Further to yeserday’s post, I totally forgot to mention our bucolic wildlife sighting:
Which is especially noteworthy because these are honest-to-goodness Bronx deer:
We were charmed by this woodland tableau, but I know it’s no longer acceptable to enjoy anything innocently, so I’m sure someone will explain to me how urban wildlife sightings such as these are the result of climate change and are harbingers of our certain death.
Speaking of my heretical preference for simplicity, while I haven’t made a formal accounting, I’d estimate that for the first time in 25 years I’m now doing the majority of my riding with flat pedals:
This is part on an overall shift on my part towards wearing “casual” attire while cycling, though I continue to prefer clipless pedals for the following scenarios:
- Riding mountain bikes on actual mountain bike trails
- Riding fixed-gear bicycles
- Riding road bikes in full regalia
Other than that I’m increasingly of the “What’s the point?” mindset–and that goes not just for clipless pedals, but also for the aforementioned activities. That isn’t to say I no longer enjoy them, or intend to stop doing them (the first thing I do after swearing off Lycra is generally to go on a week-long Lycra binge), but it is to say I’m currently more inclined to grab a bike while wearing whatever and ride it wherever. Nevertheless, I do reserve the right to equip my “whatever” bike with expensive boutique tires:
“So how are they?,” you may or may not be wondering. Well, so far they’re holding up quite well, and as for their ride quality I’d describe it as “pillowy fast” on both dirt and pavement. I look forward to see how they hold up over the winter and into jort season.
Anyway, while I increasingly question the need for special cycling shoes, everyone else seems to be asking themselves–seemingly without irony–if they need special indoor cycling shoes:
Dedicated indoor cycling shoes, really? Next thing you know, Rapha will introduce clothes and accessories designed specifically for indoor riding.
Oh, wait, they’ve had that since 2019…
Yes, for years, insufferable Freds have maligned anyone who dared wear anything but pocketless bib shorts while cycling. But now that they’ve all retreated to the safety of their homes they can let their own secret strapless desires run free:
Funny how that works.
And now you can pair your special indoor cycling shorts with special indoor cycling shoes like these:
I know what your thinking here: Is it a shoe? Is it a sandal? Have they even finished making it? With a “deconstructed” upper and vented sole, breathability certainly shouldn’t be an issue with this offering from American gym apparel brand, Nobull. I would be interested though to actually try these on for comfort – something about all those holes on the upper just looks uncomfortable. While offering plenty of colour options and with a somewhat retro style, I can’t help but wonder how perfect these shoes would look without all the cutouts.
The Nobull cycling shoes are available in a range of colours and both men’s and women’s fit.
Price: US$179 / £165
Scoff if you will, but “Is it a shoe? Is it a sandal?” is one of the most profound spiritual questions humanity has ever contemplated:
Oh well, in the end, I suppose the cycling shoe’s evolution from “can’t walk in it” to “can’t leave the house in it” was inevitable.
Finally, New York City may move towards camera enforcement of bike lanes:
City officials want to clear bike lanes of parked cars and delivery trucks by using an automated camera system, ending a safety hazard that is the scourge of cyclists, like Andrew Woolward.
“It forces me, as a cyclist, onto the sidewalk or into the middle of traffic and it’s very, very frustrating to navigate cars parked in the bike lanes, especially the delivery trucks, too,” Woolward said.
This might discourage the average schmuck from stopping in a bike lane, but the idea that it will in any way reduce the number of delivery vehicles in the bike lanes is rather naive, since the city negotiates the fines with the businesses anyway. Yes, a parking ticket may be punitive for you, the dolt in the Hyundai, but for the businesses it’s just a formality in what is effectively a big “Park Anywhere!” permitting system, as anyone who’s ridden around a UPS truck with 13 orange slips of paper in the windshield can certainly attest. So while I think some form of camera enforcement is warranted, ultimately I’ve got as much faith in it as I do in flying ambulances:
The release describes the vehicle, called the CityHawk, as a “revolutionary” aircraft capable of vertical take-offs and landings with “a uniquely compact footprint and no external wings or rotors, resulting in an aircraft with unparalleled ‘fly anywhere, land anywhere’ access under almost any weather conditions.” The Cityhawk uses “powerful ducted fans in combination with innovative aerodynamic technologies that result in superior control, stability, speed, safety, noise reduction and sustainability.”
Ah yes, this too was inevitable: