I do know I lead a extremely insular existence as a result of when my cloud picture apps present me montages of “valuable moments” or no matter it’s like 95% bikes. Right here’s the primary picture from an AI-generated montage one such app served to me beneath the title “Better of December 2017:”
I can’t say I’m loopy in regards to the full and complete digitization of human consciousness, however there’s no denying its inevitability, as a result of I did certainly tear up like a divorcée at a rom-com upon seeing this picture. As you’ll be able to see, it’s the Milwaukee, subtly gravel-ified and arguably within the prime of its life:
That is under no circumstances to recommend the Milwaukee has since light into irrelevance; in reality, it’s now my older son’s highway bike and it serves him fairly effectively in that regard. Nonetheless, at his present charge of progress he appears more likely to overtake me very quickly, and when he does I stay up for reclaiming this bike and reinventing it but once more, presumably as a fendered-and-friction-shifted all-purpose highway bike.
Anyway, I’d simply reclaimed my composure when one other slide featured a photograph of an outdated buddy, and this despatched me sobbing anew:
The Jones-ified Marin Pine Mountain began me on an extended highway (or, extra precisely, path) that in the end led me to…a Riv-ified Jones:
A commenter not too long ago raised a good query, that being one thing like, “Why Riv-ify a Jones when you could have two Rivendells?” Properly, I did it largely as a result of I actually like bars with a number of sweep and I used to be curious how they’d really feel on this bike, and what I’ve discovered is that they make it very snug with out in any manner interfering with its elementary Jones-ness.
The Marin has since moved on–I gave it to a buddy–however I very a lot loved my time with it, and it even modified the way in which I experience in that as an alternative of using to at least one mountain bike spot and moving into circles for awhile I’d experience to a number of and type of duck out and in of them like sampling the choices at a buffet:
It was additionally an enormous of a unicorn–or an abomination, relying in your sensibilities–in that it took 27.5 “plus”-sized wheels but it had quick-release axles entrance and rear, and even 135mm spacing, which I don’t assume is a mixture you’ll discover on some other bicycle. The draw back of this was occasional chain rub on the tire within the lowest gear, and the upside was straightforward compatibility with all of your outdated mountain bike crap–although that’s harmful too, since at one level this occurred:
The thought was I may transfer simply between “highway” and mountain with only a fast wheel swap, however sadly I’m nowhere close to enlightened sufficient to experience such a monstrosity–although it rode simply discover, as a result of why wouldn’t it? I imply basically it’s only a Rivendell with disc brakes that’s actually, actually ugly. And I’m positive there are individuals who assume the Platypus is ugly, too:
I imply these individuals are deranged, however I consider in an America the place even deranged individuals get to specific their opinions. To wit:
I gotta get off Twitter.
As for the Platypus, my experience yesterday exemplified completely what it’s about–20 miles, by no means quite a lot of miles from residence, and a mixture of low-key authorized, unlawful, and quasi-legal trails and paths interspersed with some errand-running:
I imply if you happen to can’t spend two-and-a-half hours choosing up some cleaning soap at Goal are you actually a bicycle owner?
If all you care about is buying and commuting in an expeditious vogue then get your self an ebike or one thing:
By the way in which, I took the above picture on the mountain bike trails in Highbridge Park in Manhattan, which can be the place the Pine Mountain is pictured, and which makes me surprise if my picture app dug these up as a result of my telephone’s following me round. Creepy. Then on the way in which residence I rode by means of Inwood Hill Park:
Folks assume New York Metropolis is flat, however there are many hills overlooking the waterways on this specific space, which is why it was so strategic through the Revolutionary Struggle:
The Harlem River and Spuyten Duyvil Creek used to meander by means of right here, however they blasted all of it open with the Harlem River Ship Canal within the early twentieth Century after which ultimately sutured Higher Manhattan and the Bronx along with the Henry Hudson Bridge, which does seem like an excellent massive staple:
There’s a footpath throughout the bridge which technically you’re not purported to experience on however which you completely can. Nonetheless, the doorway to it is just accessible by way of these meandering paths, and it requires climbing some very steep pitches. On this sense I’d say it’s maybe the least accessible bikeable (virtually if not legally) bridge in all of New York Metropolis. That is ironic, as a result of instantly south of it’s the Henry Hudson Greenway, which I consider retains the excellence of being the busiest bike path in the USA. Linking the bridge to the Greenway could be a small matter of carving out a little bit sliver of area on the freeway that takes automobiles over the bridge, and in so doing it might assist you to experience on a devoted bike path from the Battery all the way in which to Canada. (Or, extra prosaically, it might assist you to experience between Manhattan and the Northwest Bronx with out having to do battle with a number of the fiercest motorcar visitors in all of the 5 Boroughs.) Alas, I don’t see that taking place anytime quickly, so for cyclists this can stay a rarefied view for the foreseeable future:
It’s robust to inform from my awful pictures, however on a transparent day you’ll be able to simply see up the Hudson River to the Tappan Zee Mario Cuomo Bridge round 20 miles to the north:
Hey, you couldn’t experience over that bridge in any respect till a pair years in the past, so possibly there’s hope in spite of everything.
