Monday, July 11, 2011

The Age of the Epic Commuter: Raising the Bar, then Flattening It

Last week, I mentioned that article in The New Yorker about cycling in Rwanda. Since finishing it, I have moved onto other portions of the magazine, and this morning I found myself reading about a bunch of bands giving a concert on Rikers Island. In case you don't know, Rikers Island is jail, and evidently the people who live there are somewhat resistant to gentrification. This is a band called Zongo Junction:


And here's what happened during their set:

The band's inspiration is the Nigerian activist Fela Kuti, but in presentation--beards, plaid shirts, a trucker hat--its influences smelled a little of Bushwick. This, coupled with the general monotony of incarceration, seemed to leave them vulnerable to heckling from above: "Get the fuck out!," for instance, followed by "Play Bob Marley." The band launched into "Stir It Up," which only emboldened some of the distant voices: "More Bob Marley, or Ima fucking kill you!"

Well, at least the inmates didn't use the "h" word. I do kind of want a t-shirt that says "More Bob Marley, or Ima fucking kill you" though--even if it is a little hilpstery.

Actually, I wonder if high-end cycling clothier Rapha would consider making such a shirt, since the slogan is easily as catchy as anything Jens Voigt has ever said. They could use marino, incorporate shoulder pads for easy "portaging," and charge $175 for it.

Speaking of Rapha, you may recall my mentioning I had taken part in the Rapha 2011 Northeast Gentlemen's Race. Or you may not recall. Or you may recall and not care. Regardless, I did, and I'm pleased to announce that the Raphafied "edit" of this race has finally "dropped." Please note that it's shot in Raph-O-Vision, and that you'll need to wear your 3-E (that's Triple-"Epic") glasses in order to see it properly:

2011 Rapha NE Gentlemen's race from RAPHA on Vimeo.

I learned a lot from this video. In particular, I learned why they call it an "edit," and that's because my team was edited out of it. Yes, there's not a single millisecond of footage of us, even though we were one of only nine teams that managed to finish:

Now, I wouldn't ordinarily brag, but in this case I'm making an exception since the race was like 482 miles long with like 275,000 feet of climbing, so I was very proud of my team. Sure, I know that barely qualifies as brevet in rando-nerd circles, but for a bunch of roadie wussbags it's a lot. Anyway, I'm not even bragging for myself. Rather, I'm bragging for the rest of my team, since they were amazing and I just sat behind them the whole time, like this:

(They totally would have won if it wasn't for me.)

By the way, my team was called "BSNYC," but it's pronounced "LAY-oh-pard Trek." I'd thank them each member here by name, but frankly I think they're all embarrassed to be associated with me, so I'll just thank them in the aggregate to spare them the ignominy. I'd also like to thank Team C3, who we joined for the latter part of the race.

As for why we got snubbed for the video, the best we could come up with were: 1) Our kits didn't match; and 2) We actually smiled occasionally. I'm guessing that second one was the killer, since smiling in a Rapha video is like whipping out your "pants yabbies" on "Sesame Street."

And of course I couldn't have done any of it without BicycleBungee™:



BicycleBungee™ Promotional Video Pronunciation Guide:

"Air"="EEE-yah"
"Effort"="EEE-faht"
"Companion"="LAY-oh-pard Trek"


I enjoyed the article and I wish him the best. However, I also couldn't help noticing his flat bar bicycle. As he explains it:

It has a titanium frame (that is, it’s very light); handlebars that go straight across, rather than drop, to keep me more upright (I’ve got a neck problem); especially durable wheels and tires.

I certainly wouldn't argue against his comfort, and I'm assuming that as a cycle touring veteran he knows what works best for him. Nevertheless, we seem to be in a new Age of the Flat Bar, and I must admit I'm still traumatized by that designer hybrid "commuter" from a few weeks back:

Not only that, but I just saw on Prolly's blog that the same company, Firefly, has designed another so-called "commuter" that makes the one above seem eminently logical:

(Commuter?!?)

Now, I should point out that I have nothing whatsoever against Firefly, and that they're obviously extremely talented builders. Their customers, on the other hand, are clearly the kind of crazy that only comes with having way too much money, or syphilis, or maybe both. Honestly, who pays that much money to commute on a mountain bike? Does he not know that if you work at Ikea they give you a bike like that for free?

