Joe Mitchell: "Thank God you're building the ballroom. Thank God you're getting rid of those awful bike lanes. We don't ride bicycles in Iowa." https://t.co/pMkgvYZhv0
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 23, 2026
২৩ অক্টোবর, ২০২৬
"We don't ride bicycles in Iowa."
পোস্টগুলি
৮১টি মন্তব্য:
…nobody told him about ragbrai?…
motorcycling and bicycling are more apart than any thing else in the world. ask a motorcyclist
I rode a Harley Road King for decades, and I also rode a mountain bike for thousands of miles thru the Catskills. Motorcycle riding isn’t physical exercise. You’re just sitting on your ass on the couchc. The beer bellies you see on all those middle aged guys riding Harleys didn’t grow by accident. I sold my Road King a decade ago because I could no longer pick up the 700 pound beast if I dropped it (and everybody does eventually drop). Bike lanes deceive a rider into believing he’s safe. I still ride my bike, but I ride where there is little or no traffic.
I love both motorcycling and bicycling and they are not worlds apart. The first motorcycles were bicycles with engines bolted on. E-bikes have a lot in common with the first motorcycles. And motorcycling can be physically challenging- try riding a Ducati Panigale through some twisty roads at 80 miles per hour. There aren’t any chonksters riding sports bikes for a reason.
Iowa sucks in my book if they get rid of bike lanes.
Rehajm, you beat me to it. Was going to say one of the most famous bike tours goes across Iowa!
Boy is that post by Aaron Rupar getting ratioed bad on X - I guess people don’t like the ballroom and do like bike lanes.
These e-bikes are a hazard. Once a week or so I see a kid who must be around 14 or so riding through a stop sign at 25 mph, or you get somebody doing 30 mph in a bike lane and if anything happens to them, it’s going to be *your* fault.
…I suppose he could make a case that the ragbrai riders are tourists and the Iowans are participant support and benefactors…funny ragbrai story I have: a couple I know were dating and he suggested a getaway trip to take the ride. She’s a rider but a bit posh, a tuscany pedal between vineyards and five star more her thing. Much to her surprise she learned on ragbrai sometimes shower is at a car wash or a garden hose in some Hawkeye’s front yard…but yes, it didn’t end things for them…
The ballroom perfectly encapsulates the things that people like about Trump and hate about Trump. He used to appeal to a larger cross section. but now it’s all about turning out the choir, the first tranche of boomers.
He should call it The Shibboleth Ballroom. The snipers were a nice touch, would not want the common people getting too uppity.
I would much rather watch foreign dignitaries, media swine, and Political pigs keep having their parties in a tent with Porta potties. They don't deserve anything better.
Do "we" honor the 3rd Commandment in Iowa? Frankly, you could have phrased it better, Joe.
"motorcycling and bicycling go together"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRnxEZJCey4
Just don't be an idiot.
Spoken like a hick from the sticks. Just because you don't ride a bike in your little corner of the world doesn't mean other people don't. And as others have pointed out, Mitchell is apparently ignorant of RAGBRAI (the [Des Moines] Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa), a great local tradition that attracts bicyclists from all over the United States.
Unicycle are the correct vehicular unit for Transport to Circus
Des Moines Register could combine Spelling Bee with Bike Ride
Bicycling is not a feasible activity for you're typical corn porker morbidly obese Iowan.
This guy doesn't have a clue. I live in Iowa. Since 1973, RAGBRAI, an annual bicycle ride across Iowa, has been a celebrated tradition, bringing thousands of cyclists and spectators together for a journey across the state. There are between 25,000 and 30,00 participants each summer, from all 50 states and upwards of 20 countries. It is the oldest, largest, and longest multi-day bicycle tour in the world.
Look up RAGBRAI. It is a long held rite of passage in Iowa for Midwest bicyclists.
I find that the bike lanes come in quite handy when you need a little extra room moving the combine from place to place.
Ragbrai is mostly on Iowa county roads. The government does not need to remove car lanes to make RAGBRAI possible.
Again with the GOP - they need to thread the needle and explain things better.
The Ballroom is for security and to help DC move into the modern age.
What is the big deal?
oh right- the left loved DC's massive crime and grime prior to Trump.
I don't know who the politician is, but he's doing a vocal impression of Trump.
In CO - the radical dumb left are removing whole car lanes and replacing them with bike lanes.
It's not working. The bike lanes are not being USED. The car lanes that are left, are backed up and congested. No one asked for it, and everyone complains.
We have plenty of bike and walking paths and they are used.
WE have wide shoulder roads that cyclists use all the time.
I suspect that is what he was talking about - but in Iowa.
The useless bike lane mission is real.
He should NOT have said "WE don't ride bikes in Iowa"
He could have said - "It's cold here - we drive our cars to get around." "We need those un-used lanes back."
Nuance! learn it -Dumb GOP.
Leftists visit Amsterdam and think they can re-create it here. Amsterdam is a temperate climate.
Iowa and CO get SNOW. We drive thru snow. We drive.
In Boulder - the person hired to remove car lanes and replace them with bike lanes - she is gone. Everyone HATES what she did. It's useless. actually harmful.
There are areas where these bike lanes (formerly for cars) are 100% not used by cyclists. True story.
I'm noting the clear bullet proof partition in front of him.
Do leftists need that?
NOPE.
The democrat party is a mob crime syndicate.
Peachy+2 said...
"No one asked for it, and everyone complains."
That's life in a one-party state. What you want doesn't really matter.
bikes aned motorcycles have nothing in common other than the two wheels.
In Vermont they push bike lanes, it’s snowy and hilly. If you are over 30, they are pretty much useless. Steep hills pretty often. It’s ideology. The Netherlands are flat. My mother used to ride to Belgium as a girl to get chocolate. It’s a part of the culture and fits the geography.
Some of these new e-bikes really blur that line JES. I own a Zonveer ZX3 and the damn thing is basically an electric motorcycle.
And yes, something needs to be done about *children* riding them on public thoroughfares. The way to do that is with an age limit, not trying to slap ordinances on the technology.
Bike lanes and the usage of bike lanes depends on the region, the seasons, terrain, traffic use on the road, etc.. The population of the area and the numbers of people who actually want to bike to work or for exercise varies widely .
The resentment of bike lanes is due to idiot "central planners" in far away places deciding to foist bike lanes where there is no demand. Or lanes that cause dangerous situations with normal traffic usages. NOT to mention the rude and moronic bike riders who ignore the rules of the road, hog the road, blithely assume they are safe riding their bikes and cause chaos. The drivers can't see the riders around the curves and have to brake suddenly or swerve off the road or into an oncoming logging truck.. It is a miracle that more people haven't been hurt.
Every time I drive thru one of the formerly 2-lane sections of road, that is now 1 lane in each direction due to the white posts that have been planted in the ROAD, I count all of the cyclists.
ZERO - every time. Not one cyclist.
DBQ - indeed.
"Central Planners" on the left don't need any of your intelligent criteria.
They have utopia in mind. WE will be forced to obey and like it, even if it makes life worse.
…in Boston the central planners made no secret of the fact they replaced vehicle lanes with bike lanes so car commuters would be so miserable they chose to switch to a bike. I want to ‘Nudge’ Cass Sunstein with my car and make him a speed bump…
DBQ said:
"The resentment of bike lanes is due to idiot "central planners" in far away places deciding to foist bike lanes where there is no demand."
Word. That's all that guy had to say.
We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee.
Just because Joe speaks in non sequitors doesn’t mean we have to answer in like fashion.
California was bike lane crazed, especially the Inland Empire city of Redlands, which hosts an international cycling event every year. Pods — excuse me— whole PELATONS of bikes swarm all over town in the weeks leading up to it clogging traffic from the I-10/I-215 interchange area in Colton all the way to the San Gorgonio Pass.
Real Iowans don’t give a damn about ragbri, they are working at the Case Plant or getting the pipe wick on the tractor for a pass over the bean field.
Isn't that what old railroad right of ways are for? Take out the rails and ties and make it a bike trail.
Anyway.
