Support Your Local Bike Shop

The really bad thing about this rather useless lockdown is that it is a terrible strain on all of the small businesses that are all hanging on for dear life.

The small grocery stores that cannot get anything because the supermarket chains are buying up everything. People are not eating homes every night when in the past a segment of society would go out to dinner two, three or more times a week. What is going to happen to all of the small coffee shops which are always on the ragged edge and the small restaurants whose entire business was to feed people that didn't want to stand in line at the more popular and larger restaurants?

Bike shops certainly are also in trouble. How in the hell are they going to pay the rent unless they actually own the property they're on. Or like the local Trek shops get financial aid from the large corporation that owns Trek?

I know people without any marketing skills tried to open up bikes shops here and there within range of me and they didn't last long since they didn't have any differentiation from the older shops.

The shop I took my Emonda to is sort of a case in point. Although they sell only steel bikes they service anything and no one is buying expensive bikes like a new Bob Jackson made of Reynolds 853 or a Waterford Precision. He has the custom fitting machine which is nice. When I dropped off my BB parts, he was finishing up a Gunnar that he had sold. That's sort of the stock version of the Waterford custom.

Perhaps I will have him fit me some day so that I can log my fore and after saddle position and my handlebar ideal width and reach. I can feel if the saddle height is correct since I've ridden so long.

There is a cheap bike shop that sells cheap used bikes about a mile away from me. When ever I have spare parts that I am not going to use I drop by and give them to him. He speaks little English but helping him is helping some kid or putting a homeless guy on a bike so that they can actually move around. I even had some kid on a Schwinn fly by me as I was returning from my exercise ride the other day. He turned off since he knew that there was no way he could maintain that speed for long. But maybe someday he will be on a Specialized S-Works in the Tour de France and remember that.

This is our world and we have to make of it what we can. This is Easter Sunday and maybe that can give you some faith that all will turn out for the best.

On Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 12:07:16 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
The really bad thing about this rather useless lockdown is that it is a terrible strain on all of the small businesses that are all hanging on for dear life.



Useless? We have a world wide virus that kills 1-2% of the people that contract it. The virus is passed from person to person by contact. Touching, breathing on each other. So you think its useless to keep people separated as much as possible so they cannot infect each other.

Now I agree that the 1-2% death rate from Covid-19 is not extreme. Its somewhat minor. Except to the dead people. Its 100% death rate for them.
21,000+ dead Americans. 112,000+ dead world wide. So what. Who cares. They were going to die anyway. They're old. Weak. Right?

On Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 11:14:47 AM UTC-7, wrote:
On Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 12:07:16 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
The really bad thing about this rather useless lockdown is that it is a terrible strain on all of the small businesses that are all hanging on for dear life.



Useless? We have a world wide virus that kills 1-2% of the people that contract it. The virus is passed from person to person by contact. Touching, breathing on each other. So you think its useless to keep people separated as much as possible so they cannot infect each other.

Now I agree that the 1-2% death rate from Covid-19 is not extreme. Its somewhat minor. Except to the dead people. Its 100% death rate for them.
21,000+ dead Americans. 112,000+ dead world wide. So what. Who cares. They were going to die anyway. They're old. Weak. Right?

Firstly, you don't understand what you're talking about well enough to be discussing it Russell. 1-3% of those who are CONFIRMED to have it are fatal if steps aren't taken to mediate it. The actual infection rates could be as high at 10 times that meaning the mortality rates are 0.1 to 0.3% maximum.

I have gone through this before and apparently you just got bored and skipped over it. The seasonal flu kills at the very least two to three times as many people. Furthermore, the flu can kill people with far less serious health conditions.

If you are about to die from a coronary heart problem and you have a heart attack and die and then you test positive for covid-19 they do not mark it as you dying from a heart attack but from covid-19.

Influenza kills babies and pregnant women whereas covid-19 triggers babies and women's immune systems so rapidly that they probably do not catch this virus in any large numbers.

