On Dec 13, 10:41 am, Jon Cameron <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hi Landotter,
>
> I'm glad to hear that you are so pleased with your $400. bike. I'm
> equally pleased to hear that it see's many miles of practical use,
> that is a thing that many in our society should consider emulating. If
> riding a low profile machine until the chain rusts so badly that the
> wheel won't turn allows you to get out of your head enough to enjoy
> the ride, more power to you. I too have a relatively low cost bike in
> the stable that I willingly ride in terrible conditions ( a recycled,
> US built, eighties vintage Trek ) It's nice to not worry too much
> about the damage of road salt on bike parts.
>
> Having said all of that, I much prefer riding in style on a lugged
> steel bike, bagged and fendered with an eye toward the beauty of a
> machine in service to us all. My Rivendell's never fails to induce
> extremely positive comments from any and all who see them. To the
> extent that they become a kind of ambassador to the car driving public
> in this vast nation we live in, and compared to what they have paid
> for their cars, I never apologise for my bike's cost. There are many
> ways to use and enjoy a bicycle, all of them valid. Just don't suppose
> that your preferred method is best. Not to mention that your $400 bike
> was likely built in a land where workers are considered expendable,
> and not worthy of a living wage for their efforts.
Typical American Prius driving reply. Srsly You're an ignorant
tokenist. ;-)
Where do all the practical bikes across Germany, Sweden, Holland, and
Sweden come from? Taiwan, China, Vietnam, etc--like all the other shit
you have.
Ya check where your motherfucking stapler was made, Huh?
At the end of the day, it's a tool--what's important is to ride it.
What PJW sells are some really good accessories--these come on some
$500 Asian made bikes in Sweden. You buy a $1000 bike in Copenhagen?
Bike made in China, lights made in Germany.
SO--unless you start buying locally produced cutlery, pants, shoes,
and everything else--you're being a hypocritical %...@--the important
component in cycling is the cycling itself. As a European, I find you
Americans to be nothing short of hilarious when you fail to comprehend
things.
Do you not get it? Cycling isn't about buying bikes--building a bike
doesn't take very long--a Chinese made bike can provide much local
business through service and accessories. Bike shop makes money with
service. If I didn't build wheels--I'd have D. or PJW build me wheels
for my Chinese Kona--see? Duh!
Your post was a total fail--enjoy your hemp twine!
BTW--I love domestic bike makers--love Rivs, ANT, and all the rest--
and they can be solutions--but for a lot of people THEY ARE LUXE
ITEMS. You go ahead and rack and scratch and crap your pants 12X per
day locking up a $3,000 bike in the big city with a $100 lock.
> I may be reading more into your posts than you intended, and if that's
> the case, I'm sorry for the strength of my reply. But I do believe in
> the "mission statement" that PJW has written when he created this
> list. I try to make my bicycling purchases and choices with that in
> mind. Jon Cameron.
>
> On Dec 12, 11:35 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Thanks...so much for tipple typin'! ;-)
>
> > I just got home from a little run to the store on the little $400 do
> > getter last night and I realized that of all the bikes I've owned in
> > my life and regardless of components--it's got the unsexiest of
> > Shimano integrated 8spd stuff on it--it's the bike I gladly ride
> > dressed like I am now in fancy jeans, t-neck, leather vest, tech
> > jacket, and Blunnie boots on MKS Sylvan strapless tours, for a tootle
> > around the neighborhood--and if I wanted to do a century tomorrow, I'd
> > spd it and not even blink. On the same cheap stock Velo saddle even.
> > Hi-larious! Heck--racked up, with LX hubs, I'd ride the thing to Baja
> > California. Did I mention that it has a $9 front derailleur that never
> > misses a shift? It does have a luxury $20 Deore in back, because I'm
> > worth it, dangit. ;-) Grips are Ritchey Trues + REI closed cell. If
> > Tom Ritchey stops making True Grips, I will cry.
>
> > At any rate--It's funny how we talk tech so much on here--and the the
> > more we do, the more I realize that the bikes I've had with things
> > like Brooks saddles have caused me to THINK about them more than ride
> > them. I obsess about saddle tilt and smearing it with gunk and are my
> > balls numb and so on. Then on to each and every other component. With
> > the Dew--for example--I knew the hubs were Formula shit to begin with,
> > so I repacked them with new good balls and overflowing grease first
> > thing with a perfect adjustment and my attitude is "meh--I'll deal
> > with them again when an axle breaks." ;-) Just like back home in
> > Sweden--when your chain is ready to be lubed when the back wheel is
> > hard to turn. Hee!
>
> > At any rate, I do do a lot of practical riding--and like I said
> > before--when I had bikes that were really gee whiz and not even that
> > expensive--maybe 1200 bucks with kit or so and folks asked how much
> > they cost because they wanted one for sincere reasons--it sucked to
> > give them the answer--but with a $400 bike, it's a much more fun
> > answer to give because they can join my clan--and I want them to!
