BIKE EVERY DAY

[The_Tourist]

whoa...i don't think i've seen any thimbleberries around.  there were some wild blueberries and a few that looked like tiny, oblong tomatoes, but i never know what's gong to be delicious and what's going to kill me, so i stuck to eating millions of blackberries. endless bushes line the highways out there, so it's the perfect snack when you're taking a break.

i feel all fit and manly today. spent a few minutes flexing my beer belly in front of the bathroom mirror.

edison: where are you staying in oregon?

[peacocks]

you should try to find some! they are really soft, like a tiny mohair hat for your pinky finger.

[edison]

edison: where are you staying in oregon?

I'm not sure exactly yet, except I'll be in Seattle and Portland for a few days, since my plane lands in Seattle and my friend's family lives in Portland - he and his girlfriend are not yet sure whether they'll still be living in Portland or moving to Bend in September, so plans are a bit up in the air at the moment.

You're in Portland, right?

[The_Tourist]

yup. i'm in portland.  let me know if you want to eat some berries or something!

[Trousers and Pat]

I'm down with berries

[edison]

I am too! I'll pm you if I have some free time!

[elpollodiablo]

Took the steed in for maintenance today. First place I stopped at in Brooklyn was staffed by totally sullen unconcerned dicks who didn't even acknowledge my presence for the first ten minutes I was in the store, even though I was the only one there. Was then told that they "don't do tune-ups on weekends." I pointed out that they've got a huge sandwich board outside their front door that's advertising TUNE-UPS $60 and dude for real sighed and said he guessed he could look at it if I wanted to bring it in. I told him not to bother, went back to Queens, and took it to the Spanish Bike Shop on 34th Ave where the proprietor himself wrote the work order and told me to come back in a few hours. $5 more than the other place, but the old guy also didn't act like I was hugely inconveniencing him by being in his business. The whole errand made me wonder why, when all of the cyclists I've met in NYC are so friendly and outgoing, are so many bike shops staffed by unfriendly, unhelpful jerks? I've been in several others in Brooklyn where I was made to feel like an ignorant bother for asking simple questions and making reasonable requests for service. Anyway.

Glad it's getting looked at. It's been slipping gears like crazy and the brakes make a fucking HORRIBLE loud noise when I lay on em quickly. I tried replacing the pads myself but lack the basic maintenance know-how, even with the videos & such that y'all posted.

[Greg Nog]

Whoa, man!  What was the BK place?  I've always had good luck with B's Bikes, right near me.

[fishjim]

The whole errand made me wonder why, when all of the cyclists I've met in NYC are so friendly and outgoing, are so many bike shops staffed by unfriendly, unhelpful jerks? I've been in several others in Brooklyn where I was made to feel like an ignorant bother for asking simple questions and making reasonable requests for service. Anyway.

I used to notice this in SF, too. I ended up taking my bike to a shop where I knew one of the dudes, because everyone else was such a bike snob. Made me think about how non-technical computer users probably felt when they'd walk over to the geek cubicles and ask for help.

Note to gearheads, all sizes: just because you've got skillz doesn't mean you're an asshole.

[elpollodiablo]

Whoa, man!  What was the BK place?  I've always had good luck with B's Bikes, right near me.

B's isn't like that! I stopped in there once to buy a pump and dude was like "I'll sell you one, but there are a couple outside around the corner you can use free of charge!" I've swung by there to use those pumps a couple times, now.

The one I stopped at yesterday was Brooklyn Bike & Board on Vanderbilt. I've also had less-than-pleasant experiences at Affinity Cycles on Grand St, Landmark Bicycles on South 5th, and 9th Street Cycles in Park Slope.

[elpollodiablo]

Although I had a great experience at the shop in Astoria yesterday, too. Dude did a great job, cleaned it up really well, had me jump on to check the saddle height in the store, and told me "Your bike is like new bike."

[peacocks]

dang, that sucks! Most of the bike shops here are really friendly and eager to help.

[heather marie]

i have been terrified to ride my bike downtown but today i did it and it was great and now i need a real bike.

[Ashley]

I took my bike to get the gear shifter fixed, and they replaced it, but now it doesn't work.  The back brakes also don't work.  What?

They told me I had 14 days to go back if there were any issues, and it's been longer than 14 days.  Do I go back anyway?

[ellaguru]

Where did you go, Ashley?

[Ashley]

West Side Cycle!

[milesofsparks]

Whoa, man!  What was the BK place?  I've always had good luck with B's Bikes, right near me.

B's is the best!  The only bike shop in NYC I'm not afraid of, and if you're a pretty lady they'll fix small stuff for free.

SO MANY bikes in Amsterdam!  And everyone rides around carrying giant things or towing children around or carrying friends on the back or holding their dry cleaning up to not get dirty, and wearing little skirts or fancy suits or whatever, but they all ride big heavy bikes and go so slowly it doesn't even matter.  And everything's so flat.  So nice to see everyone be relaxed about biking — biking in NYC is so stressful for me.  I wish I wasn't back-hurt and could join in here, though I'm sure I'd get lost in about 5 minutes on all these windy little streets.

[Trousers and Pat]

And everyone rides around carrying giant things or towing children around

The bucket of children is my favorite part!

[YojimboMonkey]

the world is trying to kill me. Somebody loosened my handlebars while my bike was locked up at the train station yesterday, to the point where it's pretty clear they could have removed them if that's what they were after, but they just wanted someone to faceplant. (I didn't though) then this morning I was riding to the train station and got kamikazed hardcore by a bee or something, right to the eye. I ducked last minute and have a bleeding hole in my forehead right above my right eyebrow. I am not a "bugs! ewwww! /flails around" kind of guy but I shouted "FUCK!!!!" and did actually flail around a bit 'cause it fucking HURT.

[YojimboMonkey]

a bee or something

it may have been a very small hunter-seeker I dunno

[jebreject]

Who the fuck does that? The handlebars thing, I mean. Most of us curse loudly when stung by a bee.

[YojimboMonkey]

If I knew, there would be punching.

[peacocks]

maybe they were trying to steal them but thought they were about to get caught and ran away before they could get 'em off.

Sucks about the bee!

[fishjim]

Who the fuck does that? The handlebars thing, I mean.

my guess is an asshole adolescent boy

[elpollodiablo]

My bike has been fucked with cruelly and without provocation several times in the past couple months. Pretty sure someone loosened my saddle (perhaps in attempted theft, I dunno), snapped off my rear reflector and covered my grips in (what I'm hoping is) glue. All of this right in front of my building. It fucking sucks, especially the thing with the grips because whatever it is *will not come off.* They're still sticky and fucked up weeks later, after trying soap, Goo Gone, degreaser, etc. I guess I'll replace them eventually.