Why should the taxpayers fund a sport that has so few citizens engaging in it? Don't the automobile drivers pay the road use taxes? Since the riders don't pay they shouldn't get a say.
Ha- the X community ragbrai’ed the post…
Oil hit $115 a barrel for the first time since May ~ FT
Trump’s Russia deal worked out beautifully, didn’t it? Oil at $115 a barrel, and everything looking perfect for the midterms. Trump’s a genius.
The fundamental MAGA delusion is that American power—its trade, currency, and military might is somehow their power, bestowed upon them by virtue of their allegiance. It isn’t. They didn’t build it, and now they’re demonstrating that they don’t understand what sustains it or how easily it can be squandered.
The real challenge will be figuring out how to get out of the way once they finally wake up to the damage they’ve done. The question is whether they’ll recognize it in time and whether the damage can be undone.
Hawkeye - 8:23
One Party State, indeed.
The leftwing IEE(D) bot shows up to change the subject.
The Democrat Party of America approves of this.
Lies about who did it, and why.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐𝘌𝘌(𝘋) 𝘣𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵.
Well, it was a campaign rally, and diesel prices matter to Iowa’s ag vote. But why let economic reality intrude when you can talk about ballroom construction and bike lanes? Keep hope alive.
@ rustygrommet "Isn't that what old railroad right of ways are for? Take out the rails and ties and make it a bike trail."
Exactly... we have several rails to trails groups for the abandoned narrow gauge rail lines. (NE California in mountainous areas and wide agricultural valleys) The trails are quite nice for walking or biking. Nice level with a mild gradient for easy walking. There is one nearby that has a peddled cart that riders can sit on and peddle their way up and down the route using the old rails. (two routes up and down) There is a nice restaurant at the destination end of the trail if you want to stop and rest.
Other rails to trails have been dedicated to horseback riding...or to just plain walking...with some nice "rest stop" areas containing benches, picnic tables and (thankfully) composting bathroom facilities.
In addition our little town supports an annual Century Bike Ride event. The bikers are treated to a hearty breakfast in the morning and when the complete their lengthy ride ...a big BBQ at the Fair Grounds...where many of the riders are camped out in tents or RVs. The community sets up stations along the route(s) for water, rest, snacks, and medical if needed. The community is told what winding, scenic routes are being used and just avoid those roads during the day. Lots of fun for everyone.
I don't think they've gone far enough with the bike lane. The remaining lane should become a Diamond Lane that can only be used by those who eat their broccoli.
That's what they said about Indiana before the Little 500 and "Breaking Away."
No need to make everything about politics and divisiveness.
I blame Earl Blumenauer, the bicycle-mad Oregon congressman.
When you can’t campaign on your war of choice in Iran, your tariff fiasco, or your “victory” over inflation, you need a 'look squirrel' distraction. Enter Trump’s greatest economic achievements: a ballroom and the elimination of bike lanes.
Forget jobs, prices, and trade deficits. Nothing says “America is booming” quite like a White House construction project while the economy waits for someone to find the steering wheel.
IEE(D)
High diesel prices are a temporary discomfort.
The democrats seeking power- will provide a lot more pain that that. Permanent harm / permanent discomfort.
9:39 Planetgeo.
heh.
I want exhale stations for hard breathers. You're killing the planet with your exhaled CO2..! Pay up.
"It is the oldest, largest, and longest multi-day bicycle tour in the world."
Largest, apparently. Longest, possibly. Oldest, definitely not.
𝘈 2014 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵: "𝘈 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘹, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴."
Peachy+2 said...
High diesel prices are a temporary discomfort.
There is nothing temporary about diesel prices regulated by Iran. There is only one way out for us. Bail out of paying world prices for any fuels since we can supply our own diesel, natural gas, and gasoline. Oil companies here are making a killing, so we must crack that petroleum and refine more in the USA.
This woulda never happened if Trump was President!
gadfly -
"we can supply our own diesel, natural gas, and gasoline."
uh - you are not aware that Dems in blue states have forced refineries to close - for their appeal to gaia and their strict adherence to Climate Change Religion.