The only way I can make sense of this bike is that maybe he just wanted a really nice mountain bike, but he felt guilty about buying himself one for some reason, so he called it a "commuter" instead to justify the price. Smug people think that commuting by bicycle equals "saving the world," so by calling any bicycle a "commuter" it automatically allows you to spend as much on it as you would a car.

Or, maybe he really does need a crazy offroad commuter like this. Because, you know, he lives on the surface of the Moon.

Anyway, once upon a time, if you wanted to ride around the city on a mountain bike with your bars way higher than your saddle, you went to Walmart and you bought yourself a Mongoose. Now, people are actually buying custom bikes to replicate this riding experience. So what are people actually buying at Walmart now?

Well, you'd be surprised. It turns out they've come a long way since that first Mongoose Cachet, and their offerings include "haute tarck," complete with stylishly curved seat tube:

Classic fixie:


And even (this one really surprised me) full-on Dutch-style "cycle chic:"


Meanwhile the guy with the Firefly is paying a zillion dollars to replicate the ride of his beloved 1998 Pacific with the unhooked v-brakes.

I never thought I'd see it, but I guess it's finally happened: the dreaded Walmart/custom inversion.

I can't wait until I can finally buy a "More Bob Marley, or Ima fucking kill you!" t-shirt at Target.

144 comments:

Anonymous said...

seccond

Anonymous said...

seccond

Anonymous said...

third/fourth and so on

Anonymous said...

five

Anonymous said...

six

Anonymous said...

seven

Kenny Banya said...

Sigh

Anonymous said...

eight

Anonymous said...

nine

Anonymous said...

ten

Anonymous said...

damn you kenny banya!

hIPSTER said...

Alleycat champ!

Anonymous said...

back in the running!

And no crashes.

cycle

le Correcteur said...

Top twenty; snuck by me as my attention was distracted by inferior web sites.

T said...

Thomas Voeckler has the longest tongue in the business.

Prolly said...

Sweet. Another link on BSNYC and another torrent of asshole comments that threaten my well-being.

How people get so worked up over bikes is beyond me. Tuck your balls in front of the saddle when you ride dudes... Er... when you rides bikes.

Anonymous said...

Voeckler is a distant relative of Gene Simmons sans the makeup.

Cottonmouth said...

Yikes, who tugged on Prolly's tampon?

Bobby D said...

@ prolly. you ask how people get worked up over bikes? don't you blog about bikes for a living? if people didn't get wet in the pants yappies then you and snobbie would both be out of jobs.

Twistyface said...

Has anyone else noticed that the Bicycling.com website is utter crap?

Marcel Da Chump said...

pre-Rapha(ite)

Anonymous said...

I'm still trying to figure out what "Finished" means if you don't go the entire distance.

I guess that means I have "finished" a few marathons in my day.

Esteemed Commenter DaddoOne said...

"Prolly's Tampon"

- that is the name of my new band

BikeSnobNYC said...

Anonymous 1:02pm,

I can only assume it means they're not lost and still riding around the Lehigh Valley somewhere...though if they were I bet they'd look totally Rapha by now.

--Wildcat Rock Machine

Anonymous said...

Flat bars are enjoyable, but I would not call them fancy, or try to race with them, or pay more than $500 for a bike attached to them.

Anonymous said...

Since when are clever t-shirts the domain of hipsters? I thought it was for rockers and jr. high school boys.

crosspalms said...

I think "finished" means they said "Fuck it -- I'm getting a Kit Kat"

Ain't No Hilpster Shilt said...

More Recumbabe, or Ima kill you!

recumbent conspiracy theorist said...

Why do people paint titanium frames?

I agree with twistyface. Bicycling website is crap. Snob, can you please just put a link on this site to your TdF blog everyday?

Thanks

Anonymous said...

Is it just me, or is the bike bungie add a bit sexist? That guy is just a dick who's girlfriend doesn't like to ride with him. Or maybe she puts a leash on him at home?


balls?

grog said...

Happy Hour at the flat bar.

wishiwasmerckx said...

When the great Mr. Marley died, he was working on a follow-up to "I shot the Sherrif." It was called "So who did shot the Fuckin' Deputy?"

RB1 said...

i'm ashamed to admit it, but i think that TI commuter is really hot. Must have been something wrong in my upbringing - I blame my parents.

jno62 said...

Snobby- I couldn't help but feel smug this weekend as I rode to Portlandia in one day (along with 2500 others)

But then to my disdain I saw a guy riding/ driving a "bake feet" and another hilpster on a fixie, completely sans helmet.

