Everyday I read blogs about urban riding, and the new urban bikes look cool but are missing something. Bullhorns. Sure there are a million and a half bikes on the road with bullhorns, but the bikes from companies like Swobo and Mission bikes, even the Specialized taxi bikes are coming with a short and narrow riser bar. Maybe its because these companies have a good source for cheap bars, or Specialized has a pile of them laying around, but it seems like the bullhorn is the epitomy of urban riding in my mind. The "Figuring something out" or "just making it work" attitudes are highlights of the urban bike culture. The prebuilt urban bikes can lose some of this attitude and each companies' attempt at nailing it down with component choices seems relatively forced*. Nothing, in my mind, could compare to building my first urban bike. Don't get me wrong, many headaches would have been saved if had simply bought a fixed gear bike complete, but I learned alot about the bicycle itself by tinkering with my (at the time) rolling pile of destruction. Buying parts from friends, trading mix tapes for bar tape and a seatpost, destroying 2 pairs of cheap track wheels; it was a long ordeal. I think the component that most easily summed up my year obsession are the home made bullhorns. Drop bars and a hacksaw.
* Now soupie, why would you talk down on a bicycle that your store not only carries but stocks. I will admit white rims and white riser bars are pretty lame. The sanchez, however has a galvanized frame, The frame of the bike will never die. Now THAT is pretty awesome
In other
Urban news, the great Trek Bicycle Making Corporation has released its
One world Two Wheels "commitment". In addition to being obsessed with fixed gears, I was also obsessed with being a Hippie. No I didn't listen to the dead and wear Tie Die. I was being careful about not eating or using products with animals in them (or tested on animals) and riding everywhere to cut down on pollution, and played in a band that sang songs about how horrible it is to drop fire bombs on third world countries from air conditioned cockpits.
That was a while ago... I eat cheese now....still play in that band, but now I ride my bike to ride my bike. The statistic are, however, stifiling. We can all nitpick about saving the planet (it is sadly the only one we have right now) and though Trek may have other motives (bling bling) they are totally right.
In my 4 years being involved in the "bike industry" I have had the opportunity to hang with Gary Fisher (the father of Mt. Biking) a couple of times. This is what he had to say about the whole matter and it made complete sense to me.
In more or less words (as close to verbatim as I can recall) the Father said, "I have been riding bikes in Europe and they have bike for everyday stuff. And I just thought they were great, you know? There no reason to drive around the corner to the store, you could ride your bike. Put the kids on the xtracycle and head to the store. You know? You drive the car and it just F---ing sucks, it just sucks. You drive the car to the store and you have to park the thing and you know, the cars get all f---ed up and it takes almost just as long to ride. I'd just rather ride"
So Trek gives you the "commitment" to saving the world (we still just have one) and Gary reminds all of us that 2 wheels = happiness.
So, I will be in a van, traveling from city to city playing songs about people getting there heads blown off and how much that sucks, for two weeks. I will see everyone around Thanksgiving time.
Love,
Soupie