Dems in blue states are also banning the use of Natural Gas at alarming rates.
In COLORADO - the left's ban on Natural Gas is so unpopular, an effort to make it legal again is on the ballot.
The dems are against it, of course.
Peachy has those MAGA chanting points down pat.
Can one of you bots give me the correct Democrat talking point for today? Is it "diesel prices are too high" or is it "we need to get fuel prices up to European levels?"
Rupar with another “L”…
Talarico at a mic bitches and moans after voting in Austin this morning… says there’s been closed poll locations, insufficient ballots, etc., which indicates he’s preparing his confused followers for a crushing defeat.
Bicycle seats leave little ballroom.
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...
Peachy has those MAGA chanting points down pat.
How do you address the lack of refining capacity?
Poor IEE - the TRUTH is sunlight to his vampire.
Not all refineries are shuttered - but the CA dems do all they can to make sure refinery owners are pushed out because it's too expensive to operate.
BTW - Here's a talking point the IEE types will ignore.
Chi Coms pay Bernie to ignore that stuff.
Oops. Wrong link - this one is correct.
"Jaq said...
In Vermont they push bike lanes, it’s snowy and hilly. If you are over 30, they are pretty much useless. Steep hills pretty often. It’s ideology. The Netherlands are flat. My mother used to ride to Belgium as a girl to get chocolate. It’s a part of the culture and fits the geography."
My wife spent a year in Denmark in college. The Danes are also big bicycle riders year round and they do have hills. I would not hang your hat on that Dutch line of reasoning.
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺?
How much of the problem is actually a lack of refining capacity, and how much is Trump’s war of choice in Iran driving up global oil prices and diesel costs? Even with more refining capacity, you can’t refine your way out of a geopolitical shock to crude prices.
“ In CO - the radical dumb left are removing whole car lanes and replacing them with bike lanes.
It's not working. The bike lanes are not being USED. The car lanes that are left, are backed up and congested. No one asked for it, and everyone complains.”
Then there is the PRB (People’s Republic of Boulder). Daughter spent 5 years there for her PhD. A lot of the grad students there bicycle to school every day, rain, shine, or snow. She said yesterday that in snow, the bike paths are cleared much more quickly than the roads. I suggested politics (it’s Boulder). She surmised that the bike paths are under Parks and Rec, and they have nothing better to do, when it snows.
I do remember, before mail in ballot fraud, when CDOT chopped up the sides of all the state and federal roads in the state, to warn automobile drivers that they are driving off the highway. Bicyclists were incandescent.
Cant wait til Dems win. Tear down the white house. Open the borders. Bow down to their masters the Somalians. Endless government paid sex changes. Peopel being dragged ou of their houses. Im exaggerating?
Talk to Slotkin
A lot to look forward too.
https://x.com/jaimeeusa/status/2113397295794561351?s=46
RAGBRAI had a cameo in "The Straight Story" about Alvin Straight's lawnmower drive across Iowa to Mt.Zion, Wi to visit his ailing brother.
…I’m hearing ‘the voting booths in three states switch votes to republican’ or something. Tennessee involved…
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺?
How much of the problem is actually a lack of refining capacity, and how much is Trump’s war of choice in Iran driving up global oil prices and diesel costs? Even with more refining capacity, you can’t refine your way out of a geopolitical shock to crude prices.
God damn you're thick.
You can for sure refine your way out if you own the oil wells.
Again. Supply and demand.
Go join Jaq in the short bus.
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘪𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴.
Apparently, owning oil wells magically eliminates refining bottlenecks and geopolitical price shocks. Who knew supply and demand stopped applying to the global oil market once you owned the supply? Maybe brush up on the economics before lecturing others.
It does when you have the refining capacity.
What's wrong with your brain?
gadfly said...
Peachy+2 said...
High diesel prices are a temporary discomfort.
There is nothing temporary about diesel prices regulated by Iran. There is only one way out for us. Bail out of paying world prices for any fuels since we can supply our own diesel, natural gas, and gasoline. Oil companies here are making a killing, so we must crack that petroleum and refine more in the USA.
But you voted to close refinery's. You daft old c*nt.
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