Thursday, August 13, 2009

Undeterred: Powered by Ego, Repelled by Disgust

Sometimes when a professional cyclist leaves the sport for awhile the time spent out of competition can re-charge both his competitive spirit and his ego. There is one Astana rider in particular who has recently made a much-publicized comeback, and whose ego has swelled up like a saddle sore in the intervening years. I am talking of course about Alexander Vinokourov, seen here wearing a jersey in the "Alexander Vinokourov" egoway:

Like any sport, professional cycling involves a bit of showmanship, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that. Over the years, we've come to expect a bit of attention-grabbing "flambullience," whether it's Mario Cipollini's smarmy insouciance, Vladimir Karpets's heroic mullet and facial hair configuration, or Mark Cavendish's cat-cleaning-its-ear victory salute. Furthermore, it stands to reason that sponsors also like to get into the act, providing their more popular riders with things like custom-painted bikes and idiotic glasses. However, when Vinokourov put on a jersey bearing his own photorealistic likeness, he arguably went further than any rider before him ever has by promoting himself with a picture of himself on himself, thus essentially breaking the "fourth wall" of self-promotion.

I suppose we shouldn't be surprised to see this level of audacity from Vinokourov, who has long pushed the boundaries of acceptable behavior. For example, his insistence on waxing his eyebrows has long vexed the professional peloton. In cycling, opponents will often study each-other's faces for signs of weakness, but Vinokourov's hairless brow belies his suffering. Take this photo for instance:

Is Vinokourov fiercely determined, or is he in a world of pain? It's almost impossible to tell. If he had eyebrows though we'd know at a glance:

Obviously, the Vinokourov on the left is fiercely determined, and the Vinokourov on the right is in a world of pain. And now that he's back, between his lack of eyebrows and his Vinokourov jersey he may well be unstoppable.

However, not all cyclists return to the sport as egotistical juggernauts. One rider who's had a much harder time is Tyler Hamilton, who came back to the sport by joining Michael Ball's ectoplasmic armada only to be humped by the black dog of depression:

Stevil Kinevil forwarded me this particular photo, and Hamilton's unruly mop of hair and angry countenance is in stark contrast to Vinokourov's impenetrably hairless visage. While I certainly do not want to mock Tyler Hamilton's battle with depression (who among us has not seen the black dog's "lipstick" every now and again?), it is worth noting he's beginning to look distressingly like the Opinionated Cyclist:

Of course, one way to stave off depression is to keep yourself busy. This is especially important for professional athletes, who often retire with well more than half their lives ahead of them. Yes, time can be daunting, and it can be difficult to figure out how to fill all those years. Sadly some athletes attempt to spackle the chasm of time with drink and drugs, while others, like Chris Boardman, go around promoting the "bike of the future:"

A number of readers brought this to my attention, and one pointed out its resemblance to the Trek Y-Foil, a design which was clearly ahead of its time (by which I mean it was preemptively ugly). Boardman may well be as depressed as Hamilton, since he clearly envisions a dystopian future in which theft still exists and we are so lazy that we need electrically assisted bicycles to get around. However, there is hope, since the motor will be powered by solar panels, which means that at least we'll still have the sun. While they haven't actually gotten around to building the "bike of the future" yet, Boardman assures us that they can--it's just that nobody feels like it:

Just because "all the technologies are already there" doesn't mean you should build something. All the technologies are are also there to build an army of robotic killer clowns, and while such a thing would admittedly be marginally more practical than this bike they probably shouldn't build that either.