> > -LO
>
> > On Dec 12, 11:13 am, Doug Shaker <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > Landotter-
>
> > > Great story of bike loves, both sustained and lost. It was a
> > > pleasure to read.
>
> > > At 06:31 AM 12/12/2008, landotter wrote:
>
> > > >On Dec 11, 11:36 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > > > This is a Friday night ramble, so fair warning.
>
> > > > > I've been riding a long while in a practical manner since I was a wee
> > > > > tot and my grandpa put me on his folder and had me learn in the 70s.
> > > > > Never been a racing lad, though I've owned a few fast bikes, even a
> > > > > current fun fixie.
>
> > > > > I've had a slew of work bikes and sort of became a bit of a snob, at
> > > > > first my first meter was the ole Kroon I had in the 80s--a nice
> > > > > classic Euro number. Fell off the wagon in the grunge years and rode
> > > > > olde wimmins frenchies with flowers painted on them and didn't give a
> > > > > shit in the good style of the north.
>
> > > > > In 97 I got one of the first stateside Nexus7 bikes with a roller
> > > > > brake rear and canti front. Alu fenders, racks, from Rapid Transit in
> > > > > Chicago. I rode that bike for years--probably 30-40K! With all kinds
> > > > > of bar and whatnot configurations, but always in a citi style that was
> > > > > clothes friendly. Great bike, I worshiped the dang thing--it shit on
> > > > > winters and laughed at them. But honestly, the frame was brutal and
> > > > > overbuilt.
>
> > > > > So, it was stolen for the final time a few years ago and after a
> > > > > couple years of fixies, singles, three speeds, restores, and all kinds
> > > > > of bikes, I just bought a new Kona Dew from a new bike shop two
> > > > > blocks from me to support them-- and the fact that I needed a ride.
>
> > > > > FWIW, I flipped four bikes on craigslist to buy the kona--fixed them
> > > > > up and all.
>
> > > > > So, at any rate, take the Kona home, and it's fairly lame, all the
> > > > > bearings are super tight, and it's basically crap. Build it back up
> > > > > and it's OK.... (The shop JUST opened, so one can forgive, they're
> > > > > kick butt now)
>
> > > > > Ohhh fuck all the stories
>
> > > > > bottom line is
>
> > > > > Kona dew has great geometry
>
> > > > > I rebuilt the wheels
>
> > > > > bonged on a new rear mech
>
> > > > > racks frontnback
>
> > > > > tires that weigh 350g
>
> > > > > fenders and proper splashguards
>
> > > > > and
>
> > > > > trekking handlebar
>
> > > > > At any rate--this combo of bike with the hand built wheels and
> > > > > commodity frame
>
> > > >Hahaha-fired off a draft while drink'n bourbon--how internish of me!
>
> > > >At any rate-took a nice ride last night, and it struck me dang nice my
> > > >Dew is--how I've surrendered to it, because it fits ultimately. I know
> > > >a lot about bikes. Grew up riding them, got them in my blood--I could
> > > >get a big head about it and start to think I'm worth a $3K bike--but
> > > >couldn't most Dutch, Chinese and Swedes like me make the same boast?
>
> > > >When I go back home to Gothenburg--it's funny, we all ride back there--
> > > >and no one gives a shit about headsets until they break. Then you get
> > > >the dang thing fixed--but you live a heck of a bicycle lifestyle.
>
> > > >But back to the Dew--I think that's what I like about it--it's at the
> > > >price point that one really should pay for an urban scoot--it's about
> > > >what a three speed goes for in Stockholm these days. Darn thing costs
> > > >enough for everything to work.
>
> > > >"Bicycle Lifestyle" sometimes is what it is--back home in Gothenburg--
> > > >we got us bike roads, baby, bike stoplights, bike everything! We are
> > > >bicycle--but the bikes we ride--they're mainly $3-700 jobbers. And
> > > >they last a good long long time.
>
> > > >And I was riding my Dew last night like a dozen other people in the
> > > >'hood that also ride Dews--and thinking first--I'm not iconoclastic
> > > >like I used to be--I'm no longer the weirdo on a lone DL1 or on a rare
> > > >Nexus group--but when I rode my Kroon with the case of beer roped to
> > > >the rack in Gothenburg clattering down the cobbles--that bike was
> > > >never anything special either--but it was still quite a joy.
>
> > > >D. down at the shop is getting his A.N.T. soon--but I'm happy with my
> > > >Dew. I think I like the anonymity now--while I'm not stock--I've
> > > >basically not left not more than frame alone--at least I can say to
> > > >folks that ask--hey, I want one how mush, "only 4 bills"--instead of 4
> > > >grand, and I don't have mention what all the handbuilt whatsits cost--
> > > >because those come with time.
>
> > > >mornin!
>
> > > -Doug Shaker
> > > Expert Support Inc. mailto:[email protected]
> > > 201 San Antonio Circle, #102 voice: 1-650-739-0844
> > > Mountain View, CA 94040-1234 fax: 1-650-739-0814- Hide
> > > quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
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