Jeffrey White said:

More bike lane wars rhetoric

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/nyregion/new-york-bike-lane-advocates-fear-new-mayor-will-roll-back-gains.html?_r=0

I guess DeBlasio is looking to annoy a large donor pool in order to appease the editorial board of the NYPost. NYC bike lane wars remind me of a Cycling Inquisition post about the difference between bike lanes in Bogata and in the US, and in Bogata bike lanes attach mostly poorer neighborhoods to central districts while in places like NYC it is easy to find a bike lanes that connects Park Slope to Midtown, but connecting East New York to Queens Village, or even connecting Park Slope to the Kissena Velodrome via bike lanes isn't a priority. It isn't that there isn't a need, but there is a cultural consideration here between "cyclists", and people who use bikes for transportation. Bike lanes seem to be priortized for "cyclists" not for a general transportation for all users.

I can't wait for NYC bikeshare. The bikes don't work for Priscilla (too big and heavy), but I will become a member to use one for commuting many days.

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/02/if-you-build-bike-share-riders-will-come/4673/

the bike lane i use to get myself to prospect park is more of a fast lane to getting doored than anything else...dean and bergen streets.  the only safe way to use it is to adopt a geriatric pace.  almost defeats the point.  almost.  one time a car honked at me for about a block just for being in the bike lane next to him.  i was as confused by his honking as he was frustrated by my existence.

I'm fascinated by the idea that in a city where less than half the residents own cars, the default assumption by politicos angling for citywide office is that there's only upside to throwing gifts to car owners.  

I have a new thought on this; the city is pursing the "no negligence" angle because the alternative is (almost) limitless liability to the city and it's ability to police/build safer roadways.

Dan Reiners said:

Jeffrey White said:

More bike lane wars rhetoric

I guess DeBlasio is looking to annoy a large donor pool in order to appease the editorial board of the NYPost. NYC bike lane wars remind me of a Cycling Inquisition post about the difference between bike lanes in Bogata and in the US, and in Bogata bike lanes attach mostly poorer neighborhoods to central districts while in places like NYC it is easy to find a bike lanes that connects Park Slope to Midtown, but connecting East New York to Queens Village, or even connecting Park Slope to the Kissena Velodrome via bike lanes isn't a priority. It isn't that there isn't a need, but there is a cultural consideration here between "cyclists", and people who use bikes for transportation. Bike lanes seem to be priortized for "cyclists" not for a general transportation for all users.

I agree to a degree but in the defense of the city planners ....while a good bike lane network connecting neighborhood pairs like East New York to Queens Village would be great...our rapid transit system also does not serve pairs like that. NYC is hub and spoke, no doubt about it. The best way for me to get to Park Slope via subway? Via Manhattan.  

http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/north-america/united-states/new-york/new-york-city/NYC-Bound-Cyclings-Mayor-of-Central-Park.html?page=1

Outside Magazine covering Avalo York

Oh these are so good:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/16/sports/cycling/livestrong-tattoos-as-reminder-of-personal-connections-not-tarnished-brand.html?hp&_r=0

They should get in line and sue Lance. This time for tattoo removal.

Not really an article, but a really cool free app to follow the up coming 6 crazy Belgian classics. Live tracking with maps, if you are in the hood you could know where the race is exactly. I am having fun with the predictions.

can somebody please write up a 1 star review for this douche bag doper.  Have I mentioned "Tommy D" is a douche bag doper...That's Douche followed by Bag followed by Doper.

mperlberg said:

anyone read this?

http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Danielsons-Core-Advantage-Strength/dp/193403097X/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_t_2_29WA

I just started reading it and doing some of the workouts a week and half ago. So far I like it a lot. But take that with a grain of salt as I've never really done any core workouts or stretching. Nor do I have any real knowledge of exercise physiology. With that caveat out of the way, I'd say it's helping me to get stronger and become more flexible.

Blowin' up the post!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/sports/wp/2013/02/27/cyclings-road-forward/

^ Area man shouts "I told y'all so!" to nobody in particular in W-Berg...

mperlberg said:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/nyregion/a-plan-to-pave-putnam-trail-in-the-bronx-splits-park-fans.html?src=recg

"Bicyclists are eager to see the trail paved, since it would open a smooth connection to Westchester’s paved trail and offer a 47-mile off-road ride through the suburbs and the semirural stretches of Putnam County."

It's in my book.  It seems to stay kind of damp for a while.  I wouldn't mind skipping the streets from Van Cortlandt into Yonkers on wet days.  At the same time, it is a nice trail for walking, though I don't think many would walk the length and back to their car or to the train.  I don't see why they can't have both in some fashion.

Uhm...for the life of me, I don't know why JP didn't mention this (he's weird about self-promotion when it comes to his writing I think)...or it's not on our website, but it's getting some love from THE Richard Sachs on his blog, and I also found it a very good read:

http://chainoil.tumblr.com/post/43440111623/the-nahbs-yawn

The only thing I "take issue with" (and it's not so much that I disagree, rather, it makes me think back to when Cannondale was moving their production overseas and there was a mad panic to get those American made CAAD 9s before the asian-made CAAD 10 invasion) is this line:

"An artisan builder is a small business in an era of giant corporations, the builder makes something hand-crafted in an era of mass-produced, he’s executing an idea of his own rather than thinking up something and then sending the drawing to Asia to be built by someone who has no connection to the product other than a paycheck."

I reject the idea that the factory worker in Asia is necessarily less connected to his job, his frame building than the same schlomo who used to do it in rural PA or where-ever they used to make Cannonwhales. It's like we have this image of Chris Peck himself cranking out CAAD9s, with the precision and love and care that only an engineer and legit elite Cat 1 racer can. Maybe the skilled workman in China making my CAAD10, hacks into the internets and downloads pirated copies of all the cobbled classics and dreams of podium girls and Thor Hushvod and Jens Voigt as he joins rear triangles to bottom brackets? Maybe the dude doing the same job in PA couldn't get a job welding frames at the local hot-rod shop and thinks bike racers are pussies?

I don't know. Maybe it's neither of these.

But I dislike and reject the idea that getting a bike built overseas is somehow NECESSARILY ensuring you an inferior product because the people there care less (or not at all) about the products they produce.

Marc, 

Mug...you're right. I guess my comment was inspired, or brought to the surface of my mind by your quote, but yeah...you never made that point. I should have set up my comment differently. Ahhh, the dangers of lazy forum writing!

I bought a hard copy of Wiggins' My Time whilst in London last week (for some reason it's not available in the US on Kindle).   A pretty good read.   There's one section where he's talking about his TT plans in 2012's Tour, that he aimed to put out ~450 watts for the hour and at that rate he's "easy".  Jesus.

Anyway, it's free to whoever wants it.