I've always wondered how a word that has no association to a people-group, suddenly (or gradually) becomes the defining reference for them. Then, when someone else uses it in a different context from its new definition, that people-group gets all 'up in arms' over the implications. It wasn't their word to begin with...


Just like bent riders call regular bikes diamond-frames... like nobody will understand what they're talking about when they say "bike," since it suddenly only refers to 'bents.

Can we now talk about the **** who are riding with only 4,5, or 6 speeds?

Every fixie enthusiast knows that gears are for queers.

The power you generate on a bike is measured in watts. Watts = Force * Cadence. You do the math. Math is for guys, right?

Seriously? In the context we are speaking about, it's quite blatant and obvious. Yes, the word started out meaning happy, but there's no doubt the evolution to the meaning of being bad or undesirable was derived from the *****exual meaning.

I understand what you're saying, but in this particular case, there is no arguing the hateful nature if the current slang use. Once again, not saying the OP or anyone who uses it is being hateful. Just that it's the nature of the current meaning.

I use to ride in the mountain roads of Southern California with nothing more then doubles, but on my touring bike I went with triples because of the additional 50 to 60 pounds of weight of gear.

From what I can garner it's (gay) a more recent evolution, steming back to the 50's through 70's (Liberace).

Some sources say the word "gay" has been used to mean "immoral" since the late 1600's. So it could just be that the current slang is more or less related to that evolution of the word...

You're probably right, however .

Guilty as charged. I have doubles on my uprights, triples on my 'bents.

I thought about mounting doubles on the bents for aesthetic reasons since the small rings are useless in normal riding conditions. But on 'bents, it's harder to cycle through different muscle sets, so you really want the small ring on steep extended climbs. Also, the middle ring yields a number of useful gear combos.

Dude seriously are you just skimming or what. I never said a triple could be used in racing. I understand that you cant be dragging all that extra weight around with up and down every hill. But what the op has been suffering from is the perception that having a triple on your bike automaticly makes him weak, and should he care enough to go and swap allthat out. I did not meen to say that the perception of weekness comes from cycle racing type people like yourself directly. The perception comes from the non racing wanna be types who make this kind of judgement basd on a self delusion that they are as good as the folks that actually do race. Therfore thier equipment should also reflect what the racing scene dictates. As was posted earlier its a personal choice. As far as flexability in use for the non profesional a triple makes things way easier to manage. no changing cassettes, no giving up any higher end gears , no compromised gear spread for a few grams of extra weight. He is a beginer, in a hilly area, with a triple currently on his bike. Should he go spend hundreds of dollars he doesnt have to upgrade an 8 speed setup to a double just because someone might think he is weak?
In your earlier reply to the op you said many of the same things that I told him, to the point that I was wondering weather you read what was being said by others or not. While I dont directly disagree with any of what you said I find it to be more of hair splitting and issues of context than who is right or who is wrong. If you go back and read what I told the op you will find that I gave him advice based on the needs of a beginer, non pro, recreational, cyclist.

Gotta love BF's ability to stay on topic.

Page 1: Discussion about double vs. triple crankset

Page 5: Discussion about the derogatory use of the word "gay"

Excuse me . . . . the word, for it's intended use, is weak . . . not week!!

Thank you.

Thanks. I'm not quite sure what crosschaining was...something about the chain...and wear...and I'm just so confused.

But in all seriousness, I guess what I was getting at was I'm under the impression there is less trimming involved with a double as opposed to a triple. Is this true? I understand the reason for trim, but that's my main gripe with my triple. And I guess the way I ride, I cross chain the crap out of my 39 all the time...but it also helps to know I've got a junior gearing cassette on the rear. I haven't gotten around to changing it/I don't have the tools or experience for it.

Ditto here.

What else would you expect of BF? I would be sad if a thread like this stayed on topic....especially seeing it go from 2 pages to 5 overnight.

Don't resurrect the spelling thread!

GAY, there I said it. Three letters in a particular order. The context is what gives it its meaning. The context comes from the thought or idea of the person using the word. When a teenager uses the word gay or gey as I have seen it spelled, in this fasion it meens they dont like it or have a problem with it, not that they have found it to be *****exual in nature. I dont understand the obvious outrage that this word has brought about when used this way but for the sake of not offending anyone I have struck it from my vocabulary.

Interesting. That, I didn't know.

The argument from the GLBT society is that its offensive and promotes negative feelings towards them.

I completely agree with you, throughout my teen years, and still now at 21, I use it in the same exact manner...but hopefully this won't turn into such a debate that it gets put into P&R.

"triples are for chicks"
"cycling is feminine"
"GAY"

I'm noticing a rather obvious pattern here and I am thinking that BF appears to represent the left side of the bell curve.

Give us back our word.

So if I suddenly decided to use the word "n*gger" as a term for any person I don't like (of any race), people shouldn't get offended?

I believe the gey spelling was a noble (or not) effort to disassociate the term from its *****exual roots as to be less offensive, or more likely, keep the kids from getting into trouble for using it. I've also seen it as ghey.

While I understand why and totally get the point, I think it does more harm than good. Hate is hate no matter what the reason. Its use as such probably would have died out were it not for the backlash making it cool for the kids to use it this way. Kind of the same argument comedian turned activist Lenny Bruce had with sensorship and vulgar language/swearing.

FTR, I call a lot of things I don't like "communist." Like the hill I couldn't get up in UT with a 30/26 combo at the end of a rough 3 hours. Puck me, that was a steep hill.

Another good one: I was gypped on my last set of bibs... I hope I didn't offend any gypsies

"Now wait a cotton-pickin' minute" (guess the Merrie Melodies character with its blatant, frequent racial slurs), I used to ride a triple?

Agreed. I told him that, but he respectfully considered and rejected my opinion. He doesn't use the term around me anymore.

No I believe the word you mentioned has no other meaning than the deragatory one it is known for, and is probably the exception to the rule. I absolutely despise that word for the division it has caused and cant really get behind its use by the group that continues to use it today. The meaning of words changes all the time in our language. While it (gay) did start out with a hateful narrow minded use it has morphed into something else entirely. I still avoid it for the most part.

Yes , but those terms were normalised before we understood about the feelings of others

The term is only in use because of the general lack of imagination and illiteracy of those who have made it popular and their refusal to use a term like cockamamie or facocta instead.