Disqus - Latest Comments for henryinamsterdam

Re: Girl Power

henryinamsterdam — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 04:55:40 -0000

Zakkaliciousness,
Regardless of which hoodie was the aggressor or defender I agree that it was just annoying, bored teen boys doing what they do. As a kid in New York I got dragged into hundreds of such fights, usually much worse, involving rolling around pummeling each other's faces in an empty lot or playground. Too bad no lady on a bike ever pushed through the ring of onlookers to end it.

Re: Yanks Call ‘M Tanks

henryinamsterdam — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:47:05 -0000

Just for those of you who've never checked out an old Dutch "transportfiets" (like the big black delivery bike in the photo above): the sheer size and mass of them dwarfs even normal, heavy duty Dutch bikes. I've got several of them and I'd guess they each weigh an easy 35kg. Particularly impressive is the rolling momentum and gyroscopic force of the 28" x 1.75" motorcycle type tires, rolled steel rims and 12 gauge spokes. All that with either a fixed gear and no brakes or a coaster brake in the rear wheel.

Re: Asbakfiets

henryinamsterdam — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:38:52 -0000

Just don't take that kroket from the bottom doors in the automated food wall; That's where the drunk jokers pee... or so the legend goes.

Re: Asbakfiets

henryinamsterdam — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:36:39 -0000

Amsterdam's like a big village... a very strange village that happens to be home to people of more nationalities than any other municipality on earth.

Re: Asbakfiets

henryinamsterdam — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 04:55:13 -0000

I couldn't see the side view in the photos I posted on www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl. Now that I see bakfiets better I can add a little irrelevant bike geekery...

The bakfiets chassis it's based on is quite a special one: It's a Maxwell "triplex" frame with three tubes running along the ground, all connected with lovely cast lugs in triangular shape. The rear frame is also a duplex with chainstays both above and below the chainline. The frame is pre - WWII.

The wheels are brand new, super heavy duty models from Nijland/WorkCycles, same as these bikes:
http://www.bakfiets-en-meer...
and...
http://www.bakfiets-en-meer...

Just my techno-geek €0.02

Re: Sterling notes

henryinamsterdam — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:55:39 -0000

Bruce Sterling is a brilliant, funny hero. I saw him speak a number of years ago at Doors of Perception and it it was absolutely inspiring. It was in fact one of the things that led me to leave my corporate job to start a company building bicycles: one of those everyday necessities that should be functional and beautiful. Do yourself and the world a favor by buying (or building) and riding a good utility bike.

Bruce is further dead on about the "hairshirt-green" mentality. When I began WorkCycles I just assumed this crowd would cheer and support us. In fact no other classifiable group has been so unhelpful. Our customers include liberals and conservatives alike, industrial giants and small businesses, parents, gays, academics, bankers, you name it but not "hairshirt greenies". That mentality is, as Sterling so originally and eloquently states "useless to futurity".