Sometime last summer I re-buried my time capsule, and now that Spring is here and the ground is beginning to thaw, I'm starting to get antsy again. Unfortunately, though, I just can't dig it up and deny the next generation the opportunity to see how stupid we are. So in an attempt to satisfy my restlessness I've decided to fire a satellite into space. The satellite, which I'm calling the BSNYC Intergalactic Space Nugget, will carry on it my equivalent of the Voyager Golden Record. Except instead of a phonograph record, I'm using an assortment of YouTube videos. And these videos aren't so much "a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings" as they are a cosmic cry for help. Maybe this way extraterrestrial life will get to experience our ridiculousness along with our descendants. Perhaps they'll even come to Earth's rescue. Here are just some of the videos I've chosen to represent various cycling subcultures:
Fixed-Gears
I love self-appointed experts. If you've ever spilled your bearings while overhauling a hub over a tile floor you can begin to imagine what it's like trying to keep track of all the various bits of misinformation contained in this video. My personal favorite quote: "You feel almost like a Jedi knight...you feel like a god." Who better to represent the fixed-gear species?
29ers
Gary Fisher is 29ers, so he gets automatic selection. Plus, his wardrobe should make the aliens feel at ease. Gary makes some good points here, though he does lose the trail a little bit towards the end. To me, though, the highlight is one of the viewer comments: "Some people say that Gary has vintage porn hidden in his hat."
Road Bikes
Sweet Caddy. Unusual lever positioning. I suspect this may be the Rock Racing team mechanic.
Recumbents
This video proves that recumbents are ideal for mountain biking--provided of course that the terrain is relatively flat, and that the most technical trail feature you encounter is a mud puddle.
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