The Friday Cyclotouriste

Eco-velo had a post today about the new Rapha shop on Filbert St. in San Francisco, which I stumbled upon completely by accident when I was visiting a couple weeks ago.

This place absolutely oozed San Francisco-hipster bike culture: a designer, bike clothing shop with an espresso bar and gallery attached; the machine the barista was pulling shots on: a La Marzocco — of course.

 

I loved it…but deep down I began to wonder, Is this all a bit excessive?

Is the bicycle’s renaissance (see my Golden Age of Bicycling post for more background) entering a kind of Dionysian-type decline, whereby the luxurious aspects of this utilitarian machine are fetishized to an unhealthy degree?

Or,

Are these kind of commercial ventures simply utopian celebrations of modern bicycle culture’s still-to-come zenith?

Featured Comment by Hassan-I-Sabbah: “As I understand, Dionysus is associated with the chaotic beginnings of creativity not the eventual decadence and hedonism (for which I would ascribe the great god Pan).”

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I’ve recently started a short bicycle commute (the last few videos reflect this interest) and this makes me wonder how others get to their jobs.