The bastards!!

I was disappointed to be out-smugged.

Anonymous said...

5-hour energy: fix the tired!

Stebs said...

Sorry I missed filming your team! We were all over the place and unfortunately missed a lot of racers...

ridethewomble said...

The Rapha folks go on an "epic sufferfest" to "epically suffer" on an "epic" ride with "epic climbs" in beautiful, undiscovered, nothing-like-it, mythical terrain.

Other people go on a long dirt road ride outside of town.

No big whoop, fellas. You can even do this on your own.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Ridethewomble,

Sure, but at the end I wouldn't get a t-shirt.

--Wildcat Rock Machine

Anonymous said...

Never underestimate the numb nuts and lame brain choices from a veteran tourist who customizes a bike. Can I say, want to buy a bridge? If you go to my blog. This is asking for shit I know it. But, see DIY page on Rider Reach. Urban riding or touring, there is a better way to be comfortable, increase performance, and still look respectable on a bike.

Anonymous said...

DROP BARS

leroy said...

I think there's a fortune to be made with a T shirt reading:

"More Captain and Tennille or Ima fucking kill you."

You never can get enough of "Muskrat Love."

Who wouldn't invest in a Chris Ryan Kickstarter Campaign for that?

Anonymous said...

Is the Tour de France on or something? I got smoked on the path this morning by a Cat 6 mountain bike peloton in gym shorts and running shoes.

Makes me pine for January.

Matt said...

I second the direct link to TdF Snob columns. The Bicycling site blows and now that Snob mentioned he won't be posting every day I can't tell if he didn't post or I just can't find it due to lousy site navigation.

And what's with the rest day? Christ, I paid $15 for an app so I can watch it live and they take a day off? How long does it take to pull the barbed wire out of your back and inject some red blood cells?

Anonymous Coward said...

@Matt, just go to Snob's Tweeter page, you'll find the links there.
Ooops that's Snob's Tweeter Page.

Chazu said...

Team BSNYC footage didn't make the cut because you look so out of place in the countryside; breathing all that fresh air. Bet you couldn't wait to get back to Brooklyn and start huffing carbon monoxide again.

Matt said...

No tweeting at work, I'm afraid, or I'd be all over it. You don't think I read this stuff on my own time, do you?

Anonymous Coward said...

Actually, Matt asked for a direct link to the Snob TDF posts. This is fairly close: Go Forth.

Grump said...

As for the reason that you missed the Edit of the great Gentleman's "Race", I believe that it was caused by a lack of "sleeves". If you would just go out and get a full pair of sleeves, you'd fit in that sort of "race" (and I use the term lightly) For much of the "race", it appeared that everyone was involved in a non-drafting Triathlon.
Still 134 miles is not something to scoff at.

Matt said...

Hey, Anonymous Coward, thanks, that pretty much fits the bill. The order's a bit random, but I should get by.

Anonymous Coward said...

@Matt, enjoy.

sufferist said...

BSNYC: Please note, today's post seemed kinda short. If I'm paying $15 for an app to stream your blog live, I'd like the content to be a bit longer.

Much love,

Sufferist.

Pebes said...

I'm all over that captain and Tennille shirt!

Matt said...

It's worth every penny. You get to see Snob's words appearing on screen as he (or Vito) types.

Anonymous said...

Support mental health or I'll kill you

I Go Around and Around said...

I like Prolly. After a serving of BSNYC irony and well-aimed sarcasm (which I enjoy infinitely,) he's a nice desert of anything-on-or-about-bikes-is-cool. Together they make an excellent Bilenky tandem of wasting an hour of my afternoon.

I sure hope the best for Bruce Weber. That guy has a list of injuries to various pieces and parts of his body that would make Johnny "Who Invented Barbed Wire Anyway" Hoogerland wince.

Mostly I just love everyone.

Not an Opa yet... said...

You can get an Opafiets knockoff at Walmart? Farout!
Probably crap but would look cool for about a year until things wore out. Totally worth it.

g--roc said...

The price of entry into the world of Rapha includes an automatic finish into any ride you enter. DNFs are for the rest of us schmucks.

Oh, and what is "marino"? Has Dan moved into cycling wear now?

Spokey said...

Smug people think that commuting by bicycle equals "saving the world," so by calling any bicycle a "commuter" it automatically allows you to spend as much on it as you would a car.

