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The Enlightened Cyclist: Commuter Angst, Dangerous Drivers, and Other Obstacles on the Path to Two-Wheeled Trancendence
by
BikeSnobNYC
The joys of commuting by bike attract scores of new converts every year. But as fresh-faced cyclists fill the roads, they also encounter their share of frustrations—careless drivers, wide-flung car doors, zoned-out pedestrians, and aggressive fellow cyclists, to name a few. In this follow-up to the best-selling Bike Snob, BikeSnobNYC takes on the trials and triumphs of bik...more
Hardcover, 240 pages
Published
March 21st 2012
by Chronicle Books
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A fun look at the world from the perspective of a cyclist. He simultaneously manages to keep me not only entertained but laughing, while making a whole host of excellent points.
He advises cyclists to reflect more often on how lucky they are to be able to do something they enjoy for their commute and how outside the norm that is for most people. He goes on to say that since this is the case we really need to act like it more often and just let things go. If you are like him you probably thought t...more
He advises cyclists to reflect more often on how lucky they are to be able to do something they enjoy for their commute and how outside the norm that is for most people. He goes on to say that since this is the case we really need to act like it more often and just let things go. If you are like him you probably thought t...more
Bike Snob gets down from the high-seat for a more meditative work this time through. There are still some great LOL moments, but I did wonder who the intended audience really was for this book, as it wanders a little from cyclist fist-waving to driver/other perspectives on cycling weirdisms. Perhaps this book is better thought of simply as a draft manifesto for world peace and then in that way we can all agree there’re bits we like.
What I enjoyed about this book is Bike Snob's personal quest for...more
What I enjoyed about this book is Bike Snob's personal quest for...more
Bikesnob's first book was better - much better.
The shtick for Bikesnob's blog entries that are good is that he will write somewhat crudely but amusingly about several different cycling related incidents, perhaps one serious (but not seriously presented), and perhaps two or so others that are not serious at all (like something about some goofy pro cyclist thing that happened) and then tie it up cleverly at the end. His first book was engaging and even if it was really an assembly of small bits a...more
The shtick for Bikesnob's blog entries that are good is that he will write somewhat crudely but amusingly about several different cycling related incidents, perhaps one serious (but not seriously presented), and perhaps two or so others that are not serious at all (like something about some goofy pro cyclist thing that happened) and then tie it up cleverly at the end. His first book was engaging and even if it was really an assembly of small bits a...more
Part of me wants to cut the rating on this one start because so much of it was material recycled from his blog but most of what he recycled was good material and tied into the point I think he was trying to make with this book.
Unlike his last book which was pretty much just a declaration of his love for the bicycle and much material recycled in from the blog this book actually has something to say and it says it well. Unlike most cycling advocacy books The Snob manages to take a pretty middle o...more
Unlike his last book which was pretty much just a declaration of his love for the bicycle and much material recycled in from the blog this book actually has something to say and it says it well. Unlike most cycling advocacy books The Snob manages to take a pretty middle o...more
The sarcasm is a bit much at times, but I'm so glad to have read this, at a friend's recommendation. The book covers lots of irritating no-no's on the part of both drivers and bike commuters--for instance,"salmoning," which is a term I hadn't heard before to describe the outrageously stupid practice of riding one's bike against the flow of traffic. It's satisfying to be able to put a name to that, along with "the right hook," where a car simply cannot resist racing around you (as you are traveli...more
This was a light, enjoyable, humorous look at bicycle culture and the age-old conflict of bike versus car. The book is written with a religious spin (hence the "Enlightened" part), using biblical stories as bicycle-riding similes -- think Adam and Eve as the first consumers and the first commuters, once they were kicked out of the Garden of Eden. But be warned: if you are rather religious you may be offended by his irreverent treatment of the Bible, which he actually refers to as "the greatest w...more
funny and thought provoking musings on commuting and freeways cars and trucks and bikes. author models his book on the bible, so guilt, golden rules, and stoning and taxes all are considered. this book is much better than his first one Bike Snob: Systematically & Mercilessly Realigning the World of Cycling in that it is less blog-like and more fully thought out essays with thesis, examples and conclusions. all his hard work writing is paying off in that weiss is becoming a good author instea...more
Slightly inferior to Bike Snob's first book, but still engaging. The author's writing style reminds me of Dave Barry's, in a good way. This book is at its best when digging up some of the forgotten early history of cycling. Whereas the first book was a sort of intro to cycling and cycling culture, this one is about commuting, and ultimately about how people should all try really hard to be nice to each other while commuting, regardless of the other person's choice of vehicle. In the end, I find...more
May 27, 2012
John
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
cyclists, NYC resident, MTB owners
Recommended to John by:
BikeSnobNYC
Snarky, irreverent, sometimes profane, so witty.
I've been reading the online rants and street cycling wisdom of author BikeSnobNYC (a.k.a Eben Weiss) for few years now, and must admit that his often irreverent outbursts and tirades frequently leave me laughing. So it's no wonder that when his book The Enlightened Cyclist became available, I grabbed it.
When I say elsewhere, that's because the author, a Brooklyn resident, has been writing for Bicycling Magazine for some time now, and he's now here...more
I've been reading the online rants and street cycling wisdom of author BikeSnobNYC (a.k.a Eben Weiss) for few years now, and must admit that his often irreverent outbursts and tirades frequently leave me laughing. So it's no wonder that when his book The Enlightened Cyclist became available, I grabbed it.