I will admit though that I was intrigued by the "fingerprint recognition" locking device, though I'm sure thieves would eventually figure out how to "fingerbang" them open. Still, I wonder if people will still use Brooks saddles in the future. While an old-fashioned saddle like the Brooks would look even more anachronistic on tomorrow's NĂ¼-Y-Foils than it does on today's Aerospoked fixies, at least it could be secured to the bike using fingerprint recognition technology instead of u-locks. In the meantime, one of the few alternatives to cumbersome locks is one of the oldest theft-deterrent techniques in the world: camouflage. For example, you could cover your Brooks with a "Flash Panty" seat cover, to which I was alerted by a friend:

I'm not sure what a "Flash Panty Chemical Reaction" is, though it sounds like something you'd get after riding too long in a soiled chamois. In any case, it should not only disguise your saddle but also serve as a strong deterrent. And for maximum effect, after you've covered your Brooks (or similarly overpriced saddle) with a Flash Panty, rest a Neil Diamond CD on top of it:


Incidentally, Neil Diamond himself is also available in a "metal" colorway:


Of course, it shouldn't surprise you to learn that Brooks are not only aware of the fact that their saddles are coveted by thieves, but also that the market for Brooks theft prevention is potentially very lucrative. This is why they're developing their own line of synthetic saddle theft-deterrents:


Simply place a Brooks Theft-Deterrent Device on top of your saddle and walk away with confidence that nobody will want to touch it. Designs range from the highly realistic "moldy bagel" for low crime areas all the way up to the security and peace of mind that only a soiled prophylactic can offer.

Still, not everybody wants to prevent bicycle component theft. Some people actually invite it since it serves as inspiration for a romantic reverie:




In which I assume that only beautiful young ladies steal bicycle parts - m4w - 22 (Union Square)
Date: 2009-08-11, 12:39AM EDT


You: Young and attractive with a refined sense of style and quick with an Allen wrench.

Me: Avid bicyclist with apparently the same refined sense of style.


As I sat on a mind-numbing LIRR train car, and sat through an exhausting band practice, you were examining all of the bicycles near 14th Street. I can only imagine the tingle in your heart as you saw the perfect curvature of my stock 1980s Raleigh Technium drop handlebars. The black grip tape impeccably wrapped around the even arc of this exquisite example of functional elegance undoubtedly mirrored your own subtle beauty. Never one to miss a lucky chance to snatch up something both practical and stylish, you decided that my handlebars would be better suited in your possession than in mine. Perhaps you believe they will make a fantastic addition to the "found art" theme of your studio apartment. Maybe you appreciated the clean, simple lines of my fixed-gear conversion, and wanted to help me achieve an even more "stripped-down" look.


While I am not one to argue with a lady who has made up her mind, I am now slightly disappointed that I now do not have functional transportation. While I must admit that I enjoyed the walk from Union Square back to my apartment in the far East Village (especially the looks I got as I wheeled a handlebar-less frame crosstown), it was not exactly how I was planning on concluding my evening.


So if you read this, please consider emailing me back. I really like my little bike and would like to continue riding it. I would consider buying you a nice dinner (or a drink, or ice cream) in exchange for my handlebars and a (small) apology.


If he'd used a Brooks Theft-Deterrent Device on his bars, he might still have them. "Exquisite examples of functional elegance" are a lot less elegant when they're covered in fake puke.

139 comments:

Unknown said...

making a come back

Anonymous said...

podium?

BadBeard said...

All your base are belong to BadBeard. Yaar1st!

BadBeard said...

Ahem, Yaar3rd!

Anonymous said...

I doped :(

Doug V said...

Woo HOOO

rezado said...

ANCHORS AWEIGH

olde fred said...

waiting to make my move in the Alps!

bikesgonepsychotic said...

...top ten but anry about it...fuck you...just sayin'...

Salty Seattle said...

top 10?

Salty Seattle said...

going epic tomorrow. riding from seattle across the border into 'green'land, I mean, Canada.

...With glowing hearts, we see the rise..

hillbilly said...

Will the Brooks and Dunn break up have any impact on the value of their saddles?

The lipstick link was really way too much. At least it wasn't combined with a "hair of the dog" joke.

mikeweb said...

"I must break you"

Anonymous said...

WIFE OIL!

Anonymous said...

TECH NIUM

streepo said...

Was that your Neil Diamond CD pictured?

mikeweb said...

"his insistence on waxing his eyebrows has long vexed the professional peloton."

Funny, Dick Gephardt does the same thing.

