When I used to be younger and scrappy my town conveyance was once a fixed-gear bicycle that I’d protected with a unmarried lock. Now I experience a lavishly-appointed motorcycle replete with leather-based saddle and a couple of quick-releases, and so when it comes time to park it for extended classes within the extra populous precincts of this nice city I follow the “Pee-wee Herman” approach:

Mainly, I lock the body with a ü-lock and the wheels and saddle with a few cables, and this makes me seem like I’m getting down to scale some nice escarpment:

Alas, not too long ago, destiny dealt me a crushing blow once I arrived at my vacation spot most effective to search out that one in every of my cables will have to have ejected itself throughout my experience, leaving me just one:

This was once a troublesome method to be informed the restrictions of the standard toe strap, and I most effective hope whoever discovered the fugitive cable is deserving of it.

After finding this, I used to be uneasy “under-locking” my motorcycle, however I do on occasion wonder whether I’m being over-cautious. I understand this smacks of “well-known final phrases,” however I’ve a suspicion that professional motorcycle thieves are some distance much less taken with “common” motorcycles and motorcycle portions this present day because the app-based supply business has created any such robust call for for e-bikes (and the motorized scooters other people heedlessly lump in with e-bikes). I imply Within Version says it’s taking place, so it’s gotta be true:

I’m stunned the thief wasn’t undone by means of the truth that he rode off with the kickstand deployed:

That first left flip’s a doozy.

By way of the way in which, because the “newshounds” give chase, they provide some accidentally insightful remark into automobiles and concrete mobility:

“He can transfer such a lot more uncomplicated at the motorcycle than we will on this Long island site visitors.”

He can certainly.

Anyway, I’d be mendacity if I mentioned I in fact watched the entire video, however in response to the entire an identical articles I haven’t learn I do suspect that common motorcycles are most certainly not as sexy to thieves as they as soon as had been. The supply business has most probably at all times pushed the motorcycle black marketplace, and the call for for purely pedal-powered motorcycles in that capability now could be most certainly nonexistent. So in the event you’re nonetheless stealing common motorcycles you’re most certainly more or less an “artisan” thief feeding a way smaller and extra selective marketplace–the Rivendell of motorbike bandits, if you’ll.

Now, by no means am I gloating about any of this. Supply other people paintings very, very onerous, and stealing their motorcycles is set as little as it will get. I’m additionally now not suggesting the supply other people themselves are unscrupulous and pass in the hunt for out stolen bicycles–now not all folks have the posh of having a look reward horses within the mouth. On the other hand, from a purely survivalist point of view, if my analog motorcycle is more secure on account of it then all the ones mopeds within the motorcycle lane is a small value to pay, and as deeply nerve-racking as they are able to be I look ahead to an afternoon when I will park my best bicycle with a unmarried lock with out worry.

Anyway, all my stuff was once there once I were given again, even supposing I used one much less cable.

Oh, I additionally discussed not too long ago that Portland Design Works despatched me a Town Rover Energy 700 headlight, and I after all were given a possibility to check it correctly the previous day night time:

The stretch of the Hudson River Greenway north of the George Washington Bridge is fairly darkish, however I had the entire gentle I wished:

I’ve were given the sunshine angled lovely some distance down out of courtesy right here so it’s most certainly were given much more vary than this picture would recommend. I additionally have not begun to rate the sunshine since first mounting it, and I’d consider I’ve run it for perhaps 3 hours up to now at the excessive atmosphere; as you’ll see from the battery indicator, it’s nonetheless were given a variety of juice. So in different phrases, up to now, so excellent.

In different delightfully ironic native bicycle information, Streetsblog stories that the Brooklyn Academy of Song (extra regularly referred to as “BAM”) doesn’t desire a motorcycle lane:

As they be aware, BAM is (was once? is it nonetheless there?) famously the house of one in every of David Byrne’s extra nerve-racking motorcycle racks:

See, throughout the halcyon days of the New York Town motorcycle increase, the town let David Byrne run amok, and in a are compatible of shallowness and metrosexual megalomania he put in quasi-useless motorcycle racks in all places the city:

I do not know why they let him do that. It was once like a mass formation psychosis. He may as smartly have put in a host of bidets. Right here’s a antique picture of my Scattante (RIP) on the BAM rack, which was once poorly-conceived even by means of Byrne-ian requirements, and which spelled out “micRo liP” for some explanation why:

In all probability it was once to distract from the truth that BAM are TOTAL NAZIS!!!

Simply kidding:

However hi there, it’s 2023, everybody you don’t trust is mechanically a Nazi, proper?

Anyway, looking back, any group that will permit a motorcycle rack this shitty couldn’t perhaps care an excessive amount of in regards to the individuals who in fact experience bicycles. So what’s BAM’s reasoning for opposing the motorcycle lane? Is it as it’s now not designed by means of David Byrne, and it doesn’t spell out one thing silly like “mAcro scRotum?” No, their reasoning is as follows:

I imply certain, at the floor it’s hilarious and hypocritical that an establishment embodying Brooklyn at it’s maximum Brooklyn-y doesn’t desire a motorcycle lane. On the other hand, of their protection they’re additionally making a good level: the town is stuffed with motorcycle lanes heedlessly plopped by means of bureaucrats who don’t experience motorcycles in puts the place they’re sure to be blocked, and this may occasionally most certainly grow to be any other one. They do it always. Like, who idea operating a curbside (!) motorcycle lane all the way through an auto restore district would paintings?

I imply I do know the town’s lengthy recreation is to eliminate the automobile restore puts and get the builders in there, however nonetheless.

And take into accout, that is the town that runs its motorcycle lanes during the fucking bus stops:

The bus safe haven advert for the non-public damage legal professional actually says all of it.

So yeah, a handy guide a rough have a look at G**gle Boulevard View finds what is going on out of doors of BAM:

So BAM will say the motorcycle lane received’t paintings and to not do it, the advocates will pillory them, it’ll pass whatsoever, the advocates will rejoice, the motorcycle lane received’t paintings, and the advocates will climb again up Mount Calvary and pillory BAM some extra. In the meantime, there are vehicles in each Boulevard View of this spot for just like the final ten years:

After all the posh high-rise around the boulevard is new:

That was a carpark:

However mockingly the high-rise is most certainly bringing far more automobiles than the car parking zone did.

Motorcycle lane discourse is stuffed with anti-bike lane other people giving all kinds of ridiculous causes for why we shouldn’t have them. On the similar time, we motorcycle other people will regularly get at the back of a proposed motorcycle lane in mob-like model even it’s a half-baked one, just because we see that strip of inexperienced paint as a victory in itself. Then, when it sucks, we continuously whinge about how there are supply vehicles in it. We’d like extra motorcycle lanes and a greater motorcycle lane community…but on the similar time on occasion it kind of feels like those are motorcycle lanes for the sake of motorbike lanes. Elected officers get to test a field, advocates get to take a victory lap, then it’s again to the combating:

At this level I’m fairly relaxed with my very own laziness. Allow them to kind it out, I’m using both method. It’s extra amusing to look at the caricature than to be a personality in it.