Wednesday, August 4, 2010

BSNYC Product Review: Surly Big Dummy

As I mentioned in my Wednesday Bonus Blog today, having acquired Alberto Contador, Bjarne Riis (known as "Mr. 60%" during his riding days in reference to his hair-to-scalp ratio) announced that his new charge will attempt to pull off the so-called "Grand Slam." This, of course, refers to the feat of winning the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España all in the same season, and not to the popular Denny's breakfast special of the same name. It's unclear what Contador himself thinks of all this, though he could be seen in the corner during Riis's interview "fingerbanging" himself nervously. Should Contador succeed in winning a "Grand Slam," he would be the only rider ever to do so. Should he fail, he could redeem himself the following year by winning the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, the Critérium du Dauphiné, and the Tour de Pologne all in the same season instead--a somewhat less impressive feat known in cycling circles as the "Moons Over My Hammy."

Moving on, yesterday I rode a Surly Big Dummy to my semi-secret shipping hub and storage area along Brooklyn's "Great Hipster Silk Route," where I rallied all my smugness and retrieved and loaded this unwieldy delivery:

(Note haphazard and dangerous "flesh hook"-style bungee cord attachment technique.)

While the large box contained a Russian mail-order simian bride for my helper monkey Vito (the smaller box contained the beautiful Nadia's elegant Vera Wang wedding gown), that information is only tangentially relevant. More to the point, ever since taking delivery of the Big Dummy in like April-ish, I have intended to share my impressions of this large green bicycle. However, I did not want to do so prematurely. Rather, I wanted to "live with it" awhile instead of simply listing the components, hopping on it for 45 minutes, and then declaring it "vertically stiff yet laterally compliant," as is standard industry practice when it comes to both bicycle reviewing and international Internet monkey dating. (By the way, if you're still wondering about Vito's nuptials, they're already married, but the reception will take place in Rhinebeck on an undisclosed date.) I have now lived with the Big Dummy for almost six months--which I suspect is five months longer than Vito's marriage will last.

Moreover, when Surly asked me if I wanted to try a Big Dummy, I accepted not because I wondered if a bicycle like this would be useful for carrying things (obviously it would be), but because I wondered if a bicycle like this would be viable in New York City, a city of well over eight million people--many of whom live in small apartments accessible only by small elevators or multiple flights of stairs (and some of whom share their small apartments with newlywed monkey couples, an arrangement which I assure you is not conducive to either sleep or good hygiene.) In truth, I'd never really thought seriously of owning such a bicycle, for the simple reason that I had no idea where I would keep it.

However, now that I had the opportunity to try one, I wondered if the bicycle would indeed prove as inconvenient as it seemed, or if its practicality would ultimately outweigh its significant tonnage.

Here is the Obligatory Drive Side Shot (or ODSS) of the Big Dummy, and I had to stand roughly 700 feet away from it to fit it into the frame:

(Yes, this bike needs "wheelbrows.")

Here it is from the front-ish:


And here it is "presenting" itself in almost exactly the same way that Nadia presented herself to Vito when I let her out of that box:

Obviously, the Big Dummy's long wheelbase is what allows it to remain stable while carrying large loads (in the name of good taste, I will refrain from jokes about Nadia's load-bearing ability). Unfortunately, it's also what makes it impossible to fit it into my elevator, very difficult to carry up multiple flights of stairs, and by far the largest item of furniture in my home once I've actually wrestled the thing in there.

Since there was no way I could keep the Big Dummy inside, I realized that I would have to store it outdoors. As it happens, there is a covered area outside my building that has been given over to bicycle parking. It's not totally secure from theft, but it is safer than the street, and it's also protected from the weather. Clearly the Big Dummy (protected by a big lock) would have to take up residence with the Magnas of my neighbors.

