Originally Posted by rpenmanparker

Re: the learning to drink alcohol in New Orleans at age 18, I estimate you were only about 5 years behind the locals. At least that is how it was growing up there in the 50s and 60s. Everybody had a fake ID at 13 or 14. Everybody had a buddy who was a a year or two older and therefore was driving at 15. Everyone worked after school and on weekends from 14 on and had plenty of spending money. No one I knew had a curfew. It was wild. Hanging around the Jim's (Famous for Fried Chicken) or Luke's Bar and Grill all night eating, drinking beer, playing the pin ball machines, the real kind with 25 numbered holes, not the sissy kind with just bumpers and flippers. And, of course, they paid off winners with money, not free games. Ah, dem were de days.

Originally Posted by WalksOn2Wheels

So looking at vintage-MTB drop bar builds and kicking around the internet, I notice a frequent refrain of smugness and disdain for modern bicycles.

Why can't we all just enjoy bikes? Why does everything have to boil down to what you personally observe as THE best and everyone else is a fool falling for either a romanticized past or modern marketing propaganda?

So yeah, I can't say I'm 100% innocent. I poke lots of fun at people who insist on wearing blinding hi-viz, wearing three cameras, 10 lights, and a helmet mirror. (And I still think we need a subforum for the carbon denialist roadies.) But I still respect the rider for getting the job done the way they see fit and (I hope) enjoying themselves. Why does everything have to be a pissing contest and measured in absolutes?

This goes back to what I was saying the other day about Grant Petersen and Instagram star Ultra Romance. Grant is not wrong (except when he's just making **** up to support his argument), but he is condescending and smug. Ultra Romance seems like he flat out loves bikes and rides everything from modern frames to ratted out vintage stuff, and is also a fan of discs and weird wheel sizes. He's too busy having fun to stop and write his dissertation on threadless vs. quill stems. (Maybe I should be too busy having fun rather than complain about people complaining? yeah...)

I guess I'm just getting old. I just want people to enjoy the ride and it bothers me when I see advocates on each side spouting opinion as fact and suckering new-ish riders into the divide. I can't remember who said it in the heavy bike thread, but it was something along the lines of "Nothing is wrong with the bike. It's a bike. Ride it and enjoy it."

/pointless rant of the day. We now return you to your previously unscheduled program.

Originally Posted by rjones28

But I did spill some blood, while opening a new bike box this evening.

Originally Posted by Doug28450

I think that one of the greatest engine sounds that I ever heard was the Can-Am series when they were running the big block Chevy engines. I was at Road America several times and the roar of those running up the front straight was amazing.

Originally Posted by Doug28450

Nuts...

We don't have power meters.

I guess I could just stand behind them with a stick and tell them to go faster and swat them.

Originally Posted by Doug28450

ummm...

Mr. Transistor.

Originally Posted by LesterOfPuppets

I drew blood with a BBQ grill box at work the other day. OUCH!!!!

Originally Posted by Doug28450

Nuts...

We don't have power meters.

I guess I could just stand behind them with a stick and tell them to go faster and swat them.

Originally Posted by Dan333SP

It is annoying that they can't pass, but that's at least partially due to that particular track's configuration with the last couple slow corners leading onto the main straight not allowing a following car to get close enough to make a DRS pass. They've raced pretty well at other tracks the last few years. Also, my fav driver Dan Ricciardo at least showed that you can try a banzai move even if it didn't work out.

That said, I'm at a loss as to why they are trying to make the cars 5+ seconds a lap faster next year. That will just make them more aero-dependent and they'll have an even harder time running close together. They're getting plenty fast just on the normal development curve, they were 2+ seconds faster this year than last year at Barcelona anyway without any rule changes.

I also hate these engines. They're absolute marvels in that they're squeezing out something like 1,000 net HP from a 1.6L V6T with some batteries, but they sound like wet dogfarts compared to the old V10s. I grew up on the V10s and still get chills thinking about the 2001 Mclaren's sound. These are awful by comparison and that takes away a huge element of enjoyment from attending a race live.

IndyCar is also strangely predictable this year. Pagenaud is turning into a phenom.

Originally Posted by rjones28

There were IDs back then?

Originally Posted by Trsnrtr

Quick question. Since the prez says I can use any bathroom that I want, do I have to wear a skirt to use the ladies?

#confused

Originally Posted by rjones28

Can't decide if I like the 90s Ferrari v12 or 2000s v10 better.

Originally Posted by Trsnrtr

Quick question. Since the prez says I can use any bathroom that I want, do I have to wear a skirt to use the ladies?

#confused

Originally Posted by Dan333SP

This is true. So far this year I've been mostly limited to 1 hour or less trainer rides before work using Zwift and some structured intervals like the ones you mentioned, with one or two 2-3 hour rides outside on the weekend being my only "real" biking. I feel strong for the first hour of the fast group rides, but by the end I'll go from pulling to yo-yoing on the back. It's clearly an endurance thing, I need to work longer rides regularly into my schedule. As if time wasn't limited enough already.

Originally Posted by Bah Humbug

It's called a kilt. Carry around a set of bagpipes as well.

Originally Posted by WalksOn2Wheels

/pointless rant of the day. We now return you to your previously unscheduled program.

Originally Posted by rjones28

What's the point?

Originally Posted by Doug28450

Nuts...

We don't have power meters.

I guess I could just stand behind them with a stick and tell them to go faster and swat them.

Originally Posted by Trsnrtr

Quick question. Since the prez says I can use any bathroom that I want, do I have to wear a skirt to use the ladies?

#confused

Originally Posted by Trsnrtr

Quick question. Since the prez says I can use any bathroom that I want, do I have to wear a skirt to use the ladies?

#confused

Originally Posted by datlas

My High School bathrooms (at least the boys rooms) did not have doors on the stalls, only cinder-block wall dividers between toilets.

Originally Posted by LAJ

I'm with you. This is a combination of those, and the higher revving Euro-stuff.

Originally Posted by rpenmanparker

Yes, but it was much easier to fake them, because it was before photography was invented. Actually we're talking about draft cards, so there wasn't even a photo anyway.