Difference between a commuter and a racer
09-20-10, 04:08 PM
#1
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Difference between a commuter and a racer
I laughed, I cried. Thought some of you might enjoy his point of view..
"In short, a person on a city bike who can't fix a flat is at worst merely a hapless commuter (emphasis mine), whereas a person on a professional-quality race bike who can't fix a flat comes off as a preening idiot. The difference between them is simply the size of the gap."
source: https://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2010...equipment.html
For more delightful humour, read the link above.
"In short, a person on a city bike who can't fix a flat is at worst merely a hapless commuter (emphasis mine), whereas a person on a professional-quality race bike who can't fix a flat comes off as a preening idiot. The difference between them is simply the size of the gap."
source: https://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2010...equipment.html
For more delightful humour, read the link above.
09-20-10, 04:16 PM
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Don't miss some quotable comments from the blog post too. Here's one:
"I was in a hardware store while a girl dressed straight out of Sex with the City or whatever it is called was asking the sales clerk, "So, is it difficult to change a lightbulb?" No lie. I was amazed that the clerk did not break her neck immediately to put her out of her misery."
"I was in a hardware store while a girl dressed straight out of Sex with the City or whatever it is called was asking the sales clerk, "So, is it difficult to change a lightbulb?" No lie. I was amazed that the clerk did not break her neck immediately to put her out of her misery."
09-20-10, 04:44 PM
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That was a very enjoyable read - thanks for the link!
Funny stuff!
Funny stuff!
09-20-10, 04:57 PM
#4
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Part of me wants to slap the preening idiot incapable of fixing a flat.
The other part of me, the cheapskate part thanks god for providing such morons to take monsterous levels of depreciation before they lose interest and put their bazillion dollar bikes on CL for 300 dollars.
The other part of me, the cheapskate part thanks god for providing such morons to take monsterous levels of depreciation before they lose interest and put their bazillion dollar bikes on CL for 300 dollars.
09-20-10, 05:48 PM
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"I was in a hardware store while a girl dressed straight out of Sex with the City or whatever it is called was asking the sales clerk, "So, is it difficult to change a lightbulb?" No lie. I was amazed that the clerk did not break her neck immediately to put her out of her misery."
Ya'll are so harsh. Any girl dressed like that, who is that dumb, needs to be giving me her phone number.
Ya'll are so harsh. Any girl dressed like that, who is that dumb, needs to be giving me her phone number.
Last edited by dahut; 09-20-10 at 05:51 PM.
09-20-10, 05:54 PM
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Yay for BSNYC! Yay for self-sufficiency! Yay for commuters!
Boo for false dichotomies!
Boo for false dichotomies!
09-20-10, 06:00 PM
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dahut - This weeks recipient of the BF altruism award.
Sorry, I just can't obtain that level of consciousness.
Anyone who can spend thousands on a high end bike... then refuse to learn even the most basic operational inevitability - the flat tire... then depend on others to help him out.... Well... he's just fair game for NYBS...
Sorry, I just can't obtain that level of consciousness.
Anyone who can spend thousands on a high end bike... then refuse to learn even the most basic operational inevitability - the flat tire... then depend on others to help him out.... Well... he's just fair game for NYBS...
09-20-10, 06:13 PM
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dahut - This weeks recipient of the BF altruism award.
Sorry, I just can't obtain that level of consciousness.
Anyone who can spend thousands on a high end bike... then refuse to learn even the most basic operational inevitability - the flat tire... then depend on others to help him out.... Well... he's just fair game for NYBS...
Sorry, I just can't obtain that level of consciousness.
Anyone who can spend thousands on a high end bike... then refuse to learn even the most basic operational inevitability - the flat tire... then depend on others to help him out.... Well... he's just fair game for NYBS...
09-20-10, 07:54 PM
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I love that guy. Haven't read his blog in months, but I love him all the same. People that go for 20 mile+ rides and can't change a flat just floor me. My commute isn't long enough that I feel a need to be able to change a flat. I'll probably feel stupid the next time I get a flat though.
09-20-10, 08:18 PM
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BikeSnobNYC can certainly put up a gem of a rant. So true and so eloquent.
09-20-10, 08:49 PM
#11
Riding like its 1990
09-21-10, 10:27 AM
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Definitely some truth in that. Using the analogy though, would make most of people driving any sports car preening idiots from my perspective.
