The Larz Anderson Bicycle Show!

Today was the 14th Annual Larz Anderson Grand National Bicycle Super Meet in Brookline, Massachusetts and I am pleased to report that I was able to attend.

I intended to take documentary-style photographs of the show... But that did not work out so well, as it was just too crowded with too much going on! Nonetheless, here are some shots of bicycles that I especially enjoyed and you might too.

Having seen pictures from previous years, I expected the Larz Anderson show to be full of antique roadster-style bicycle, but this year there were only a few. This one is an Elgin loop frame.

Wooden fenders, wooden chainguard and netted dressguards on another loop frame!

And dramatic upside-down North Road handlebars (or are they track dropbars? a hybrid of the two?) on a Sterling roadster.

A Columbia truss bridge bicycle!

I examined it up close, and it is definitely welded, not lugged - though I am not sure whether this was true of all early truss frames.

A Dunelt Roadster with baby chariot. These look so much nicer than the modern Co-Pilots! But are they road legal?

An unusual Concord mixte in a beautiful shade of slate blue.

The lugwork on this one was gorgeous and it was in exactly my size. What strength of will I have!

I was told that Concord was a Dutch manufacturer [edited to add: looked it up on bikeforums, and it is actually Japanese].

 Could that explain the atypical spelling of "mixte"?

And how about this fully equipped Raleigh Sixteen? - a folding bicycle like the Raleigh Twenty, only with 16" wheels.

Green frame, fat cream tires and dynamo lighting! I am envious of who ever ended up taking this beauty home!

The star of the show was this enormous, forest green, original Dursley Pedersen bicycle.

Dursley Pedersen headbadge.

Crocheted saddle (or seat in this case?).

Wooden grips with inverse brake levers.

And, of course, an antique headlamp! This bicycle was truly a spectacular sight.

My personal favourite in the show, however, was this stunning bicycle from the 1960s, which belonged to the wife of Cino Cinelli. To my dismay, I was not able to get any good full-size pictures that capture its glamour to the extent it deserves, but maybe some hint of it will come across here!

Ever seen a step-through Cinelli before? This one was apparently Mrs. Cinelli's personal ride, and it is exquisitely made. I am wondering what is the history of this particular style of frame; is it specifically Italian? I have been admiring similar designs from Abici and Bella Ciao, and would love to learn about their vintage origins.

The colour is just the right mix of pink, beige and champagne to be feminine and glamorous, yet understated. The lines are curves are as graceful as can be.

One piece handlebars and stem, with cream grips.

Cinelli crest on the stem! Just stunning.

There is a "his"model as well, and these bicycles were displayed as a pair. Riding these around town must have been a sight...

In addition to the exhibiting and selling of bicycles, there was a brisk trade in components, accessories, and vintage clothing. It was enough to make my head spin. This time around, I neither brought a bicycle to exhibit (I was trying to be incognito), nor, thankfully, did I purchase a bicycle. But next year perhaps I will plan things better and spruce up one of my vintage beauties for show and tell. The Larz Anderson Bicycle Show is a must if you are in the Boston area and love vintage bicycles.

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Cycling and Suffering

In my view, the most unfortunate myth about cycling for transportation is that it is difficult. Understandably, this is how non-cyclists often perceive it - due to the overabundance of athletic cyclists and heavily armoured utility cyclists on the roads in comparison to cyclists who look like regular people. But even among the "everyday cyclists",  I feel that there is a tendency to focus on the challenging aspects of riding a bike in a way that takes pride in these challenges and thereby dwells on them: the pain of cycling uphill, the heroics of cycling in cold weather, the battle of cycling in traffic... Come on, be fair! Cycling is fun and convenient, giving us the most independence and flexibility of all other transport options. Compared to the poor drivers stuck in traffic and the users of public transport pushing their ways through overcrowded buses, we coast through life with smiles on our faces.

