If there's a whiter industry than the bike industry, I don't know it. There is one black working at one of the perhaps 1000 boths; there may be a second one. Mind you each booth has a number of people. So I'm saying maybe 1 out of, oh, let's say 5000 people is black. She is young and is in charge of marketing at Polar.

And the percent of black attendees is even smaller than that.

Nominations for the 2012 NYCC Board of Directors are open......

The headline is just an excuse to post this wonderful story about Willow, the Colorado-to-Manhattan-and-back calico cat.

But really, if a cat, why not a bike? Would kind humans not take in the wayward wheel, keep it oiled and its coat glossy, before returning it to its rightful owner?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/15/nyregion/willow-lost-cat-from-colorado...

Best quote: "If I could microchip my kids, I would," said Mrs. Squires.

Deadset on it but something's come up. Shoot me an e-mail directly at [email protected] if interested. Good for any distance. Thanks!

This bicycle is an amazing entre into tandem bicycling. ==> http://us.yakaz.com/posts/0169hnn5vcb8a6po#lo=4&docid=0169hnn5vcb8a6po

Many thanks to Randy Cohen for an excellent talk on the ethics of urban transportation at last night's meeting, and to Richard Rosenthal for "bullying" him into giving it. Cohen's eleven arguments about cars in Manhattan were both interesting and entertaining, and generated a lively Q&A session afterward.

While looking up something on Sheldon Brown's website, I learned that 2011 is the 75th Anniversary of the Sturmey-Archer AW hub, the 3-speed hub-cum-gearing system that graced virtually every English 3-speed bike made since 1936 (and many non-English ones too) .

Therefore, let us pause in our labors to honor this sturdy, weatherproof, utterly reliable and simple-to-adjust invention, many specimens of which remain in use today. The one on my commuter dates from 1951.  Many more can be found on any walk through the Village.  While I will not live to see the 75th anniversary of the Record Carbon derailleur, I suspect few, if any, will be in daily use when it rolls around.  

Hip Hip Hooray!  Hip Hip Hooray!  Hip Hip Hooray!

Do ya wanna hear yet another TSA story? OK, so...nah, no you don't.

Then there was the time at Orly airport (Paris) that I had a two-hour layover, waiting for my connecting flight. I waited by the gate, I mean right by the gate. After two and a half hours I got up and asked some woman with the airline when the flight was leaving.

"Ah, monsieur, je suis désolé; it est depart depuis demi-heur."

What?! It left half an hour ago?! Couldn't have. I was right here all the time! I was at the gate, alright; but I was supposed to walk down to another level. Not that anyone told me.

Me: Why didn't you tell me?

Her: (without a trace of Gallic charm) Because I didn't have to.

My first group ride is going to be the ENY coming up in a couple weeks and I think I need to get a backup tire incase i get a flat. I just bought my first road bike about a few weeks ago so I dont have all the accessories yet. Specifically, an extra tire or a pump (im thinking about winging the pump though and hoping someone else can lend me a hand if something happens, not to mention i have never changed a bike tire before so ill probably need help anyways). 

Does anyone have any suggestions for a backup tire? I was either thinking going with the cheapest tire I can find and just leave it in my seat pack until i get a flat, then swap it out after I buy another good tire. Kind of like a donut flat in a car.

Any suggestions?

On the off chance that you're a member of the boards, I hope nothing came of the minor incident involving you and the police car on Clinton and Delancey. As far as I could tell, you made an honest attempt at getting out of the way of the car as it barreled through the changing light (with sirens on), and he put his car into the barricade. That he cuffed you is frankly absurd, and I'd have given you my card but you were already in the squad car.

Given that the cop in question was clearly a hothead, I wasn't going to volunteer to hand it to you when you were in the backseat of the cruiser.