Once I'd settled on a home for the Big Dummy, I set about putting it to use. The first thing I learned was that I was now in possession of a bicycle with a "cult following," since as soon as I mentioned it I received helpful emails from people offering Big Dummy advice and insight. I also consulted the "Internet," where I learned of all the exciting things I could do with my Big Dummy. For example, I could install a sound system:


Or I could tow a boat:


Or I could simply strip it down and render it completely useless:

However, I don't want to ride around playing loud music (the San Jose Bike Party was one of the worst experiences of my cycling life), I don't have a boat (are kayaks the "fixies" of the high seas?), and I have no need for an inconveniently long singlespeed.

I do, however, want and need to carry crap, and the Big Dummy immediately proved to be very capable in this regard. In fact, I was surprised to discover that it soon seemed indispensable to me. I used it to procure foodstuffs:


I used it to transport beach-related items:

(That cooler contains a kidney, but I always perform my organ transplants on the beach.)

I used it to "curate" family picnics:

(New York Philharmonic in Prospect Park, otherwise known as "Where the White People Are")

Note I persist in using plastic bags--I need an environmentally insensitive chaser after the cloyingly sweet smugness of cargo bike "palpage." Plus, they often contain delicious takeout.

Speaking of delicious takeout, I've even used it as a mobile dining room table for impromptu burrito feasts:

Most useful of all though is that the Big Dummy has greatly simplified picking up bulky items such as monkey brides and circus peanuts (Vito loves circus peanuts) from my shipping hub:

And thus, to my surprise, did the Big Dummy manage to slot neatly into my "lifestyle" (inasmuch as an existence of producing bicycle-themed wiseassery interspersed with errand-running can be considered a "lifestyle"). I'd simply load or unload it in the lobby and then return it to its place among the Magnas. Unfortunately, though, because it carries so much so easily it's become like a college student's car in that it collects random junk:


For example, while photographing it earlier, I found an entire bottle of tea in there, and I don't even like tea:

Unless it's full of sugar, is served to me in a plastic bag, and is called "Snapple."

Of course, the only thing that makes this decadent orgy of cycling smugness possible is that I have a relatively safe place to store this bicycle at street level, which is not the case for many people in big cities (unless you're a wealthy person with a hyphenated name--even in 21st century bike-friendly New York, smugness is a luxury). Also, while I'm comfortable trawling the streets of Brooklyn with it and even locking it up occasionally, the stock Big Dummy is an expensive bicycle, and it's too lavishly-appointed to leave unattended in a place like Manhattan for long periods of time. For the same functionality (assuming you have the room), you can obviously bolt an Xtracycle to a crappy old mountain bike, or just get the Big Dummy frame if you're one of those people with a bunch of spare parts, since it's got provisions and braze-ons for pretty much everything.

But while it's a bit lavish, it is pretty nimble despite its size and is in no way cumbersome to ride. While the truly smug prefer their "bakfiets," until the entire city is David Byrnified with protected bike lanes I think a cargo bike built on a more "sporting" chassis like the Big Dummy is a better fit in Brooklyn--where you might have to dodge the World's Scariest Car:

("Are you there, Elohim? It's me, Moishe.")

Confronted with that, there's not a cargo bike in existence that could transport my fear.

110 comments:

ant1 said...

hell yeah, back on top!

ant1 said...

full podium?

Neil said...

podium hog. second individual?

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

second (ant can only be first once?)

GhostOfTyrone said...

Menchov!

Comment deflated said...

Damn goatheads!

Anonymous said...

Bunch sprint!

Unknown said...

ant1 is on a roll....look out

Jefe said...

Top 10.

ant1 said...

snobby - "and by the largest item of furniture in my home once I've actually wrestled the thing in there."

Anonymous Coward said...

Top Ten! Just

ken e. said...

tenish!

Elvis said...

Anybody know where I can buy some cheap shoes?

Anonymous Coward said...

or not.

GhostOfTyrone said...

D'oh!

Desert Rider said...

Full podium Mr Ant, holy crap. I am impressed.

Neil said...

Does the state of the bumper not betoken (rather than belie) the haphazard parking?

Anonymous said...

so to paraphrase, the big dummy while useful for hauling stuff is about as city friendly as crocodile dundee?

CommieCanuck said...

