixed-gear bikes, no less)? Picture my "fingerbang"...now... to complete this comment.

Anonymous said...

Uncooperative Contador? How? Cuz he took his rightful place?

And for LA to post that twitter, after skipping the team party, is well, a little like the pot...

Anonymous said...

I saw the article in the NYT first, mentioned here second. Stunned me, like seeing a local band in the Arts section with a music review by Jon Pareles.

You might have some master plan, BSNYC, but I think you should keep your identity sealed. We know who you are-- some ordinary guy with the extraordinary ability to size up the cycling world. The moment you unveil your identify, you won't have the clean access that being invisible affords.

Then again, other doors may open up. Either way, wishing you the best.

Anonymous said...

Is that On-One Il Pompino yours or are you just posing with it to throw people off?

Anonymous said...

2000 - Armstrong to peloton: "No gifts"
2009 - Contador to peloton: "No gifts."
I thought it looked familiar. Ah well, Lance & Kloden's road rash of the soul will heal someday.

yogisurf said...

Works a day job...likes Margaritas...has beautiful berber style carpet in his home <---- how'd the NYT writer miss that one? We've seen it in so many pictures. Oh, and I lost a bet, I guess. I swore the pick of Lance with the Seal shirt was photo-shopped. Come on Snobby, capitalize like the Counter (Contador), more APPROVED! BSNYC products.

Kieran Rogers said...

For a sec I thought. Oh well, pity Kloden will not make it to the podium. But when I think about it again: The face of LA standing there as a mere numero tres... well, that was priceless.

Glad to see some people agree that LA is a bitter loser (literally). He never gived any "gift" away (unlike Indurain). Now he complains... and tells Conta that he's got lots to learn still.

...let me tell you somethin' Lancito: he has won all three major races (Tour, Giro and Vuelta). Give us a call when you have that in the bag. ...rather: twit us about it...

Anonymous said...

First the be-skirted legs, then the Neptune shot, now this. Indeed what we are witnessing is the simultaneous soft opening (per contra a grand opening) of BSNYC and its (his? our?) culture’s “closing.” Get in while you can still say “I read him when.”

sprider said...

Sky Yeager once worked at my LBS, I still am thankful she made me spend more than I could afford at the time to buy Bruce Gordon racks instead of a mass produced piece of crap. I still have them, 25 years later.

Anonymous said...

http://www.knuckletattoos.com/lone-wolf/

mikeweb said...

Kieran and Frilly:

Well put. Long story short, a team leader's only job (especially when he's already at the top of the GC) is to WIN the RACE. "Gifts" have traditionally been monetary, not putting the overall lead at risk to try to pack the podium.

Ask any sponsor or team director and they'll tell you the same thing.

BTW, if your teammate is in command of the GC, your job, no matter who you are, is to support him and keep your mouth shut.

All this said, this intrateam battle has made for one of the most 'eventful' Tours that I can remember. 2010 looks to be very interesting...

Zen said...

I'm gonna have to star reading Snob with a a curtain over the right side of my monitor.

Anonymous said...

Will AC win the next six TdF's; or will he sign with a Spanish team?

Anonymous said...

Diktats oh im not certain did he mean Dikdaks? aus term for strides,budgie smugglers, etc?

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the NYT mention.

I'm so psyched the Langster is in that ad getting humped by that tool! When I bought my last-year's model fairly cheap at Bicycunt Habitrail (so named after my salesperson), I told her I couldn't wait to keep it all clean and new-looking! Judging by her reaction, I knew I scored, and now I feel like this ad will push the Langster even further into hated-on territory. I actually really like mine and think the hating is funny. When I feel bad, I tell myself I earned my bike cred on a Skyway T/A when most of the hipsters weren't yet sperm.

bikesgonewild said...

...bwaaahahaha !!!...lemme ask...what part about a 37 year old man who was retired from the sport for 3.5 years & who has the ball(s), the drive & the focus to come back & place 3rd on the podium, don't you folks fucking get ???...

...180 guys started le tour three weeks ago & gee whiz, the lance-ster "only" gets 3rd ???...you people are fucking sad...

...i may be wrong come the end of the 2010 tour & if so, i'll gladly admit it but i'm thinkin' senor contador just added un poco mas' incentive to a very determined bike racer...

...btw, in case you don't remember, 'berto was originally all about "lance as inspiration" back when it suited his purpose...'berto had his own set of serious problems & he too came back around to the top of the sport...

...so now, after help from the team, (& ya, he was well supported every day of the tour) he's gonna whine & piss all over his "inspiration" ???...that's also sad...

...but hey...just like you guys, i was never a pro bike racer, so lemme quote a well respected ex-pro who 'twittered' armstrong after contador's bitter remarks...

