Should I Take This Offer?

 You may have noticed that I have not been posting as frequently as I had been. There is no illness, lover or other such demand on my time and energy.  Rather, I have been in the process of creating, and helping to create, new content on another venue.

A while back, a bicycle maker e- mailed me with an offer that, well, I could have refused I certainly couldn’t have imagined. One of its executives chanced upon this blog (hmm…I didn’t know executives had so much free time!) and was “impressed” by not only the number of views and followers, but that they are spread across all continents (Antarctica? I didn’t know penguins could ride bikes!).  Said executive explained, “We are trying to expand our reach” and “show people they don’t have to be Tadej Pogačar to ride one of our bikes.”

While I agreed with him, I couldn’t help but to ask why he chose me, and this blog, to be an “influencer.” He didn’t use that word, but that’s what I think he was asking me to do.  Was it the beautiful graphics and photography? My deathless prose? The wit and erudition behind my “Sunday funnies?”

Actually, the reason is far more mundane.  “Your name is a lot easier to spell and pronounce—and it’s Italian.”

That last bit of information made his offer make more sense, if not make sense.  After all, the bike manufacturer in question is Pinarello.

I am not sure of what to make of this offer.  Perhaps one or some of you, dear readers, can help me to understand it.  The details are here.

A Flashy Racer Becomes A Classy Commuter

When you see a bike like this, you realize why people like me like steel road bikes so much.

I spotted this Pinarello, which appears to be from the '80's or early '90's, parked near the site of the former World Trade Center.

It's not so unusual to see old racing bikes re-purposed as commuters.  It's most commonly done by replacing the dropped bars with flat ones, as the owner of this bike did.  However, I'm seeing more old road bikes with "mustache" bars or the Velo Orange Porteur (which I love).

But it's still fairly unusual to see full fenders on road bikes from the '80's or later, with their  short wheelbases and tight clearances.  Older racing bikes, like the Peugeot PX-10 and Raleigh International, were made to accommodate protection from the elements.     

That's why I was fascinated to see the Velo Orange hammered fenders on this Pinarello.  They're narrower than the ones I have on Helene and Vera, but of the same style.  It's funny how it can make what had been a flashy racing machine into a classy, classic commuter.

A Pinarello's Replacement On The Campus Bike Rack

In one of my early blog posts, I mentioned seeing a Pinarello on a campus where I worked.  I contrasted it with the near-absence of bicycles on another campus in which I worked, and that whenever I parked at the latter campus, my bike--even Marianela, the old Schwinn LeTour III on which I was commutig--was by far the best.

Well, the young man who used to ride the Pinarello has graduated.  But, yesterday, I saw another bike that surprised me almost as much as seeing that Pinarello did.

Seeing a late-model Cannondale, particularly in an upper middle-class suburban area like the neighborhood that surrounds the campus, is not remarkable in and of itself.  Seeing a Cannondale track bike is somewhat more unusual but, again, not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

What shocked me was how well-equipped that bike was.  Most track, fixie or single-speed bikes parked in campus bike racks have serviceable, but not spectacular components.  However, this Cannondale sported Mavic Ellipse track wheels, an FSA carbon crankset, a Ritchey Pro seat post, Salsa stem and Nitto bars.  

The only components that seemed incongruent were the flat pedals, intended for downhill mountain biking, made by Crank Brothers (makers of the Egg Beater pedals).  Don't get me wrong:  They're a high-quality component.  But they did seem odd on a bike that otherwise seemed to be built for the velodrome.

I wasn't able to get a better angle to take close-up shots because a motorcycle was parked next to the Cannondale.  But I think you can see why it stood out even in a bike rack that has hosted a Pinarello--and Vera, my green Mercian mixte.