Think you've got it tough?

Click to enlarge, ie: what the Germans were riding

Believe you've had a harsh commute this morning? 4WD twunt cut you off? Four-cylinder shitbox duly failed to note your presence? Hah! Read this! Although I reckon these blokes surely of had superb bike handling skills, finely-honed to perfection on those clunky water-pipe frames.

They pedalled behind enemy lines
Initially they were mocked — referred to as "the Gas Pipe Brigade," but they were some of the most valued Canadian soldiers. They were 1,200 men in the five battalions Canada sent into the war on bicycles. "These guys were amazing," says 63-year-old Dennis Thomassen of Ottawa. He began collecting bicycle infantry memorabilia about 20 years ago, when he first learned of their unsung military contribution.

Further hard edge cycling attitude, or is it simply pure NY snark, courtesy of the New Yorker:

Holy Rollers: The city’s bicycle zealots
Quote: Bill DiPaola, the founder of Time’s Up, an environmental organization that anchors the activist, theatrical wing of the cycling community, glanced around warily, sizing up the anti-insurgency forces. “We’re definitely seeing more cars with blacked-out windows,” he said. “We expect the usual hard-line unfriendliness.”

If you muse over the recent abrupt switch (tipping point?) in public consciousness towards global warming & related issues, could there could be a smaller yet equally opposite reaction from plebs feeling a tad threatened? Charming. Not.