Grant is a marketeer and an interesting person. To some extent, he *is* trying to get people to drink his Kool-Aid because that's his market space. I well recall when he was selling an older Campy front derailer. It had an oversized clamp, so he sold it with a plastic sleeve that you used over the seat tube to correctly fit it. It was "the best thing ever," and I've seen him do that repeatedly with old stock items. So to some extent, yeah, he's just trying to move stock. Come *on*--the man sells luxury-class bicycles to people with money who (and I count myself in the 'who' even though I don't own a Riv) like to pretend that they're saving the planet or bohemian or randonneurs or... Look. We're exactly like a sports car club. The difference in utility for most of us between a Riv frame and a '70s UJB or '80s Trek is *de minimis*. Check my blog post here for further thought: https://lawschoolissoover.wordpress.com/2014/09/06/marginalia/
At the same time, Grant has some clear philosophical convictions (some of which I like, many of which I disagree with, but that's between him and me) about the way things *should* be done. And that's OK, too. In fact, that's *great*. That's how we learn. Thesis, antithesis, synthesis, remember? But sometimes they bleed together and Grant *sounds like* a BS artist. His talk about "plastic" racing wear, for example. Modern cycling jerseys are, IME, very comfortable. Wool is nice, too. But he uses terms that denigrate others to get his point across, and *that's* where the trouble comes in. He should come to New Haven, where lots of people wear lots of different things to ride in, and some of us switch it around. I love riding in street clothes, and I love riding in "plastic." Not because I race (I commute and group ride all on the same dynohub-equipped bike). I ride in what's suited to the circumstances. When it's 95 and muggy, I wear plastic and Lycra and carry street clothes in panniers. Etc. Grant's language implies that he would consider my choice to rid exclusively in SPDs to be foolish and racer-y. In fact, I find clipless more comfortable *and* it's far easier to find size 13B bike shoes/sandals that 13B street shoes. Etc. He *does* sound dictatorial from time to time. So do other people. And that's when I take a leaf from the past and say "Fsck 'em if they don't have a sense of humor." And go ride my bike. The way *I* want to ride it that day. On Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at 10:58:41 PM UTC-5, Don Compton wrote: > > I own a Mini Cooper and see a similar thing in the group. As new , the > cars handle so well. But owners look at racecars that are very low and > think that you have to have that look and the change will surely improve > the handling. Well, maybe not, ( probably not). Oh well > > On Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 1:08:44 PM UTC-8, Jon in the foothills of > Central Colorado wrote: >> >> In the new Adventure Cyclist Mag >> >> PETERSEN RESPONDS TO READER >> >> LETTER ‘UNRACING? UNCOOL’ >> >> Racing attitudes, bikes, clothing, >> >> and diets have become the norm and >> >> normal, and are so pervasive that many >> >> adult cyclists, maybe even some you >> >> know, accept the racing standards as >> >> the only legitimate way to be a serious >> >> adult cyclist. What I tried to do in the >> >> book *Just Ride *— and what we do here >> >> at Rivendell Bicycle Works — is offer >> >> an alternative, a model to other adult >> >> cyclists that there is another way. This >> >> letter is not an ad for either. I’m simply >> >> saying where I come from and what I >> >> do. >> >> We are the mice trying to squeak >> >> above the roar at the base of the >> >> waterfall. It is no time to be wishywashy, >> >> but I try hard to not offend. >> >> Inevitably, a declarative position on >> >> any matter is bound to raise a few >> >> hackles with those who have a different >> >> position, but it still hurts to be judged >> >> by a stranger who would probably like >> >> me, and whom I’d surely like, in person. >> >> A good number of our customers are >> >> middle-aged and older folks trying to >> >> fit in some activity as they age. They >> >> often have the means, and they’re >> >> influenced by what they read and see >> >> that promotes racers as a good model — >> >> and that’s something I don’t agree with. >> >> They shop as innocents and come >> >> out of it dressed like racers and riding >> >> bikes that are not only inappropriate >> >> for the kind of riding they do, but are, >> >> on top of that and more egregiously, not >> >> comfortable. We undo that. You may >> >> see ego or evil behind it, but I don’t >> >> feel either of those. I see racing and >> >> racers as fringe and am simply trying >> >> to legitimize an alternative point of >> >> view, one that I feel strongly about. I’m >> >> trying — certainly not singlehandedly — >> >> to make people feel good about riding >> >> without dressing in pro-team gear and >> >> copying so many other affectations of >> >> the racer, and that is what Unracing and >> >> *Just Ride *and Rivendell Bicycle Works is >> >> all about. We’re nobody’s enemy. Some >> >> of my best friends pedal cliplessly and >> >> in spandex. It’s cool. >> >> Grant Petersen >> >> Walnut Creek, California >> > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
