Stealing a bike: not always as bad as it sounds

Posted by On Filed under Misc No Comments

Pro bike wrench Josh Boggs just posted a link to a Craig’s list posting. I now share it with you – without comment *snicker*

I stole your Trek Madone road bike near 33rd and Vine (33rd and Vine)

Well actually I stole it from the guy who stole it from you so that I may give it back to you.Sunday afternoon there was a homeless looking guy rolling a bike by the back wheel down the alley. The u-lock was still around the front wheel and downtube so I stopped him. It was clear it was not his bike so I took it from him.

Please contact me to describe and claim.

Yes, the key you bring must fit the lock for me to turn the bike over to you.

What I know about you:
You bought the bike at Turin within last few years, you are over 6′ w wide shoulders, you have a kid, and you don’t ride as much as you had hoped.

Mike

Twitter for Cyclists

Posted by On Filed under Cycling Blog Blotter, Witticisms... or not. 2 Comments

Ahhh Twitter. One could create a pretty strong argument that Twitter’s popularity among cyclists is a direct result of EPO. One could also argue that it is simply the easiest way to share your race success with your friends and fans while still gasping for air at the finish line.

So, in a fashion not unlike Follow Friday (but clearly not #FF, because that is all messed up lately) I thought I’d throw out some of the names I follow. This list is by no means complete, nor should you assume that someone that I do not follow is not worth following. But of you are looking for something else to consume data on your smartphone’s data plan, here’s some good ones to follow:

Pro Cyclists and Teams

  • Jens Voigt @thejensie – #ShutUpLegs had to be a thing.
  • Chris Horner @hornerakg – Because who doesn’t want to wonder why the hell ‘akg’ is in his handle
  • Emily Kachorek @EmilyKachorek – Bad ass cyclist from VanderKitten
  • Vanderkitten @vanderkitten – Because they’re full of bad ass cyclists like Emily Kachorek. And they also seem to have this whole social media thingy nailed.
  • Jonathan Vaughters @Vaughters – Has some funny stuff to say sometimes. And knows a thing or two about cycling
  • Johan Bruyneel @JohanBruyneel – He says a ton of funny stuff too. Unfortunately it is usually when he is actually being serious.
  • Alberto Contador @albertocontador – We all need a reason to work on our spanish.
  • Team Sky @TeamSky – They taught me that Brits race bikes too.
  • Fabian Cancellara @f_cancellara – Apparently his tweets are sexier than everyone else’s.
  • Cadel Evans @CadelOfficial – It is fun to read his tweets with an Australian accent.
  • Phil Southerland @PhilSoutherland – Because diabetic cyclists kick ass. I know from personal experience.

Cycling Media Folks – Bloggers, journalists, photographers, etc

Tweet away folks…

 

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Posted by On Filed under Bikes and the law, Commuting No Comments

29_smrightturnWe’ve got our winners in the “How do I signal a right turn” contest. The question was regarding how to properly and legally signal a right hand turn while riding a bicycle.

In truth, the question was kind of a gimme – there are two correct answers. The first, which most people gave as their answer, is by holding the left arm out, bent at a 90 degree angle pointing up. This is the signal required by the DMV for use in automobiles – which makes sense. This is also what motorcyclists use, so the right hand can remain on the throttle. So yes – right arm at 90 degree angle is correct.

However, the DMV also has this to say: Keep reading →

Do you know how to properly signal a right hand turn?

Posted by On Filed under Bike Advocacy, Bikes and the law, Commuting 2 Comments

putthefun_sticker_white_smHand signals. We all use them when riding on the roads. Right? Right?!? But do you actually know how to do it properly?

Between now and noon Feb 1, I’ll be taking your answers to the following question. 3 random folks will be selected from the correct answers and get a complimentary “Put the fun between legs” sticker. Postage paid. $0.00 out of pocket. Just answer this question correctly: Keep reading →

New evidence: MTB may have benefits over road

Posted by On Filed under Witticisms... or not. 1 Comment

So… yea. Been a die-hard, no-knobby-tire-having, lycra-loving roadie for a while. My idea of getting dirty is road grime in the rain. But like all things, I’m open to evidence that may cause me to change my position. So – I present this counter-argument:

A 22-year-old man suffered an erection for seven weeks after a mountain bike crash. The hard-on finally subsided after two weeks of medical treatment in a hospital.