...axel merckx :- "A champion is also measured on how much he respect his teammates and opponents. You can win a race on your own, not a grand tour"...

...he's just sayin'...

Anonymous said...

Lance on twitter:

lancearmstrongSeeing these comments from AC. If I were him I'd drop this drivel and start thanking his team. w/o them, he doesn't win.

lancearmstronghey pistolero, there is no "i" in "team". what did i say in March? Lots to learn. Restated.

maxbuda said...

Since 1959 there is no Les Paul that is not a fake Les Paul. The Guitar Snob

maxbuda said...

Since 1959 there have only been fake Les Pauls. The Guitar Snob

AnnaZed said...

Lance has called Contador "Pistolero" on one of his 5,476 daily tweets (I know, i get them).
I'm thinking that Lance did not mean it in a nice way. He's his entire tweet:

“hey pistolero, there is no “i” in “team”. what did i say in March? Lots to learn. Restated.”

I am wondering if this hominium will stick?

marypoppins said...

team in spanish is 'equipo'

there is an 'i' in contadors equipo -

Nick said...

I hope that Pompino was borrowed.

(Only kidding)

Buddy Christ 360 said...

I fingerbanged for your sins.

Anonymous said...

bikesgonewild : contador fingerbanged your mom.

pjt said...

In the Messenger Mania ad, the couple in the bottom left, isn't she about to hit him in the head with a U-lock?

Sweet William said...

How come Lance gets a T-shirt?

Anonymous said...

no "i" in "team", but there is in "wIn"

Nick said...

There's no 'I' in team, but there is a 'u' in c...

mikeweb said...

BGW,

You are absolutely right! I'm not saying what Lance did this year -hell, for the last 15- isn't anything short of amazing.

I'm just not about to build a church for him and commence worshipping -blindly. He has done great things for the sport and away from the sport as well. But lets be honest, some of his behavior in the past has left many people scratching their heads. I won't recite examples as most folks here already know them.

With this in mind, I think many of the rumors and stories swirling around about what was going on in the peloton and inside the Astana bus probably have credence.

BTW, I know that Contador's no angel either, and his post-TdF comments are showing a big lack of class. He should learn to let his legs do the talking; he obviously has the ability to do so.

Bottom line: it really looks like these guys hate each other -and that's great! I can't wait for TdF 2010! Of course the inevitable hype and build-up of the "battle of the ages" will most likely end up as a big let down, but I really hope not.

CommieCanuck said...

"Does Contador remind anyone else of Lewis Hamilton?"

No, but he's a dead ringer for Hamilton's girlfriend.

Spoiler Alert!!! said...

Wait - Lance didn't win?

Anonymous said...

Contador gets a bad rap some times. But he's really not that bad...

Anna said...

wait....you are married????
there goes my whole great idea of meeting you one day on your bike commute, and us exchanging glances over my folding bike and your orange Julius....of course the chicken suit might have turned me off, just as you do not seem to give any thoughts to women on bikes, unless they are beautiful godzillas and then you hate them....what's a girl with a bike to do???
I just can't win....well, it could have been a wonderful moment

Moonmaid said...

Contador strikes me as an immature idiot. All this after Lance publicly said he would work for him, he was the best rider, yada yada. He's upset that Lance didn't show up for his party? Big f-ing deal. His cockup challenging the Schleck Bros and dropping Kloden shows his immaturity and thinking problems. Say what you want about Lance, he is a total cyclist who is constantly thinking about the entire race - himself, team, strategy, etc. He would have never been on the podium without being a thinker. Contador is kind of like an idiot savant - great cycling talent, but an immature farmboy who does not see the bigger picture. Next year will be interesting, particularly if Radio Shack manages to bag Andy Schleck, as rumored. Contador has made no friends on this tour.

grog said...

There is an i in "Pistolero", as well as many other interesting things.
Snobby, feel free to reveal identity--somebody else's identity.
We have no problems with ghost writers.

GOST RITR

Anonymous said...

I think it's funny that ant1 thinks Lance is NOT juiced! Perhaps I misunderstood and he just meant that Lance won't test positive.

Anonymous said...

Prolly would be a good ghost writer... He's already a whore for media attention and casts an intimidating visage for any would be assailants.

Anonymous said...

you crack me up. keep up the great work!

CommieCanuck said...

Radio shack will not get Andy Schleck. Any good climber would have to sign away any idea of winning to support Lance. I heard the offer was better than mine, $50,000 in coveted AA batteries instead of my "D" cells.

ant1 said...

anon 12:10, I do not doubt that lance doped. Whether or not he is now...I go on the assumption that anyone who can get results as a pro cyclist is a doper. That assumption does not in any way dampen my enthusiasm for pro cycling, or pro cyclists. I love cycling for both of its qualities and faults. My like/dislike of cyclists is based more on their personalities, or rather my limited knowledge/understanding of their personalities. As such, I am not a big fan of lance, but I sure as hell love watching him race and enjoy the excitement/controversy he brings to the sport. What I was saying about wanting to see contador and schleck dq'd was not at all based on my preference of lance over the other two dopers, i mean riders, but rather on my liking controversy.

bikesgonewild said...