09-21-10, 10:40 AM
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From today's post:
Originally Posted by BSNYC
Further to yesterday's post, which concerned (to put it prosaically) rich people with exotic bicycles who suck at riding them, I feel compelled to add sort of a postscript. It was not my intention to imply that we must all somehow live up to our possessions, since materially speaking the truth is that most of us have more than we need. Furthermore, it was also not my intention to imply that there is something wrong with having more than we need, because I don't really believe that, which is why I'm not one of those filthy minimalists.
Rather, I was simply considering the point at which having more than we need becomes ridiculous, and for me that point is when someone is not only unable to fully exploit his or her equipment but is actually baffled by it. This was more or less the case with the examples I cited yesterday, which are less like the owner of a BMW who does not take full advantage of the car's performance and more like the owner of a Ferrari who barely knows how to drive at all. Also, plenty of people with lots of money who like nice stuff also have the good sense to pay other people to use that stuff for them. They own professional-quality kitchens and pay chefs to cook for them, and they own Thoroughbred horses and pay jockeys to race them. So perhaps some of these people, instead of "sponsoring themselves" (to paraphrase the Assos marketing slogan) should instead sponsor more talented riders to ride their bikes for them. I'm sure if these people built velodromes named after themselves in fine 19th century robber baron style they'd have a delightful time sipping mint juleps in luxuriously-appointed boxes as they watched other people race their exquisite bicycles.
Rather, I was simply considering the point at which having more than we need becomes ridiculous, and for me that point is when someone is not only unable to fully exploit his or her equipment but is actually baffled by it. This was more or less the case with the examples I cited yesterday, which are less like the owner of a BMW who does not take full advantage of the car's performance and more like the owner of a Ferrari who barely knows how to drive at all. Also, plenty of people with lots of money who like nice stuff also have the good sense to pay other people to use that stuff for them. They own professional-quality kitchens and pay chefs to cook for them, and they own Thoroughbred horses and pay jockeys to race them. So perhaps some of these people, instead of "sponsoring themselves" (to paraphrase the Assos marketing slogan) should instead sponsor more talented riders to ride their bikes for them. I'm sure if these people built velodromes named after themselves in fine 19th century robber baron style they'd have a delightful time sipping mint juleps in luxuriously-appointed boxes as they watched other people race their exquisite bicycles.
09-21-10, 03:45 PM
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Love him or hate him.... the guy is wonderfully expressive, and generally spot on.
09-21-10, 04:19 PM
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I see riders like this at every group training ride who can't fix a flat & usually don't even carry a spare tube. If they do, the valve is too short for their deep dish rims. They probably think a patch kit is for blue jeans.
09-21-10, 05:39 PM
#17
Riding like its 1990
I remember those iron on patches on the knees of all my pants as a kid.
09-21-10, 05:51 PM
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He comments as he sees things and it isn't hard to be right, when one speaks the obvious. Sarcasm is a wonderful tool.
That he is seen as bringing us revelation is what interests me.
09-22-10, 01:11 AM
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As someone before said, he's a sarcastic but good writer, nothing like some humor to lighten up the day. I like it, so thanks for the links.
09-22-10, 07:49 PM
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Same here. I like his style and his sense of humor, even if he is simply re-packaging the blatantly obvious. Thanks for the links.
09-22-10, 09:43 PM
#21
Vain, But Lacking Talent
Read a little more of his blog. Great stuff.
Today's post is all about people generally not knowing how things work. If that's not worrisome enough, I'm studying engineering right now and I'm horrified by the amount of students who are doing well in classes, but do not generally know how things work. Next time you have to reach some god forsaken bolt on a poorly designed car, I can probably introduce you to a few people who will poorly design your next purchase.
Today's post is all about people generally not knowing how things work. If that's not worrisome enough, I'm studying engineering right now and I'm horrified by the amount of students who are doing well in classes, but do not generally know how things work. Next time you have to reach some god forsaken bolt on a poorly designed car, I can probably introduce you to a few people who will poorly design your next purchase.
09-22-10, 10:44 PM
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I'm just hoping that when the time comes, I don't open the repair kit and find that the whole method has changed and I haven't got a clue how to use it. I'll feel like Sylvester Stallone's character in Demolition Man when he's in the bathroom and has no idea what he's supposed to do with the three seashells.