Anonymous said...

chase group

That picture of Tyler makes me sad. It looks like an exagerated eye-roll in the back and the Asian girl appears to be smiling. Who knows

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

top 20?

MINGUStheMECHANIC said...

Isn't the flash panty really a smegma shield, I'm afraid of smegma.

grog said...

I laughed and cried with today's instalment.

Anonymous said...

is the metal neil diamond ensconced in a sepia-toned colourway in a (vain) attempt to lessen his sex appeal?

Disgruntl Ed. said...

Mr. Boardman:

"If there were a will, there would be a way."

RTMS:

No link to these deterrent devices? Must I use an actual moldy bagel?

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

now that that is settled; my flash panty of choice is a plastic grocery bag.

cheva said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Wes said...

I was going to say no RSS no problem, but clearly there is.

Shlepzig said...

BSNYC, Why is it that the Aerospoked fixies never have an aerospoke rear wheel.

Also I believe you missed the mark on the bike of the future... Really, it appears to be absolutely un-ridable. Which makes it even a better hipster fetish object than a curated fixie, too precious to ride. Especially when protecting your classic 1980's raleigh handlebars (I think I might have one in the parts bin if readers need, I had no idea it had become ironic, I thought it was merely grimy).

-Shlep

Shlepzig said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mad Jack McMad said...

Tyler Hamilton and Vladimir Karpets are both wolfmen! This explains so much!

We're through the looking glass here, people.

mikeweb said...

Snob, after looking at the opinionatedcyclist viddy for about 30 seconds, I'd advise you to call ADT or Sloman's. Today.

kale said...

RIP Les Paul

libertyonbikes! said...

so when she ACTUALLY emails you,
and find that really hipplace to meet....
and you're waiting and waiting
for her to show up,
don't worry,
she'll be there,
with more than an allen wrench,
and yes my dim friend,
you will be walking home,
alone,
AGAIN.

redo your add:
PLEASE STEAL MY BIKE TOO
(while I try to steal my way into your panties).
I'LL PROVIDE YOU WITH TIME & PLACE.

thegock said...

GRIP RIPR

mikeweb said...

In re, the Vino jersey:

The picture of the jersey on the jersey doesn't match the jersey in the picture.

FAIL!

Grant T said...

The promotion of the bike kinda reminds me of the bit in which Ali G pitches the hover board to a marketing firm.

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

JClev19 said...

I only wish that Vino would have sported a jersey of his likeness, wearing the same jersey of his likeness, wearing a jersey of his likeness, and so on....ultimately producing an "tunnel effect" like when you point a vidcam at it's own output screen.

It would reign in a new era in cycling of intimidation through visual confusion. He really missed the boat on this one.

mikeweb said...

JClev, you're right.

I think Carl Sagan theorized on that phenomenon. Or maybe it was Lewis Carroll...

Unknown said...

Even if Boardman gets his will sorted out he would have to die before the 'bike of the future' would come to fruition.

The Vegas Kid said...

The flash panty was invented by a Vegas hooker.

Sincerely said...

Is Rock Racing a Gay conspiracy? I just looked at their clothing line and it looks like something Milli Vanilli would wear...

bikesgonewild said...

...given the choice between the two(2) evils, i'd choose vino over that smarmy bitch micheal rasmussen any day...

what happened to him said...

speaking of the OC...

hillbilly said...

there needs to be an Escher jersey...or not. ditto what Kale said, RIP...

ant1 said...

I love vino's jersey. I've never been a fan of vino himself, but the amount of balls he is displaying by wearing that jersey is impressive. Shit, just coming up with the idea to wear a jersey with your face on it is pretty impressive. I think he saw the attention the LA/AC polemics were getting and decided to let everybody know once and for all who the biggest douchebag in the peloton was. The real beauty being that he did it without having to attack anybody (which takes a lot of self control for vino). LA and AC still have a lot to learn.

ant1 said...

Sucks about Les.

bike einstein said...

i'm designing a giant u-lock with wheels.