Sorry Snob, but if you are going to ride a bike like that, you need to carry around at least two family members and the obligatory chicken cages. And baguettes, from the French for, "bread of the schlong".

Jefe said...

O.k., not fair. You think a cargo bike might work better, but then you do not go as far as to recommend one? Will you be testing one soon, or must I rely on that chic Dane for advice? The Downtube in Albany has a Big Dummy for sale and I have plenty of space as I never put a car in our garage. It is reserved only for bikes and bike maintanence. Necesito ayuda.

g said...

CC,
The only problem with having the fam with you is that you can't go through the drive-thru to get your organic-grass-fed-hormone-free-lactose-free-cheese-gluten-free-bun-humanely-raised-to-the-point-of-slaughter burger. And, dammit, that's just not right.

wishiwasmerckx said...

I couldn't tell from the photos. Does the Big Dummy have a braze-on ring to tie up your goat on a rope?

Anonymous said...

so are you gonna give it back?

Levi L said...

BLUD DOPR

g said...

Two bits of news(?):

TOUR ofCO
LEVI DOPd

Run with it.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Jefe,

I was referring to the Big Dummy, which I consider a cargo bike--I just changed it to clarify. I'd say a Big Dummy would be quite at home in Albany.

--BSNYC

BikeSnobNYC said...

Anonymous 2:14pm,

If they want it back they're going to have to send some sort of smug cargo bike repo man.

--BSNYC

Anonymous said...

Thanks B.S. I got a belly laugh. Plus 3 lol's.

Jefe said...

Thanks BSNYC. I will save my pennies.

ervgopwr said...

Snob,

Just admit you love the Big Dummy.

Or if you're going to have a review that 'meh', just give the thing to me. I live in spacious california with a back yard that already has several hauling bicycles lounging about. The BD would surely come in and be alpha bike (even without presenting).

And something I always think of when I see Magna bikes:
MGNA CRTA

Maria said...

Johnny Sprockets Chicago have an annual Big Dummy Challenge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD3T8G04n3o

CommieCanuck said...

If they want it back they're going to have to send some sort of smug cargo bike repo man.

Doug, the Bounty Hunter.

recumbent conspiracy theorist said...

Nice utilitarian post today Mr. Snob. I like the Big Dummy, I'd palp it.
Keep up the fine bicycle themed wiseassery.
And ant1 -nice triple crown or whatever.

leroy said...

And to think folks questioned my grip on reality when I remarked that I had seen a simian couple riding a cargo bike in the Flushing Avenue bike lane trailing tin cans, shoes and a "Just Married" sign.

So where are Vito and Nadia registered?

recumbent conspiracy theorist said...

Speaking of ants yesterday I saw five of them working together on the sidewalk carrying off a half dried earthworm. -Ant teamwork in action.

n8k99 said...

hooray! i get to be more smug than a Big Dummy!

Merv said...

Paying $1500-2000 (you really should put the price in your 'reviews') just to have a bike to move the occasional box is just as stupid and conspicuously consumptive as buying a giant SUV/pick up just for the once a year transport of a sheet of plywood. You live in NY? Take a car service, rent or borrow a car for a couple of hours. If you're worried about your crabon footprint as most owners of this bike surely are, you'll need to take a whole lot of trips with that thing before you balance out all the energy that went into producing all the parts that go into it and then shipping it China or wherever they build this beast.

Just like those impractical tools you like railing against, this bike is a boy toy plain and simple. It just so happens to be a lot more expensive, precluding it from ever developing all but a cult following.

Anonymous said...

The way to create Spanish style exclamation points on a gringo typewriter is to use the lower case "i" at the beginning of the sentence.
iEl Big Dummy es una bici grande! (It works better with different typefaces).
Now if I could remember how to make an umlaut.

ant1 said...

recumbent - thanks, triple crown, hadn't thought of it that way.

contador - can you top that shit?

g said...

Merv,
I believe your reading comprehension skills could use some fine tuning.
The Big Dummy was given to Snob by Surly to review and therefore cost nothing. Is that still representative of conspicuous consumption?

