Nope. Jehuda is putting across one of the best bike-locking strategies out there to a potential customer. If the bike next to yours is nicer (easier to sell-on i.e. in the UK it look likes a “mountain” bike, and yours doesn’t), then the chances are that the thieving toe-rag will have a go at the OTHER bike rather than yours – especially if they’ve only locked a wheel, or just the frame, or their lock was one of those
@Karl on Sea: I remember doing that many times in the UK. Find flashy full-suspension MTB, park more expensive rigid alongside in knowledge no-one will look at it, lock and leave…
Ah… Happy days
That strategy only works if it’s common to see bikes locked up in your area. Unfortunately, though cycling has become more popular in my town than it once was, it’s not quite popular enough yet to guarantee there’ll always be a “better bike” where you go to lock up, particularly when you have a fairly nice bike to begin with…
Yehuda whips his head around when he hears the door bells jingle, most likely he was making a snide comment and wasn’t able to finish it cuz of his focus on getting whatever that is unstuck. The last frame Yehuda says “Hey I was just kidding” but when he sees the customer is gone theres no point in finishing the sentence.
lol, be happy i’m in a good mood today or you probably never would have gotten it explained
Pedally got it right. Yehuda wasn’t fully paying attention to the customer and gave him a sarcastic answer but the customer took it seriously so they walked out without buying a second lock. So joe is pissed because yehuda lost a sale. Every little bit counts.
and to pay for his transgression, Yehuda will now have to do a tedious, unpleasant job.. cleaning the chains of winter bikes. ugh. Use Boeshield T-9 lubricant. best lube in existence. works in all conditions, and it doesn’t wash off in the wet, even though it isn’t thick and sticky. The best part? it actually exists.
It was a test given by Joe. Didn’t you see the disappointing “sigh”. Or maybe the customer locked up next to Joe’s bike. He does have a very nice ride.
Personally I don’t mind cleaning chains. If they are bad I use the “Sheldon shake”. If not I run them through some kitchen paper with degreaser on it. Kind of theraputic as you have to keep your mind on the job if you are doing this to a fixie.
I had the ugliest bike in town, locked, and it still got stolen.
The bike was a Huffy Black Hills mtb with that factory oven splatter paint job and the neon green fork, covered with old stickers, been run over so the frame was bent, ballooner fenders with a barn paint job, rusty rims. Was a okay townie beater but some frat boy had to have it.
One other hand I saw a immaculate Rivendale Ramboulet parked unlocked in front of a best buy one day in the same town.
I think Yehuda is removing the customer’s old lock bits from the street sign he’d chosen – you can see the sign face in one panel. Joe objected to the “park next to a nicer bike” comment, that’s all.
I have a Surly Big Dummy, the only one in town. All the bike patrol officers know me, and my bike. If they saw anyone else riding it they’d ask questions.
The helmet lock is a pretty good second lock too, but one lock, maybe with additional cable, should be able to lock both wheels and the frame to something (unless it’s a u-lock to a telephone pole).
Two locks is only for scary areas where I’d not want to leave my bike in the first place, and maybe then it’d be worth getting pitlocks or something to keep all the little bits on.
i read it twice:
yahuda with an a [two, actually]
versus
MtnBikrTN . . .
it made me laugh BOTH times. first time, when i thought that the pot was calling the kettle black, and then the second time, when i realized that you were talking to yourself, and i realized you have a terrible perspective!
Bike thieves know bikes so uglifying doesn’t work. The guy looking for the quick pinch or opportunity crime will take what’s easiest.
The guy looking for a quick sale may take the less boutique bike because he knows high end bikes are more easily identifiable and harder to sell, so parking next to the nicer bike may or may not work.
Uglifying a bike is the same as saying that the nice looking bike was asking to be stolen. Swapping out some words that’s kind of like saying, “the way she was dressed, she was asking to be raped.” Which is an appalling point of view when directed at humans, why not bikes.
Can some one explain this one to me??
No clues.
Joe is chastising Yehuda for his sarcastic insult directed twords Joe’s bike.
Joe is chastising Yehuda for making sarcastic remarks to a customer and losing a potential sale.
Nope. Jehuda is putting across one of the best bike-locking strategies out there to a potential customer. If the bike next to yours is nicer (easier to sell-on i.e. in the UK it look likes a “mountain” bike, and yours doesn’t), then the chances are that the thieving toe-rag will have a go at the OTHER bike rather than yours – especially if they’ve only locked a wheel, or just the frame, or their lock was one of those
Great joke and a good allegory!
@Karl on Sea: I remember doing that many times in the UK. Find flashy full-suspension MTB, park more expensive rigid alongside in knowledge no-one will look at it, lock and leave…
Ah… Happy days
Also sympathise with Yehuda: customers always ask questions when you’re trying to undo a bolt or something- usually on their bike.
That strategy only works if it’s common to see bikes locked up in your area. Unfortunately, though cycling has become more popular in my town than it once was, it’s not quite popular enough yet to guarantee there’ll always be a “better bike” where you go to lock up, particularly when you have a fairly nice bike to begin with…
Hence he art of uglifying your bike.
