Defining the Ineffable with Eben Weiss
Talking with cycling's snobbiest pedaler.
Eben Weiss is a cyclist, a writer and a self-proclaimed curmudgeon bike snob.
He’s one of my favorite writers, because he holds no punches when it comes to poking fun and critiquing the world of cycling — a world that often breeds self-importance.
(Come on, we can all think of someone who takes this sport, and themselves, too seriously. If you can’t, well, uhhhhhh it’s you.)
Take this tweet, for example, where Weiss pokes fun at bike lights.
Or this one, where he calls a roadie an “overstuffed Lycra sausage.” (Lol.)
Weiss is to cycling what the judicial branch of government is to the executive.
He started anonymously blogging in June 2007 as Bike Snob NYC. Here’s how he introduced himself to us back then.
While I love cycling and embrace it in all its forms, I’m also extremely critical. So I present to you my venting for your amusement and betterment. No offense meant to the critiqued. Always keep riding!
His first post was a sharp, laser-focused critique on a Craigslist ad selling a Frankenstein-esque fixie bike, which happened to be the cycling craze du jour.
Since then, he’s launched a Twitter account (where he’s still actively offering sharp, and often funny, critiques), written four books, hosted a weekly radio show in New York City and he still contributes regularly to Outside magazine.
I was thrilled when he agreed to oblige me by answering some questions about his passion for cycling. Here’s what he had to say.
What is your age?
A lady never tells.
Where do you live currently?
Bronx, NY
Who is part of your immediate family? (spouse, kids, pets...)
My wife, our two boys, age 7 and 12, and a cat, age indeterminate.
What keeps you busy most days?
Family stuff and bike stuff.
Describe your first memory that involves riding a bike.
My father helping me ride without training wheels. I remember the bike: a yellow Ross that had belonged to my cousin.
Your first blog post as BikeSnobNYC was a precise critique on a bizarre CraigsList ad from someone trying to sell a colorful Surly Steamroller with downhill pedals and mismatched BB and crank spindles. Have the NYC CraigsList bicycle ads changed much since then, or, to your eye, are they still ridiculous?
I don’t look at Craigslist nearly as much these days so I don’t know if it’s so zany still. What I do see of it leads me to think maybe it’s not. The fixie trend at its peak was uniquely exuberant so I think the heady vibe on Craigslist was probably unique to the time. Or maybe it’s me–I’ve seen it all by now so not a lot strikes me as ridiculous anymore.
That said, the current equivalent of the fixie thing is probably the alt cycling/supple tire/bikepacking thing, and that’s got its cartoonish elements too, but I don’t think it lives on Craigslist like the fixie thing did. I’m sure if I was getting started now I’d be picking apart some gravel influencer’s Instagram.
As a self-proclaimed curmudgeon and "the last remaining bike blogger," what do you hope your work does for cycling and cyclists new and old?
Every so often someone tells me that my blog helped them get through their boring work day and that’s my favorite thing to hear — more than anything else I just want people to enjoy reading it. I don’t think blogs (and especially my blog) play nearly the role in people’s lives today that they did back in 2007 when I started but I think there are still a handful of people who see mine as a daily escape and that means a lot to me. I also like to think I remind bike people that it’s okay to laugh at all this stuff. Whenever everyone’s fawning all over the latest product release or whatever, I like to think my little corner of the Internet is a place you can go to make fun of it or criticize it — even if deep down you really want it. And on a selfish level, I’m a solitary person so it’s a place to share my thoughts and experiences with people like me who love bikes.
As a fellow cyclist, I know you have bikes. Can you list off your steeds? (If you can, please provide the year, make and model. And nicknames if you got 'em.)
Rivendell Platypus
Rivendell A. Homer Hilsen
Jones LWB
Engin singlespeed mountain bike
Specialized Rock Combo
Trek 1200
Litespeed Tuscany
‘80s pink Faggin road bike set up as sort of a zippy urban runabout thingy
The Trek and the Specialized are from 1989. I don’t see the point of specifying dates on any bike made in the 21st century, they’re all “new.” I have other bikes too but I’m sort of slowly passing them on to my older son now that he’s big enough. There’s also a 1987 Kestrel 4000 I’ve been riding a lot. Technically it’s on loan from Classic Cycle in Bainbridge Island, WA. Grant Petersen of Rivendell and Paul of Classic Cycle are my main bike suppliers. Between the two of them they’ve got my number. I love what Rivendell does, and Paul always knows the vintage bikes I’ll get a kick out of riding.
What is the length of your last ride in hours and miles? (Feel free, if you choose, to provide a link to whichever tracking app you use so readers can give you a follow.)
I am on Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/23602117
My last ride was about 25 miles and two and a quarter hours.
Describe the feeling that cycling gives you.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a vinyl nerd, this is not me trying to be pretentious. However, I’m old enough that that’s just the way I grew up hearing music. So I often think of cycling in those terms. For me, the bike is like a stylus, the world is like a record, and when you put the stylus down on the record there’s music. Moving through the world on a bike just feels good to me — it unlocks the beauty of everything around me.
Thanks for reading. Look out for the next installment in "Defining the Ineffable,” dropping next Sunday. Next week, we’ll talk with Syd Shulz, a mountain bike racer based in New Mexico, YouTuber and wrencher who — fun fact — is a native of Athens, Ohio.
The bike is a stylus, the world a record. ‘Nuff said right there. See the world from the seat of that stylus.