Anonymous said...

Seems he likes it, he's gonna keep it, but he doesn't want y'all to have one. Smugness depends on relative uniqueness.
BTW the Hipster Dummy - I lolled.

Unknown said...

Hey Snob,

is that a Cinco de Mayo burrito épico?

BikeSnobNYC said...

Merv,

You make a good point, though I find that simply jumping on this bike when I need to pick up packages or transport stuff locally (which I need to do multiple times a week) is often much easier and faster than dealing with a car. (And trust me, I have no problem with using a car when I need one.)

As I said, I think the complete Big Dummy is expensive and lavish for a city bike, but as I also said you can cobble a similarly useful bike together for considerably less money.

The real issue is having a place to keep it, of course, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't find the bike incredibly useful or that it doesn't work well.

--BSNYC

Anonymous said...

I was hoping to see a disembodied hand in one of those shots.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Anonymous 3:31pm,

A disembodied hand in a photo of a bike with a kickstand would be like a pie plate on a fixed-gear.

--RMTS

Merv said...

g,

Are you saying that these bikes are free for anyone who wants one? If they are, then I take my comment back. If not, you might want to check your skillz.

Anonymous said...

Oh, but you are missing the nicest part of the bakfiets--while it might be a bit heavy and cumbersome, like a tank, it also batters scary cars like a tank. You can also mount the rocket launcher in the bakfiets with ease.

ant1 said...

"...like a pie plate on a fixed-gear"

and just like that, a new trend was started. one more accessory to colorway match.

Salty and Sore said...

Oh my god...

I just, now, am--almost--back to normal from Nadia's Bacholerette Party. Lindsay Lohan was actually a breath of fresh air.

I hope Frilly made it out okay.. I didn't see her after a while..

curry goat said...

Puff piece. Big and dumb. The only true cargo bike is a cargo TRIKE

g said...

Merv,
I read the fact that most of your comments seemed to be specifically focused on Snob and not the public as a whole (unless you're suggesting we all live in NY and rail against "impractical tools"). If I misread, please forgive me. My 'skillz' are adequate at best.

bikesgonewild said...

...merv, you big fucking dummy...

..."...just to have a bike to move the occasional box is just as stupid and conspicuously consumptive..."...

...ummm...notice the 'procured foodstuffs' (& interestingly enough, as expensive as groceries are these days, most people seem buy them on a regular basis), the "beach" accoutrements, the philharmonic in prospect park phamily portage photo...

...need i go on ???...why, the opportunities are endless & waiting...

...what's "conspicuously consumptive" is your use of the interwebs on ill thought out suggestions...

Salty and Sore said...

g-

The way I read this, Merv is speaking on behalf of Impractical Tools everywhere.

We should be more sensitive.

Kelly said...

I wasn't ready for the "naked" Big Dummy. Could have used some of those Larry King head shots to ease the pain.

gregoryyy said...

Here is a trade worth Fingerbanging.

How about we make the Big Dummy in America and send Whole Foods abroad?? Or wherever that bike is made.

mplsmitch said...

I'm a died in the wool Big Dummy rider. I traded 7 other bikes and about $500 to a local bike shop for it. Was it a high price? Hell yes. Can you get a cargo capable bike for less? Of course. Do I regret it? Not a bit. I haven't carried a messenger bag or used my panniers for 5 months. I go to the store, they have huge watermelons on sale, I buy the biggest one I can find. My pickup truck is making a rusty stain on my driveway. Am I doing this out of green environmental smugness? Not really, I just prefer riding my bike over driving a car. With the cargo capacity, there are fewer and fewer trips that require me to drive.

bikesgonewild said...

...if andy schleck had ridden a 'surly big dummy' in this years tour, he could have hauled inactive brother frank along simply for tactical & psychological advice...

..."best pals, my ass, andrew...that little spanish pendejo is a back stabber...forget that 'pistolero' shit, he uses a knife in close...lookit how he carved away your lead...don't trust, him, bro'...i'm just sayin'"...

...the course, if not the route of this years tour might have been ridden very differently...

