Bike Snob “Enlightens” Summit Attendees #NBS12

In his first book, the notorious Bike Snob “systematically and mercilessly realigned the world of cycling.” One of the bike world’s most popular, prolific and profoundly humorous blog personalities, the Bike Snob (Eben Weiss) lampooned the “missteps, pretensions, and absurdities of bike culture while maintaining a contagious enthusiasm for cycling itself.”

Now he’s back with his second book — and gave his first official book signing this afternoon at the 2012 National Bike Summit.

“The Enlightened Cyclist: Commuter Angst, Dangerous Drivers, and Other Obstacles on the Path to Two-Wheeled Transcendence” is a primer for cyclists of all stripes — especially those addicted to the Bike Snob’s laugh-out-loud hilarious blog posts that poke fun at all aspects of the cycling lifestyle. In the Enlightened cyclist, the Snob explores the frustrations and triumphs of the daily bike commuter with his trademark snark and insight. “It’s different than my last book,” Weiss told me (before he, yes, signed my copy). “That was generally about cycling and about our relationship with it and my relationship with it and a little bit of history about it.”

The Bike Snob at the Bike Summit

“This book,” he continued, “is more about the practical aspects of cycling, about commuting. Commuting is this portion of your day that can be fraught with danger and misery and death. It’s the only time that any of us are really threatened with death on a daily basis, unless you’re a soldier or fireman or police officer or something. So this is about that feeling and how to turn that around and make it better.”

“People who ride bicycles are really a step ahead because we’re getting around in a way that we love. We’re riding because we love to do it. There are all these angry people on the streets, yelling at each other, but we’re a little above them — slightly less miserable — because we’re doing something we love. So this is about how to make your life better by making commuting a happy part of your day.”

Click here to find a book signing near you or to order your copy — for the first step toward cycling enlightenment.