Greetings from down here in New York State's perineum: Where we've recently emerged from the rather piratey-sounding weather phenomenon known as a "nor'easter:" I asked the AI to create an image for "A pirate spotting a nor'easter approaching towards the starboard bow" and instead I got Max Cavalera of Brazilian thrash metal sensations Sepultura taking... Continue Reading →

Today is the holiday that back in the age of mechanical shifting and rim brakes we used to call "Columbus Day:" However, since nobody rides steel bikes anymore it's now called "Italian Heritage/Indigenous Peoples' Day"--or at least that's what it says on the school calendar, followed by the words "schools closed," and since I kinda-sorta... Continue Reading →

Pity the modern bicycle consumer, who must somehow choose from among thousands upon thousands of nearly identical gravel bikes, the newest one being the oddly-named yet otherwise thrillingly generic Ari Shafer: I'm glad the Ari Shafer has answers, because I have a question: Are you the same Ari Shafer who invited me to his Mets-themed... Continue Reading →

This is a promotional video for the Move Can V-60 electrical crap-mobile, which can go over 30 American Freedom Miles™ Per Hour, or [?] Socialist Kilometers Per Workday*: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2pYkADgnxw *[One (1) Socialist Workday ≈ One (1) American Freedom Hour™] To demonstrate its capabilities, the company shows it in use on a woodland trail: As well... Continue Reading →

After several consecutive days of wearing attack-themed clothing and those types of shoes where they attach themselves to the pedals it was time to change gears--using friction thumb shifters and a low-normal derailleur, of course: So I packed a small lunch, loaded it into the basket of the Platypus, and headed out clad in the... Continue Reading →

As a contrarian who's contrary for contrarianism's sake, I take great pains to eschew and deride the whole gravel bike thing while at the same time riding a bicycle with drop bars and ample tire clearance... ...and regularly steering it onto trails and pathways surfaced with Very Small Rocks: Also, while I may be a... Continue Reading →

After a ride this weekend I looked at my phone and found dozens of strange images and videos on my phone: At first I thought I must be picking up the signal from a rover on a distant planet: But looking closer I discerned what appeared to be some terrestrial-looking trees: Then I played one... Continue Reading →

In his lighthearted farcical novel "1984," George Orwell writes: The Party said that Oceania had never been in alliance with Eurasia. He, Winston Smith, knew that Oceania had been in alliance with Eurasia as short a time as four years ago. But where did that knowledge exist? Only in his own consciousness, which in any... Continue Reading →

At some point I can't remember when, someone I can't remember who asked if I was going to comment on the new Surly Straggler: Well, I don't even know anything about the old Surly Straggler, let alone the new one, but I did watch their irreverent video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO4s3KK1Z3A Then I read an article about it:... Continue Reading →

Further to yesterday's post in which I addressed the surfeit of "game-changing" innovations in cycling, I'm proud to introduce a new recurring feature* called "Game Changer of the Day" (GCOTD) in which I analyze whatever's supposed to be changing the game today and determine if it is in fact game-changing. *[I know it sounds tedious,... Continue Reading →