Even though they do not list reasons for death as flu and hence do not much follow the numbers they are staggeringly large.

Covid-19 however is listed always as the cause of death so those numbers are accurate.

It does not seem to strike the slightest note with you people that the average age of death of covid-19 is 80 years old, whereas the average age of death is 80 in the USA. Can you suggest how many years these people dying supposedly from covid-19 have lost?

Because you've never worked with these sorts of numbers or around these sorts of medical problems you think that there is something unique about this virus. There most certainly is not. It is virtually harmless.

As I noted, it does have a serious side effect which is the cytokine storm. This is a bad reaction of your own immune system to this disease and not the disease itself. This is why so few people get this reaction.

Do you realize that hospitals have FEWER patients now than before the covid-19 lockdown? That more people were seriously injured and admitted to ICU's from auto accidents? This is why hospitals in these so-called covid-19 danger zones are actually having financial problems!

Please do not point out New York City since that is a special case with entire generations living in pollution and every possible immune suppressant possible from moldy walls and ceilings to rats, mice and every insect imaginable. Even the southside of Chicago isn't in this condition.

On Sun, 12 Apr 2020 12:36:23 -0700 (PDT), Tom Kunich
wrote:

On Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 11:14:47 AM UTC-7, wrote:
On Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 12:07:16 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
The really bad thing about this rather useless lockdown is that it is a terrible strain on all of the small businesses that are all hanging on for dear life.



Useless? We have a world wide virus that kills 1-2% of the people that contract it. The virus is passed from person to person by contact. Touching, breathing on each other. So you think its useless to keep people separated as much as possible so they cannot infect each other.

Now I agree that the 1-2% death rate from Covid-19 is not extreme. Its somewhat minor. Except to the dead people. Its 100% death rate for them.
21,000+ dead Americans. 112,000+ dead world wide. So what. Who cares. They were going to die anyway. They're old. Weak. Right?

Firstly, you don't understand what you're talking about well enough to be discussing it Russell. 1-3% of those who are CONFIRMED to have it are fatal if steps aren't taken to mediate it. The actual infection rates could be as high at 10 times that meaning the mortality rates are 0.1 to 0.3% maximum.

I have gone through this before and apparently you just got bored and skipped over it. The seasonal flu kills at the very least two to three times as many people. Furthermore, the flu can kill people with far less serious health conditions.

If you are about to die from a coronary heart problem and you have a heart attack and die and then you test positive for covid-19 they do not mark it as you dying from a heart attack but from covid-19.

Influenza kills babies and pregnant women whereas covid-19 triggers babies and women's immune systems so rapidly that they probably do not catch this virus in any large numbers.

Even though they do not list reasons for death as flu and hence do not much follow the numbers they are staggeringly large.

Covid-19 however is listed always as the cause of death so those numbers are accurate.

It does not seem to strike the slightest note with you people that the average age of death of covid-19 is 80 years old, whereas the average age of death is 80 in the USA. Can you suggest how many years these people dying supposedly from covid-19 have lost?

Because you've never worked with these sorts of numbers or around these sorts of medical problems you think that there is something unique about this virus. There most certainly is not. It is virtually harmless.

As I noted, it does have a serious side effect which is the cytokine storm. This is a bad reaction of your own immune system to this disease and not the disease itself. This is why so few people get this reaction.

Do you realize that hospitals have FEWER patients now than before the covid-19 lockdown? That more people were seriously injured and admitted to ICU's from auto accidents? This is why hospitals in these so-called covid-19 danger zones are actually having financial problems!

Please do not point out New York City since that is a special case with entire generations living in pollution and every possible immune suppressant possible from moldy walls and ceilings to rats, mice and every insect imaginable. Even the southside of Chicago isn't in this condition.

A delusion is a false belief that is not subject to reason or
contradictory evidence which may be firmly maintained in the face of
incontrovertible evidence that it is false. Delusions are common
psychotic disorders and can also be a feature of brain damage or
disorders.Examples of delusions include the sufferer believing that
one has an unusual power or talent.
--
cheers,

John B.

