BSNYC Friday Fondue Party!

("This Is F***ing Urgent," photographed by a reader)

As you are almost certainly aware, the First Annual BSNYC/RTMS Cockpit of the Year Award is in full swing, and like Alberto Contador gorging himself on a succulent steak during a Tour de France rest day I may have bitten off considerably more than I can chew. There's simply no polite way to put this: I'm up to my neck in "Cockie." Indeed, it seems like every time I check my email another submission pops up as if to say, "Boo! Cockie!" In fact, if I had a "Vegan" chin tattoo, you probably wouldn't even be able to read it:

Though you'd still be able to see my multiple septum piercings.

Now, an email inbox full of "Cockie" wouldn't be such a problem in itself if the vast majority of submissions were of poor quality. However, the simple truth is that almost all the "Cockie" photos I have received have been profoundly engrossing. Just to give you an idea of how difficult "curating" this contest has been so far, just dipping my ladle into this bowl of hot "Cockie" more or less at random yields compelling entries such as this pair of apehangers complete with bar ends and complemented by the ultra-rare banana-seat-and-suspension-fork combo:

This incredible PVC-and-hose-clamp setup:

This "Jacob's Ladder" spotted in Salt Lake City:

This ornithologist's delight spotted in Florida:

And this totally "murdered out" department store mountain bike, noteworthy for its elegant minimalism:

In the meantime, while I'm coping with "Cockie," I invite the rest of you to partake in a quiz. As always, study the item, think, and click on your answer. If you're right, well, that's just fantastic, and if you're wrong you'll see "The Coffee Wars."

Thanks very much for reading, ride safe, and may your hands find secure purchase on your cockpit.

--BSNYC/RTMS