[image via BostonBiker.org]

Reading Boston Biker this week, I was reminded of my all time favourite misrepresentation of cycling's "difficulties": Our love of exaggerating the fortitude of cycling in the rain. On cycling blogs, we often read stories that describe a non-cyclist asking a cyclist, "But what do you do when it rains?" and the cyclist replying "I get wet!" After this exchange is retold in the blog post, the author will then muse about how people nowadays are out of touch with the elements, and how ridiculous it is that "the car culture" has taught us to fear getting rained on. This, however, is simply untrue. Car culture did not teach us to dislike getting rained on. Seeking protection from the elements is a natural impulse that has been with us pretty much forever. In non-car-oriented societies people still use umbrellas and hide under awnings. Cave people sought shelter in caves. It is completely normal not to want to get rained on on the way to work or a date, so that we can both arrive in dignity and not come down with the flu the next day.

[image via BostonBiker.org]

Cyclists however, sometimes seem to experience pride from getting soaking wet in the rain, and this pride translates into projecting an intimidating image to those who do not ride a bike. The non-cyclist is given to understand, that in order to embrace cycling they must accept the idea that getting wet is "normal" rather than something to be avoided... In other words, to accept an idea that goes against people's natural instincts since the dawn of civilization.

I don't know about you. But when a non-cyclist asks me what I do when it rains, I reply that I wear a raincoat. When a non-cyclist asks me about hills, I explain that I switch to a lower gear and pedaling gets easy again. And when a non-cyclist asks me whether I am scared of traffic, I point out that it was less scary than driving once I got used to it. And all of these things are true. Why tell them I am suffering, when I am not?

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Dressguards and Chaincase: Do You Need Them?

Sometimes I get emails where ladies send me pictures of their bicycle and ask whether I think "it would look better" with dress guards and/or a chaincase.  Ladies... You do realise that these things are not there for the looks, right? Although a set of dress guards and a chaincase do lend a certain charm to a bicycle, aesthetics are not their primary purpose. So let me explain why I put them on my bikes, and then you can decide for yourself whether you need them or not.

The purpose of dress guards is to stop fluttery, loose clothing from flying into the spokes of your rear wheel and either getting ruined or causing an accident. The main determinant of whether you need dressguards is whether you wear the sort of clothing that requires their protection - for instance: flared skirts, dresses, long coats, or flowing tunics. Once you have had something get stuck in your rear spokes or have seen it happen to someone else, you know that the possibility is real and that it can even cause injury. Personally, I will not ride a bicycle without dress guards if an article of clothing I am wearing is long enough to reach the rear spokes. And since much of my everyday clothing is in that category, it is a good idea for me to install dress guards on any bike I plan to use for transportation.

I have also been asked what kind of dressguards are better: netted or solid.  There are probably differing opinions on this, but in my experience it does not matter. My vintage Raleigh (above) is fitted with very minimal dressguards that are basically just stretchy cords fanning out from the rear dropouts. For me, this has been sufficient; the cords - closely spaced - provide a perfectly functional barrier.  The obvious advantage to dress guards that are woven, is that they are lighter (and usually more attractive) than plastic ones. The disadvantage is that they can be more expensive and more difficult to clean.

Moving on to chaincases, their purpose is two-fold: (1) to prevent the bottoms of your trousers from being caught in the chain, and (2) to keep the chain clean from street grime, especially in bad weather. Since I seldom wear long trousers, the first function is not that important to me. So while I do appreciate that the chaincase keeps my chain nice and clean, this accessory is not as crucial for me as dress guards, because it is a maintenance feature rather than a safety feature. I can still ride a bike without a chaincase for transportation.

Furthermore, while I have found dress guards to be effective in preventing clothing from getting stuck in the spokes, I have not found chaincases to be entirely effective on those rare occasions when I do wear trousers. A couple of times, the bottoms of my trousers have actually gotten stuck on the chaincase itself, which has only increased my bias for skirts once I started cycling. Don't get me wrong, I still love a nice, elegant chaincase. But I admit that this feature does not hold as much functional purpose for me as do dress guards.

