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Old October 13th 18, 03:32 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
JBeattie
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Default road bike questions

On Friday, October 12, 2018 at 7:07:31 PM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 10/12/2018 5:28 PM, Emanuel Berg wrote:
Frank Krygowski wrote:

I also think you could learn by reading
something more general, like this:
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Boo...-srp1-_-title3


... what is the title and author of this book?


_The Way Things Work: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Technology_

It's a very general book, just showing the details of lots of devices,
many of them mechanical. In a way, it's a popular primer on engineering.

When I was a young teenager, I learned a lot from books like that. I
remember getting razzed for reading a book titled _Automotive
Essentials_. It explained every aspect of a car's mechanics. Other guys
thought it was weird for me to be trying to learn that stuff.

I suspect most of those guys are still working as cashiers, or maybe
politicians.


Or doctors or hedge fund managers. I know plenty of people who can't fix cars or bikes -- but managed to retire at 50 and live half the year in France.. Look around. There is a low correlation between mechanical skill and emotional, social or economic success. The only reason I learned to work on bikes was that I had a weird fascination with bikes. I like doing plumbing and electrical, but when you think about it, there is a high opportunity cost if you have other more valuable skills. And although I can change my oil, it's so cheap and easy to have others do it, why bother. The upside to being able to do things myself is that I don't have to wait for others to do them for me, but you really can go down a rabbit hole if you absolutely have to do everything yourself, particular if you want to prove that you can fix that low-dollar POS thing that is basically disposable. Spend half a day re-wiring an earbud or a keychain LED light.

-- Jay Beattie.

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