Commuting - Choose your side in this fight!!

Actually, you don't really have to. ;)

After a while now of reading and posting in the "Commuting" forum, I've noticed that several topics seem to be recurring flashpoints of contention, some of them becoming quite bellicose. In no scientifically derived order:

Frame material: The reliable tried and true armies of steel clash (pun intended) with the inflexible forces of aluminum and the innovative light infantry of carbon.

Rivendell: Godsend, fraud, or just a bike company making a living in a niche market? Wait for the next Rivendell blowtorch fest.

Brakes: After spending great effort to simply keep ourselves rolling forward at a satisfying speed, we periodically break the seal (pun intended again...I'm awful tonight) on a fight about the most satisfying way to screech to a halt.

Bling: "Real" cyclist or "Real" cyclist. Wait, I can't tell the difference! Prepare to fight for the moral high ground derived from a level of technology and gear...or the complete lack thereof.

Brooks: A cousin of the Rivendell battle, this piece of cowhide stretched on a metal frame has loving followers and venomous detractors.

There are others, of course. Bike type, handlebars, and tires are always popular...but not really as heated. Helmets thrive more in A&S. What's possibly the most heated debate here?

Conduct: A bit of the driver, and a LOT of how you respond.

I have now successfully typed away several minutes while waiting to join some friends for dinner. Of course, as whimsical as this post is, it's not terribly off the mark...at least I don't think so.

Cheers!

Hey Banzai,

Are you a viper driver? I've got a college friend who's C/S is Banzai and flys vipers, which is obviously the jet in your sig. Coincidence?

BTW,

Steel to commute on

Carbon for the road

Conti's with kevlar

Helmet always, UCMJ and all

Brake only for beer!

Spreader

How about...

Shimano Vs Campagnolo - makes the christian crusades look like a schoolgirl pillowfight.

ILTB Vs anyone who subtly hints at there being any class separation between different types of cyclists, especially if it involves lycra! :eek: better get your flameproof suits on for that one!

And what about the VC storm that rages unabated in the P&R forum? just like the 300 year old storm on Jupiter, they just keep going round and round and round the same points with no end in sight yet regardless of the consequences it bears no relevance to the rest of us cycling in the real world.

Backpack Vs panniers - we shove sticks in the spokes of cyclists making the 'wrong' choice!

LBS Vs online

Clipless Vs flats

Lycra Vs cotton

Vintage Vs New

Helmet anyone?.... and what about carring a you-know-what (you'll need a CCW permit)

I love coming to these forums for support from my fellow cyclists, we're such a nurturing community... :p

I suppose it's a subset of the "how much gear" argument, but I can't believe you missed the Great Foot Retention Wars, and the Battle of the immodest Bulges (lycra). Major slip-ups there, Banzai.

As for Shimano v. campagnolo...who commutes on campy?

Can't we all get along?

http://img.timeinc.net/time/2007/la_riots/king_rodney.jpg

If Banzi could only fly a helicopter he would never have missed the Clipped / Clippless debate.

Signed by:
An Old Rotor Head

Kind of like bicycles. 18,000 parts all flying in formation looking for a place to come apart.

Don't forget to mention the viability of using a fixed gear as a commuter...

Don't mention the headphones either.

coaster brake in back (used last year, but not this - liked it though), drum/dynamo in front (new this year. Like). Neither rain, nor sleet, nor dark of night...
Plastic saddle in rainy months, Springy Brooks on dry days.
steel, 'cause I can respace it to fit my hub
25 YO Eclipse panniers
Fenders with mudflaps
Northroads, but thinking about moustache

Three speed with downtube friction shift.

No shimano, no campy. Not anywhere. Cool, huh! (Hubs: Sturmey, rear brake: dia compe, crank/bb: sugino, levers: Weinmann, shifter: suntour, stem TTT, bars: generic.)

As long as my boat (in this case, bike) I'm sitting on doesn't start sinking, I'm a happy man.
It's your bike, you do what you want with it, I'm not going to force you to go against your preferences.

I stay the hell out of A&S. Since they can only agree on disagreeing. It's kinda like the 100year war.

It could be more like SSFG where they discuss things like: Which would you prefer, Eating brains or being a robot! (although it was pretty funny, lol)

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=375262

After reading this thread I can tell you all that I'm definitely choosing the other side. And there's nothing you can do about it. So there.

who commutes on campy?