Dress guards and chaincases are not affectations, but necessary accessories for transportation in everyday clothing. As the popularity of "city bikes" rises, I hope that more American bicycle shops will realise this, and start carrying these useful items.

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BSNYC Friday Fun Conspiracy!

In yesterday's post, I made repeated mention of douches, and a good indication that douchery is afoot (or "a-douche") is when an event listing begins with the phrase "An evening with..." (Unless the event is a date with a prostitute, in which case the phrase is euphemistic and not douchey.) Furthermore, when that event takes place at the Rapha Cycle Club in New York City, you can bet that the event will be positively douche-tastic. This is why it gives me "douche chills" to announce that I'll be there on Thursday, August 12th:

As I've mentioned before, my book (by which I mean "Bike Snob," and not my previous book, "Hoff the Hook: The Life and Times of David Hasselhoff") has been out of stock for some time. This is because I personally bought all the copies to create a false illusion of scarcity, at considerable expense to me. However, new copies are arriving any moment now, and you'll be able to get one at the Rapha Cycle Club BRA (or Book-Related Appearance)--with the added bonus that you can call me a "douche" to my face as you purchase it.

You may also note that the event is billed as "An Exploration of Epic," though the truth is I have no idea what I will talk about yet. I could explore "epic," or I could simply rattle off a list of stuff I keep in my medicine cabinet, or I may just discuss foods I don't like. (I may even slur my words unintelligibly due to the stuff I keep in my medicine cabinet.) All I can say for sure at this point is that I will not read from my book, and that I will bring at least a few of these to give away:

I will also give away some of these promotional patch kits, because you always want people to think of you when they're in a highly inconvenient situation and cursing to themselves:

That's just good business.

I will not, however, be bringing one of these, but only because I don't have one:

However, if you have one, please bring it. There's a free deluxe patch kit in it if you do. (I'll also throw in a t-shirt if you bring it on a Big Dummy.)

By the way, if you're annoyed that I'll be appearing at a place that sells overpriced cycling clothing, keep in mind you don't have to buy a pair of expensive pants (or anything at all) in order to come to my BRA, or to watch the movies they show there, or to watch the Vuelta, which they're also showing. You don't even have to buy my book. In fact, you could probably walk in off the street, use the bathroom, and walk out again without anybody being the wiser. Letting other people's money fund your entertainment or intestinal relief is the kind of marketing that works for everybody.

However, I will admit I almost cancelled the BRA when a reader informed me that Rapha will be making a soap that features "a fragrance inspired by the herbs and plants growing on the slopes of Mont Ventoux:"

It was only a matter of time before "roadies" entered the world of artisanal soaps, and I suspect it won't be long before someone markets a bar of soap with a scent inspired by the smell of Jaques Anquetil's "pants yabbies." It could be called "All You Roadies Sniff My Chamois."

Until that happens, I'm pleased to present you with a delightfully-scented quiz. As always, study the item, think, and click on your answer using your mouse, touch pad, or telepathic powers. If you're right you'll know, and if you're wrong you'll see the current state of affairs and why American culture is slipping faster than Carlos Sastre in the GC.

Thanks very much for reading, ride safe, and wash thoroughly.

--BSNYC/RTMS

1) In last week's Tour of the Catskills, the field was disrupted during a high-speed descent by:

--A horse
--A dog
--A state trooper
--An enraged hillbilly with a blunderbuss, fiercely protective of his still

(Rae Dawn Chong gives Kevin Costner a quick wheel change and moustache grooming in the 1985 feature film, "American Flyers")

2) The recently-announced Tour of Colorado will be sponsored by:

--Subway

--Quiznos

--Mr. Sub

--Leftover proceeds from the Floyd Fairness Fund

3) Colorado guberantorial candidate Dan Maes claims that cycling could:

--"Threaten our personal freedoms."

