There is a rose in Spanish Harlem... and a Schwinn Excelsior up in the Bronx.

By now, dear reader, you are aware of the cliquish nature of the bicycle enthusiast scene these days. The messengers dislike the commuters; the mountain bikers save their vilest gestures for roadies. Everybody makes fun of the "couch bikes" or "bike-a-loungers"--those silly looking recumbent bikes that kick everyone's butt on the bike path.

Well, here's another clique to add to the mix: the Puerto Ricans in the Bronx who collect and restore classic cruisers from the 40s and 50s. This is pretty nifty, actually, and we can foresee a sort of Jets-vs.-Sharks thing developing with the Black Label bike club.