I fail to see what's wrong with using commuting or even smugness for that matter as one of my many justifications for spending some more mone (if need be) on a new bicycle.

crosspalms said...

g-roc,
It's wool that's been specially marinated in an unbelievably gnarly epic sauce

Anonymous said...

Oh man. Now I gotta go out and get a new bike to commute on. Currently palping a Kona Fire Mountain with rack and smooth commuter tires. However, since the Snob disdains the mountain bike being used as a commuter, I must change.

Pooh.

Anonymous Coward said...

...But wait, there's more, if you buy this Captain and Tennille shirt today, you'll also receive this Peaches and Herb shirt absolutely Free!

I am a repulsed engine said...

Has anyone else noticed that the --------- website is utter crap?

Please insert the following, instead or also.

fireflybicycles.com

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/42363489

http://www.prollyisnotprobably.com/


Am I missing something, is this the worst example of crass Bullshit commercialism?

You are not what you buy.

You are the disease that ate away your brain, so you buy stupid shit.

LK said...

Did you ride your Scattante or your Big Dummy at the Rapha Gents Ride?

J Scott. TOPtubeLESS. said...

Top 75?

wishiwasmerckx said...

On the rest day, and because I sometimes nave this kind of time on my hands, I was looking at this year's GC standings, and marveling at the number of names which are completely anonymous. They have never done anything except fetch water bottles from the team car and serve as pack fill.

I went back and looked at some old results from the late 80's and early 90's. There were stars of their day all over the bottom of the standings. These guys were threats in the classics, had notable results outside the tour, and were a threat to win any given stage, if not the overall.

Anyone remember Nico Verhoven? Guido Bontempi? Etienne de Wilde? Acacio de Silva? Adri Van der Poel? Tony Rominger? Gianni Bugno? Dag-Otto Lauritzen? Gilbert Ducloss-Lasalle? Claude Criquillion? Tuen Van Vliet? Theo de Roy?

Charlie Didrickson said...

"the ride was unbelievably gnarly epic" and my new everything got a little mud splatter on it...

Yeah, I am gonna invent these things called fenders, and get me super rich.

D00d who remeblers said...

Van Der Poel
Excellent cyclocrosser.

Flender blender. said...

Charlie you have to invent the snap on kind that fits in dentite Ceveroels and scratches the shit out of the paint as they vibrate back and forth.

Marcel Da Chump said...

wiwm,
I remember them. Those days; I wished I was Indurain. And they did too.

Esteemed Commenter DaddoOne said...

oh yeah, i remember all those guys..
and i also remember :
Wilmart Peeters
Collard Maes
Piret Martens
Jacques De Smet
Jeanmart Lambeer
Gillet DuPont

Champions allQ

I am a sad engine said...

http://gothamist.com/2011/07/11/new_orleans-style_send-off_tonight.php

This sounds like a lot more fun than a critical mass.

Salty and Sore said...

Wow!

I get back from vacation to find Prolly in the Comments section!

Missed ya, dude. Yeah, I could go over to your site and check it out more often (didn't today yet either), but my triple-crank just doesn't shift right sometimes, and it's just too much work to do it otherwise.

Love!

Chad said...

Snobby,

Any thought of updating or revising the moniker (and one of my personal favorite lines of the last four years) "failed-breakaway specialist Thomas Voeckler?"

Nebraska bike commuter (non-DWI edition) said...

Scored an awesome front wheel for my crappy fixed gear. Dura-Ace track hub and Mavic Open 4 CD rim, all held together with DT 14 gauge spokes. Found in the dumpster at work. Checking it for cracks and whatnot, but it spins true and smooth.

Winning!

pebes said...

"More John Denver or I'ma fucking kill you"

mikeweb said...

I'm back from the mountains and what is this? A Dutch styleway bike at Wal-mart?? I got impressed too until I looked up and to the left. The site navigation category reads thusly:

Toys : Adult Bikes

Thanks Wal-mart!

@wiwm, I remember those too, not to mention Gert Jan-Theunisse.

Anonymous said...

We might have better health care up here, but wow, don't you have better Walmarts. I guess, tho' I only went to one here once, and they didn't sell Makita.

wishiwasmerckx said...

Mikeweb: I left Gert-Jan Thenuisse off the list because he placed too well to be included in the list of notable down-the-GC'ers. He was, however, one of the first "big" names to draw a doping ban, if you will recall.

I sure wish that they would do a VH-1 style "Where Are They Now" show. I would love to know what became of Marc Madiot, Eric Breukink, Jelle Nidjam and Eddy Plankert.