--"Undermine the very fabric of our democratic system of government"

--"Empower undesirable minorities such as Jews, women, and Canadians"

--"Lead to a deadly outbreak of flesh-eating crotchal fungus"

4) This is a diagram of:

--SRAM's revolutionary new electronic shifting system

--Campagnolo's revolutionary new electronic shifting system

--Shimano's revolutionary new cable-actuated shifting system

--Apple's "Smart Bicycle System"

5) Urban Fashion Watch: Snare drums are the new messenger bags.

--True
--False

6) The makers of the U-lock-dependent socket wrench are now offering a U-lock-dependent star-fangled nut installer so you can change forks "on-the-fly."

--True

--False

(Evidence that irony existed among primitive humans.)

7) Which country is attempting to "stamp out the illegal sales" of brakeless bicycles?

--Australia

--Austria

--England

--Germany

***Special Cycling Tattoo-Themed Bonus Question***

We know the owner of this tattoo is manly because:

--It depicts a bicycle without a derailleur

--It implies the wearer can administer sufficient power to break a bicycle chain, even if the bicycle does not have pedals

--Tattoos in themselves are manly, and those depicting equipment failure are doubly so

--All of the above

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The Voyager Princess: Two Thousand Miles on a Pashley!

[image via Katie Doncaster]

I have been wanting to feature this story for a while, and it now seems like a good counterpoint to my earlier post about long distance cycling and upright bicycles. Not everybody finds it necessary to use a bicycle with drop bars for touring - especially not Katie Doncaster, who travelled on her Pashley Princess Sovereign from Strasbourg, France to Nessebar, Bulgaria. 

[image via Katie Doncaster]

This is Katie's Pashley, named Mathilda. As you can see, she sightly modified it for touring in terms of accessories and luggage: She added extra pannier hangers, a waterbottle mount, and a handlebar bag instead of the wicker basket. But the upright sitting position of the bicycle has very much been retained.

[image via Katie Doncaster]

Katie and Mathilda travelled a total of 3,900 km (2,423 miles) together, passing through France, Germany, Austria, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania.

[image via Katie Doncaster]

Nights were mostly spent camping, with all the necessary equipment carried on the bike.  Much of the trip was over flat terrain, but there were a couple of spots with some hills as well.

[image via Katie Doncaster]

Katie's route took her through Austria along the Danube Bikeway, and it was neat to see some familiar places in her images. The most I have ever cycled on this route was 50 miles, which is laughable compared to the length of her trip.

[image via Katie Doncaster]

I am amazed by Katie's accomplishment - who wouldn't be!  2,423 miles on a roadbike designed for touring would have already been beyond impressive. But to cover that distance on a Pashley... I put that in the category of "jaw dropping".  Just to remind you, this is a 5-speed upright bicycle that weighs over 40lb (unloaded) and offers only one hand position on the handlebars. I would not be able to do it.  But everybody is different. If Katie did it, it's certainly possible. Only you can determine what is possible (and comfortable) for you, and you never know until you try!  Anybody planning a cycling adventure before the summer is over?

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Conspiracy Theory: "Soylent Green is Douches!"

Occasionally I receive many emails alerting me to the same item. When this occurs, the item usually falls under one of three categories: 1) A "wacky invention" (such as that bendy bike); 2) "Anti-veloism" in the media (such as the Tony Kornheiser incident); or 3) anything involving the musical oeuvre of "MC SpandX." Most recently, I've received numerous emails concerning that whole "bikes are a UN conspiracy" thing, which you've no doubt heard about by now, and which falls under "Cat 2:"

While some people respond to this and other "Cat 2" incidents of anti-veloism with indignity, the simple fact is that saying outrageous things about cycling is a proven way to get instant media attention, which is why people do it--celebrities "accidentally" expose their vaginas while exiting limousines for exactly the same reason. This is why I tend to ignore them, since if I'm going to pay attention to publicity gambits they should at least involve exposed genitals. In fact, I was going to ignore this one too, until I realized that Dan Maes may be partially right. The truth is, I'm beginning to suspect that there may indeed be a "cycling conspiracy" afoot (or awheel), though it doesn't involve the UN. (The UN is too busy with their involvement in the World Jewish Banking Conspiracy and with hiding those alien bodies in Roswell, NM to bother with petty municipal matters like bike-sharing.)

