Where’s The Fire?

One other day, one other ravaged Citi Bike…

Really, it kinda seems prefer it jumped.

So who’s the most important risk to our cities’ utopian livable streets future? Is it individuals who steal Citi Bikes? Is it politicians who block congestion pricing? Is it pickup drivers who steal tow vans?

Hardly. No, the actual enemy is…

…fireplace vans?

The largest problem the livable streets motion faces in successful folks over is that when their critics accuse them of attempting to ban every part they giggle it off as a conspiracy principle, however then they flip round and say stuff like fireplace departments shouldn’t reply to emergencies with massive vans. For this reason when your metropolis proposes one thing innocuous like a brand new bike lane everybody freaks out and insists the federal government is attempting to herd all of them into 15-minute cities and pressure them to eat bugs. And the actual irony is that the fireplace division wants massive vans with a purpose to put out all of the fires brought on by the e-bikes which might be alleged to get all people out of their automobiles (yeah, proper):

And sure, I’m being considerably glib right here and deliberately glossing over the nuances, however I’m afraid I can’t deliver myself to fret in regards to the dimension of fireside vans, sorry. The reality is that in relation to the pointless I’m way more involved about folks driving Bromptons with clipless pedals:

Sure, practically twenty years after Peak Fixie it looks like clipless sneakers are having one other second, and the newest entry into {the marketplace} comes from former professional David Millar:

Uh, I’ll deny it. Firstly, no, I don’t bear in mind the only white sweatband. Secondly, carrying a single white sweatband doesn’t make you a method icon. Certain, Michael Jackson famously wore a single white glove, however there was extra to it than that, and he additionally wore a cool purple jacket and excessive water pants. As for David Millar, way more memorable than his sartorial sense was his bike-throwing potential:

There was a time when clipless sneakers would have appealed to me, however over time I’ve slowly come to comprehend that the easiest factor about driving in sneakers isn’t being clipped in–and if I’m clipped in I’m on a street bike, and if I’m on a street trip I’m additionally carrying stupid-looking garments and I’ve completely no intention of strolling. Nonetheless, I suppose folks need this stuff, as a result of along with the Millar footwear there are these:

I attempted to observe it, however I flew right into a violent rage the primary time he known as them “AH-didas.”

RUN DMC are the final phrase on how you can pronounce Adidas, sorry.

Shifting on, I do know you have got numerous questions on my new Roaduno, reminiscent of:

“Will you ever cease speaking about it?”

“Absolutely there are extra vital issues happening on the earth, just like the upcoming presidential election, proper?

“And who’re you voting for, anyway?”

Nicely, listed here are the solutions to these questions, within the order during which they had been posed:

No

Undoubtedly not

My new Roaduno

I proceed to lavish consideration on it too, and yesterday I put in this spiffy rack:

I’ve had it for awhile, and was utilizing it on the Homer, however I believe it will likely be good for the Roaduno:

Its complete function might be as a spot to place clothes layers as I shed them, or perhaps strap a lock:

When utilizing this rack within the entrance you’re additionally alleged to run a strap from the rack to the handlebars to maintain it from jamming up your entrance wheel within the occasion of a failure, however I doubt the burden of my flannel shirt goes to trigger it to buckle so for now I’m dwelling dangerously:

Now the actual query is after I’ll unlock that internal ring by putting in a entrance derailleur:

A part of me desires to proceed having fun with it as a correct singlespeed, and but a part of me suspects that maybe a “singlespeed” with an emergency gear for the hills stands out as the good middle-aged dirtbag bike and may’t wait to strive it. We’ll see how lengthy I maintain out, although the one factor I do know is that I received’t be foot-shifting it:

Curiously Rivendell advise in opposition to mounted gears but approve of foot-shifting:

I suppose it’s all about understanding your limits. By some means I’d handle to lose a toe.