Hence the art of uglifying your bike.
I get the lost sale and good humorous advice. I don’t get the “hey, I was just a kid” comment.
Voting for badges day. There are some excellent headbadges to choose from. I sure hope my favorite one wins!
-Carl
@Jeff
Yehuda whips his head around when he hears the door bells jingle, most likely he was making a snide comment and wasn’t able to finish it cuz of his focus on getting whatever that is unstuck. The last frame Yehuda says “Hey I was just kidding” but when he sees the customer is gone theres no point in finishing the sentence.
lol, be happy i’m in a good mood today or you probably never would have gotten it explained
@Jeff in Wichita
Yehuda was saying, “Hey, I was just kidding!”, but Joe cut him off mid-sentence.
Actually, this doesn’t work. Bike thieves know bikes. The best strategy is to have a tougher lock or more locks than the bike next to yours.
yehuda blew an easy sale. Joes pissed.
Best to leave your bike unattended if you can.
Plus, Joe knows Yehuda well enough to know Yehuda’s probable answer and was setting him up to clean the chains (rather than Joe cleaning them).
@ Karl on Sea, I believe we all “fancy a bit of sport.”
K.T. on Mountain (mtnbikrtn)
Sorry, the “Yahuda with an A” name is getting kinda old. Back to MtnBikrTN.
Pedally got it right. Yehuda wasn’t fully paying attention to the customer and gave him a sarcastic answer but the customer took it seriously so they walked out without buying a second lock. So joe is pissed because yehuda lost a sale. Every little bit counts.
and to pay for his transgression, Yehuda will now have to do a tedious, unpleasant job.. cleaning the chains of winter bikes. ugh. Use Boeshield T-9 lubricant. best lube in existence. works in all conditions, and it doesn’t wash off in the wet, even though it isn’t thick and sticky. The best part? it actually exists.
It was a test given by Joe. Didn’t you see the disappointing “sigh”. Or maybe the customer locked up next to Joe’s bike. He does have a very nice ride.
Personally I don’t mind cleaning chains. If they are bad I use the “Sheldon shake”. If not I run them through some kitchen paper with degreaser on it. Kind of theraputic as you have to keep your mind on the job if you are doing this to a fixie.
Rick, I live the bike shop humor. I don’t know how you come up with this stuff without actually working at one.
Uglify your bike?
I had the ugliest bike in town, locked, and it still got stolen.
The bike was a Huffy Black Hills mtb with that factory oven splatter paint job and the neon green fork, covered with old stickers, been run over so the frame was bent, ballooner fenders with a barn paint job, rusty rims. Was a okay townie beater but some frat boy had to have it.
One other hand I saw a immaculate Rivendale Ramboulet parked unlocked in front of a best buy one day in the same town.
Mr.HUFFY:
MTB = theft, RoadBike = secure. Especially in most college towns.
The ridiculously light cable and childishly simple lock I use seem to work.
One end of the cable, of course, must go around the wrist or neck.
@ George – you mean when you catch a bike thief, you string ‘em up to make an example of them?
I think Yehuda is removing the customer’s old lock bits from the street sign he’d chosen – you can see the sign face in one panel. Joe objected to the “park next to a nicer bike” comment, that’s all.
I have a Surly Big Dummy, the only one in town. All the bike patrol officers know me, and my bike. If they saw anyone else riding it they’d ask questions.
The helmet lock is a pretty good second lock too, but one lock, maybe with additional cable, should be able to lock both wheels and the frame to something (unless it’s a u-lock to a telephone pole).
Two locks is only for scary areas where I’d not want to leave my bike in the first place, and maybe then it’d be worth getting pitlocks or something to keep all the little bits on.
i read it twice:
yahuda with an a [two, actually]
versus
MtnBikrTN . . .
it made me laugh BOTH times. first time, when i thought that the pot was calling the kettle black, and then the second time, when i realized that you were talking to yourself, and i realized you have a terrible perspective!
i’m not getting involved, i’m just sayin’ . . .
Bike thieves know bikes so uglifying doesn’t work. The guy looking for the quick pinch or opportunity crime will take what’s easiest.
The guy looking for a quick sale may take the less boutique bike because he knows high end bikes are more easily identifiable and harder to sell, so parking next to the nicer bike may or may not work.
Uglifying a bike is the same as saying that the nice looking bike was asking to be stolen. Swapping out some words that’s kind of like saying, “the way she was dressed, she was asking to be raped.” Which is an appalling point of view when directed at humans, why not bikes.
@ machonurin – I don’t think so. The ‘ding ding’ in panel three is the customer leaving the store.
speaking of cleaning chains, has anyone tried Sheldon’s ShelBroCo chain cleaning kit?
I can leave my 25 YO recumbent unlocked in just about any place in town and still find it where I left it.
@mirco
What do you think of Phil Wood’s Tenacious Oil for winter riding chains?
How about a chain case like the kind you find on a Batavus or Velorbis? Saves a lot of the trouble of cleaning the chain.