Additional to final week’s submit about congestion pricing in New York Metropolis, I’ve been searching for perception and sagacity on the topic. Alas, tales about congestion pricing appear principally to return in three flavors. There’s the declaring-it-a-success-before-it’s-even-started sort:
Not only a success, however a “miracle:”
And one so miraculous that the winners will outnumber the losers, the clouds will half, the angels will sing, the lifeless will rise, and maladies equivalent to dangerous pores and skin and halitosis will turn into issues of the previous:
Then there’s the smug people-in-functional-societies-think-New-Yorkers-are-silly-for-worrying-about-it kind of protection:
For instance, not like New York, apparently in Sweden individuals don’t steal they usually belief their authorities:
This could possibly be as a result of their authorities has earned their belief:
Whereas New York State authorities has all the time been deeply corrupt:
All of those individuals might very effectively be proper, although you would possibly assume all of this preemptive dick-sucking would at the very least warrant some skepticism and clever criticism of New York’s model of congestion pricing:
However as a substitute you simply get skilled bike-hater and getting older restaurant critic Steve Cuozzo:
Who apparently drove between the Higher West Aspect and Tribeca till seven years in the past, which is objectively loopy:
Steve Cuozzo is the literal face of New York Metropolis’s visitors downside:
Although it’s noteworthy that advocates and cranks alike by no means appear to need to blame the true offender, which is ALL THESE FUCKING UBERS AND LYFTS. (Presumably cranks just like the comfort, and advocates like the cash.)
You’ve acquired handy it to the journey hailing firms, they’ve accomplished an incredible job of convincing those that touring by automotive doesn’t rely as touring by automotive so long as you employ an app to do it and another person is touching the steering wheel.
As for me, I’m doing my finest to de-congest town one journey at a time. That is The Empire State Path:
From right here it’s going to take you all the way in which to Canada:
I don’t have that type of time, however it’s nonetheless my common escape hatch:
Right here I’m in escape mode:
My toes liberated from the shackles of oppression:
By which I imply toe clips:
And as a lot as I benefit from the one-handed downtube shifting of the Cervino, it’s laborious to beat the comfort of bar-end shifters:
Although I assume they don’t have any programmable buttons:
At this level within the evolution of the street bike lever, shifting and braking have gotten afterthoughts:
So principally the shifter will management your gears, management your brakes, management your GPS, management your lights, open your storage door if you get dwelling… Just like the downtube storage compartment, that is yet one more signal that it’s successfully over for what I’ll lazily name “common bikes:”
I don’t imply this bitterly or cynically, both. It’s simply the way in which it’s. What shopper goes to decide out of those options? For those who’re “ranging from scratch” so to talk with bikes–such as you’re pretty younger and also you’re not invested in like 20 years’ price of spare elements–why would you select a motorcycle and not using a glove compartment or a sensible shifter over one that allows you to stuff your spare tube* within the downtube and schedule your appointments with the contact of a fingertip?
*Simply kidding:
I imply who the hell makes use of tubes anymore?
However sure, that is the way in which it’s going to be–and never simply because for those who lose your downtube cowl Trek will get to promote you a alternative:
In fact I do hope exquisitely timeless mechanical bikes made from steel at the very least proceed to stay alongside in the present day’s carbo-tronic marvels:
Identical to individuals nonetheless put on analog watches within the sensible watch age, or the deer continues to flourish amid the city sprawl:
She’s even acquired her little fawn along with her, isn’t that fucking cute?
By the way, I see now you can put in your pre-order for the most recent Sam Hillborne, which as I perceive it is kind of the Homer however with studs for canti or v-brakes:
No downtube storage, however that’s why the Nice Lobster On Excessive created baggage.