Anonymous said...

mikeweb 2:12pm,

no double posting on NYVeloCity and bikesnobNYC. thanks.

bikesgonewild said...

...what kale n' ant1 said...

...the flags are flying at half mast in the rock n' roll world...

Anonymous said...

how could you not be a fan of vino?

Unknown said...

Didn't Tyler Hamilton play Andy Dick in 'Old School'?

kale said...

Rock and Roll is dead, but procrastinating design student projects live on!

Where's the steampunk art students when you need them? I'm sure the professors at BMCC or wherever that "BIKE OF THE FUUUUTURRRRE" project is from could really use a break from the monotony of dipshit assignments. Oh, self-inflating tires, HOW ABOUT A MONOCLE BITCHES, AND SOME BRASS FITTINGS!

Sorry I had one too many Jim and Coffees as per the earlier discussion to toast the loss of both Tastemaster Jimmy Bedford and Les Paul.

Anonymous said...

U Lock with wheels

Way to go Einstein Nice idea

I'll take one

Anonymous said...

no offense to mr paul (RIP), but i was momentarily panicked that "sucks about les" referred to col. les claypool

ant1 said...

and to think yesterday was Mark Knopfler's birthday, and the guitar world was rejoicing. This feels like a bad hangover.

ant1 said...

anon 2:35 - I hope that day never comes. Primus sucks.

Anonymous said...

ROCK NROLL

hillbilly said...

anon 230, absolutely not true. Makes me happy when I see posts from my compadres here on other websites. I'm all "hey, look, BGW!!" or the like....course, like Kale, I've been "bending the elbow" a bit this morning...

Anonymous said...

Uh

ROCK ROLL

The ampersand is implied

Fred said...

How do you lock the wheels on a U-Lock with wheels? More U-Locks?

jolene said...

i ben bending the elber tew but not what you doe aint that rite ricky

Anonymous said...

ant1, i'll second that ... i knew you were a fan which heightened my panic.

hillbilly, of course it's good to see old friends out of context. posting the exact same comment on both is a fox paw, though.

kale said...

Fred,

You, of all people should know that the U-locks are to be bungee-corded to the rear rack.

Cycle Jerk said...

The bike of the future is a Softride? Everything old and crappy is new again...

Anonymous said...

what the hell are those sunglasses? i saw them on this anime about cycling called 'nasu:summer in andalusia' and was weirded out by the similarity

sab said...

the other day when i was on my lunch break, i noticed a guy walking down the street with a handlebarless bike, it was on 3rd, between 13th and 14th, it was probably the same guy.

Georges Rouan said...

What was that picture of Tyler Hamilton from?

mikeweb said...

Anon 2:30,

I knew I'd be breaking some kind of copyright laws... damn government.

mikeweb said...

I did re-word a 'lil bit though. So I wouldn't be plagiarizing myself.

Anonymous said...

The Vino Jersey = Kuato from Total Recall. Google "Kuato Pics" and you'll see.

mikeweb said...

A giant U-lock with wheels is kinda like a jersey with your own picture on it.

irrelevant quotation that i love said...

"baby, you make me wish i had three hands!" - benny

EverFred said...

I bungee thus. I learned yesterday that we are all Freds. It is nice to finally have a clear identity/diagnosis. It's like saying OM.

Anyway, will that bike of the future take a rear rack in the middle of that wheel? I will need some place to haul my lock/offspring/beverages, even in the future.

Daddo said...

J:

the picture of Vino is actually a zoom in of a jersey that sports a picture of Vino at a news conference wearing a jersey with a picture of Vino riding wearing the jersey of Vino at a news conference wearing a jersey of a picture of vino riding...

...you just can't see it all 'cause snobby did his usual hatchet crop job

Anonymous said...

I heard Prolly has a Mishka t-shirt with him on it as well, and BSNYC does as well (hint Seal=BSNYC).

Test Tickle said...

yo Shlep,

Just this morning I noticed a rear wheel aerospoke (white on an all red bike) when I veered off the bike path to get to work. I do think it's the 1st rear wheel-only I've seen. Must have been a trendsetter.

balls.

