The "killer" storm has passed with exuberant irrelevance

   The killer storm has passed and left us here in Michigan with the norm, lots of snow.  We got a foot or two but that is nothing new.

The plows and snow blowers cut through it quite nicely and I was able to ride to the grocery in the afternoon without problem or incident.  The only difference for me was that the store was practically empty.  The storm gave me a good excuse to hunker down and finish reading the new book "wroate" by the Bike Snob.
        If you haven't heard of the Bike Snob, he writes one of the most successful and entertaining blogs on the internet. Now I realize that it would be presumptuous of an amateur like myself to review a book written by such an exhalted cyber celebrity, so I won't.  But I will tell you I read it and enjoyed it.  Like his blog, it is very entertaining, and the metaphors he draws upon strain the English language for relevance.  He is always amusing but really, comparing cars at a stoplight to cats cozying around your legs for attention is going a bit far.  They are still 2 ton monsters trying to kill us after all!  This is a lively and well written book but, unlike his blog, the book is well organized and full of valuable information for cyclists and potential cyclists alike.  Without reading his book, I would not realize I am an urban, retro-grouch, righteous, lone wolf.  After all, neither of my friends would tell me (if they saw me).  I recognized one problem with his assumptions; I would not say "bikes do not have souls."   I am not telling you that they do, but a sane person who has seen a grown woman fawning over a mint condition vintage Motobecane Mixte wouldn't say that.  Not because there's any proof the bike has a soul, but a life dedicated to auto eroticism won't be fun.  I would fear a flock of harpies would carry me off while I dreampt of solving Scarlett Johansson's "daddy issues."  Other than that, the book is really, really good.  He even included a page full of neat little stickers to peel off and use to advertise for him.   I thought that was funny, since he spent some time criticising bikers who put stickers all over their bikes.  I put one on the cover to my Galaxy Tab, I figure it will lower the value to potential thieves if I leave it lying around.

I think everybody who rides should buy one of these books, it's the best book about cycling that I have seen since the original "Richard's Bicycle Book" way back in the early '70's.    The hardcover is around $17 while it can be downloaded for half that.  The hardcover is a better choice, it can be loaned out without violating a million laws, and your friends will think the book is as quaint as riding a bike.  Don't loan it to your parents.  The first chapter will convince them you have become Almish, they probably think you are weird enough.