How to buy a bike

I'm not here to offer financial advice on bike purchases. Obviously, the physical act of buying a bike involves exchanging money for the product. There are a few different ways to do this, such as cash, credit cards and payment plans, but I'll let you figure out what's best for you when it comes to these more mundane issues.

Instead, I'm here to offer advice on buying a bike when, for some reason or other, you're not inclined to or perhaps aren't allowed to.

Often, the only barrier to getting a new set of wheels is someone else; be it a wife, husband, father or any other rational human being whose financial sense outweighs their love for bicycles (if indeed they even possess a love for bicycles). For the remainder of this post, such people will be lovingly referred to as the Minister of War and Finance.

Specious arguments / Lame excuses

A couple of years ago, my Minister of War and Finance and I drove across the Nullarbor. This trip involved a lot of coastal driving which would have seen my steel road bike potentially suffer from rust. Not wanting to dunk it in fish oil, rendering it stinky forever, I posited that I needed to buy an aluminium road bike. Two weeks later I was the proud owner of a Cannondale CAAD10.

My Cannondale, not rusting in Esperance, Western Australia.

Nerd Night - Le Tour de France

Nerd Night is a fortnightly event held in Phnom Penh. At the latest edition, I gave a presentation on the Tour de France. Since it took place on my penultimate evening in the Cambodian capital, meaning I would likely never see anywhere there ever again, I decided to give the talk in lycra.

The format of the night is simple; 20 slides, 20 seconds each. I tried to cover a bit of everything that might help the uninitiated better grasp the complex beast that is Le Tour.

Excuse me if I speak a little fast; there's an awful lot to get through.

Is Bradley Wiggins a c**t? Cut

Warning: This post contains rude words, like "c**t". If you're not offended by such language, you can read the unedited post here.

Halfway into the Tour and it looks like Bradley Wiggins is going to win the thing. Of course, he could crash or crack, but I think those are the only two scenarios that are likely to derail his chances. And in my opinion, neither are very likely.

So, let's turn to a more important issue. Namely, is Bradley Wiggins a c**t?

Is Bradley Wiggins a c**t? Uncut

Warning: This post contains rude words, like "c**t". If you're offended by such language, I have written an alternative post here.

Halfway into the Tour and it looks like Bradley Wiggins is going to win the thing. Of course, he could crash or crack, but I think those are the only two scenarios that are likely to derail his chances. And in my opinion, neither are very likely.

So, let's turn to a more important issue. Namely, is Bradley Wiggins a cunt?

Bicycle Sounds

People often meld bicycles and art. There's the bike sculpture by Ai Weiwei and the Cyclotrope by Tim Wheatley to name but two.

And here we have music made with bicycles. It's by New Yorker (where else?) Stephen Meierding and recently won the Bike Shorts film festival in New York (where else?).


Bicycle Sounds from Stephen Meierding on Vimeo.