Fred said...

As I have opined in the past, the Classic Fred does not use a U-Lock. He either carries the bike in with him, knocking things over with his panniers and spilling extra-strong Wyler's lemonade from his under-the-downtube water bottle, or he uses an extra long K-Mart cable that he wears bandolier style while riding.

If the Fred is an MTB rider, he likely has that velcro-on carrying pad thingy that goes in the corner of the seat/top tube junction to facilitate carrying.

yogisurf said...

Red Lantern?

yogisurf said...

This made me snort my after-lunch coffee thru my nose: I'm not sure what a "Flash Panty Chemical Reaction" is, though it sounds like something you'd get after riding too long in a soiled chamois.

bk jimmy said...

Everfred,

The bike of the future doesn't need a rear rack, because it comes stock with one of these.

Not sure what to do about fenders, though.

bikesgonewild said...

...daddo...interesting you should mention this: "...cause snobby did his usual hatchet crop job"...

...in a world of trendy & hip thingys, the hatchet crop is the new wave of hair cutting & styling trends...

...razor cuts, flame cutting, the old ubiquitous scissor cuts, all things of the past...

...tight pantsed, vansed, fixed gear hipsters will be all "hey, dig my new hatchet crop, dude !!!"...
...& their friends'll be like "cool, bitch, but what's w/ the bandages ???"
...n' the hipsters will be sayin' "hey, like don't call me bitch, dude, ya know but like my stylist is just gettin' used to doin' the new hatchet shit, so like she gave me a deal 'cuz this was like her first attempt...cool though, huh ???"...

Salty Seattle said...

So hubs of the future are on the outside of the wheel? Do you glue the tubulars right to them?

..heavy dude..

mikeweb said...

jimmy,

I had to wait 3 minutes to see that mouse droid thing NOT get run over by a car?!?

This just isn't my day...

Test Tickle said...

Salty - we just returned from a Canadian bike tour (self supported). Bring extra cash for beer (cheap beer is more than $10 a SIX PACK!) Those Canucks really gouge you on their alcohol. We found wine was the way to go.

You may already know this ... eh.

balls.

Anonymous said...

Hamilton's profusion of hair and Vinokourov's lack thereof is clearly an indication of a homologous blood transfusion (or in layman's terms, a misguided sharing of bodily fluids) gone awry. Not only did Vino luck out with better hair, but a shorter ban -- Hamilton was screwed on both counts.

Anonymous said...

Salty-

In the future, humans will not have to move. We'll all be abstractions, travelling without moving.

southpole said...

OC video, very scary shit. whatever the OC is smoking from that pipe (weakly disguised as a mic) makes PCP look like baby food

Luck E. Seven said...

BROW LESS

The lipstick is red IN COLOR.

feh.


.-

Anonymous said...

Is Tyler joking around or has he really lost it completely? I'd love to know the back story of that photo.

Anonymous said...

It's been a long time since I've checked out the OP. I'm glad to see he is still having conversations with BikeSnobNYC that seem one sided and obsessive (although I'm no expert on either of those qualifiers). In his last post he says "Bikesnob" 125 times!

innerlighter said...

crap, this looks like a good post. Too bad I have to save it for tomorrow.

Frilly, if you're reading, belated thanks for the donation.
If you want to read my boring account of what you helped with, you can do it here

Anonymous said...

After all this time I finally watched some the Opinionated Cyclist.

He's kinda 'stalky" huh?

Wes said...

Seinfeld episode

Uncle Leo's eyebrows burnt

Looked like baby seal.

Anonymous said...

how about a commenters meet up?
end of platform 2 at 2pm Grand Central 2nd sept 2009. wear your anorak.

Anonymous said...

Is it a gay thing? (Not that there's anthing wrong with that.)

bikesgonewild said...

...anon 5:07pm...we already do that like twice a year...

...we just don't tell anonymous posters...sorry, sort a'...