...(for sale:- surly big dummy...only used 21 days in france during july...good price...saxo bank stickers included...inquire euro-luxo-burg.com)...

Anonymous said...

Jimmynuetron

Trikes are for fat chicks and others incapeable of riding a bike.... With your oversized cartoon head you must lack the balance to tide a bike without training wheels.

Anon. 3:31 said...

Are you suggesting that a fixed gear needs a pie plate like a fish needs . . . never mind.

Merv said...

Looks like I upset the toadies! Damn people, I was not deriding BSNY for using this bike. He got it for free to review and he did just that. If I got this bike for free, I'd find a use for it too. If I got a pick up with dualies for free, I'd find a use for it too. But, neglecting vanity, I can't see how one could justify the cost for all but the most specialized bikers.

For those that don't live in NY (I do so naturally I assume everyone understands that), one usually walks to the grocery store. There's usually a Key Food or Associated store nearby. Now if you must go to one of those over- priced boutigue grocery store chains, you can take the train, as many people do. I don't think anyone will starve without owning one of these bikes.

202 said...

Okay, seriously, shouldn't it be an impromptu epic burrito feast??? Big bike = big burrito yo

gene99 said...

Snob, Stay tuned for my latest tome containing a myriad of useful tips for the bike, entitled, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Big Dummy.”

Koba said...

RTMS: Get ready for it, "artisanal ice cream culture" - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/dining/04icecream.html?WT.mc_id=DI-SM-E-FB-SM-LIN-HMF-080410-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click

db said...

RE: Nadia's bachelorette party...

Banana daiquiri hangover, Salty?

Shu-Sin said...

Merv,

i'll second you on the opinion of the "boy toy plain and simple"... if a person living in nyc, or anywhere else for that matter, wanted to haul any kind of smugness, s/he could easily just get a cargo trailer... even a designer trailer might be cheaper the BD. that way, when you don't want to haul smugness, you can just be smug on your bike sans cargo trailer. i have a trailer that cost me the price of an epic burrito and it can haul as much as the BD, if not more.

Anonymous said...

If the Big Dummy is the largest piece of furniture in the Weiss apartment, this must mean that Mr. and Mrs. sleep in twin-sized bunkbeds, no?

Tex said...

Well of course Surly sent the Big Dummy to Bike Snob for the attention he would give it on the Internet. Pretty smart on their part, and I doubt very much that his living in NYC had anything to do with it. Lots of people who don't live in big cities find the bike very useful. I've ridden one that belongs to some friends, and they use it every day instead of a car, winter and summer. They use it the way their neighbors use their SUVs, for grocery shopping, going to work, taking the kids back and forth to school, day care, and so on. These folks have plenty of motor vehicles and don't hesitate to drive them when they actually need to, but with two small kids they don't get to ride as much as they used to. The Big Dummy helps them stay in shape for the times when they can get away for a ride on their "normal" bikes.

30 Cent Bike said...

I just cleaned out the bags on the shop Xtracycle this morning, it is amazing what gets accumulated in there!

David Gates said...

BSNYC, I noticed that you had bought bread when you bought groceries. I like bread too! Do you like toast?
Please like toast... please!
Since we both like bread, maybe we could get together sometime to break bread and discuss other groceries we like. Wouldn't that be nice?

ant1 said...

i'd love to have a big dummy. and that goes for any type of bike. the more the better. i realize it's not the best way to (insert whatever criticism you may have here), but it's a bike, and one unlike any other i have, and as such, i want it.
and if everyone was judged on whether or not every single thing they did was done in the most logical, economical, sensible, environmentally conscious way, life would suck.

Pepe Pompadillo said...

Your line about Bjarne being Mr 60% is one of the funniest I have read for a while. Its got me thinking about great bald men of cycling. I think you would have to only include people who had not gone the full shave, so Pantani would scrape in from his early pro days...

bikesgonewild said...

...david gates...

...if you like chapatis, you could be my friend too...

...but only if you prefer the 'whole grain' ones 'cuz, well they're more 'organic' & that's akin to hip out here on the 'left coast'...

