My Hunq is a daily driver and has the dings and scratches to show for it. Probably the worst one is that the kickstand plate is pried partially loose — no big deal, I just took the kickstand off and used the mounting hardware to snug things back up. Worst case scenario for me is that someday I treat myself to a new paint job and maybe some frame modifications to go along with it.
Jay Lonner Bellingham, WA Sent from my Atari 400 On Nov 5, 2022, at 4:28 PM, George Schick <bhim...@gmail.com> wrote:
I haven't read Grant's Blahg on this matter (the ancient OS on my computer is so out of date that I can't load certain websites), but what he has to say does not surprise me. He's always been all about what he calls "beausage," a term he coined to mean "beauty through usage," or IOW don't sweat all of the nicks and scratches, "just ride" your bike and be happy. The good news though is that there is a happy middle ground between the complete over-the-top utility use of a bike (like Pam's), ignoring any wear and tear versus a finicky protectiveness, hovering over the bike at all times and worrying about theft, damage, etc. And in my way of thinking that means "just ride" it for all it's worth, but don't just throw it in the corner until the next ride, but take good care of it. Another way of saying that might be, "... take good care of it and it will take good care of you." This is no different than what one might do having just bought a nice new automobile and drives it everywhere, but also maintains it, washes and waxes it regularly, and is careful where they park it.
On Saturday, November 5, 2022 at 6:14:45 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote:
I love this topic! I had my custom designed to answer the question, "What if I had all the qualities I love about Rivendells in a frame made exactly for my size, weight and riding preferences?", and at first I was super precious about it. Later I realized the whole point was to have a perfect bike I could ride every day for everything and that's what I'm doing.
Of course I'm still absurdly touchy about scratching all that beautiful Joe Bell paint but I don't let it stop me, I lock it up at Walmart, I fill the bags with laundry and go to the laundromat. Because I want my bike to do all the things bikes do!
Joe Bernard
On Saturday, November 5, 2022 at 3:15:18 PM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:
Did you read Grant’s Blahg? He covers a lot of ground, but most notable to me was the Please Don’t Be Precious About Your Rivendell section. In sum, Grant is saying it saddens him to think of people riding beater bikes instead of their Rivendells to do daily, monotonous tasks - because those tasks make up a lot of real life. If one “saves” their Rivendell, it will not realize its potential, sit mostly unused and then pass to one’s heirs who will sell it in “near mint” condition on EBay, and how sad. What was the bike for?
I have found myself both guilty and innocent on the matter. My #1 favorite bike is my raspberry Platypus. I ride it all the time, because I bought it to ride it, but I also dread any harm coming to it, and I do guard it from that. I got a second Platypus that I dedicated to shopping and traveling with and promised not to be precious about it. But now and then I still am tempted to backslide. When traveling to the Philly Bike Expo I dithered about which bike to bring. I didn’t want my raspberry Platy damaged while locked up at racks and I feared it being stolen. Roberta said, “I don’t think you have a choice, Leah. That’s the bike people will expect you to bring.” And she was right, and I did.
Then, there is Pam. Pam is at the other far end of the spectrum. Her bike is a model of beausage. Innumerable paint chips and little spots of rust cover her tiny Betty frame. Her Backabike bags are full of holes and the elastic closures are worn out. She locks it up and never worries about it. She did not obsessively stare out the restaurant window to see if it was still locked to the rack while we were at dinner (like yours truly). But she loves her bike, has real affection for it. She looked at me, eyes shining, and said exactly that. Ana, PurpleRiv, is another good example to us. She adores her bike, but has not spared it from hard work. Her bike has hauled obscene loads and taken her everywhere. I remember there was that one fateful camping trip for she 1. Posed it for a photo, only to have it topple and slide down the face of a boulder next to it. I believe she said she sat there and wept for 2 hours over her Joe Bell paint. And who among us would not do the same? 2. Same trip, another photo op, and the bike fell off a cliff.
So, who truly loves their Rivendell? The one who lavishes it with care and protection? Or the one who pulls it out of the garage and into all of life - the mundane and the adventurous?
On one end of the spectrum we have those who will only take a Rivendell out for special occasions so as not to spoil it, and on the other…well, we have Pam and Ana, who will give it a good thrashing. (Oh, don’t take it personally, friends, I’m being funny about both types of owners.)
I find myself wanting to be precious but fighting it and succeeding *most* of the time. I’m lucky that the raspberry paint hides beausage and dirt, so it looks pretty new. But a dent in the top tube or a large chip in the paint would really hurt my feelings. Heaven help me.
Where are you on the spectrum? What words of wisdom might you have? What strategies do you employ? Do you want to change? Or are you unapologetically staying put on the matter? It might be fun to hear perspectives. Leah
--
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 view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/bfe06075-ce3e-417c-ad25-ed90037e60d1n%40googlegroups.com.
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 view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/28AD2254-70C9-4C4E-9739-F7D5DC7F66B7%40gmail.com.
|