I do.... It came with my bike. Love it for everything

Hey Banzai,

Are you a viper driver? I've got a college friend who's C/S is Banzai and flys vipers, which is obviously the jet in your sig. Coincidence?

BTW,

Steel to commute on

Carbon for the road

Conti's with kevlar

Helmet always, UCMJ and all

Brake only for beer!

Spreader

I am a Viper driver. I'm the only Banzai I've ever met, though I'm sure there are a couple of others. Where did you go to school? I went to KU. The jet in my avatar is actually a picture of me getting ready to hook up to the tanker.

I suppose it's a subset of the "how much gear" argument, but I can't believe you missed the Great Foot Retention Wars, and the Battle of the immodest Bulges (lycra). Major slip-ups there, Banzai.

As for Shimano v. campagnolo...who commutes on campy?

I did miss some...

I should have clarified better (I was writing something silly in a hurry) but I was kinda thinking about clipless and lycra as "bling".

That's clever now that I think about it; Brooks, Breaks, and Bling...the three contentious "B's" of bicycling! :D

Don't mention the headphones either.

damn, beat me to it

You forgot thw tubular vs clincher discussions

Street clothes vs. lycra/spandex seems to be the main hot button on the commuting forum. That's funny to me because I've worn cycling specific clothes for years and never give it a second thought. Apparently some of the folks here have deep insecurities about being seen in public wearing tights and cycling jerseys. Whatever. If someone wants to chaff their butt raw wearing jeans on their bike, I'm not going to stop them.

- Steel
- Shimano/FSA mix
- Brooks
- Helmet
- No headphones
- Clipless
- Conti clinchers
- Lycra
- Canti brakes w/ Kool Stops

And if you don't agree with me, then you're wrong! AAAAhahahahahaha.:lol:

In the words of the great politician Kodos-

Brooks for some, none for others!

Oops. maybe he didn't say Brooks, but they are just as controversial!
I am really in between on this whole thing but do have a thing for steel I guess, but won't make fun of carbon or other materials.

There's many healthy debates here.

stopping at reds vs. 20 mph :)
cruising vs. 400 watts :D
pricy new vs. dumpster diving
new vs. fix the dang bike--will it last?
low cost wallyworld bike vs. real world performance
internal gear hub vs. derailer
English 3 speeds vs. roadies
linear brakes vs. discs
lightweight aluminum vs. buttery steel
dynamo lights vs. battery high power lights
rack/panniers/trunk bag vs. backpack
street clothes vs. lycra
rain cape vs. wet suit

The one debate that was resolved is: commuting on a bike is a blast.:D

I can't *believe* people missed....

'to ride on the sidewalk, or not.'

Lighting is also a big issue. Not so much whether we should have some - that's generally agreed - but whether Ninja night cyclists should be a target of light evangelism.
We also get a lot of VC bleedover here, though it's discouraged.

Don't forget about the filtering/passing on the right debates of '07.

Oh, and the underlying theme of many of these... "how you reflect on cyclists as a whole" and whether you care. Can be seen in the filtering, red light, helmet, light, sidewalk, lycra, and a I'm sure a few other discussions.

Let them ride Brooks! Seriously.

If you want true Hatfield vs. McCoy action, go to the Road forum and throw down with a little "Lance Is a Cheater" and a bit of "Campy pwns Shimano". I lurk, yet dare not post... The Mountain Biking forum has some real tight-asses too, but pretty much everything pales in comparison to the catfights in A&S. The Commuting forum is pretty civilized, other than the Rivendell threads.

LED vs halogen
LED bike lights vs flashlights vs DIY

It could be more like SSFG where they discuss things like: Which would you prefer, Eating brains or being a robot! (although it was pretty funny, lol)

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=375262

Or Riding Your Bike Into The Building and Down a Carpeted Hall to Your Cubicle v. Being a Nancy.

Frame material: You mean that there's a material other than steel that actually works for commuting. Say it isn't so! Steel is reel.

Rivendell: I can hardly afford to drool over their website.

Brakes: The kind that fit on the bike.

Bling: Real cyclist=somebody riding a bike. Hello, we don't say that somebody isn't a "real" driver if they don't have a helmet, race chassis and a number on their car... they qualify if they have a steering wheel in front of them. If you have a saddle under your butt and pedals under your shoes, you're a cyclist.