" writes:

On Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 12:07:16 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
The really bad thing about this rather useless lockdown is that it
is a terrible strain on all of the small businesses that are all
hanging on for dear life.



Useless? We have a world wide virus that kills 1-2% of the people
that contract it. The virus is passed from person to person by
contact. Touching, breathing on each other. So you think its useless
to keep people separated as much as possible so they cannot infect
each other.

Now I agree that the 1-2% death rate from Covid-19 is not extreme.
Its somewhat minor. Except to the dead people. Its 100% death rate
for them.
21,000+ dead Americans. 112,000+ dead world wide. So what. Who
cares. They were going to die anyway. They're old. Weak. Right?

It's really hard to calculate the death rate for those contracting the
disease at this point, because of the scarcity of tests, but that 1-2%
is probably almost an order of magnitude too high. Not to say that we
should or should not lock down.

On Sun, 12 Apr 2020 10:07:13 -0700, Tom Kunich wrote:

The really bad thing about this rather useless lockdown is that it is a
terrible strain on all of the small businesses that are all hanging on
for dear life.

Most of them were hanging on for dear life for years just waiting for
"the winds" to knock them off.

On Sun, 12 Apr 2020 19:15:20 -0400, Radey Shouman
wrote:

" writes:

On Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 12:07:16 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
The really bad thing about this rather useless lockdown is that it
is a terrible strain on all of the small businesses that are all
hanging on for dear life.



Useless? We have a world wide virus that kills 1-2% of the people
that contract it. The virus is passed from person to person by
contact. Touching, breathing on each other. So you think its useless
to keep people separated as much as possible so they cannot infect
each other.

Now I agree that the 1-2% death rate from Covid-19 is not extreme.
Its somewhat minor. Except to the dead people. Its 100% death rate
for them.
21,000+ dead Americans. 112,000+ dead world wide. So what. Who
cares. They were going to die anyway. They're old. Weak. Right?

It's really hard to calculate the death rate for those contracting the
disease at this point, because of the scarcity of tests, but that 1-2%
is probably almost an order of magnitude too high. Not to say that we
should or should not lock down.

Actually the figures are that, to date (April 12, 2020, 22:59 GMT),
there have been 1,849,666 diagnosed as having the virus, of which
422,565 have recovered and 114,064 have died and 1,313,037 are still
undergoing treatment.

As there is no method of determining the outcome of those currently
undergoing treatment the only definite numbers are the 536,629 in
which the disease has been terminated. Using those numbers some
422,565 have recovered (79%) and 114,064 have died (21%).

On a world population basis 237/1 million have been diagnosed with the
disease and 14.6/1 million have died.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
--
cheers,

John B.

On 4/12/2020 7:15 PM, Radey Shouman wrote:
" writes:

On Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 12:07:16 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
The really bad thing about this rather useless lockdown is that it
is a terrible strain on all of the small businesses that are all
hanging on for dear life.



Useless? We have a world wide virus that kills 1-2% of the people
that contract it. The virus is passed from person to person by
contact. Touching, breathing on each other. So you think its useless
to keep people separated as much as possible so they cannot infect
each other.

Now I agree that the 1-2% death rate from Covid-19 is not extreme.
Its somewhat minor. Except to the dead people. Its 100% death rate
for them.
21,000+ dead Americans. 112,000+ dead world wide. So what. Who
cares. They were going to die anyway. They're old. Weak. Right?

It's really hard to calculate the death rate for those contracting the
disease at this point, because of the scarcity of tests, but that 1-2%
is probably almost an order of magnitude too high. Not to say that we
should or should not lock down.

The relevant information that Tom ignores is the rate of increase and
the potential peak numbers needing serious health care. The justifiable
fears are less about the grand total number of cases. The fears are much
more about overwhelming the hospitals and health care workers, which has
certainly happened. A long run of few cases can be managed. Huge sudden
peaks cannot.

