Friday, November 16, 2018

Holy Crap, It's Friday Already? Well So Much For That...

Well there I was being all cynical about the snow:

Meanwhile we got walloped pretty good; it was supposed to snow for a bit then turn to rain, but we ended up getting something like six inches in Central Park and then the entire metropolitan area plunged into chaos:

Also, despite frequent tweets all day long from the city about how they were prepared for the storm, once the actual snowfall began I didn't see a single plow until well into the night.  I also witnessed some truly spectacular displays of wheel-spinning.  Now I hate to be one of those "Back in my day" types....

[INSERT GRANDPA SIMPSON GIF HERE]

...but back in my day they actually taught people how to drive in snow.  Now the prevailing wisdom appears to be, "If you lose traction then FLOOR IT," and by nightfall the entire city seemed to reek of burnt rubber.  It was a display of wanton and pointless tire destruction rivaled only by that guy Seabiscuit or whatever his name is:


And speaking of destroying your tires I'd be remiss if I didn't gratuitously post my most favoritest snow-inanity video of all time:


It's just so deeply satisfying.  Also, WHY DIDN'T HE JUST BACK OUT OF THE SPACE?  It's fascinating to me that there are people who would rather fight gravity to the death than take advantage of it.

Anyway, this guy and millions like him are out on our public roadways every single day, which tells you everything you need to know about why it's utter carnage out there.

Moving on, if you've come around here looking for me these past few days and wondered where I've been, I'd like to say I've been busy riding.  Unfortunately I can't say that, because I haven't been riding much at all this week.  First it was Veteran's Day (observed) on Monday, which meant the kids were off school and I had to put on my parenting waders and venture waist-deep into the muck of child-rearing.  Then stuff, and things, and other stuff, and by Wednesday I was like, "I'd better get onto the trails before this lousy weather hits!" and that's what I did:


Even then it was a hurried affair, and I didn't even bother to wear bikey-specific clothing--though I did sport some designer pants from Mission Workshop:


I received these awhile back for the purposes of evaluation, and since ostensibly I'm a bike blogger I'll go ahead and evaluate them now while there are still one or two of you paying attention.  Here are my main thoughts:


  • They have proven quite durable, though I admit I don't wear them all that often;
  • The reason I don't wear them all that often is the miracle fabric they're made from feels fairly unnatural and doesn't breathe well.  It also doesn't absorb moisture, which is good for dealing with wheelspray but not good at all if you, well, relieve yourself in a hurry and happen to shake inadequately (hey, it happens to the best of us);
  • That said, I do go right for them when it's cold and I want to do a ride but I also want to do stuff after the ride without getting changed first, because the stretchiness is good for riding but they're normal pants with pockets and stuff;
  • Still, the fact that they don't breathe well means you run the risk of tempting the tinea cruris if you're not careful, so you'd better change eventually.  
So yeah, handy to have, but I wouldn't exactly run right out and buy five pairs if you know what I mean--though I did wear them to Consumer Reports:



(Photo by Ted Bongiovanni; arrow by me; tinea cruris by Mission Workshop.)

Ultimately, as far as jeans and cycling, I've gotten the best bang for your buck from cheap stuff at Uniqlo, though sooner or later the pockets get holes in them from my keys.  Also, I've said it before and I'll say it again, their Heattech undershirts make great and economical base layers.  (You're welcome.)

But yes, the upshot of all of this is I've only gotten one (1) ride in so far, and that's not going to change today as the first snows of the season have also been accompanied by the first kid-puking of the season, so it's back to the parenting waders for me.  (Or at least the Mission Workshop pants, they're probably pretty decent at puke-deflection.)

This isn't to say I've been sedentary, however; in fact I've run not once but twice so far this week, which is unprecedented.  I assure you this is not because of my New Year's resolution, though I also assure you I will furnish you with a complete accounting at year's end.  No, the reason I'm running is because it doesn't take very long and I also live across the street from an awesome park.  Plus, I sort of even like running, though getting past the initial pounding is quite difficult both physically and mentally.  Starting a bike ride is like easing into a warm bubblebath, whereas starting a run is like leaping naked into the ocean in the dead of winter--though maybe I'm just running the wrong pressure in my Reebok Pumps:


I really should convert to tubeless.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Sansabelt said...

Que Pants Fred in 3...2...

bad boy of the south said...

Sorry about sending the three days of rain up north from 'merica's knee cap.(depending on your view-right or left)
I'll be back your way after turkey day.

Joe Hagger said...

LBJ Orders Pants

JLRB said...

I've said it before and I'll say it - those fancy-pants ain't built for my build. Not that I'd exchange $285 in coal-fired bitcoin for pants on-line even if they were designed for plumper people.

"Do these pants make my ass look fat?" "No. Your as is fat."

jno62 said...

