Hey!
We’re now passing underneath the flamme rouge on the ultimate stage of the Tour de 2022. There’s simply Hanukah Channuka Jewish Christmas, then Christmas, and eventually New Yr’s Eve to get by way of, after which we’re at 2024 which goes to be one of the best 2024 EVER!!!
However first, I’ve obtained a brand new column in Outdoors, and it’s about these silly “Tyre Extinguishers:”
Sure, it’s behind a Wall of Pay, however when you’re not a member or subscriber or no matter they’re calling it you’ll be able to in all probability simply wait, since most of them appear to get liberated finally, as you’ll be able to see right here.
Talking of annoyances, I made a spherical journey through bicycle to W. twenty third road in Manhattan at the moment, and in so doing I obtained a glimpse of the long run:
Above is eighth Avenue, which has acquired not solely a protected bike lane but additionally a big pedestrian puffer thingy alongside the sidewalk. (It’s the beige portion of the roadway on the opposite aspect of the Citi Bike dock.) All of this is excellent, particularly the pedestrian thingy, for the reason that sidewalk used to get so crowded that foot site visitors would typically spill over into the bike lane, which if I’m remembering accurately used to run alongside the curb:
By the best way that’s not eighth Avenue, that’s only a picture of individuals strolling in a motorbike lane that I discovered in my archives. This used to bother the hell out of me, however I finally realized individuals largely do it as a result of the sidewalks are too slender, and if I have been of their sneakers (or sockless loafers) I’d in all probability determine, “Screw these biker douchebags” and do the identical factor, too.
Then once more, no one advised that man to purchase a medium-large designer canine in a metropolis the place road house is at a premium, so I’m much less sympathetic to him specifically.
I’m getting distracted.
As for the present eighth Avenue configuration, it represents the very newest in road design, however in New York Metropolis mobility is altering a lot sooner than the streetscape can sustain, and as you’ll be able to see in that first picture it’s stuffed with e-contraptions. The truth is, between the supply individuals and the electrical Citi Bikes, I’ll have been the one particular person on an analog bike from thirty fourth Steet to Columbus Circle. All of this was simply positive by me…till this man began driving my ass and beeping at me:
I begrudge no particular person their e-whatever, nor their proper to make an sincere residing. On the similar time, I’ve been round awhile. I’ve plied the streets of this metropolis for a lot of a 12 months. I used to be a bicycle earlier than all these fancy bike lanes have been a gleam in Mike Bloomberg’s beady eye. I used to be throwing elbows with automobile site visitors on this city whereas all the recent pictures you see on YouTube at the moment have been sucking on yogurt pouches and watching SpongeBob SquarePants. What I’m saying is that I’ve earned the suitable to trip at a dignified tempo on a pink Faggin with out some cargo biker incessantly honking his shrill horn at me like he’s George Costanza on a Rascal–particularly when all he needed to do was wait to get previous the Citi Bike dock at which level he may have simply handed me:
The smuggies are all tight within the crotch over this cargo bike supply pilot:
Clearly that makes an enormous quantity of sense in a crowded metropolis, however when you can’t use the bike lanes on a standard bike anymore that’s gonna suck. At a sure level a UPS truck standing within the bike lane is healthier than a UPS bike tailgating you in it. I suppose finally when you trip a daily bike you’ll simply have to return to fending for your self.
(That muffled sound is John Forester shouting “I advised you so!” from his wood subterranean recumbent.)
Lastly, this weekend I put a good longer stem on the Riv-ified Jones:
You’d suppose a Jones Bike with out Jones bars can be like Van Halen with out David Lee Roth, nevertheless it actually feels nice with the Tosco bar, particularly with the additional stem size. In addition to being extraordinarily comfy, the beneficiant sweep makes it a lot simpler to hoist the hefty rear finish of the bike when driving with flat pedals, and the ahead-of-the-brake-lever hand place works effectively for climbing or if you wish to recover from the entrance wheel a bit as you’d with a extra conventional mountain bike bar:
I’m additionally now completely used to the Silver shifter/SRAM Eagle mixture, which shouldn’t work however does, and the very fact it seems to be prefer it’s flipping me off when it’s in excessive gear solely serves as motivation:
I do know precisely the way it feels.