Malheuresement, I would probably be the only person to watch.

Anonymous said...

WTF all this irony and sarcasm just ended with me dropping $900 on Rapha's website. Is this some kind of fucked up anti viral marketing? I'm seriously confused. One moment I'm sitting here smugly chuckling at their overripe filmmaking and pretension, the next I'm thinking that yes, I probably would be faster in their bib shorts than all other bib shorts otherwise how could they be so expensive. And there's a hand soap that is good for GLOVES? WTF! I have to have it.

Funnily enough I don't think I've ever bought anything shown on Prolly's website, ever.

And even funnier, Rivendell who advertise here, I called to ask them their advice on some of their product recommendations, and next thing I know Grant is on the phone telling me to save my money and buy something cheaper. So what do I do? Buy something from him.

I should've just taken up fucking Scientology.

Anonymous said...

In regards to bicycling.com and their website -

Yes, it needs a redesign, but since Peter Flax & Bill Strickland came to the fore at that magazine I've actually subscribed to it again. Strickland's column is truly amazing, some of the finest writing about cycling going.

I wish to lob Rodale would let them do covers that are beautiful though instead of just dull marketing copy.

Also, some guy who rides a Big Dummy with a kid writes a column there.

Anonymous said...

Damn I was gonna link some of Strickland's writing which has been run online but not only could i not find it, halfway through looking bicycling.com's site stopped working. Yer right, it sucks.

James said...

Bikesnob!!! The Walmart"Cycle Force Tour de France Stage One Vintage Red 51cm Fixed Gear Bicycle" may not actually exist, as the picture on walmart's page is actually a PHOTOSHOP!!! Look closely at the decal on the seattube. Look odd? That's right, it's FLOATING!!!! It's not a real photo!

Anonymous said...

Where are they now!!

Marc Madiot: directeur sportif, FDJ


Stay tuned for next week episode!

Vanonymous said...

Hmmm, I thought BSNYC was pronounced BUH-sen-EEK

samh said...

Rapha uses "merino" wool. "Marino" was a quarterback for the Miami Dolphins. I know - totally epic.

MildT said...

It's not what people are buying at Walmart that's the question, it's what they're wearing while they do so. http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/ (Yes I know it's old, but still worth a gander)

Bugno Fan said...

How could you put Bugno on that list of "down the GC'ers"?

- 2 Road WCs
- 1 Giro win (wore the rosa from first stage to the last)
- 2 Tdf podiums
- MSR winner
- Vlaanderen winner

Not to mention the "wheela ina your face" moment on the Galibier when knocked down by a fan.

BUGN OFAN

leroy said...

More George Clinton and Ima funkin' killa.

leroy said...

More Billy Joel and Ima kill me.

leroy said...

More Grateful Dead or Ima ... whoa, ever like check out the way like dust specks kinda sparkle when like they float through a light beam? Wonder if there's something to eat in the fridge. What were we talking about?

PK said...

Dan Marino's chest hair is the only wool certified Rapha "epic".

Anonymous said...

Shut up, Panties!
I want you to do what I tell you to do, Panties!!

Stranded said...

Detain? What the hell kind of a name for a bike is that? Even a Mongoose. I mean, why not call it the Arrested? Or the AmbulanceBait? Or the Refrain, as in, Oh no here it goes again. . . .

leroy said...

More J. S. Bach, the fugue's a killer.

leroy said...

More David Byrne. He doesn't own a car.

leroy said...

More Kumbaya. Yes, please. Thank you.

leroy said...

99...

wishiwasmerckx said...

100th!

Anonymous said...

Dude!
http://www.wtsp.com/news/florida/article/200596/19/Black-bear-Florida-bicyclist-collide

-Dudeface

Marcel Da Chump said...

100(th)years ago

*Rolling Stones

wishiwasmerckx said...

Bugno fan, didn't mean to start a flame war, just take you on a pleasant stroll down memory lane.

Bugno certainly had some distinguished results, including second in the 1991 TdF, the year Djamolidine Abdoujaoparov crashed so spectacularly on the Champs Elysees a mere 100 metres from the finish line.

I guess he belongs up there with Alex Zulle, who would have been a world-beater were it not for his coke-bottle glasses and his severe hayfever holding him back.

wishiwasmerckx said...

In fact, to this very day, sometimes when I open my refrigerator, it says "Zulle," but usually only right after I have watched Ghostbusters.

