As a semi-professional bike blogger, I do my breast to stay abest of the latest cycling-related news:
[Story is here, but don’t click, the site’s a nightmare.]
This particular incident began when one older gentleman admonished another to “get a horn,” and that sort of impudence will not stand, by gosh!
The article does not specify what manner of “cussing” ensued, but if only the victim had used a proper horn the entire episode might have been averted:
[Only $24.70 on a popular online auction site! I’m getting one for each of my Rivendae.]
As cyclists, we’ve all experienced unsolicited commentary from pedestrians and other road users, and the most frequent one I’ve heard over the years by far is “Get a helmet!,” or “Where’s your helmet?,” or some variation thereof. Next comes the bell-related complaints, with half the complainants angry at me because I didn’t ring a bell, and the other half angry because I did ring a bell. It’s a real guessing game when it comes to bell-ringing because you really don’t know how people are going to react, and until you actually do it (or don’t) you’ve got a real Schrödinger’s Cat situation on your hands in that the pedestrian is simultaneously grateful and annoyed. The last time this happened to me was particularly frustrating because I was so sure I’d guessed right–some guy was taking up a good portion of the path with his dog, and so I gave advance warning by sounding my bell before I passed. This sent him into a rage, and he informed me angrily that I could have said “On your left” instead.
Go figure.
As of yet I’ve never been told to get a horn, but sooner or later I’m sure I’ll encounter someone who’s furious that I’m not riding around like Harpo Marx:
But staying on top of the media isn’t just about the latest altercation. There’s also staying on top of the latest products, which is especially difficult when you don’t care about any of them. Plus, I’m easily confused. For example, is this headline a typo or a pun?
I resent the reference to “yesteryear’s panache.” There’s a popular notion in the cycling world that simply making a bike out of steel instantly makes it “classic” or imbues it with “heritage” or something:
Sorry, just because it has a lug does not make it a “throwback to how racing bikes used to be.” It’s a modern road bike with discs. The material is secondary. Those of us who are cranky and ornery and stuck in the past do not accept it. I mean it looks like a nice bike and all, but you’re not one of us. Go stand over there with the rest of the PNS jerseys:
I’m also not impressed by any of this:
Most if not all bikes are finished, and what do I care of the builder had help along the way? As for “carbon footprint,” I don’t care about that either. I hope Grant’s not reading this, but if Rivendell had to kill one (1) whale for every bike they made I’d still ride one.
Mostly.
And they may walk the tubes across the street or whatever over there at Cinelli, but unless they’re also walking the bike to your house after it’s finished what the hell difference does that make?
Then again it does compare favorably to other more confusingly-named bikes, though it is “transmissive of road texture:”
I’m not sure what that means, but you should use either a condom or a dental dam while riding it just to be safe.
Another bike that gets too much credit for being steel is the Ritchey Road Logic:
Sure, this one actually has rim brakes and is fairly traditional, though they had to blow it with the plastic fork and the integrated headset:
I mean it’s a real shame. Why would they do that? It makes the head tube look like a snake that’s swallowed an egg:
Then there are the stories that really make you think:
Sadly we’re all too used to reading about fellow cyclists dying, but I really did not expect to read this:
I’ve certainly been stung while riding, and I’ve also swallowed plenty of bugs, but until now this possibility had never even occurred to me.
It’s important to stay safe, but there’s only so much you can do, and it’s equally if not more important to make the most out of every day.