Dangerous, but impressive.
February 18, 2012 9:56 AM Subscribe
I was really hoping this would be a 19th century velocipede.
posted by elizardbits at 10:09 AM on February 18, 2012 [7 favorites]
posted by elizardbits at 10:09 AM on February 18, 2012 [7 favorites]
Yeah I always knew those parallel struts were bad news!
You've come a long way, baby.
posted by clarknova at 10:10 AM on February 18, 2012
You've come a long way, baby.
posted by clarknova at 10:10 AM on February 18, 2012
I'd like to see him try that on a pennyfarthing.
This is great.
posted by Songdog at 10:12 AM on February 18, 2012
This is great.
posted by Songdog at 10:12 AM on February 18, 2012
Wow. When you're so good that you find faulty equipment an interesting challenge.
posted by joost de vries at 10:16 AM on February 18, 2012
posted by joost de vries at 10:16 AM on February 18, 2012
I was really hoping this would be a 19th century velocipede.
Right there with you.
Still, pretty great. I have to assume that that thing weighs a ton compared to a proper modern bike, all the other issues aside. The weld pretty much right out of the gate was great.
posted by cortex at 10:28 AM on February 18, 2012 [2 favorites]
Right there with you.
Still, pretty great. I have to assume that that thing weighs a ton compared to a proper modern bike, all the other issues aside. The weld pretty much right out of the gate was great.
posted by cortex at 10:28 AM on February 18, 2012 [2 favorites]
I too love how it starts. "Let's just try this little jump here and... *frame tube crumples* Shit."
posted by Rhomboid at 10:29 AM on February 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Rhomboid at 10:29 AM on February 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
WHERE IS YOUR HELMET
posted by functionequalsform at 10:35 AM on February 18, 2012 [6 favorites]
posted by functionequalsform at 10:35 AM on February 18, 2012 [6 favorites]
I was trying to find some extreme penny farthing riding and ran across this really cool interview with a 76 year-old penny farthing trick champion. At the end he even gets up on one and struts his stuff.
(I have to admit, I really feared seeing this elderly man try to mount the penny farthing, and then he performed it so fluidly and so easily I realized I was stupid for ever doubting a guy who has spent his entire life on bikes)
posted by cyphill at 10:45 AM on February 18, 2012 [26 favorites]
(I have to admit, I really feared seeing this elderly man try to mount the penny farthing, and then he performed it so fluidly and so easily I realized I was stupid for ever doubting a guy who has spent his entire life on bikes)
posted by cyphill at 10:45 AM on February 18, 2012 [26 favorites]
I don't know why, since it barely ranks in terms of bicycle trick failure videos, but when he eats shit on that first flip around 2:30 it made me actually laugh out loud.
posted by SharkParty at 10:46 AM on February 18, 2012
posted by SharkParty at 10:46 AM on February 18, 2012
I love the jingly rattles whenever the bike lands hard, like the instant frame taco, they seem like the bike's way of registering complaint at its unaccustomed treatment. *shudddering* "...oOWw...why'd you make me do that?"
posted by Cold Lurkey at 10:52 AM on February 18, 2012
posted by Cold Lurkey at 10:52 AM on February 18, 2012
Shit, I just realized I'm old. All I could think was stop doing that, you are going to get hurt.
posted by Ad hominem at 11:00 AM on February 18, 2012
posted by Ad hominem at 11:00 AM on February 18, 2012
I particularly enjoyed that he left in the crotch-plant onto a flowerpot.
posted by ZsigE at 11:29 AM on February 18, 2012
posted by ZsigE at 11:29 AM on February 18, 2012
Man, I was at my parents' house a couple months ago and had occasion to stick my head in the garage. My old bike (from when I was 7 or so) was still there. I picked that sucker up - it weighs easily three times what my super-long, ten-year-old touring bike does. I'm amazed I ever managed to curb-hop on it.
posted by restless_nomad at 12:20 PM on February 18, 2012
posted by restless_nomad at 12:20 PM on February 18, 2012
On the same Youtube account is some backflip practice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCgXDTSO6Zw. 12 seconds in has got to sting...
posted by Ramo at 1:17 PM on February 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Ramo at 1:17 PM on February 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
I have to assume that that thing weighs a ton compared to a proper modern bike, all the other issues aside.
I'm pretty sure the bike in question is a Jeunet, probably a slightly older ladies version of the second one this page. I know because I have one that's exactly like the one on that page sitting in my basement with some insane dream of rebuilding it. It's not noticeably heavier than my Trek 7200, but my Trek is a slightly larger frame. Make of that what you will.