...just sayin'...

Daddo said...

i am able to follow paragraph three... good news or bad?

bikesgonewild said...

......nobody has ever pulled off a Grand Tour 'Slam' before including the great Eddy Merckx, whose palmarès lacks only the Miss Arkansas Pageant..."...

...true...but he was in contention back in '73...

Dark Green said...

just as with bikes, there is a style of kayaking that requires specialized obsolete gear that is uncomfortable, expensive and has a cult following. Squirt kayaking. It's the fixie of paddle sports.

Unknown said...

Forget about artisanal ice cream, here comes "artisanal math" -- "Grom serves what may be America’s most expensive ice cream cone: $5.25, with tax, for a “small,” which works out to about $150 a pound."

WTF? Grom serves a half-ounce (one tablespoon) cone?

Memo to NYT Dining & W(h)ine editors: You and your oenophile set are free to spit or swallow, but can you please not mix up orders of magnitude?

Size matters, duh.

bikesgonewild said...

..."One rider who made his mark on the Coors Classic was Davis Phinney, and today marks the official pro debut of his son, individual pursuit world champion Taylor Phinney, who will ride for RadioShack at the Tour of Denmark. Indeed, Davis Phinney won the final Coors Classic overall, and it would be fitting if his son were to win the first Tour of Colorado next year."...

...that, sir, is a wonderful sentiment...it would be a truly awesome event to witness were the lad to be in contention when it came down to the end...

...davis was & is a battler...as was (is) his wife connie carpenter...

...so, tree, apple falls...old adage, blah, blah blah but taylor is a kid who steps up time & time again & he's still only yet a whippersnapper...excuse me, a stagiaire...

...props all 'round...

rural 14 said...

ant 2nd!

ringcycles said...

Dark Green: I agree that squirt kayaking is the fixie of paddle sports, but it is Sailboarding that is the fixie of the high seas. Truly uncomfortable and ridiculous mix of two otherwise enjoyable water sports.

Fred said...

I, for one, am thrilled Snob has given the FredStrong campaign the exposure it so richly deserves.

Around the world, there are millions of heroes who have to live with Fredism everyday:

We are a clumsy home-maker and mother of three who cannot ride her hybrid on the multi-use path without weaving into oncoming traffic like a monkey who just left his bachelor party.

We are a Colorado orthodontist who is pondering a second set of Zipp TT wheels for his back-up Serrota.

We are a single, bearded, 52 year-old recumbent rider who will never know the simple joy of human companionship due to a Birkenstock-related fungal infection.

These are some of the Faces of Freds. Please help us. Please, give generously to your local FredStrong chapter.

Anonymous said...

hello snob- i think you may get a kick out of this article- it could be from the onion, but it's real...

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15673894

Jefe said...

O.k. Fred, I don't have nearly enough wristbands. Sign me up.

Fred said...

Thanks, Jefe. Our bracelets are available here

Salty and Sore said...

db-

There's just something about that Mount Gay.

....sign me up again next time, Nadia. Oh yes dear.. There will be a next time...

wishiwasmerckx said...

100th!

Salty and Sore said...

anon 5.19-

That swing thing doesn't count as furniture. I believe it's classified as an appliance.

BGW-

Travis is like Son of Godzilla. I am ready to witness the domination and destruction, he is sure to commence.

Fred-

Stop it! You're hurting me! Funniest stuff all day.

Anonymous said...

Look how far this guy wants go on his Big Dummy.

http://www.jessesteiner.com/

Anonymous said...

Yay Antoine! It is fun to be on top sometimes, isn't it?

Salty--Here I be! I was arranging a little post-party entertainment for Nadia.

bikesgonewild said...

...salty & sore...

...what 'cho be on, girl ???...travis ???...ja'mean, taylor...i'm thinkin' you talkin' 'taylor' not 'travis' unless you know someyhing i don't...

...but far be it from me to point fingers...that'd be like, you know, fingerbangin'...

atom bomb said...

