Critical Massive

Well it’s been the leanest month on the site since its inception in terms of updates. I could probably write a lot about Quercetum mixtum, sere-based succession and the impact of environmental change on a midwest region of Ireland about now, but it’s hard to switch off and get into bikes. Talking of which I haven’t been near one since Sleepless. There just ain’t time.

I did watch the Olympic mountain biking. Well I streamed it over the t’internet and listened to it rather than watched it. Kileen’s ride was textbook (well apart from the start). Next time he’ll be a marked man, which ain’t a bad thing. What was Frischi up to? Riding a 29er with tubs and knobbly treads glued on, which led to the following conversation:

Thingy: I hear Thomas Frischknecht is using a road tyre with a mountain bike tread glued on.

Gary Foord: Yes, but I can’t see him, he doesn’t seem to be doing very well.

Thingy: Perhaps, that’s because he’s using a road tyre with a mountain bike tread glued on. [cue onscreen guffawage]

Still the swiss vet still placed 8th. The guy is a legend.

Critical Mass gathered so much critical mass in NYC recently that things went, er, critical. Yep, the cops steamed in arrested lots of peeps on bikes. Drivers stormed in and ran over peeps on bikes. Then in the aftermath, in a knee-jerk reaction, the police arrested a ‘conspirator‘. Yeah, like, whatever, as some one has pointed out:

HOW THE FUCK COME THE POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE GIVE KIDS CHALK TO WRITE ON THE SIDEWALK AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT GIVE FUCKING CHALK TO KIDS TO WRITE ON ASPHALT AND DURING MUSEUM MILE EVERYWHERE, THERE ARE BOXES OF FREE CHALK PROVIDED FOR EVERYONE TO DEFACE 4 FUCKING MILES OF 5TH AVENUE?

More here. America’s not looking like the land of the free so much these days.

On a more cheery note here are some nice photos. Turn you pop-up blocker off and make sure Flash is up to speed. Sterling work.

Who said Flash websites were dead? Check out Armstrong’s latest Nike video here. Select Fuel and then the longer of the two Piano films.

Former Kona man Joe Murray’s latest bikes. I have lost all respect since I heard that those at the recent SSWC in Germany had to pay to go on a ride with him. What the…? Anyway photos of the event are up here.

I’ve been listening to a lot of tunes recently and whilst my copy hasn’t arrived yet, I’m looking forward to getting the new Prodigy album, because having just listened to Fat of the Land again, it’s reminded me how some of their stuff is just exceptional.