Brooks: I have one. I like it. Nuff said.

There are others, of course. Like lights vs reflectors vs stupidity.

Conduct: A bit of the driver, and a LOT of how you respond.
I respond like there's a 6000lb beast of burden bearing down on me and it does whatever the idiot behind the steering wheel (see "driver" above) tells it to.

I have now successfully typed away several minutes while I really should be working. . Of course, as strong as my opinion is in this post is, it's not terribly off the mark... I know that for a fact.

Frame material: The reliable tried and true armies of steel clash (pun intended) with the inflexible forces of aluminum and the innovative light infantry of carbon.

Notice the lack of Titanium in the above statement. I'm just glad y'all know there is no comparison ;)

And don't forget the speed debates? I think more speed threads have poped up here lately then over on the road forum :)

There's also the Roadies vs Real Commuters arguments too. Roadies are bike minimalists only interested in speed while Real Commuters are Freds only interested in getting there every day, no matter what. Those are my personal favorites.

Or Riding Your Bike Into The Building and Down a Carpeted Hall to Your Cubicle v. Being a Nancy.

That thread was epic.

After a while now of reading and posting in the "Commuting" forum, I've noticed that several topics seem to be recurring flashpoints of contention, some of them becoming quite bellicose.

I have now successfully typed away several minutes while waiting to join some friends for dinner. Of course, as whimsical as this post is, it's not terribly off the mark...at least I don't think so.

That's it, combine all the controversies that you can.

http://eatourbrains.com/EoB/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/troll.jpg

;) ;) ;)

That's it, combine all the controversies that you can.

http://eatourbrains.com/EoB/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/troll.jpg

;) ;) ;)

Great, here we go with more porn. At least it isn't bike porn!:D

You guys missed the following

Road bike vs Mtn bike for commuting
Ethics (I smiled and waved and the other ******* didn't)
Racing other commuters
Drops vs flats
Ass slapping roadies :D
Lastly: Wally World bikes vs LBS bikes, which one should I commute on?

:fight:

There's also the Roadies vs Real Commuters arguments too. Roadies are bike minimalists only interested in speed while Real Commuters are Freds only interested in getting there every day, no matter what. Those are my personal favorites.

You forgot the BF posters on the commuter list that think they represent the zenith of all Real/Serious/True Cycling (often Roadies, but not exclusively) and that all Real/Serious/True Bike Commuters share their enthusiasms (or would share those enthusiasms, if only they were Real/Serious/True Cyclists like the Real/Serious/True Poster.):)

That would read better if you abbreviated it as RSTC. I think my head just exploded trying to read it. :p

How about "lLTB vs Everyone" :p

Couldn't resist. ILTB is my friend :)

Banzai, I noticed you live in Del Rio. What's the name of that bike shop right on the main strip? I rode through there with my dad and we stopped at that shop. Great people there. Or person, I guess, as there was only one guy working.

Geeze. When I saw this, I was thinking about the two fist fights I had with two dumb ass SUV drivers in Boston... which was fun for me since I was coming back from the kickboxing club. :p

Other than the top, I feel like the buddha in this. The middle way is the way.... Aum...

Banzai, I noticed you live in Del Rio. What's the name of that bike shop right on the main strip? I rode through there with my dad and we stopped at that shop. Great people there. Or person, I guess, as there was only one guy working.

Lakeside Sports.

The owner (Jim) is a pretty decent guy, but I hardly see him there anymore. He used to have a great wrench named Jay, but Jay left for college this past fall.

The new wrench is getting a lot better, but it started kinda rough I think. Not very conversant at first with many "upper end" road bike parts (or bikes), and I remember having to remind him in the beginning that one side of a bottom bracket is reverse threaded when he couldn't figure out why it wouldn't screw in.

Their inventory is VERY spare, but Del Rio is an exceptionally depressed economy. He's always willing to order stuff, so I do try to support the shop as much as possible, but that's getting harder lately with my inability to catch Jim in the store and corner him with a fairly lengthy list for a restoration.

[QUOTE=Banzai;5954301]

Their inventory is VERY spareQUOTE]

They had the pedals I needed. After 200+ miles wearing tennis shoes on broken clipless pedals, That place was a godsend. I hope they do well.

