Originally Posted by
bicyclridr4life
I spend most of my time in this forum, the beach cruiser, Hybrid, and Touring forums, and an occasional visit to the Mountain Bike. As my Beach Cruiser is a 1980's Huffy, it is considered crap in that forum. My Hybrid is a 2003 Giant Cypress DX - again, considered junk by that forum, My touring bikes (1989 KHS Mtn Bike and the aforementioned Giant) are considered trash; not suitable for touring - or anything else, for that matter. My mountain bikes range from the '89 KHS and 91 Diamondback, to a 2004 Pacific PK-7 full suspension bike ($88.00 on sale at Target) needless to say, they are considered junk there.
Because I don't have a classic name Italian road bike to talk about, my bikes generate little to no interest in this forum, and yes, some of the "purists" have called them trash (even though the KHS has a lugged steel TRIPLE Butted TANGE frame ...)
That said, I still learn something from the forums. Even with my "junk" bikes, some of the concerns are the same.
What I DESPISE are bike snobs of ALL disciplines of cycling; especially those who claim that if you don't ride a bike costing a minimum of $1,000 or more, you have trash/junk and wasted your money. THOSE "people" drive riders away. If all they can afford is a Walmart bike, so be it. It is better to ride and be encouraged than to be told you ride a piece of sh*t and that you are worthless.
Hi bicyclridr4life, admittedly, my interests lie in the Italian racing bike section of this forum and I only tend to respond to those posts now. I can still appreciate a good bike that falls outside my area of interest. You say that your bikes generate little interest, and I'm reading into that, that there may be little written response to your postings, but there may be more interest in your bikes than may be evident. When I read a thread that is outside my comfort zone of expertise, I can still understand why another bike enthusiast is interested in that particular bike.
Please don't be disheartened by your perceived disinterest by others in your bikes, it's probably that there may be less understanding of the bikes you own and ride. I know, my cycling history had it's beginnings in bikes I could afford so I can appreciate their worth and appreciate your ongoing interest in value for money bikes.
I also suggest that it takes a more knowledgable and appreciative person to be able to recognise the quality of components within your spectrum of interest than it does at the 'Italian end' of the spectrum. I know that if it reads Colnago, Pinarello, DeRosa, Campagnolo Nuovo/Super/C-Record, Dura-Ace, Superbe Pro, Cinelli, Mavic, Columbus SL/SLX/etc, Reynolds 531 it's there's no thinking involved - they're just quality within my spectrum - they're safe. I don't have to examine, experiment, trial - think.
As for the people who take the time to put down your bikes in a destructive and negative way, unfortunately that can't be helped in the forum environment. (I must add that this particular forum is very supportive and positive.) You know better and, I'm suggesting, more forum members of the silent majority know better as well.
As your name suggests, your a bike rider for life and that what really counts.