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The Enlightened Cyclist: Commuter Angst, Dangerous Drivers, and Other Obstacles on the Path to Two-Wheeled Trancendence by [Bike Snob NYC]

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Eben Weiss

(Cyclist) BikeSnobNYC

The Enlightened Cyclist: Commuter Angst, Dangerous Drivers, and Other Obstacles on the Path to Two-Wheeled Trancendence Kindle Edition

by Bike Snob NYC (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.2 205 ratings

Part of: Bike Snob (2 books)

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The author of Bike Snob helps bike commuters transcend common obstacles and handle cars, pedestrians, and other cyclists with grace.

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 Bike Snob, BikeSnobNYC takes on the trials and triumphs of bike commuting with snark, humor, and enthusiasm. He asks the question: If we become better commuters, will that make us better people? From the deadly sins of biking to tactics for dealing with cars, pedestrians, and other cyclists, this primer on bike travel is a must-read for cyclists new and seasoned alike.

Part of series

Bike Snob
Print length

225 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date

March 9, 2012
Reading age

18 years and up
File size

4833 KB
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Total Price: $23.48

Bike Snob NYC
131
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Grant Petersen
1,417
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BikeSnobNYC
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Tom Eastham
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Robert Penn
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Cory Mortensen
625
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in Sports Travel
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Weiss is a Brooklyn-based cyclist and writer. His book is 240 pages of optimism hidden in snark, of hope cloaked in sarcasm, and it's full of sometimes scathing, always accurate cycling observations that occasionally border on genius....But for all its sardonic wit - and there is a lot of it - "The Enlightened Cyclist'' at its core is an honest look at a growing culture of bicycle commuters vying for a slice of the road in a car-dominated culture that still considers the bicycle an "alternative'' means of transportation. Mixed into the snark stew is a plea for commuters of all stripes - pedestrian, cyclist and driver - simply to get along." - The Unnamed Cyclist

According to the irreverent Bike Snob NYC (Bike Snob: Systematically and Mercilessly Realigning the World of Cycling), the nom de guerre of Eben Weiss, the main thing commuters want is "To be happy, and to not get killed." And in this hilarious faux-epic volume, the author uses the Bible as a loose template for how cyclists and cars can, and should, all get along. Though there's some take-home advice, such as driving behaviors to avoid and which kind of bike to buy, most of the book is a rollicking window into urban cycling from a self-professed "smug dork." There are several extended glossaries--in the annals of Annoying Cyclist Behavior, Weiss describes the differences between "salmoning," "shoaling," and "wheelsucking." And sidebars include Understanding Bipedal Idiocy and The Dachshund of Time. Occasionally, the author flips into an earnest, philosophical voice; though his description of his experience on 9/11 and his rant about the pointlessness of dressing up for work are thought-provoking, their tone is somewhat out of place in what is, at heart, a truly fun and witty ride. The book shines when the author combines his self-deprecation on behalf of all cyclists ("we are kind of the nerds in the school cafeteria of transportation") with heavier topics ("when it comes to integrating our transportation, we're as closed-minded as the racists of yesteryear"), creating a call to arms for the ultimate commuting goals: transcendence and "highways of happiness." - Publishers Weekly --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

BikeSnobNYC (a.k.a. Eben Weiss) is the blogger behind bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com, a massively popular cycling blog. He also writes a monthly column in Bicycling magazine. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B007KLBG1E
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chronicle Books LLC; Illustrated edition (March 9, 2012)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 9, 2012
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4833 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 225 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #770,340 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #27 in Bicycle Travel
- #98 in Travel Humor (Kindle Store)
- #215 in Cycling (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 205 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

205 global ratings

5 star		59%
4 star		20%
3 star		12%
2 star		4%
1 star		5%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Harold Huard

Great book. Hilarious!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 13, 2023

Verified Purchase

Manages to make strong points and evoke actual thought, while at the same time maintaining a lightheartedness about the whole mess…
Thoroughly entertaining!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 21, 2014

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The Bike Snob’s concern in this book is that stretch of time between work and play which seems the least Zen inducing: the time we spend trying to get from one to the other. The Bike Snob’s transcendence comes from his convincing demonstration that it doesn’t have to be this way, and that the right type of vehicle with the right type of attitude can transform the NYC commute (and from which we may be able to extrapolate any commute) into an activity that we can look forward to and, indeed, relish. Nominally a book about bicycles and cars and the struggles between the two, it is ultimately a book about a road to mental health. Meanwhile, the writing gets its edge from the fact that it’s generally not pretty out there, as our commuting encounters are often quite pathological. Over the course of years of riding, trying in general to show good behavior, I’ve always wondered what would trigger the occasional driver to sidle up next to me as I spin along on the shoulder of the road in my rather modest bike gear and induce his friend sitting on the passenger side to roll down his window and scream into my ear, trying to spook me into a roadside ditch, or, in one case, off the side of a cliff—just for laughs, it seems. This book helps to explain the roots of such encounters, and points the way to come to terms with them. If we cannot, in the end, attain the realm of sweetness and light, we are at least given the palliative of laughter, spread widely enough to dilute its derisiveness. As other reviewers, both of the positive and negative ilk, have already noted, this may not be a book for everyone. But I think it should find a sizable audience, not just cyclists, and that speaks well of our potential for humanity.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Philosophical Bike Snob

