Within the feedback on a latest publish readers leveled accusations that the Faggin, in its present incarnation, is aesthetically displeasing, or what we colloquially name “ugly:”
To this I say, “You’re damned proper it’s ugly!” You would possibly even go as far as to name it a grotesquerie. It’s a sickly, fleshy, cold pink, just like the carcass of a freshly-slaughtered pig. Moreover, the lone Spinergy within the rear resembles a medical equipment, like one thing Eric Von Stroheim may need worn to evoke the sense of some previous trauma:
Ah, however the experience is way from ugly. Certain, it could have peaked aesthetically on this configuration (although that’s debatable):
However on this filthy panorama of salt-strewn streets and sooty brown snow it has the benefit of providing a top-notch experience while having aesthetics that even the worst corrosives couldn’t diminish any additional.
Talking of the poor street circumstances, I did incur a flat yesterday, and so after deploying my spare tube I ended at a bicycle store to obtain one other. It was about midday on a Sunday, on the primary warm-ish day in fairly a while, and after I stepped into the store all of the lights have been off, it smelled strongly of marijuana, and the individual behind the counter knowledgeable me that they have been closed. Whereas I’m not implying my internal tube buy would have made a significant distinction on their steadiness sheet or seen them by the useless of winter, in nonetheless struck me as a wierd enterprise mannequin and a peculiar time for a bicycle store to be closed…although maybe he merely denied me service due to the ungodly look of the Faggin, and was nervous I’d try to have interaction him in some doubtlessly time-consuming and non-remunerative process like servicing my historic Spinergy. (I’d need to think about an previous Spinergy is the one sight a bicycle store proprietor dreads much more than a Walmart bike.)
In the meantime, over on Streetsblog, a former Transportation Various Board member is distraught over the state of the town’s bike lanes:
Particularly, he cites anecdotal proof that with the proliferation of all the assorted types of motor scooters and e-crap even long-time bicyclists are hanging up their wheels:
Whereas I experience as a lot as ever, I’m far much less wanting to experience within the metropolis than I as soon as was, and the Microbility Shitshow actually has one thing to do with that. On the identical time, I believe this may be the case even if the bike lanes weren’t overrun with idiots on fast-moving contraptions, because the older I get the much less prepared I’m to take care of any type of annoyance, of which there has all the time been a lot round right here, even earlier than all of the e-tards (sorry). Certain, I’m much less captivated with using a motorbike within the metropolis, however I’m additionally much less captivated with being within the metropolis in any respect, on or off a motorbike. Whereas in my youth I went into the town at any time when I may, now it’s one thing I solely do when I’ve to; it’s change into like going to the dentist or pulling clumps of hair out of the bath drain. In order pernicious as I discover lots of this micromobility stuff, I believe it’s essential to maintain issues in perspective and acknowledge that with age comes a specific amount of sheer orneriness, and a bent to conflate one with the opposite.
As for what to do concerning the state of affairs, he has some good recommendations, corresponding to limiting the velocity of e-Citi Bikes and that kind of factor. Nonetheless, I’m a little bit skeptical about a few of his different concept, particularly “wider bicycle paths:”
I do know from years of studying Streetsblog that widening highways is unhealthy due to “induced demand.” See, the thought is that everyone thinks that extra lanes means extra room which suggests much less site visitors, however apparently what actually occurs is that extra lanes simply means extra automobiles which suggests much more site visitors and all of the unhealthy stuff that comes with it. So if we widen the bike lane wouldn’t the identical factor occur–that’s to say extra rushing e-contraptions all of the concomitant chaos? As it’s there’s fairly actually no escape from these items:
Happily for me, whereas I change into extra ornery as I become older, I additionally care much less on the identical time, and at this level I’m content material to let everybody struggle over what ought to or shouldn’t be accomplished within the metropolis whereas I hold using my bike away from it.
Additionally, one potential upside of all of that is that it may assist the notion of “conventional” pedal-powered cyclists. For many years and many years, individuals have derided us as probably the most annoying issues on the street, however as motorized units change into exponentially extra irritating perhaps they’ll begin to discover us quaint compared–although little doubt this may take awhile, and for now we’re nonetheless the primary scapegoat with regards to causes for driver exasperation. Contemplate this Hyundai business I noticed final evening:
In it we see a Pack of Freds:
The run the sunshine, due to course they do:
The drivers alternate glances:
Worldlessly and wearily conveying the common sentiment to which all drivers can relate–“Silly cyclists:”
Thanks, Hyundai, for saving us from ourselves.
