Not too long ago a cycling YouTuber reached out to let me know he’d be in New York and asked if I’d like to meet and be in one of his videos. I admit I didn’t know who he was, but I looked up his channel and saw that he had like eleventy million subscribers. Sadly, I never made it as a YouTuber myself, despite my tragically underappreciated Ritchey Breakaway assembly edit from 2010:
Therefore I must rely on much more talented videographers in order to “pivot to video” (see, for example, my controversial helmet video with Terry Barentsen) and so naturally I agreed. And here is the video in which I appear, and which I have not even had a chance to watch yet, what with wrapping presents and making fruitcakes and all:
Though naturally I did find the time to skip to the part with me in it:
Fortunately they did me the favor of cutting out the worst of my rambling and bloviating, though at one point as I was blathering and gesticulating I noticed a familiar face walking right past us and realized it was Hank Azaria:
I was hoping he made it into the shot as an extra, but alas if he did then he must have wound up among the footage that was cut. But our eyes did meet as I was prattling on for the camera, and I couldn’t help but feel as though he was looking at me with a mixture of pity and compassion–much the way I suppose I’d look at him if he were vainly struggling to ride a bicycle. Anyway, I can now put yet another item on my lengthy list of accomplishments, that being shooting a scene with Hank Azaria.
Thank you Seth Alvo for having me in your video, and I look forward to curling up in front of a crackling fire* with soft, purring cup of egg nog and a hot cat in my lap and watching it soon.
*[Actually, I don’t have a fireplace, so if I’m sitting in front of a crackling fire then either the Christmas tree has gone up or someone has knocked the menorah over onto the rug.]
Meanwhile, speaking of the holidays, they’re well nigh upon us, which means it’s time to close out the books on 2024. And what better way to do that than name a Bike of the Year? As you may recall, as of about mid-November I’d narrowed it down to three finalists. The Roaduno:
The LeMond:
And George Plimpton’s Y-Foil:
And the winner is…the Roaduno!
[BSNYC/RTMS/Tan Tenovo 2024 Bike Of The Year Award-Winner!]
Why? Well, for one thing I rode it only just this morning, and whichever bike I’ve ridden most recently is usually my favorite. For another, it’s the only one not made by Trek, though if they did make it they’d probably have used aluminum and called it the “Tringle Thriple-stache XO3 EVO.” But mostly, it’s because the only thing better than a singlespeed is a three-speed “singlespeed”–it’s three times better, in fact–and if you’re a contrarian like me you delight in putting all your gears in the front when the entire rest of the industry is devoted to putting them all in the rear:
And with that, I am formally excusing myself for the remainder of the year, and while it’s possible you might see me before then, my official return date will be Monday, January 6th, 2025, so go ahead and circle that date on your Sexy Fireman Calendar:
Or your Psychotic Goose Calendar as the case may be:
I wish you all a joyous, fruitful, and allergen-free holiday season, and I thank you deeply and sincerely for your readership. It’s something for which I’m profoundly grateful, and when I think about the fact that in June of next year this blog will officially be old enough to vote, I realize that not only does writing it represent one of the longest-standing commitments in my life, but also that we probably shouldn’t allow 18 year-olds to vote, since if this blog is any indication then clearly it’s not nearly enough time to reach anything resembling a state of maturity.
Also, special thanks to those of you who have pitched in to support this blog. I certainly don’t expect it, and your readership is more than enough, but if you are both able and inclined it’s both helpful and meaningful.
XOXO,
–Tan Tenovo
