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! 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...

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?

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)

https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/375262-would-you-rather-eat-brains-robot.html

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.

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

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 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!

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.

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
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.

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.