Complete Big Dummies are on sale at Calhoun Cycle. Only $2149!!

atom bomb said...

Complete Big Dummies are on sale at Calhoun Cycle. Only $2149!!

Anonymous said...

BGW, I don't think Andy Schleck would have gone very well at all if he rode a Big Dummy in the TDF with his brother on the back as you suggest. Because you see, the Big Dummy is quite a heavy bicycle, especially when hauling a human passenger. Meanwhile, all the other riders would be on lightweight, efficient bicycles, despite the fact that they would not be as stable and in fact would probably shatter if used to move heavy loads, but this is unlikely as they have team cars following them around with all their stuff.

Maybe, if Schleck had his BD built up with light, race worthy components (and perhaps a foolproof Rohloff drive train) and was only hauling a light weight monkey passenger, he might have been able to hang on to the main field. But that monkey would have to have been providing some top notch tactical and psychological advise and this is doubtful as monkeys are not good at communicating with humans in that way.

I think everyone here, not just Merv, needs to think through their suggestions a bit more thoroughly before posting them.

ps. when you write 'just sayin'' it makes you sound like a hipster.

ce

ant1 said...

Frilly - yes it is. although it is somewhat dependent on who's on the bottom.

Pontius Pilate said...

HAIL CSZR

-P.P.

Slow Factory said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Slow Factory said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Slow Factory said...

Suggest to DOT to give permission for these to be installed on the street or sidewalk. An English-language article here.

agent detroit said...

@bsnyc-may I have that tea you found? it's my favorite...

i am the engine said...

100

db said...

Oh holy crap... a David Gates-Bread reference? Where the hell am I?

bikesgonewild said...

...anon 8:54am...

...well, i guess this all falls into the realm of speculation then, huh ???...

...perhaps if vito, who seems smart enough were to have been utilized (wearing a little organ grinders vest saying "read bsnyc/rtms" on the back, things might a' worked out...

...& vito undoubtedly would a' brought along his mac-gruber assist...which along with a rohloff, well sir, no botched shifts & plenty a' power...

...just, you know, hip-ly sayin'...

Anonymous said...

@ant1 3:39

I guess you were not around for the whole season devoted to pie plate hatred.

Anonymous said...

Couldn't one ride a useful bike without being smug?

I mean, what is so inherently smug about biking instead of driving? Just seems sensible.

agentrem said...

I've been saving those pennies. Have a frame since Christmas, and a pile of parts. Last week started buying new bits that come in big boxes. Just waiting for the rollers to be built. Almost there!! Thanks for your review!

adamdoesit said...

Lemme guess: Easton seatpost.

The instructions are almost verbatim for the ones that came with my EC-30.

Nice box, though.

Anonymous said...

If you want a cargo hauler that could reasonably be taken into an apartment without too much hassle, this design is a good possibility--

http://www.ahearnecycles.com/cycletruck/

These have been around forever, but the Ahearne version (while pricey--made in USA and all that) looks to be a good one.

Jasper said...

Or how about a Kona Ute? Works for me...pricewise and bikewise.

David said...

The BD is the skinny latte bike accompaniment to the full on espresso Project Rwanda coffee bike.

http://projectrwanda.org/cargo-bike

Come on admit it, you WANT one of those. I certainly do.

pitdoug1998 said...

I love this bike, I have room for this bike and I'm getting one because I love ALL the things I get from the industry that has pretty much made it possible for me to own several bikes, watch my TV right now as I type on this computer....... that is the Petro-Chemical industry.

It made sad you felt the need to throw in the part about the plastic bag. They are wonderful creations and nothing on the planet when used responsibly is more natural and more helpful than oil and ALL of it's derivatives.

Oh I'm slapping a BionX e-motor on mine not to save the damn planet but to save money and feel like a kid while doing it.

I'm a volunteer on the AT and I see the 'earth' for what it is. FAR BIGGER, far greater and a HELLUVA' lot tougher than humans are.

I love your blog.

Thanks,
Doug Weaver

fixie bikes said...

no way could you ride with that much stuff on your bike.