When I say elsewhere, that's because the author, a Brooklyn resident, has been writing for Bicycling Magazine for some time now, and he's now here...more
Funny and, dare I say, 'enlightening'. Not for bikers (pedal kind) only! Great read for anyone who commutes every day, but especially fun for biking enthusiasts. First thing I've read by 'Bike Snob', who has blogged and published for many years, apparently. The whole 'dachshund' of time thing was entertaining enough in its own right. I wouldn't read it aloud to children or nuns - he has quite a 'vocabulary' and sometimes he uses it for cheap laughs. Vivid language, throughout. He's also not abov...more
This was ok. It read like a patchwork of his BikesnobNYC blog posts and is nothing new to his regular readers. I liked the history lessons filtered through the bike "culture" terminology. As a new (3 1/2 years) transplant to New York from Minneapolis, I have to say I find a lot of his complaining a little far-fetched now. I commute from Bushwick to Long Island City everyday and I have yet to run into any other bike rider that has truly bugged me with all these fancy fixed gear antics. Cars on th...more
I didn't always share the author's sense of humor (although I usually did), and frequently didn't understand some of the references he made, but I really appreciated the well-thought-out, cohesive belief system he developed for the book. As somebody who typically rides a bike around the Bay Area, I noticed some significant differences from the NYC bike culture, but one could still relate to the overall tone of the problems faced by commuters everywhere.
definitely recommended for everyone who commutes by bicycle, but i actually think all commuters who come into contact with cyclists regularly would also find parts of this book interesting. it really does a good job of arguing for considerate and empathetic commuting, whether you're on foot, bicycle, or behind a wheel. but mostly i just wish all shoalers would read this book and stop shoaling.
Funny, a bit repetitive, ranty and rambly in good and bad ways.
Somewhat sometimes analogous to DFW's This Is Water: you don't know people, don't try to shove change down folk's throats, try to understand, give the benefit of the doubt to free yourself and brace yourself for boredom, as related through cycling-motorist relations and commuting.
Short enough for an afternoon.
Somewhat sometimes analogous to DFW's This Is Water: you don't know people, don't try to shove change down folk's throats, try to understand, give the benefit of the doubt to free yourself and brace yourself for boredom, as related through cycling-motorist relations and commuting.
Short enough for an afternoon.
If I said this was the greatest book ever written, you'd probably think I was one those people who get paid to write reviews. So I'll leave it at this: If you are someone who rides a bicycle a lot in an urban setting, say, you ride 2-3 times a week to work and back, then you'll think it's the greatest book ever written about bicycling in an urban setting. Really.
I live in a country where almost all public roads don't have bike lanes. So instead of killing each other, we share the roads respectfully. Thank God I don't have to deal with lousy driver who felt un responsible for running over cyclist who share roads with them, and selfish enough to think that roads belong to gas-powered-vehicle only. FTW!
If you're into cycling or know someone who is, this is an amusing little book that fits well on a bedstand or in the bathroom. Sometimes quite serious (or at least wry), and sometimes quite funny, it covers the sorts of things you have to deal with if you use a bicycle regularly, from clothing to gear to other people.
I read this book pretty much in one sitting and laughed out loud numerous times. Weiss describes both the enlightened and aggravating habits of cyclists. I congratulated myself when I fit the enlightened descriptions and felt thoroughly embarrassed by how often I fit the aggravating descriptions. Ultimately, I agree with what he has to say. I should, in fact, stop calling people "cocksuckers" when they almost kill me with their cars because they're too busy texting or whatever. Point taken.
Also...more
Also...more
If the writing cyclist gig doesn't work out, the Bike Snob can make a living writing jokes for comedians. Funny, with some good common sense. If you're a cyclist, read it, if only for the good reminders about poor cyclist-on-cyclist behavior.
Not as good as first effort, glories in the arrogant smugness of the city cyclist and definitions of cyclists as seen by the public. Read it when its pouring rain and you can't get out. Not worth missing a ride for, but is funny in spots.
A more philosophical book than his first, "The Enlightened Cyclist" still manages to keep the snark that we all know and love.
In spite of the blurb, it's not so much a "how to" for the cycling commuter, but more of a "why drivers hate us" book.
In spite of the blurb, it's not so much a "how to" for the cycling commuter, but more of a "why drivers hate us" book.
May 30, 2012
Kate
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
the two-wheeled
Recommended to Kate by:
Brian
Shelves:
biking
In the best possible world, commuting would be like good sex: an essential part of life we nonetheless engage in with pleasure. Unfortunately, in the real world, commuting is like bad sex: a drudgery we engage in out of a sense of duty or else a series of misguided impulses that leaves us feeling tremendously guilty afterward.
Good read, my favourite book on cycling since Byrne's Bicycle Diaries. I particularly liked how he was able to address the driver/cyclist conflict in an evenhanded and positive way.
Oh that bike snob NYC. He makes me smile and cry but only a smiggon. Great read if you enjoy a sarcastic writing style (which sometimes I do.
If you are familiar with bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com, this was redundant. But if you haven't been following along and hate cars, enjoy!
Whatever. Series of essays, moderately funny about the tribulations of modern urban bike riding.
Much of this will be familiar to habitual bike commuters BUT it's worth a read nonetheless.
I learned a lot in this book about the relationships between motorists and cyclists. He somewhat sold me on his idea of making commuting a joyful experience.
too much cutesy prose. about a fifth was worth my time.
I love the snob, which is part of the problem because so much of this is recycled. I knew that's what it would be going in, but I thought I'd have more fun reading the book than I did.
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