No Needles Needed

I believe I've just found the perfect gift "Velouria". 

 If you've been reading this blog, chances are you know her as the author of Lovely Bicycle, on which she posted almost daily for a few years.  We haven't seen much of her lately.  I'm guessing it's because she's engaged in more remunerative work or enjoying marital bliss.

Or, perhaps she's doing a lot of knitting.  Which is why I believe this would right for her.  




A Dutch engineer has recently created the Cyclo-knitter.  It's a bicycle--actually, more like an exercise bike--attached to a loom, which is placed on a wooden tower above the bike.  As you pedal, the fabric cascades from the tower, and in five minutes, you hve a brand-new scarf.

The contraption has been placed on a platform of a Dutch railway station.  As George Barratt-Jones notes in his Mental Floss article, a commuter who has some "down" time on a cold morning can get on the bike, warm him or her self up by pedaling and, after five minutes, have a scarf that will help keep him or her warm for the rest of the day.

Now, I'm not a knitter. But I know a few, including "Velouria", who are.  While some make money from their work, they don't support themselves on it because it takes too much time.  They tell me the knit because they enjoy it and find it "relaxing" or "meditative".  That, I can understand.  Which is the reason why, on second thought, they and "Velouria" might not want the Cyclo-knitter after all--unless, of course, they actually want to make a living as knitters.  What kind of fun would that be?

Carrying The Evidence Against Him

If you're going to commit a crime, you shouldn't leave evidence.  And you certainly had better not have the evidence on you when you get caught.

Josue Flores-Ochoa has just learned this lesson.  The 27-year-old from the Boston suburb of Everett had one too many and drove through nearby Revere in the wee hours of Sunday morning. At the same time, a 56-year-old man from Winthrop was riding his bike.

Unfortunately, you can guess what happened next:  Flores-Ochoa struck the man with his car. 

The man was taken to a nearby hospital where, fortunately, his wounds were not found to be life-threatening.

In another instance of good fortune, police found Flores-Ochoa a short time later.  Several people reported seeing the crash, which certainly helped. 

Don't carry the evidence with you!

But Flores-Ochoa actually did more than anyone else to help the police find him:  When he drove away after hitting the man, the bicycle was attached to the front of his car.  It was still there when the cops stopped him on Washington Avenue in Chelsea.

I wish his victim a speedy recovery.  Most of all, I want him to be well enough to get a chuckle out of Flores-Ochoa's ineptitude.

A Bike That Mines Bitcoins?

Eddy Mercx was very particular about his bicycles.  “They have to make money,” he explained.

What would he have thought about TOBA?

Jsince it,s an e-bike, he wouldn’t have been allowed to ride it.  On the other hand, given the corruption of the UCI, someone might have found a way to get it “under the radar” for him.  Then again, if he had ridden it, people might not have noticed the difference.

One thing he would have approved, though, is that the bike makes money. Well, sort of:  It rewards its users with crypto-currency.  For every thousand miles, the rider earns the equivalent of $26.50, which can be redeemed for products provided by partnerships with LoyalCoin.

Hmm...Maybe this wouldn’t have been such a great deal for Eddy!