The Curse of 7/25

What the HELL is up with Critical Mass rides that happen on July 25th, and police violence?

1997, SF

2008, NYC

It's like an anti-holiday.

Working for the Weekend

Friday night, riding by the SF Academy of Art, overheard three students chatting while having a smoke. Since they're Art students, they've devoted rather more attention to their appearance than the average person might. My best attempt to describe each of their highly-individual motifs:

• Gay Unshaven Cowboy
• Nazi Kink-Submissive Butler
• Zombie Clown

Gay Unshaven Cowboy speaks: "I'm over at the Rawhide, drinking Red Bull and vodkas, and Ray's pouring, so after a while he stops charging me..."

I guess at some point, you become part of the place's decor.

Stock up on tires

As VeloNews pointed out in a recent article, peak oil isn't going to leave bicyclists unscathed. Tire prices are going up another 10-15% soon:

Michelin Raising Prices, Others to Follow (Bicycle Retailer News)

Michelin North America Announces Price Increases (EasyBourse)

"...a spokesman for Continental's tire unit, told Forbes.com that the company was increasing its tire prices for the third time this year..." (Forbes)

It's not limited to North American markets, or European manufacturers:
Bridgestone to hike China tire prices next month (The Auto Channel)

Stock up now!

Will Fight For Oil

"When a person is addicted to crack cocaine, his problem is not that the price of crack is going up." -- Thomas L. Friedman, in a NY Times Op-Ed yesterday.

"We are all addicts of fossil fuels in a state of denial, about to face cold turkey." -- Kurt Vonnegut, back when he was still alive.

Call to Action

Leaving work, I heard a woman's voice, apparently through a megaphone, bouncing off the buildings in downtown SF. Inspiring words, like "Yes, you can... YES you CAN!" and "Let's go, people! Let's GO GO GO GO!"

Political rally? No.

Aerobics class.

Retro With a Vengeance

Having brunch at Darla's, saw a pennyfarthing bicycle locked to a meter outside.

GOD I love this town.

Meeting People, East Bay Style

Rode up to the top of Grizzly Peak on Saturday morning. Stopped in the Peet's on Solano Ave. for a latte before starting up the hill. A lady I didn't even know struck up a conversation with me about the Tour coverage.

Maybe I should walk around with a bike helmet on more often.

We Don't Need No Steenkin' Badges

Waiting for the light on Market at Octavia, about a dozen bicyclists parked double-file in the bike lane, we heard a young man yelling behind us, "IT'S THE PO-LEECE! OUTTA THE WAY, BITCHES!"

This was followed by the unmistakable putt-putt sound of a tiny two-stroke engine. The bikers parted to let a teenage boy through on his mini-bike. Yeah, his ride might've been just a couple of sprockets away from a ride-on lawnmower, but he was sporting a Harley-sized attitude.

We got out of his way, he puttered up to the light, turned right and merged in with the car traffic, at about 2 mph, but at least 100 LEET.

We didn't stop giggling for minutes afterward.

We Are the Cyclists

"The intermediate stage between humans and pure energy."