Sorry to hear it's kid puking season.

Hang in there.

Anonymous said...

I don't think that I can watch that video too many times.

This is why I come here day after day. Bike Snob doesn't mind posting that video every single time it snows. Doesn't care that it might seem repetitive. He knows its true value.

Unknown said...

wow! those are expensive pants! just get some levi's, they had a run of "waterproof" pants but the fit was too looose for me,

wishiwasmerckx said...

I have a couple of pairs of Levis commuter jeans.

I often wear them off of the bike.

Comfortable, stretchy and stylish.

wishiwasmerckx said...

Well fuck me...

The owner of Performance and Nashbar filed for bankruptcy!

Where the fuck am I supposed to get a Primal jersey now?

Anonymous said...

A do run run run, a do run run...
Reading that seabiscuit article all over again and it's like it was written just yesterday.

bad boy of the south said...

wishiwasmerckx,that is a holy sh*t announcement.

Some guy from upstate said...

You can't possibly have expected the snow Freds to leave that one hanging ...

"in my day they actually taught people how to drive in snow" In New York City? In the front-wheel drive era? Really?

For snow driving cred, your "day" has to include lake effects, actual meteorological blizzards (not local TV news "blizzards"), and V-8, rear-wheel-drive Detroit iron with crappy bias-ply snow tires. My school didn't close if you could still see across the street.

I do love that video, tho. My kid-puke cleaning days are behind me, thank lob.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Some guy from upstate,

I had a rear wheel drive car when I went to SUNY Albany, does that give me any Snow Fred Cred?

*(Did hit the guardrail on the way up there on the Saw Mill once though...)

--Tan Tenovo

You Call That Snow? said...

Tan;

This is how you get upstate Snow Fred Cerd:

https://vimeo.com/255218734


Not just ice fishing going on when you & yours are not here...

Smart Azz said...

Anonymous at 11:15 & 1:38 AM

Do you know you can read this blog without watching the videos? Its true, just scroll past the ones you have seen before with out clicking them.

You should try it.

huskerdont said...

Save me Jeebus, I have googled that which cannot be ungoogled. Stupid Latin words.

huskerdont said...

For those keeping score at home, I can't wear Uniqlo pants. I am not a big guy, 30 waist, but I could barely get my thighs through the too-tight thigh holes to even find out that the waist was way too large. I'm surprised any cyclist or runner could wear them.

Comment deleted said...

Hey, looks like I got the podium without even trying.

Snob, I run for the exact same reason: it doesn't take much time.

Very Slim Pickens said...

"It also doesn't absorb moisture, which is good for dealing with wheelspray but not good at all if you, well, relieve yourself in a hurry and happen to shake inadequately (hey, it happens to the best of us)"

[Insert GIF of Elephant Trunk Spraying Water here]

Copy editor said...

There's a comment at 1:38 am?

Uptight Luddite said...

In the age of multiple typos per paragraph, 11:38pm is nearly the same/close enough/practically identical to 1:38pm

Pist Off said...

The mountains are calling, and it sounds like... frenemy? I forgot all about sea biscuit trackbike douche guy.

JLRB said...

I was going to comment that Smart Azz seems to miss the point that Anonymous was making about enjoying the videos but then said fugh it - I'm going to lease an ice racing buggy

Some guy from upstate said...

Ok, I'll give you some points for the rear-wheel-drive. But I can tell you I've spent 25 years in the SUNY Albany student ghetto listening to downstate kids spinning their tires, it's not a new thing. The locals around here aren't so great either. Being from Buffalo gives you a skewed perspective.

Schisthead said...

"It's fascinating to me that there are people who would rather fight gravity to the death than take advantage of it."

In the mountainous bike world, that's a wonderful thing.
Fuckin' shuttlers...

Beck the biker said...

Two identical wheelsets (same rim widths at least), same range casettes, a set mounted with regular tires and a set with studded tires, turns getting ready for winter riding into a three minute wheelswap.

Dave said...

Funniest video I have watched in a forever. Loved the big F-bomb he dropped. Thanks for sharing, it works when you work it.

der blaue Reiter said...

Sounds pretty sweet, Beck, but since all our bikes are rear-wheel drive, and we all get street cred, i’m gonna stick with my fishtailing slicks: figure if i really need to stop i can just lay down the bike and claw at the street as i slide over it.

Paul Heckbert said...

Bicycles can be a convenience when the roads are clogged with cars skidding on snow. They can also be lifesavers when roads are clogged with cars fleeing a fire, as 67-year-old Virgil Ritter demonstrated in Paradise, California. https://www.chicoer.com/2018/11/08/traffic-gridlock-makes-getting-to-camp-fire-evacuation-centers-difficult/

yyz113 said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86URGgqONvA
or cycle (1:34)

Anonymous said...

These pretzels are making me thirsty