WR came up with the brilliant topic IDEA of a "snobSum index." the idea is that we subject our bikes to a fictitious review by the bikeSnob, using what we know about his likes and dislikes to add and subtract points from our bikes, ending with a completely arbitrary and made up number that represents the snob’s outlook on our bikes.

thus, my leader 725TR build. the bike i ride every day. the bike i rode to los angeles in the AIDS lifeCycle. the bike-shaped hole in the universe. the stealth bomber known as the tumbler…

personally, i think WR shortchanged himself by snobbing a -1 for riding a track frame. i’ve never gotten the impression that BSNYC dislikes or even disrespects track frames being ridden in the city. in fact, i can remember several posts in which he’s expressed great joy at riding his own track bike in the city. it’s brakeless hipsters in flatBrimmed caps doing BMX tricks on the brooklyn bridge before slowing down right in front of him that seems to bother him more. so i’m NOT giving myself a -1 for riding a track bike.

unfortunately, i get a -3 for riding a track bike in this PARTICULAR city, whose main geographic identifier is HILLS. ordinarily, that’d be a -1, but i’m bumping it to brand-aware for having ridden it to LA. DAMMIT!

i don’t know if i get a +1 or a -1 for my waterbottle cage. on the one hand, it’s very lone-wolfish. on the other hand, it’s a long-distance accessory on a track bike build. so we’ll cancel it.

i do know that i get a +1 for the rear fender. snobby’s big on using "wheel eyebrows," because "it’s probably urine."

+1 for the brake.

while i was inclined at first to give myself a -1 for my outlaw bandana around the headtube (in what might be misconstrued as a fashion statement), i’ve decided that he would actually give me a +1 for making my bike look less desirable to thieves by covering the headbadge. plus a bonus +1 for debadging the whole thing.

whoops, -1 for rocking an obviously $200+ cockpit.

another -1 for no tape on my bars.

final tally? -1.
totally hosed.
AYHSMB.

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Related posts:

1. The SnobSum Index – Crook Type 3 Top End
2. team lope bike bio — the Tumbler!
3. bike build process log – Tumbler, drivetrain upgrade