...mikeweb...least we can civilly find some common ground...

...i'm obviously a lance fan & that came about due to a personal medical situation...lance's comeback years ago inspired me to make my own 'comeback' & believe me, different situation but i was prob'ly closer to death, on the ground w/ my bike than ol' lance-boy...

...happened @ the beginning of the '02 tour & everyday, in the hospital, i looked up @ the screen & thought "that fuck not only made it back from the edge but look @ him now !!!"...

...i'll tell ya right now w/ a tear in my fucking eye, that due to my situation, i needed a motivator & juan pelota was out there doin' what he does & i said "right, awesome, thank you, i do like them apples"...

...he is extremely 'alpha' & while he might not be the most pleasant guy in the world at times, he's got a lotta folks always wanting a piece of him...& while i don't worship at any "church of lance" either, amigo, if you told me he sprinkled cute little ground up kitty cats on his morning cereal, i'd still be a fan...

...bottom line #1: he & the spaniard have played "psych" w/ each other for months...contador was the first to drag it into the team's tour action on the bike & as i mentioned, the guy was well supported every day, out on the road...

...this bizness of "he did it on his own" is horseshit...he choose at times against the game plan, to ride for his own advantage, when as safe as his position was, he could have better helped the team that was supporting him...

...but he stretched the "psych" a little too far, so the whole team played "psych" back...booyah, 'berto, find yer own way to the line or back to the bus...

...you really believe it was just lance's directive ???...

...anyway, bottom line #2: yep...next year's gonna be a bitch...

Kieran Rogers said...

Moonmaid: Contador won the TdF, Armstrong twitted, talked, and won a superb psycho-war (small, silly example, but good to illustrate the case: JB put all vehicles to his disposal so that LA's family could move around, making AC use his girlfriends). So congrats to that.

One note more, as I see people tend to mix different things up: LA is probably one of the greatest TdF riders ever. Brave, corageous rider. It is precisely because of that, that it's sad to see him talking this much. AC is a very young kid who has not had it easy either.

Instead of enjoying his ascent to the Olympus of cycling, LA refuses to retire. Just like a High School boy would go back to his ground school to bully the younger kids.

'nuff said.

mikeweb said...

BGW,

I'm glad we could be civil also.

And- I respect your fight in '02 to even be here.

Someone close to me is going through a medical fight right now also. Hopefully it promises to only be a minor skirmish...

Anonymous said...

Snob, Have recently discovered your blog way down here in Texas and it's great. I'm curious about your take on fixed-gear bikes. You seem to be saying that most people don't have the experience to safely ride one. Wouldn't it take more expertise to safely ride a geared bike? It seems a fixed gear would be better for less experienced riders since they don't have all those gears to play with. Keep it up

Unknown said...

Still, you gotta admire Lance.

The guy's got ball.

Anonymous said...

Hey Bikesnob, Now that you're chummy with Lance Armstrong could you maybe ask him what was up with him sending the final team car off to pick up his friends and family leaving Contador unable to get from the hotel to the starting line for ITT in Annecy?

If you want to use your nifty online translation tool again, here's the original article in Spanish http://www.diariosur.es/20090727/deportes/ciclismo/fiesta-privada-contador-20090727.html

Or maybe ask him about his antics on the podium: “notably reaching over to shake 2nd place finisher Andy Schleck’s hand heartily while virtually ignoring Contador, rudely not even glancing at his own 3d place trophy proudly given to him by the race organizers and pissily ogling Alberto’s instead, and, icing on the cake, blasting by the neatly single-filing riders on his squad at the best-team presentation so he wouldn’t have to stand next to the guy who’d beaten him and he could nestle in among his own happy servants instead.”--http://racejunkie.blogspot.com/2009/07/its-2009-racejunkie-tour-de-france.html.

I mean know that you're one of his media friends and all now maybe you can have him clear that all up.

Anonymous said...

When you're tired of beating up on the Republic take a look at the other fashionista frames on treehugger.com including a $17,000 bike from Chanel.

Anonymous said...

hey bike snob,

i too enjoy drinking at bar reis.

that republic belongs to a friend of mine (who is not the dude you photographed through the window, however).

see you around!!!

Unknown said...

whoever you are bike snob, i love you

Paul said...

This is a legendary post. That photo of dude in Brooklyn is priceless.

Yauheni Hutarovich said...

Argh. Lanterne Rouge twice in one day.