Hmmm… perhaps I stand corrected. *cough* *cough*

Update: And you thought that I had my tongue firmly placed into my cheek – check out this article. Puns abound!

Helmet hair to hair helmet

Posted by On Filed under Bikes as a lifestyle 1 Comment

For as many times as I’ve rambled, made fun of, attacked, or complained about helmets, you’d think I’d have come across this before. Ironically, it was a coworker that pointed this cultural phenomenon to me.

When inflatable neck wear doesn’t do it for you, it is time to don the hair-helmet. Brought to you by that fantastic folk duo Flight of the Conchords and presented without comment:

Bret-Hair_Helmet

So we take the worry about helmet hair and replace it with a hair helmet. That’s what you call turning a frown upside down.

Hats Off to Cafe Roubaix

Posted by On Filed under Uncategorized No Comments

Shop DoorMost of you by now have probably heard tale of Specialized Bicycle’s play against a small, independent bike shop in Canada. While I’ve yet to hear anything from Specialized themselves on the matter, I like many found this story disgusting. The conflict arises over the use of the word ‘Roubaix’ – which of course adorns a line of Specialized bikes as well and is a registered trademark of Specialized.

Me being me I was all ready to rip Specialized (verbally) apart here.  But, given that the last time I went after someone here on JustAotherCyclist it went a little wrong (read the comments to this) I’ve actually decided on a different path.

I found a very reasonable, educated and balanced Open Letter to Mike Sinyard (Founder of Specialized Bikes) posted on the blog Riding Against the Grain. Here the author says, among other things:

If you choose to analyze things from a purely business perspective, look at what’s happening.  Even if there was some impact on your business (there isn’t), and even if you could quantify it (you can’t), it would be miniscule.  Compare that minuscule economic impact to the incredibly damaging effect that this news is having upon your company.  The core of people who are really dedicated bikers are seeing this news nonstop.  All of their friends are using social media to talk about it.  It’s everywhere–in the worst possible way.  The cost analysis on this particular intellectual property squabble weighs heavily against pursuing it.

— An Open Letter to Mike Sinyard

Seriously – go read the blog post. There would be no value in me adding my particular brand of snark to this conversation.

If you decide you want to get involved and help Cafe Roubaix Bicycle Studio you can check out their company website, purchase products from their online store, or continue to let @iamspecialized know your thoughts on the matter. There is an indiegogo campaign that has been started purportedly to support the shop’s legal defense, but that campaign appears to be run by a person or group out of Australia and not the shops native Canada – so do your homework when donating.

Propaganda flows both ways

Posted by On Filed under Bike Advocacy 1 Comment

BTA-logoFolks familiar with my writings will know I have a bit of a flair for the dramatic. JustAnotherCyclist has always been an OpEd platform. However, one thing I’ve always tried to maintain is a link with the truth. It is possible to make dramatic statements without distorting the truth. However, it can be all too easy to slide on the wrong side of that divide. That is why I was unfortunately not surprised to hear of the Oregon Department of Transportation taking issue with some facts recently stated by Oregon bicycle advocacy group Bicycle Transportation Alliance. Keep reading →

Coolest San Francisco Bike Map Ever

Posted by On Filed under Commuting 2 Comments
kladney_full
Click image to view full PDF of map

I’ll admit I’ve been known to kinda geek out on maps. It started when I was a kid and somehow ended up with a ton of National Geographic maps. National Geographic Magazine used to include full maps in some of their magazine editions (do they still?) and I had a large cardboard box full of them. From topo maps to maps of the moon to a map of concentrations of religions across the world, I was introduced to the idea that maps could convey a lot more information than just place names, roads and boarders. That’s why, despite some of the comments to the post on See Through Maps, I think this is one of the neatest maps of bike routes in San Francisco yet.  Keep reading →

I think Scion is afraid of hipsters

Posted by On Filed under Bike Advocacy, Bikes as a lifestyle No Comments

I ran across this commercial the other day while watching some drivel on TV:

I was immediately struck by the very prominently displayed bicycle line drawing art (which I now want by the way.) I did find myself wondering “Why in the heck would the advertisers do that?” As an urban cyclist, I more often view the bicycle as something to be used instead of a car. It reminded me of a MotorTrend article I had read recently examining the decline in car ownership in the younger generations: Keep reading →