Next year marks a decade without driving for me. My American license expired, and I simply never went to the trouble of getting a Dutch one. I don't miss it a bit. : )
In college, I used to drive a 1986 Volvo 240DL station wagon. I bought it for $800, covered the windows with band stickers, installed two 12" subwoofers, and frequently slept in it.
I had a DIY front license plate homage to The Crass's Fight War, Not Wars. Somehow, being anti-war was always provocative.
People used to rip it off my car. Like repeatedly. Imagine being that triggered by an anti-war piece of plastic.
The year was 2003. I had just returned from my senior year abroad in Germany, and Bush Jr.'s Iraq War – the 2nd Gulf War – was somehow officially over but just getting started. (It ended in 2011...)
Sound familiar? The promise of "Short-term pain for long-term gain." There is nothing short-term about war.
If history has shown us anything, the long-term pain of bombed-out rubble and innocent lives lost certainly is never worth the short-term gain of American petroleum access. Yet, it somehow keeps repeating every decade or so, and here we are again...
I do feel (hope?) this could be a turning point for a broader global rebuke of Trump & Netanyahu. We can only hope. Actually, we can do more than that. We can vote!
Local elections are here in the Netherlands on the 18th to determine the composition of municipal councils for the next four years. Citizens may not typically be able to impact geopolitical policy, but voting, especially in local politics, is where real change begins.
Making the effort to go vote? Now that's a short-term pain for a long-term gain!
thank you for reading,
Jon
p.s.
In 2005, I forgot a window open on that Volvo wagon during a two-month summer trip. The interior turned into Jumanji & it had standing water full of mosquitoes. I junked it for $100, and my fixed-gear became my sole mode of transportation for several years. : )
Twotone is celebrating 11 Years and we've updated our annual offer: Every paid subscriber makes a big difference! Thank you! 😊
March
- 🇳🇱 10 False Flat Tuesday After Work Ride (5pm)
- 🇳🇱 11 Wheelrunner Wednesday AM Ride (6:30am)
- 🇳🇱 12 Gregario Gossip Club Thursday AM Ride (7:15am) & Fridays 18:45!
- 🇳🇱 14 12hr Alleycat (Twotone HQ returns as the karaoke checkpoint!)
- 🇩🇪 20-22 Cyclingworld w/ 2moso Germany, Veloe, Moustache & OMNIUM
- 22.3 | 9am Moustache Urban Art Ride
- (More Cyclingworld events to be listed next week!)
April
- 🇬🇧 24-26 BESPOKED London
- 🇳🇱 26 King of Amsterdam | Monster Cash-Up BMX Jam
Bikes
Behind The Scenes: Post Carry Co.'s Loomer
Conor Dunne Took On The Legendary Atlas Mountain Race
The Atlas Mountain Race hast certainly gotten harder every year since its inaugural edition in 2020 and 2026 was the most gnarly. Watch this film about Conor's effort here.
Quirk Founder’s Batch Ushers in £5k UK-Made Production Steel Road, Gravel Bikes & More!
Cory Benson
Cory at Bikerumor takes a deep dive into Quirk Cycles' expansion into becoming a global premium bike brand with its first two limited-edition releases. More here. Thank you, Cory!
Ideas
Josh Smith: Destiny
Amsterdam's Women's March Sunday with 15k People
NOS Nieuws
Sunday was also International Women's Day and Amsterdam showed up in force!
The Death of Spotify: Why Streaming is Minutes Away From Being Obsolete
Joel Gouveia
"The music industry has spent a decade obsessing over how to get a million people to listen to a song once. The next decade will be defined by artists figuring out how to get 1,000 people to care forever." Personally, I'm streaming less & less. We still do in the office but I'm listening to MP3's of CD's from my youth or music bought on iTunes/Apple Music or Band Camp. And certainly attending more shows, buying merch & LP's and hosting shows in our office! : )
Friends
Exhibit at the 2026 International Cargo Bike Festival
Tom
The International Cargo Bike Festival is a highlight for me every year, and early-bird pricing ends this week! Book by spot by 15 March & you can sve extra 20% early-bird discount.
18 years ago, Jennifer Skupkin bought a box of slides at a flea market. 5 years ago, those photos went viral on CNN. Last week, the final piece of the puzzle fell into place.
Fenderfest Nº3 Returns 15 - 17 May, 2026
Radness
The Nano Goes the Distance — From Prototype to Podium
Allan Shaw shares more of the story behind OMNIUM's newest & smallest whip! Read here.
Thank you for reading!
Here's to less pain & more gain this week!