Originally Posted by
Lou Skannon
I admit that I am judgemental; when you are out on the road with a bicycle in strange places you have to judge the people and the situation instantly. I've never yet met a cycle-tourer who didn't look at someone else's set-up and make a judgement on it, instantly. Even when in "plain-clothes"; who doesn't look at a passing touring bike and think: "Nice" or "Dunno about that."********************?
I think the comparison with the F-150 is fair. The basic Ford Pick-up truck is a good work-horse that does the job it was built to do. Jacking it up adds nothing. The same can be said for 40 litre Back Rollers.
No offense, but though I didn't have a jacked up F-150, I did do a conservative lift on a Dodge so I could put 35-12.50 tires on it. It wasn't jacked up to the sky, and it did serve a purpose. I was doing outdoor photography and used it off road extensively and without the lift I bottomed out often. The lift allowed larger tires allowing me a greater angle of attack so my bumper wouldn't hit on the beginning of a steep incline. It also gave me better clearance while crossing streams. The better suspension gave me greater stability. And before you make further assumptions, I wasn't out there throwing mud and spinning my wheels, my objective was to get where I needed to go with minimal impact on the environment. That means slow going and staying on trails whenever possible, and no wheel spin. Once again, I only went four inches and had to cut the front fender to allow the tires to fit, but it all worked well and served a purpose. It depends on your intended purpose. It also depends on what you like.
Yes, you are judgmental. You obviously do not take into account people's personal tastes, of even financial situation. By your measure people should all have basic black cars with no chrome or other adornments. You may wish to become Amish.
If Ortlieb can make a bag that can bring a smile to the face of the person using them, then great. These may appeal more to a woman which could help get more involved in the sport. I say that's great. They may also appeal to a man who just wants to have something with a little color that is a bit different. Great.
I will agree with you in saying, when I look at a nice touring bike kitted out with really nice hear, I can say, "Nice," and appreciate it. I will also say however that I won't look at someone using baskets, backpacks, duffel bags or anything else and think less of them. I'm usually more impressed that they are using whatever they have instead of blowing thousands of dollars to "tour properly."
I met up with a guy on a trip from Pittsburgh to Washington DC who flew out to San Francisco to begin a cross country trip with his pedals and seat, then bought a Schwinn at Walmart and ordered a trailer and rode the bike across country putting 4,000 mile on the "inferior" Walmart bike, then donated it to a child who had no bike and flew home. Guess what, the bike worked and had not issues other than flat tires.