I submit as evidence this commercial for an expensive luxury condominium in Brooklyn, which airs often on local television:

The commercial features two characters: Vanessa, who insists on "high ceilings," "full service," and "amenities;" and Steven, who requires a "skyline view" he can admire with his expensive binoculars, a "quick commute," and a "fine aged cognac." (Presumably both of them require powerful air conditioning so that they can wear designer smocks and vests indoors.) Even if you don't live in New York City, you probably recognize people like Vanessa and Steven, who wear designer smocks and vests respectively, and who pay millions of dollars to live in converted warehouses. They are called "douchebags," and even their own terriers want to relieve themselves on their legs.

("I want to relieve myself right on his sockless ankles.")

I know what you're thinking: "What does this have to do with cycling?" Well, this commercial is only the tip of a vast "douche-spiracy" that now permeates nearly every aspect of consumerism--and cycling has become an integral part of it. Consider also a post from a site called "Thrillist" that was forwarded to me by a reader:


According to the so-called "Internet" (when discussing conspiracies it is essential to precede certain nouns with the phrase "so-called"), Thrillist is "a media and e-commerce company targeting young urban guys." This, of course, is thinly-veiled marketingspeak for the coveted demographic known as the "douche." Furthermore, it was founded by "Adam Rich, 30, and Ben Lerer, 28, former U Penn frat brothers." For those of you who are unfamiliar with the American educational system or who attended expensive adult daycare programs such as Bard College where things like fraternities, sports, grades, and pressure didn't exist, "former U Penn frat brothers" is a synonym for "douches:"

True to their mission statement, Thrillist covers items designed specifically for douches, such as the "burnout polo:"

If you've ever wanted a shirt that depicts "branches and birds over a writhing horde, primed to steal that housewife's TV and stereo," then this garment is for you.

In any case, the Thrillist post I received from the reader concerned Bowery Lane Bicycles, which I mentioned not too long ago. Now, I should mention that I have nothing against the Bowery Lane Bicycle, which seems like a perfectly reasonable means of conveyance for the aesthetically-minded urbanite. Rather, I was vexed by the Thrillist post about Bowery Lane Bicycles, which was so inscrutable that I can only assume it is some kind of code.

The post begins with a so-called "video," which I was unable to embed (probably due to some entirely separate media conspiracy) and which features a Bowery Lane bike called the "Unicorn." The video starts off simply enough, first explaining that the bicycle is white:

And then employing a bad pun to underscore this fact:

However, after highlighting the bicycle using captions written in ironic urban vernacular:

This image appears at :32 seconds:

What is the meaning of this juxtaposition? Perhaps it's some sort of reference I just don't get, but in the context of the contrived vernacular and the frequent repetition of the word "white" I can't help thinking it's some sort of subliminal message that only either Cornel West or Christian Lander could help me understand. Plus, the actual text of the post didn't exactly clarify things. Here is the introduction:

A hard-line philosophy can stunt growth -- just look at Mao's social-political programs, which cost China tens of millions of lives and placed the country in a hole that could only be climbed out of with...a four hour Olympic Opening Ceremony that cost the people of China even more tens of millions of dollars! Easing up their Draconian outlook without fake minorities, the crew behind Bowery Lane Bicycles, and their new Unicorn.

Not having attended a fine institute of higher learning like Bard College, I'm fully aware of my own academic limitations, so it's entirely possible I'm the only person completely confused by the whole China theme. I guess I understand the "fake minority" reference, so maybe the photo above is some sort of spoof of the Olympic opening ceremony, but I still don't know what any of this has to do with this bicycle. It also doesn't explain this line, which pops up later in the post in the context of New York City history:

Because the Dutch left when the Italians moved in, the wheels and seat adjustment’re bolted on to prevent theft...

I might be misinterpreting this, but the implication seems to be that Italians are lowly bike thieves--a notion that would make the members of the Italian-American Civil Rights League choke on their macaroni and gravy.