That would read better if you abbreviated it as RSTC. I think my head just exploded trying to read it. :p

OK, I'll make it easy on the eyes:

Only a self proclaimed RSTC would care to fight or take sides over the following bike commuting issues:

Frame material: The reliable tried and true armies of steel clash (pun intended) with the inflexible forces of aluminum and the innovative light infantry of carbon.

Rivendell: Godsend, fraud, or just a bike company making a living in a niche market? Wait for the next Rivendell blowtorch fest.

Brakes: After spending great effort to simply keep ourselves rolling forward at a satisfying speed, we periodically break the seal (pun intended again...I'm awful tonight) on a fight about the most satisfying way to screech to a halt.

Bling: "Real" cyclist or "Real" cyclist. Wait, I can't tell the difference! Prepare to fight for the moral high ground derived from a level of technology and gear...or the complete lack thereof.

Brooks: A cousin of the Rivendell battle, this piece of cowhide stretched on a metal frame has loving followers and venomous detractors.

Did I miss "chain lube" somewhere?

OK, I'll make it easy on the eyes:

Only a self proclaimed RSTC would care to fight or take sides over the following bike commuting issues:


You know, when it comes right down to it, the great majority of the truly nasty fights I've seen on this board have ILTB right in the middle.

ILTB can take a heated debate, an innocent newbie question, or a whimsical post (like this one) and effortlessly plug it into his bitter persecution complex. Once that has been done he manages to generate replies that come in such creative forms as; nasty personal attacks, snide self-righteous victim rhetoric, or insulting self-created dogma.

And, funny enough, if you just plug his own name into most of his posts and spit them back, since it's nothing more than empty rhetoric it works just as "effectively" hurled the other way, and with just as much import or intelligence.

Kindly do me a favor ILTB and don't reply to any thread I start again. Since you so often feel free to dictate the rules of speech here I'll presume the same right. I enjoy dialogue with so many of the members of this forum, so it sours it for me to have to regularly endure such anger and pettiness.

I hope whatever happened to your last "incarnation" here happens to your current one as well.

Kindly do me a favor ILTB and don't reply to any thread I start again.
Then post your "whimsical" Foo or Roadie product trolls in the proper forum, Dick Tracy!

I am ashamed that I'm once again giving some semblance of legitimacy to your angry rants by replying, but this will be the last time.

I say this at the risk of alienating the few "friends" you have here...people who clearly possess glacial patience and saintly compassion to put up with you. Here we go.

You are the worst thing to happen to this board. Period. Your presence is a divisive cancer that degenerates so many conversations into an angry downward spiral with your vitriol at its center. While this was intended to be an amusing look at the typical "hotspots" on the COMMUTING forum (more on that later) it only found a tone of anger when you happened upon it.

Just like so many other threads. You destroy it, you ruin it. You cut off chances for new cyclists to learn when you belittle them and others for their questions and opinions. You eliminate civility with your petty anger and your beyond bizarre complex of persecution. You sidetrack threads from all hope of information with outbursts of vitriol like an ill disciplined and nasty 2-year-old shrieking for attention. It is a shame that you always get that attention, including now. I suppose we all find it hard to ignore such a cranium piercing shriek.

I'm going to tell you again, like I've told you before. You don't get to decide where I post, and what I say. You don't get to dictate what others say either. And I get the feeling that infuriates you. So if I want to talk about the quirks of the COMMUTING forum on the COMMUTING forum, I'll feel free to do so.

The only real fight on BF...is you. Heated debates seem to only turn into nasty fights in your presence. I hope you're proud.

I'll never understand why you post here.

But I don't have to. Like quite a number of others here, I get to restore the peace and fun of this forum for me by making you the only member of my ignore list.

One can't "win" an internet "argument" any more than one can "win" an argument with a two year old. To even attempt to do so is a foolish endeavor.

But one can certainly ignore. And I've observed in life that what angry individuals like yourself hate the most is to be ignored.

I urge others to do the same...maybe ILTB will go away.

Cheers!

ILTB has a new user name? Or am I missing something?

Then post your "whimsical" Foo or Roadie product trolls in the proper forum, Dick Tracy!

Huh? WTF happened to ILTB Ver1.0?

Huh? WTF happened to ILTB Ver1.0?
He got lost in everyones ignore list :D