As for proper - while taking a six foot vertical fall will bend the frame, he was able to bend it back and tack another support rod into place. When that sort of thing happens to an aluminum or carbon fiber frame, it's done for. This is why the next time I'm spending $2000 on a bike (which, honestly, will either be never, or when I tool up to do what I want to do to that old Jeunet) I'll get something from Rivendell Bicycle Works. Because I'm trying to keep the part of me that would really like to braze up my own lugged steel bicycle frame on a shorter leash.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 1:38 PM on February 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'm pretty sure the bike in question is a Jeunet, probably a slightly older ladies version of the second one this page. I know because I have one that's exactly like the one on that page sitting in my basement with some insane dream of rebuilding it. It's not noticeably heavier than my Trek 7200, but my Trek is a slightly larger frame. Make of that what you will.
As for proper - while taking a six foot vertical fall will bend the frame, he was able to bend it back and tack another support rod into place. When that sort of thing happens to an aluminum or carbon fiber frame, it's done for. This is why the next time I'm spending $2000 on a bike (which, honestly, will either be never, or when I tool up to do what I want to do to that old Jeunet) I'll get something from Rivendell Bicycle Works. Because I'm trying to keep the part of me that would really like to braze up my own lugged steel bicycle frame on a shorter leash.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 1:38 PM on February 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
Is it a fixie? I don't have time to click non-fixie bike videos. I have Polaroid shots of pour-over coffee to fake.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 2:46 PM on February 18, 2012
posted by obiwanwasabi at 2:46 PM on February 18, 2012
I wish pros from every sport would do this, just to shut up the gear zealots.
Tiger Woods or Lance Armstrong would still kick your ass just as hard if they bought the cheapest model at Walmart, Mr. Moneybags.
posted by CaseyB at 4:26 PM on February 18, 2012 [4 favorites]
Tiger Woods or Lance Armstrong would still kick your ass just as hard if they bought the cheapest model at Walmart, Mr. Moneybags.
posted by CaseyB at 4:26 PM on February 18, 2012 [4 favorites]
I'm slightly disappointed that it's not being ridden by a vintage lady, but in the bit where he jumps off the stack of pallets, I went through frame by frame and could see the rear wheel momentarily flatten on the bottom as he lands.
posted by RobotHero at 5:16 PM on February 18, 2012
posted by RobotHero at 5:16 PM on February 18, 2012
Shit, I just realized I'm old. All I could think was stop doing that, you are going to get hurt.
Me too. Except in my case it went more like "stop doing that, you're fucking up a perfectly good bicycle."
posted by flabdablet at 8:21 PM on February 18, 2012
Me too. Except in my case it went more like "stop doing that, you're fucking up a perfectly good bicycle."
posted by flabdablet at 8:21 PM on February 18, 2012
I kept cringing on every drop, thinking those old pedals were bound to snap off at some point, but it looks like they swapped out the original cranks for something tougher.
posted by orme at 9:01 PM on February 18, 2012
posted by orme at 9:01 PM on February 18, 2012
I found this traumatising. But then my older brother borrowed my new bike, not two days after I had been given it for my seventh birthday, and jumped down 4 steps. It snapped clean in two and had to be welded back up.
posted by MuffinMan at 12:22 AM on February 19, 2012
posted by MuffinMan at 12:22 AM on February 19, 2012
Yeah. Come to think of it, that's been my immediate reaction to seeing young men do tricks on bicycles and skateboards since long before I got old.
posted by flabdablet at 4:26 AM on February 19, 2012
posted by flabdablet at 4:26 AM on February 19, 2012
I wish pros from every sport would do this, just to shut up the gear zealots.
Tiger Woods or Lance Armstrong would still kick your ass just as hard if they bought the cheapest model at Walmart, Mr. Moneybags.
It’s not just sports, it’s pretty much everything. It’s not the gear.
posted by bongo_x at 10:56 AM on February 20, 2012
Tiger Woods or Lance Armstrong would still kick your ass just as hard if they bought the cheapest model at Walmart, Mr. Moneybags.
It’s not just sports, it’s pretty much everything. It’s not the gear.
posted by bongo_x at 10:56 AM on February 20, 2012
Holy schnikies!
posted by Cats' Concert at 9:05 PM on February 24, 2012
posted by Cats' Concert at 9:05 PM on February 24, 2012
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posted by Argyle at 10:08 AM on February 18, 2012