Follow up.

The Midtown Greenway is for the most part, located on the abandoned railroad right of way which traverses south Minneapolis along the route of 29th Street. Wireless and her BR live near 44th and Lake Harriet. Minneapolis on its north south axis is quite reliably 8 blocks to the mile. 44th to 29th with some lake dodging to do along the way means that at its closest passage to the Lake Harriet pile of bricks that the dafters call home, the Greenway is about 2 miles distant. This incident occurred at Cedar, a considerable distance along the bike path towards the east, making the whole thing about 5 miles and several socio-economic class shifts distant from where they live.

There are not nearly as many socio-economic class shifts between them and the victim. That young man in the photo was trying to sneak raw hamburger past a starving dog.

Let's examine the photo. Castelli jacket. That's no backpack, that's a messenger bag. Single speed fixed gear bike (note the absence of brake levers and tape on the bar). iPod. Spoke card. These things are all de rigeur for a certain set of bicycle commuting hipsters who are anything but economically deprived.

The thieves displayed their lack of knowledge by taking the iPod. It may have been the least valuable object in the possession of the victim.

As to how hard core he is, the report says he was robbed on November 20. That was before it had snowed here. The picture with the story looks suspiciously like it was taken in a parking lot, quite possibly the parking lot of the apartment building where young Mr. Biglajzer lives. I know a few people who ride all year round and I do not think the costume worn in the photo is an accurate depiction of what people who are still out there riding are wearing. Which is not to say this guy is not hard core, the story says he is still commuting. If he is still riding I seriously doubt that he is dressed for riding in the same clothes that he has donned for the photo.