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Peter Flax

@Pflax1

21 Apr

As some of you know, I wrote a bunch of tweets yesterday about wheelie culture (due to the bogus arrest in Perth Amboy). I saw a bunch of replies expressing questions, concern & disapproval about the safety of these kids styling amid traffic on city streets and had some thoughts.

The executive summary is that if you see young folks who don't look like you doing sick wheelies on busy city streets and worry or complain about safety, you're missing the point of the culture and likely assessing Bike Life from your POV rather than that of the participants.

Imagine having a position where you say you admire the spirit and creativity of graffiti but kind of just wish it was mostly displayed on art gallery walls and schools if it has the right message. This limits, appropriates, and entirely misses the subversive DNA of the art form.

Read 10 tweets

Peter Flax

@Pflax1

19 Apr

I was exchanging tweets about bike helmets with someone I admire and they made a sort of joke equating my position about bike helmets, about people making choices about what's right for them, with masks. If I'm going to be truly honest, this bugs the shit out of me.

I think the root of the problem is that tons of people, even really smart people & folks who ride, have a simplistic perception of what helmets can do. They are like seat belts or condoms for bike riders and everyone should wear one. They surely do something so why not wear one?

So I pretty frequently interact with people who simply have no idea that someone semi-credible sounding is going to jump in their TL in defense of not wearing a helmet. To them it's like arguing against seat belts or masks for Covid. I really don't enjoy what follows.

Read 5 tweets

Peter Flax

@Pflax1

19 Jul 20

OK, I'm going to tweet about step-though bikes. As I said last night, I'm kind of lusting for one. So I spent some time perusing bikes and I'm prepared to share highlights. Let's do this.

As a preliminary let me say something that's obvious to some and news to others. Though they've often been categorized this way in the US, step-through bikes are NOT lady's bikes. This is absurd. Everyone rides what they want, end of story. I am willing to die on this hill.

I mean, if you're wearing a sundress, a step-through frame is awfully convenient. It's also pretty sweet if you just like Dutch style or like to get off your bike easily or just think illogical gender traditions are bullshit. We agree, right? Step through bikes are for anyone.

Read 13 tweets

Peter Flax

@Pflax1

3 Jul 20

Each time I dunk on some extravagantly sized & overpowered truck, like I did last night w/the Dodge Durango Hellcat SUV, I hear from folks who politely argue that they could drive such a vehicle responsibly or that their desires for big/fast motor vehicles aren't inherently bad.

To be blunt: With the Hellcat, we're talking about a 5800lb, 710 hp SUV that does 0-60 in 3.5 sec & hits 180 mph. Dodge will sell it for one year only because they know it violates 2022 emission standards. Think how deeply Americans must love trucks to feel defensive about that.

To me, it's similar to the gun debate. You'll always find folks to argue against ANY restrictions because of liberty and how they will use the weapons responsibly. They won't admit the broader societal impacts (like tons of deaths) or acknowledge how they pave the way for idiocy.

Read 6 tweets

Peter Flax

@Pflax1

21 Jun 20

https://twitter.com/Pflax1/status/1274422663855800320

This tweet yielded some really interesting comments and side-conversations and just wanted to articulate a few thoughts about direct-to-consumer e-bikes.

https://twitter.com/Pflax1/status/1274422663855800320

The executive summary of comments from folks from the bike-shop universe was that DTC e-bikes are risky, scary, often hard to service. Also, they rightly point out how they need to prioritize customers who buy from their bike shop. And the liability risks seem real.

OK, fair enough. But I just want to offer a few observations from a consumer's point of view. This isn't in any way an attempt to refute how shops and mechanics generally feel about DTC e-bikes; it's to perhaps shine a light on some issues that are needing attention.

Read 9 tweets

Peter Flax

@Pflax1

12 Jun 20

Since quarantine began (what 3 years ago?) I have been very contentious to exercise and try to take care of myself. It's not exactly going well, at least by the metrics I'd normally rely on.

I've been jogging. I've been doing long dog walks. I have been lifting weights. I have been eating better. I have been drinking less alcohol. Three months later I weigh 10 pounds more and feel destroyed after jogging an hour.

One takeaway is that for someone like me, doing 150 miles/week of bike commuting is a very good foundation for a healthy life. And that walking around a big office is better than sitting on the living room couch all day.

Read 9 tweets

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