Mailing It In – Bike Snob NYC

Warmth waves, earthquakes, struggle, rampant JCPenney closures… There’s no scarcity of issues to be troubled about on this world. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to take solace in the truth that it’s by no means been a greater…

[wait for it]

…TIME to be a Bicycle Fred and a Horology Fred trapped in the identical physique:

First the million greenback Colnago watch and now this? Thank goodness I’ve two wrists!

Plus, at simply over Eight Thousand American Enjoyable Tickets™ it’s virtually free.

And what do now we have right here?

I do actually like the colour of the Coppi mannequin, however I believe I’ll maintain my powder dry till the Rivendell watch comes out:

Simply kidding!

Clearly that isn’t the Rivendell watch. All people is aware of the Rivendell watch can be low-normal like their new derailleur and the arms will transfer counter-clockwise. Duh.

Oh, and that sundial watch isn’t AI, it’s truly a factor on Amazon.

(Nicely, it in all probability is AI, however apparently you should purchase it.)

Talking of warmth waves, it’s sizzling, but I nonetheless headed to the forbidding Trails Behind The Mall yesterday:

That’s as a result of I wanted to carry THE CAR THAT I OWN to the mechanic once more, and so I introduced a motorcycle with me so I may squeeze in a trip. And whereas this isn’t the outdated jalopy I used to be driving…

…that is the outdated jalopy I used to be driving:

The trip was as enjoyable because it might be given the warmth. The refurbished rear shock can also be functioning nicely, and I even stopped to toe within the entrance brake pads, which appears to have taken care of that brake squeal you might have observed the opposite day. Bike mechanics will typically suggest you utilize a enterprise card so as to do that:

You might marvel who the hell continues to be utilizing enterprise playing cards in 2026, although I suppose when you’re nonetheless utilizing rim brakes you may additionally have enterprise playing cards:

Alas, I didn’t have any enterprise automobiles with me, since I usually don’t carry them whereas mountain biking, although it could be enjoyable to cease individuals on the path and hand them one thing like this:

That’s in fact AI, and it principally ignored my immediate, which was this:

A elaborate enterprise card that claims Tan Tenovo: Bon Vivant, Bicycle Blogger, and Horology Noob, with an etching of a gentleman on a pennyfarthing

Truly that was my second immediate; within the first immediate I informed it to include actor Rip Torn’s mugshot, nevertheless it refused, presumably for copyright causes. Anyway, I don’t like that it thinks it is aware of higher than me, and but I do just like the title “Henry Plumptre,” which is strictly the form of ethical quandary that makes this entire AI factor such an moral minefield.

So no, I didn’t have a enterprise card to toe in my brake pads. The opposite merchandise you’ll hear individuals counsel is a bank card, however sadly mine was maxed out already due to the go to to the mechanic. Fortuitously I’ve the right toe-inner with me on my keyring always, and I’ve used it earlier than with nice success, and that merchandise is the important thing to my mailbox, which is simply the suitable measurement and thickness for the job.

Being a metropolis dweller will not be with out its challenges in the case of mountain biking, and that’s saying nothing about how badly a letter provider will mangle your mail to get it inside a type of tiny containers:

However hey, if I lived within the nation and I had considered one of this stuff as a substitute I’d be screwed:

So the trip was good and the bike was good, although the brake squeal was quickly changed by a creak which I’m hoping will not be the underside bracket, as a result of whether it is I’m utterly horrified by the prospect of coping with this:

I’m pretty illiberal in the case of noisy bikes, and usually I’d begin investigating as quickly as I returned dwelling, however on this case it was so rattling sizzling I couldn’t even make myself care:

So I simply hosed the sweat off of the bike and added it to the numerous issues I’ll take care of when circumstances are optimum, and by “optimum circumstances” I imply having each an air conditioner and a beer at arm’s size.

All of this raises an essential query:

Ought to I’ve used a gravel bike or a mountain bike?

Spoiler alert–if you need a gravel bike select the gravel bike, and if you need a mountain bike select the mountain bike:

So, what would we select? For the street rider/XC rat turned gravel rider, we expect the Vault is an uncompromising selection. It’s acquired the chops for the filth, it’s at dwelling on all the things, and might nonetheless pull double obligation as a cross rig or all-road raconteur. The identical could be stated of the LES SL, with the bonus that it’s a little bit extra at dwelling on conventional mountain bike terrain.

Wow.

So glad I learn that.

I’d higher cease now earlier than I exceed my weekly dated popular culture reference quota.