boattail71

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Spider, you give a good example (and many of us fall victim to this, including me at times): By your writing here, you show that you DO care and you ARE offended. Someone insults your bike (or car, or political persuasion, or your god, or your choice in cola brands, etc) and you are offended so you retaliate by attacking in return (calling him a moron in this case). What else motivates you to call him a name? I'm not dissing you specifically, mind you Spider, I'm just calling attention to this common trait of human nature. We get hurt and we hurt back.

boattail71

Nothing wrong with an '80's MTB. In fact, there's a lot of "right." Many were quality bikes. They were relatively light, they work well/ride well, they are cheap to fix (cheap parts are plentiful), cheap to upgrade, and if they have some paint missing and a touch of rust, well, BONUS! they're not going to get stolen either.

124Spider

boattail71

Spider, I'm not sure I understand your post (or you mine). Hypothetical or not is not the issue. You said (hypothetically) if someone (idiot now) called your bike a piece of crap you'd call him a moron (yes, you called him a moron - not "laugh at him"). Read your earlier response if you need clarification. Regardless, you're taking offense at what I'm calling "human nature" and, yes, I'm guilty of it too. Someone craps on you and you crap on them. Not dissing you Spidey and I know I wouldn't dis your bike. Would you dis mine?

8lackie

What a non-topic.

jasnooks

Thanks

124Spider

You should try reading my post, for real, rather than pretending it says what it doesn't say.

And, just as I wouldn't bother "taking offense" with some idiot/moron who called my bike a "piece of crap," I wouldn't bother "taking offense" at your mischaracterization of my post. But I will make one last little effort to take you by the hand and show you what i meant.

I didn't say (as you said I said) "If someone called my bike a piece of crap, I'd call him a moron." I said (and I acknowledge that the difference may take some level of reading comprehension above the 4th grade level), "Why would I care what a moron says about my bike? And, by definition, anyone who would call my bike "a piece of crap" is a moron. So, no, I couldn't care less what someone else thinks of my bike." See, the difference is that, by definition, anyone seriously calling my bike a "piece of crap" is a moron, and I don't care what a moron says about anything. I wouldn't call him/her a moron, because that doesn't accomplish anything. I wouldn't "take offense," because why bother taking the utterance of a moron seriously?

See the difference? If not, I give up.

veganbikes

I tell people this sort of thing all the time. It is not offensive unless you say it in a way that is but telling them working on the bike would cost more than the bike is worth is good sense. It is a horrible practice to take in a bike and charge someone for the same amount or more than what they paid for the bike. People appreciate honesty and I was happy when my old mechanic said get rid of the old bike it isn't worth putting money into (it was a crappy Trek rigid mountain hybrid), I could have sunk money into it and been further in the hole on a bike I never really loved.

Some people legitimately don't know what they bought, they didn't do any research or didn't know what to look for if they did. Someone with knowledge and experience telling them the truth is always a good thing. Why lie to someone? What would that do? Sure you shouldn't be rude or nasty about it but as my parents taught me you should always be truthful. Some people I guess just had bad parents that didn't teach them that.

tagaproject6

Internet people, meh! I find that people respond well to extreme violence when they try to apply their internet persona in real life.

Happyday

Of course I will, for a moment or two.

There is no need to ruin my day by these thoughtless people. Some people are inadequate. They wake up everyday to make llife difficult for other people so that they feel superior.

If someone is telling the truth, accept it. If he is talking nonsense, forget it.

Don't be blown by every wind.

ClammyChamois

Idiots with a Schwinn Varsity were doing that in the 70's dressing down machines like Colnagos and Masis. Pay them no mind for they are not worth your time.

