Posts Tagged ‘bicycling’

Not the recommended way to secure your bicycle

January 16th, 2013

TP'd bike

Chains? U-locks? Bicycle frames with built-in locking mechanisms? Sure, you could use any of these methods in prevention of bicycle thievery. But one enterprising local has apparently discovered a new way to secure your bicycle: toilet paper.

If potential thieves can even spot your bike under the shroud of TP, will they be able to tear through it all before the cops arrive? Probably not — as anyone who’s ever suffered a TP attack can tell you, it takes a while to clean it all up.

Unfortunately, the TP method has several drawbacks:

  • Paper is not as sturdy as a U-lock
  • Metal locks don’t get soggy in the rain
  • Street-crapping crackheads might use your bicycle lock to wipe themselves

Unless a solution can be found to these issues, toilet paper cannot be recommended for bicycle security.

(Spotted at 16th and Albion.)

Bicycle wheel wreath

December 28th, 2012

Bicycle wheel wreath

To the untrained eye, the above wreath is simply a holiday symbol attached to a parking sign. But no — this is not an ordinary wreath.

Everyone’s favorite 15th St. landmark, the Pez dispenser bicycle wheel, is celebrating the holidays cleverly disguised as a wreath.

Is this a new holiday tradition for the bicycle wheel? Will it celebrate other seasonal holidays like Valentine’s Day, Easter, or Cesar Chavez Day? Only time will tell.

Bikes invade furniture store

April 4th, 2012

Bikes invade furniture store

San Francisco based Public Bikes is temporarily taking over part of Harrington, that massive (and pricey) used furniture store on the corner of Valencia and 17th.

To make up for the lack of space, Harrington has opened part of their upstairs space to the public; which makes me wonder if I was supposed to be wandering around up there the other day. That would explain why there’s no prices on anything in that part of the store. Hmm…

No word on exactly when the bike shop will open, but Harrington’s website says it’ll be sometime this spring.

Cyclecide’s Heavy Pedal Crank Art Exhibition

April 3rd, 2012

Bike drum Bike art Smoking bike baby Beer cans. Face punching bike Dragon bike Golden Gate Bridge bike Golden Gate Bridge bike

Nothing says “look what I made for Burning Man” quite like a mutant bicycle. The Heavy Pedal Crank Art Exhibition last weekend was a tribute to such vehicles.

Above are the crappy iPhone photos I took during my visit; click any image for the full-size.

Please walk your bike

January 26th, 2012

Walk bike

Spotted at 16th and Mission.

Does Orange County have more hipsters than San Francisco?

January 18th, 2012

It sounds like a question fit for a parallel universe: could Orange County have more hipsters than San Francisco?

According to Priceonomics Blog, based on the number of fixed-gear bicycles, Orange County is the hippest place in America. The “Fixie Index” ranks San Francisco 4th — losing out to retro-ironic meccas LA and San Jose.

Here’s the bar graph:

Portland is surprisingly low on the list. And what about New York? Perhaps there’s more to being hip than owning a fixie: perhaps one also needs an asymmetric hairstyle, vintage clothes, and a six pack of PBR.