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 31, 2013

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The terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 affected all of us in different ways, but it certainly affected the NYC Bike Snob. This book shows a mellow side that his first book did not, and certainly could go a long way in breaching the communication gap between motorists and cyclists as well as the huge gap that often exists between cyclists and cyclists, motorists and motorists, and between any two human beings. While written with humor, this book explores the serious issue of road rage, unnecessary anger, and blatant disregard for the humanity of one another. While some folks think anything by Eben Weiss is a joke, the underlying theme of this book is a serious one. That we need to lighten up and consider one another in our day to day living. I find this to be his best work, and if you dismiss it out of hand, you need to read it again, slowly and thoughtfully. For the cyclists who love to cut into and out of traffic, scare pedestrians, ignore traffic signals and taunt automobile drives, this book will be a joke at best and a betrayal at the worst, but to me, and I live in both worlds, it is a manifesto. I believe this author's metamorphosis as a writer was triggered by the horror of being a New Yorker on 9/11. I read this book quickly once and then slowly for a better grasp, and came away very impressed with this young man's writing and his world view.

One person found this helpful

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Greg Nelson

More Bikes Less Blasphemy

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 16, 2023

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I bought this because I thought this would be a funny and satirical work about bicycles However the author’s consistent and endless degradation of the Bible makes it too disrespectful to be entertaining for me. Irregardless of his “God indifference”, I wish he would’ve stuck to bicycles and kept is personal irreligious opinions to himself.
I can take a joke, but after a while being bathed in his contempt felt just masochistic. Deny your culture Eben, but please respect mine or expect me to throw your work out. You can keep my $16.95, but I’ll not spend another cent or moment on your wounded diatribes

2 people found this helpful

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James Gorman

Entertaining look at commuting and riding a bike in general

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 17, 2013

Verified Purchase

What I like most about this book is the stance that he takes.... riding a bike is cool and has a lot of advantages, but owning a car does not make you an evil person. I was afraid that he was going to take a "bike-only" approach, but instead he takes the opposite side, that each vehicle has certain advantages to it and that we need to learn how to co-exist.

BikeSnobNYC takes his experiences a bike commuter in NYC and piles them into this entertaining book. The way he describes everyday events makes this book worth more than the low price on Amazon. I found myself laughing out loud at many of his descriptions and analogies.

Overall it is a very quick and entertaining read and is good for anyone, even if you are not a hardcore bicyclist.

One person found this helpful

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Brian J. Dumont

Common sense and a sense of humor!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 11, 2012

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Anyone who's chosen a bicycle as their primary source of transportation needs to read this book! A great look at the bicycle community using common sense, a great sense of humor and a lack of self-importance! If you ride for the sake of riding, and consider the benefits to your body and the environment just an added plus, you will get the message. If you are a self-righteous dweeb who thinks everyone needs to ride and that cars are just inherently evil you definately NEED to read this book if for nothing else to bring you back to some sense of reality!

I laughed, I cried...it's Moby Dick on two wheels!

Helpful

Chris Lane

the last chapter shows so clearly that wisdom is to be found every where we go, if we practice.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 23, 2015

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I took up biking a few years after starting zazen, and i have long found them to be equally effective at showing me how i obstruct the beautiful flow of living. sitting on the saddle is a wonderful way to achieve peace and pleasure and Bike Snob shares the gentle wisdom of embracing the nightmare we fear in the quotidian marathon of daily commuting. bike and try not to get angry. practice this and all is given to the rider, and those around the rider.

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cutsh

Ride a bike? Read it.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 13, 2013

Verified Purchase

This is a seminal work on peace. So when a guy tries to hit you with his car, then gets out and chases you, what do you do? I put a u-lock through his windshield, which did end the confrontation, but got me ten weeks of anger management. Had I read this first, I dont think the whole incided would have happened because I would have eaten my pile of s*** up front, saving his windshield and me the anger management. Its that good of a book and an important message.

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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer

Cyclists as seen by a cyclist

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 22, 2013

Verified Purchase

A very entertaining review of cycling, cyclists and their environment by a cyclist
Who admits he also has feet of clay, uses other types of vehicles and his attitude
Changes accordingly. This book is as funny as his Bike Snob.

Surfer Nomad

The Snob is back

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 25, 2013

Verified Purchase

Fortunately this was not a rehash of the first book, it is more fluid and feels more mature. I am looking forward to reading the third instalment

keefy boy

I love it

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 17, 2013

Verified Purchase

Brilliant book, essential reading for all cyclists even though it is an american book. I would definately recommend it. Enjoy!

H & N

Bought as a present

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 1, 2013

Verified Purchase

I bought this book as a birthday present for a cycling friend. He thought it was a brilliant read and very funny.

James Robb

Common sense

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 11, 2013

Verified Purchase

Cyclists - Read this book to get educated so you can defend yourself against the onslaught of salesmen telling you what you 'need' in order to use a bicycle. Let common sense prevail and don't allow yourself to be brainwashed.

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