As for me, I still love steel. To me there is no better ride than old brands like Special CNC or newer offerings from Bill Davidson.

boattail71

Thanks for explaining, Spidey, and I believe I understand what you're saying. You're saying that someone who is insensitive to our beloved bikes by criticizing them would be subject to disrespect. Do I have that paraphrasingly close to your point? Yes? But, I'm confident that you may be misunderstanding my original point, so allow me to attempt to clarify using my finite powers of explanation. Your point is that, in your words, "anyone seriously calling my bike a "piece of crap" is a moron." This proves my point Spidey, that is, that you criticize this (hypothetical) person by calling him a moron is EXACTLY my point. Why not call him a favorable name? Why do you name him as a pejorative?" Why call him anything? I know, because he (hypothetically) criticized (and indirectly criticized you) your bike! Read it again. I'll wait... See? Again, you call him a pejorative name because he (hypothetically) disses you and you dis back. It's human nature. Right? If you truly don't care about what anyone says about you or your bike, well, then you would say nothing - like Gandhi - it wouldn't bother you. If you really didn't care, you wouldn't be motivated by retorting negatively (calling him a "moron"). Ah, as another who may have surpassed 4th grade, I can (veritably) see that you understand now.

My other point, again, was that most all of us do this. You. Me. Again, it's human nature! I just pointed to your post as a good example; a classic example of it. You and I are even proving my point right here! I hope I'm being more clear and I'm trying not to dis you as you as much as you dis me. Or, I suppose I can hold your hand as you suggest you mine but I ain't sure you and I are there yet : )

Otherwise, to copy your words, and to dish back, "I give up!"

drlogik 

I have never had anyone comment on my bike but I did get an audible "humpfh" from a young rider once when he looked down at my mid 1980's Pinarello Montello with full Campy group including the mystical, but basically inferior, delta brakes. I thought it was pretty funny actually and laughed after he was out of range. He was riding one of those beautiful and expensive carbon wonder-bikes.

Who cares. It isn't the bike it's the rider.

You could put Chris Froome on a Walmart bike and any one of us on one of his tricked out Pinarello Dogma's and who do you think would win a 10K race (provided he didn't pretzel the bike while spinning)?

In my eyes having a "crap" bike is a badge of honor. My old Montello sure isn't a crap bike but I do own a "crap" bike even though I view it as a classic. (wink)

livedarklions

I actually think you're both right, but it depends on the circumstances.

Being uninformed about bikes doesn't make someone a moron, so it's possible to express a poorly informed opinion without revealing one's moronic status--let's say someone said to you "I'm surprised you could ride THAT bike that fast", you might politely explain the virtues of your pride and joy and the person might be open to learning something. The "I'm surprised" part indicates that the person understands they're missing something in their knowledge, and there's a compliment component to the statement that indicates it wasn't meant as a put-down.

The guy who wrongly says "your bike is a piece of crap" is an arrogant moron who isn't interested in anything but trying to make you feel bad, and is even inept at that. To me, stupidity is as much a matter of attitude as it is knowledge and intelligence.

drzdave58

Garfield Cat

Its a signal: jealousy. But expressed in the only way they know how.

ManyBikess

Yes, cause its not.

Nachoman

How about if it's one of your friends that says "hey LDL, I don't know how to tell you this, but since we're such good friends and I care about you I'm just going to come right out and tell you . . . "

livedarklions

In this rather silly hypothetical, is my friend drunk? Only reason I would imagine a friend doing this sincerely is if I was refusing a lot of money for the bike, otherwise I would take it as a joke.

ryhonrei

Someone once said "Care what people think and you'll always be their prisoner". I've lived by this adage all my life so no, I wouldn't be offended if someone called my bike a piece of crap. I would merely take their opinion as being insignificant, irrelevant and inconsequential.

freeranger

I would be offended if someone called my road bike (LeMond Reno) or mtn.bike (mid-90's GT steel framed) a piece of crap. It has never happened. Usually it's the opposite. Any comments on the LeMond have been positive-and even tho the GT is older and low-tech compared to modern mtn. bikes, other mtn.bikers seem to like it, usually get a nice comment on the slim frame tubes. The GT is a '96, not a 98 as listed under the pic.

livedarklions

Good thing, the 98 is really a piece of crap.


I kid, I kid.

2 Characters

Wouldn't be particularly offended myself, nope. I know that my bike isn't a "piece of crap" so there's no reason to be offended really.