The Enlightened Cyclist: Commuter Angst, Dangerous Drivers, And Other Obstacles On The Path To Two-Wheeled Trancendence (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
Got this on impulse at the same time I bought a new bike. While it’s not exactly what I thought it would be (a serious guide to how to be a considerate, politically correct bicycle commuter) it is in fact a side-splittingly funny guide to how to be a considerate, politically correct bicycling commuter. I normally take copious notes while reading, and at the beginning of this book I had quite a few smiley faces (indicating that I laughed out loud) on my notepaper. The laughs continued, so frequently in fact that finally I gave up, put the pen down, and just read for pleasure. The author’s premise, that cyclists are the chosen commuters and therefore one step closer to enlightenment, allows him to poke fun at people who don’t ride bicycles, as well as people who do ride bicycles. In other words, pretty much everyone. From Noah to the Amish to the guy who sideswipes you in his SUV to the spandex-wearing Lance Armstrong wanna be, no one escapes being skewered. That there’s a grain of truth behind just about every snide comment only makes it that much funnier.The author blogs about cycling, and this background shows through in the snappy prose, ironic (or is it post-ironic?) observations, and very hip references that populate the entire book. But unlike other books by bloggers that I have read, this did not feel like he had taken 16 of his blog posts, strung them together, and found a way to publish (and thus make more money) off of them. It actually hung together as a book, using long, roundabout arguments (with many parenthetical digressions) that would never fit into the usual blog, which requires pithiness and a short attention span. I think this would make a great gift for that person in your life who loves bicycles. This was ok. It read like a patchwork of his BikesnobNYC blog posts and is nothing new to his regular readers. I liked the history lessons filtered through the bike "culture" terminology. As a new (3 1/2 years) transplant to New York from Minneapolis, I have to say I find a lot of his complaining a little far-fetched now. I commute from Bushwick to Long Island City everyday and I have yet to run into any other bike rider that has truly bugged me with all these fancy fixed gear antics. Cars on the other hand...oof.
What do You think about The Enlightened Cyclist: Commuter Angst, Dangerous Drivers, And Other Obstacles On The Path To Two-Wheeled Trancendence (2012)?
I bought it because I liked the first book, The Bike Snob.Not much new here.
—ConfuzedPana
too much cutesy prose. about a fifth was worth my time.
—Kk13334
