Who'd have known? Dennis Hopper's photos resurface

Here's a NY Times piece about a new expensive book of photos made by a young, crazed Dennis Hopper almost 50 years ago. The photos are cool, I'd say, and the people in them are fascinating. Take a look....

A snapshot: Cycling in its infinite variety - at Stanford

Worth reading, I'd say. It's from today's NY Times. Click here.

Check it out!

As you will notice, I got a comment from Steevo, who made the Hipsters Discussing Cyclocross video. I think Steevo attached the comment to the wrong post on my blog page, but I'm sure we can forgive him for that.

Steevo, thanks a ton for the comment and the kind words. I'm just as pleased to hear from you as you were to learn that I thought your cartoon was great! By the way, Steevo, David S sent me the link to your cartoon. He says he got it from Lennard Zinn!

Readers, if you have not watched Steevo's short video, it's two posts down on this page - and it's big fun!

License plates? On bikes?

I read this article (from Tamar's hometown) and had the same thoughts you'll have, I expect.

One, how can they register all those bikes? One point five, will compelling cyclists to register their bikes really cut down ridership? Two, how can they enforce this? And three, how else can they police the anonymous thousands of scofflaw cyclists on city streets 'n' sidewalks?

I wonder too how long folks thought they could get away with wholesale pissing-off of the public without a slap on the wrist or a traffic citation.

Will bare-bones urban bicycles now have plates but no brakes? Will riders protest by climbing off their bikes - as bikers did when helmet laws went into effect?

Note the comment about Minneapolis....

Coupla hipsters talking about cyclocross....

Here's a link to a cute cartoon. It's two faithfully portrayed hipsters discussing this strange and perhaps cool form of bicycle racing called 'cross.... Tamar and I think it's funny. See for yourself.... Thanks once again to David S for the link. Smoke 'em if you've got 'em.

Rapha vs the SUV: two sides, same coin?

I got this comment from Anonymous to my "biking pants" post:

Better a few folks riding to work in $200+ "biking pants" than using hulking SUV's that burn up $200 worth of hydrocarbons in a week!

My first thought was, Is it the riding pants that got them on those bikes? Is the Rapha buying impulse the same impulse that spirited them to the car store to buy the SUV they've parked, at least temporarily?

Do extraordinarily expensive, stunningly dorky trousers make it hip 'n' happenin' to ride - unlike Lycra or denim?

We remember, many of us, when cycling clothing was dorkier than green service-station attendant jackets with a name patch over one pocket.... We didn't buy that stuff because it was dorky. We bought it despite its utter lack of style.

I'm pleased that these garments are covering the cadaverous white nakedness of these folks as they ride their retro-style velocipedes, but I have to wonder.... Would I like any of them? No, not the velocipides or the garments; I don't care about either. I mean the folks. Do you know any?

Two hundred and ten dollars.... Really?

From the NY Times, all the news about bicycling pants that's fit to print. Do not look for thriftstore Levi's in this article. These are commuting pants; that's why they're not $14.95. Any of my readers own any Rapha? Just curious....