In any case, the only thing I'm sure about is that the post confused me, and when you don't understand something that means it's a conspiracy. As for the point of this particular "douche-spiracy," my theory is that the "Doucherati" are using the douche-tastic marketing appeal of the bicycle to galvanize "douches" all over the world, and that we will soon find ourselves under the thrall of douchedom. Our oppressors will ride designer bikes and consume artisanal everything, and the "jackbooted thugs" of this regime will be an army of "fakerjacks" and "artisanal burnouts" with great bushy beards (as forwarded by another reader):

Their weapons will be the designer axes and boutique spraypaint cans they were taught how to use at Bard:

Once the Forces of Douche have gotten everybody on bicycles, they will begin to turn our bicycles against us, at which point so-called "Hollywood" will come in and finish the job. (Hollywood is instrumental in any robust conspiracy theory.) The ultimate goal, I suspect, is to kill us all and grind us into a sort of modern-day artisanal Soilent Green-esque pâté to be served in the trendy restaurants of the super-secret City of Douche that lies beneath Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This requires mass slaughter. Thanks to the fixed-gear craze, many people are already riding around on brakeless bikes and thus primed for death, and with the upcoming feature film "Premium Rush," Hollywood is also reinforcing the popular notion that it is cool to crash. Consider this video which was probably intentionally leaked from the set:



After plowing through the rear windshield of a cab, "Premium Rush" star Joseph Gordan-Levitt declares, "This is fucking cool:"


I'm not sure why cycling is among the few human endeavors in which it is considered "cool" to screw up. Sure, everybody crashes at one time or another, but it's really nothing to gloat about, and it makes far more sense to take pride in not crashing. Gymnasts don't brag when they fall on their heads during floor routines and get a three from the Romanian judge. Pedestrians don't tell their friends, "I totally twisted my ankle stepping off that curb on the way home from the deli, it was sick." Diners don't get excited when they accidentally break a drinking glass. ("Dude, that dinner was crazy--it was like a Jewish wedding!") I wonder if Gordon-Levitt would have been similarly exuberant if he had accidentally gotten his "pants yabbies" caught in his zipper after using a public urinal.

In any case, once the world is convinced by the Forces of Douche that crashing is desirable, we will be transformed into a legion of zombies, "salmoning" to our own demise:


By the way, this is the ichthyological sub-species known as the "Fashion Salmon," identifiable by the stylish suit, impractical bag, and single-digit steering technique.

I fear we're swimming right into their hands.

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Everybody Loves a Lovely Bicycle

Sometimes, between trying to squeeze in 30-mile rides, obsessing about components and taking close-ups for product reviews, I forget the big picture: Beautiful bicycles can lift our spirits.

These two ladies are Isha Ware and Caroline Robinson, from the neighborhood, and they reminded me of why I like bicycles in the first place.

Today I fitted my bike Marianne with a very funky new set of dressguards (from Simeli) and dragged her outside to photograph. On three separate occasions, women walking down the street stopped to ask me about the bicycle. They were clearly happy to see such a bike - eccentric and undeniably "girly", with a colourful "thingie" on the wheel, flowers on the handlebars, and a shiny bell. Isha (pictured above) was wearing an outfit that was the exact same colour as Marianne's frame, and so naturally this had to be documented.

One young woman (not pictured here) told me that she wanted to buy a bicycle, but found bike shops to be male-oriented and intimidating. I remember lots of stories like this from 1-2 years ago, but I thought that things were a lot better now. Apparently they are not completely better; at least not yet. One of my main goals for Lovely Bicycle, is that ladies who have been disappointed or intimidated by bike shops can find the information they are looking for here.

A nice bicycle can make even people who are not into bicycles at all - just people who are passing by - smile and want to pet it. The very form of a nicely designed bicycle is welcoming; the texture of its components inviting. Maybe it's a "woman thing". Or maybe it's universal. But it sure is nice. Lovely bicycles for all!

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