Anonymous said...

there is only one guy round here that puts full stops inside brackets.

Anonymous said...

Who dat? (.)

Wes said...

Still no prize for this?

wishiwasmerckx said...

I don't have a jersey with my own picture on it, but I do have one with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup on it, and with my fat ass, that's pretty much the same thing.

Anonymous said...

yeah, but he usually had them side-by-side, right?

(.)(.)

[benny-approved version: (.)(.)(.)]

Fred Zeppelin said...

I like Osmos type wheels as much as the next design nerd, but at this point using them just shows a lack of imagination.

Also, I think the handlebar theft was a test. If he had mounted up anyhows and started riding no-hands or even grasping the stem (perhaps pausing to turn it 90deg first for a super short lopsided Frida-bar effect), then he may have found that his lady hadn't made up her mind yet, at least not until his display of walking away.

Anonymous said...

...

Anonymous said...

That's (...).

Reginald Butler said...

Interesing.

TheTye said...

Is it just me, or does Alex Vinokourov look just like Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Houser) In that first pic???

Anonymous said...

Reg

Interes(t.)ing?

Wes said...

Anon 5:23

Does he wear his sunglasses arms inside his helmet straps as well?

Anonymous said...

right one in left one out.

NatiKid said...

could you please, please stop saying "fixie"?
it wasn't that long ago that this word was looked upon with the disdain that it deserves on this blog.
"its as bad as colorway". for real.

Anonymous said...

I'm feeling a bit sorry for Boredman. Some company has spotted that obree's back in the limelight with his steel handmade thunder machine, and caught BMan with weak knees. I find it hard to believe BMan could be so nieve though. David Icke wouldnt buy that bike. Rose tinted glasses.

Anonymous said...

What is going on with that picture of Tyler? Someone crying and covering her face, another person laughing? I'd like to render that in the Goya etching colorway to achieve the full effect.

Anonymous said...

natikid

fixie

colorway

AYHSMF

(.)

Anonymous said...

rightsaid kev. they're all laughing. that bird is hiding a wide smile.

Anonymous said...

is that a hamilton fingerbang?

Salty Seattle said...

testy-

Thanks! Forgot about that. I love Canadians a little less, all of a sudden. : (

My trusty mechanic noticed that Boundary Bay Brewing is not far from where we'll be, before we have to go looney.

ken (loves bellingham) said...

Salty;
"La Fin du Monde" by Unibroue...
don't hate canada, just drink beer with twice the alcohol! sorry, locally only in imported bottles, unless you're taking a big left north of bellingham, to quebec.

leroy said...

Awww, a picutre of a puppy and a ducky playing leap frog.

Who says this site isn't wholesome?

I just can't figure out why the doggie went rooting through my medicine cabinet.

CanadiaEh? said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZAZ_xu0DCg&eurl=http://www.ibiketo.ca/blog/2009/08/13/motor-mania&feature=player_embedded#t=426

Anonymous said...

http://static.blogo.it/twowheelsblog/valentino-rossi-helmet/valentino_rossi_helmet_02.jpg

Rossi is a top ranked MotoGP rider and used a photo of himself on a lid for races....

Philip Williamson said...

"fixie fixie fixie!"

What I love is hearing all the reasons "fixed wheel" should be the correct term.

Anonymous said...

The deal with the Tyler photo is this. He was having fun on a ferry ride back to Boston after an MS Charity ride. Hence the jersey around his neck that another team gave him. After doing 150 miles people were letting lose on the ferry and having fun. Tyler was an approachable nice dude throughout the event and this photo is just an easy way for someone to kick a guy when he's way, way down. My friends are amused about how this photo made its way here.

Anonymous said...

nothing wrong with that photo. they all look like they are having the time of their lives. Are you suggesting that if someone is caught doping, they should be penalized by having a photographic ban on them? someone gets who's kicking who. You.

Wes said...

Philip

Do you mean fixed gear? Fixed wheel is as a P-far. Nobody rides them anymore. Or have I missed a point of irony?

mikeweb said...

