update retrogrouch-biking.gmi

retrogrouch-biking.gmi

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Riding a bike is so fundamental in my life that I'm surprised by how many others
 
 I should say that my "third bike" I occasionally ride is Citi Bike, the city's bike rental system. Most folks think it's a public department, but really these city bike programs are all run by commercial third parties, many which operate in multiple cities. In New York the company that owns the service is Motivate (Lyft), who also operates city bike programs in Portland, D.C., Chicago, Columbus, Boston/Cambridge, SF Bay, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. There are 40,000 bikes scattered around New York City, and I live just about 5 blocks beyond the furthest reach of one of the furthest docking stations in Brooklyn. Occasionally if I'm out and have taken the subway somewhere and want to get home I'll choose this method. This summer I was in Europe for a month and when I flew in I landed in Jersey, took a train to Manhattan and then rented Citi Bike to get home. It helps that I am a one-bag traveller and my backpack fit easily in the front basket.
 
-Bridgestone bikes, the manufacturer of my mountain bike, were run by Grant Petersen, now the proprietor of Rivendell Bicycle Works as well as a writer. Grant's a self-professed 'retro-grouch.' He eschews the racer-like tendencies of bicycle manufacturers with their sleek delicate frames, missing practical parts to hold on racks or baskets, or using hard-to-maintain parts aimed at lycra-clad prosumers. He maintains that the best bike clothing and the best bike shoes are whatever you've got on. In addition to frames and completes Rivendell sells pine tar soap, tiny camp stoves and oldskool cork handgrips (I'm a fan). While the tiny production hand-made and painted frames are currently out of my financial ability, Rivendell's bikes provide a guide of what I think is important for enjoying cycling: bigger tires for rolling over potholes or roots, quality steel that can take some abuse, the ability to use racks or baskets for shopping, comfortable handlebars and pedals. This kind of bike could be built out of old 80s frames (Specialized Hardrock from that era for example). The difference between these old conversion bikes and a modern frame would be the level of handmade aesthetic detail, which is not important to everyone.
+Bridgestone bikes, the manufacturer of my mountain bike, were run by Grant Petersen, now the proprietor of Rivendell Bicycle Works as well as a writer. Grant's a self-professed 'retro-grouch.' He eschews the racer-like tendencies of bicycle manufacturers with their sleek delicate frames, missing practical parts to hold on racks or baskets, or using hard-to-maintain parts aimed at lycra-clad prosumers. He maintains that the best bike clothing and the best bike shoes are whatever you've got on. In addition to frames and completes Rivendell sells pine tar soap, tiny camp stoves and oldskool cork handgrips (I'm a fan). While the tiny production hand-made and painted frames are currently out of my financial ability, Rivendell's bikes provide a guide of what I think is important for enjoying cycling: bigger tires for rolling over potholes or roots, quality steel that can take some abuse, the ability to use racks or baskets for shopping, comfortable handlebars and pedals. This kind of bike could be built out of old 80s frames (Specialized Hardrock from that era for example). The difference between these old conversion bikes and a modern frame would be the quality of the bike parts and the level of handmade aesthetic detail, which is not important to everyone.
 
 I learned to ride with neighborhood friends as a kid. We'd go out all day. As a college student I learned to mountain bike by getting a book on mountain biking from the local library. I read how to dodge rocks and do a bunny hop, skills I still use when I go out. Most of my friends are just street bikers but I love riding trails too, both for the nature, the solitude, the skill and challenge.