Open Bicycle

The venerable NYC bike culture authority, Bike Snob, has posted up his newest bit of holiday schwag- the Performance Bike branded Scattante “Empire State Courier.”  BSNYC was a bit chagrined a month or so back when the Performance website snagged a bit of his copy to hype the bike, a cheap Taiwanese copy of other cheap Taiwanese copies of a true track bike, so the online retail giant sent him a new “whip” as a royalty kick-down.  BSNYC promptly took the bike out for a “coolness test,” including a stop at Chari & Co, our friend Ken’s Lower East Side Japanese boutique, and a Knog-encrusted setup in Williamsburg.

Of course, Ken and his crew extended the utmost respect and assistance to BSNYC, and Brooklynites offered helpful suggestions like “Brakes are for woosies! [sic]“  I found myself asking, “What is going on here– where are the NJS-tattooed unwashed masses with flaming pitchforks?”

Maybe fixie snobbery is on the way out.  Maybe the entirety of New York City woke up on the right side of the bed that day.  Perhaps the impending inaugaration of Obama has put our national sense of agressive displaced self-doubt in the closet for a bit.  Any way, I welcome a kindler, gentler, bicycle riding community.  If this is too feel-goody for you, allow me to direct you to Bike Snob NYC for a strong dose of irony with a nice whipped sacastic topping.