That Hamilton photo looks like a mugging for the camera to me. Folks having fun. But Goya? It reminds me a lot more of a Bruegel painting.

jflo said...

A day late to the post, but that army of robotic clowns had me in tears . . . nice job.

Corey said...

I think the bike of the future looks more like this:
http://shtbike.blogspot.com/

Philip Williamson said...

Wes

Didn't you know that "fixed wheel" is the British, hence correct, term for a bicycle with a chain drive that will not coast? And that since a singlespeed bike also is "fixed" in one gear, there's just no way to tell the difference between the two of them, semantically? And no bike is truly a single speed, since they all go MANY speeds, they just have different GEARS? And "fixed wheel" is the proper term to distinguish a non-coasting bike from one that will coast, since the coasting bike has a "free wheel," and all antonyms must line up exactly: fixed gear vs free gear makes no sense, but free wheel... fixed wheel! So obvious. Especially if you're a British engineer who had to take an English class once, as well as a humanities class where they mentioned in passing the philosophies of Derrida and Sartre, and you realized that the only way humans have a hope of communicating is if every word has only one meaning in any context, just like a computer program.

I can't believe you never heard that. Now you know.

Wes said...

Okay

My bad.

NatiKid said...

ok, but that still is no excuse to use the word "fixie". leave it to the flat brim and fanny pack crew!
I've always thought "fixed gear" was appropriate for conversions/"ghetto-drome" type bikes and track bikes for, um, you know, bikes that are built for the track.
"fixie" just sounds amateur. not sure why I'm so bent out of shape about it being used as a legitimate word, but here we are.
In a move I can dig though, bsnyc has decided to continue using it, if only to be a pain in the ass. again- I can dig it. Much to my friends annoyance, I call the rapper "Fifty Cents", and tweets twits, so I get it.* Sigh*

Anonymous said...

I was having a real bummer of a day , due to some chronic pain crap . I read your response to the Bike Shrinks questions and It really made me laugh, for first time in quite a few days. thank you and keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

It was very interesting for me to read the post. Thank you for it. I like such themes and everything that is connected to them. I definitely want to read a bit more on that blog soon.

Anonymous said...

It was rather interesting for me to read the blog. Thanks for it. I like such themes and everything connected to this matter. I would like to read more on that blog soon.

Anonymous said...

Keep on posting such stories. I like to read stories like that. BTW add more pics :)

Anonymous said...

It is rather interesting for me to read that article. Thank you for it. I like such topics and everything that is connected to them. I would like to read a bit more soon.

Anonymous said...

Interesting blog you got here. It would be great to read something more concerning this matter. Thank you for sharing this data.

JMP said...

BikeSnob,

Now that Vino has kicked ass across Europe, you should be congratulated on your prescience in predicting Vino's unstoppable return to form.

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

And now that Vino has crashed out of the TdF and seen his second career end at the bottom of a ravine, we should all mourn the passing of this great athlete. Ok - he's not dead yet but he might as well be. A caged Vino is no Snow Leopard!

bicycle parts said...

Thank you for sharing superb information. Your web site is very cool. I am impressed by the details that you have on this blog. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for extra articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found simply the info I already searched all over the place and simply couldn’t come across. What an ideal site.

Unknown said...

The most unique way to celebrate Friendship Day would be hold a gathering for your favorate images,quotes,
hd wallpapers,messages,pics,photos and many more... Be that as it may, this thought needs a touch of arranging and exertion as you have to choose where to post(facebook,whatssapp,twitter,instagrame etc..) Once that is done, ring your pals and simply have your indulgence !

happy friendship day images

happy friendship day 2017

friendship day quotes

happy friendship day quotes

friendship images with quotes

friendship day messages

friendship day wishes

happy friendship day message

friendship day status
friendship day date

happy friendship day date

happy friendship day images

An extraordinary thought to praise friendship in an inventive way is make a blurb on Friendship Day this year.

friendship day 2017

friendship images

friendship day pic

friendship day pics

friendship day photos