Marcel Da Chump said...

wiwm,
a nice roll down memory lane. I still have a few issues of WINNING magazine with pictures of all the aforementioned.

Bobby said...

Holy crap! Snob, did you look closely at that POS Wal-Mart (sorry, that IS kind of redundant, isn't it?) Mongoose? Blow up the view of the wheels: that has to be over 48 front spokes. They must have taken a baton to some poor twink slaving away in a Chinese gulag, and had him let fly with a drill. The weekly quota on spokes must have been low, so the bike got extras.

JDH said...

106th And I finished!

Yoda{of Portlandia} said...

That Walmart Hollandia looks like it weighs a ton!

Anonymous said...

Well, paying $250 for a 60 lb. Dutch-style bike doesn't seem nearly as dumb as to paying $3000 for a 60 lb. Dutch-style bike.

Bobby said...

Just followed the links after frustration with the Vimeo video quality tonight. Snob, I'll need to order some of those Rapha 3D glasses to make the clip run smoother. Stebs is the genuine article, photographer for Paper Fortress Films. AWESOME Jack Daniels video, love it, great shots man!!

Borat said...

Yes, make sexy moviefilms of epic Snob racing. Nice!

Anonymous said...

Where is Cadel 'accidentally' throwing water at Cav?!

Anonymous said...

It's spelt "merino", not marino

Pink Lobster said...

"More Bob Marley or Ima fucking kill you" would also make a great trucker hat.

Anonymous said...

What?

Oh sorry. I was busy mapping my ride with Levi Leipheimer (pronounced Lay-Oh-Pard douche). I'm sure I'll catch up soon.

Oh wait. No, I won't be. I've got to catch up on throwing a shoulder at Cunberto Altador first.

Anonymous said...

Leroy, I love you.

I'd write a song about it, but you'd a fuckin' kill me.

In a congenial way, I'm sure.

Anonymous said...

Marino?

Wool made from Canadians....

hey nonny mouse

Anonymous said...

wtf? the hypothetical Walmart fixie doesn't even have brakes!!111

Velocodger said...

Hey, I remember ALL those guys, and I miss 'em too. T. Voeckler my have been a failed breakaway specialist, but at least he was on (or past) the front, something Lay-about-oh-pard never seem to do...let's call them "successful wheel-sucking specialists".

ce said...

Snob, slam your kid seat properly by ditching the deck and the various bracket bits. Attach the seat directly to the V-Racks with SuperHooks. Then cut the LawyerLegs off the seat to clean up the lines of your cargo area.

Regarding your other tweet, my preferred term is: "Apocadelypse". However, I would like to note that most serious Bibshortlical scholars prefer: "CadelClysm", which stems from the ancient word: CuddleClysm .

Anonymous said...

Snobby - you think you New Yorkers have it rough. In florida the bears hate cyclists.

cycle

Black bear, Florida bicyclist collide

Anonymous said...

Cadel Evans being Cadel Evans

Belligero said...

What I don't get is how you spend that kind of cash on the Firefly "commuter" bike, and then use some mangled oblique Arial font for the owner's name on the top tube. Maybe they wanted a touch of the Walmart-styles to "keep it real" or something. It's an odd duck, that's for sure.

Anonymous said...

I hope that Marino wool is just chest hair.

Pontius Pilate said...

HAIL CSZR

-P.P.

agent detroit said...

wow! must have struck a nerve...

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

"Support mental health or I'll kill you"

July 11, 2011 2:42 PM


I like this the most!

Anonymous said...

Confused newbie here: I get the feeling there's an implied premise here that I'm not getting. Is there a primer somewhere on what's wrong with flat handlebars, or what handlebars are best suited to what purpose? Are the flat bars not a reasonable compromise between Granny and Lance Armstrong? Not being snotty, just genuinely curious. Thanks!

agent detroit said...

DLTE CMNT

Anonymous said...

The silly Rapha edit looks like every ride we did in southern Ohio in college. That is except for the stupid sox and beards. Nobody with any self respect would ride with those

Beef Taint said...

Wow! That Rapha race is hipsterically poseuriffic! Extreme epicness indeed...

Tom McGoldrick said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Bike snob, I like your blog read your book but check out my blog not only do I chain to trees I use a tree as a platform to clean my bike.
-Tree Killer

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Fixie Bikes said...

I wouldn't call that commuting.

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MiguelSgBP said...

Shut up, Panties! I want you to do what I tell you to do, Panties!!

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