In some places (like my state) the peaks have been successfully held
down by strict social distancing and other measures. Predictably, some
are now saying "See? It wasn't a problem!" They ignore those places
where it clearly is a serious problem, as well as the many places where
the surge is still on its way. Some other states are faring far worse.

I have two friends overseas who recently recovered, which was
nonetheless a very harsh experience. Our bike club member is still on a
ventilator, last I heard.

--
- Frank Krygowski

On Sun, 12 Apr 2020 22:57:48 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 4/12/2020 7:15 PM, Radey Shouman wrote:
" writes:

On Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 12:07:16 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
The really bad thing about this rather useless lockdown is that it
is a terrible strain on all of the small businesses that are all
hanging on for dear life.



Useless? We have a world wide virus that kills 1-2% of the people
that contract it. The virus is passed from person to person by
contact. Touching, breathing on each other. So you think its useless
to keep people separated as much as possible so they cannot infect
each other.

Now I agree that the 1-2% death rate from Covid-19 is not extreme.
Its somewhat minor. Except to the dead people. Its 100% death rate
for them.
21,000+ dead Americans. 112,000+ dead world wide. So what. Who
cares. They were going to die anyway. They're old. Weak. Right?

It's really hard to calculate the death rate for those contracting the
disease at this point, because of the scarcity of tests, but that 1-2%
is probably almost an order of magnitude too high. Not to say that we
should or should not lock down.

The relevant information that Tom ignores is the rate of increase and
the potential peak numbers needing serious health care. The justifiable
fears are less about the grand total number of cases. The fears are much
more about overwhelming the hospitals and health care workers, which has
certainly happened. A long run of few cases can be managed. Huge sudden
peaks cannot.

In some places (like my state) the peaks have been successfully held
down by strict social distancing and other measures. Predictably, some
are now saying "See? It wasn't a problem!" They ignore those places
where it clearly is a serious problem, as well as the many places where
the surge is still on its way. Some other states are faring far worse.

I have two friends overseas who recently recovered, which was
nonetheless a very harsh experience. Our bike club member is still on a
ventilator, last I heard.

The trouble with forecasting is that you need to take all the
underlying conditions into consideration.

Comparing Thailand with California which admittedly has a smaller
population, Thailand which has almost twice the population has 2,551
virus cases, California has 23,209; Thailand has 38 virus deaths (to
date) and California has 675.

But...
Thailand has closed their borders, even some provinces have closed
their borders, all travel into the country has stopped, over 500
police check points have been established to limit travel within the
country, all stores except food and medicines have been closed,
assemblies of more than 3 or 4 people have been banned, a curfew from
10 at night until 4 in the morning has been implemented, Schools
closed and the three day traditional New Years holidays cancelled.

Interestingly yesterday, or the day before, the Bangkok Post conducted
an informal survey and something like 32% of those questioned felt
that the government should do more :-)
--
cheers,

John B.

John B. writes:

On Sun, 12 Apr 2020 19:15:20 -0400, Radey Shouman
wrote:

" writes:

On Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 12:07:16 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
The really bad thing about this rather useless lockdown is that it
is a terrible strain on all of the small businesses that are all
hanging on for dear life.



Useless? We have a world wide virus that kills 1-2% of the people
that contract it. The virus is passed from person to person by
contact. Touching, breathing on each other. So you think its useless
to keep people separated as much as possible so they cannot infect
each other.

Now I agree that the 1-2% death rate from Covid-19 is not extreme.
Its somewhat minor. Except to the dead people. Its 100% death rate
for them.
21,000+ dead Americans. 112,000+ dead world wide. So what. Who
cares. They were going to die anyway. They're old. Weak. Right?

It's really hard to calculate the death rate for those contracting the
disease at this point, because of the scarcity of tests, but that 1-2%
is probably almost an order of magnitude too high. Not to say that we
should or should not lock down.

Actually the figures are that, to date (April 12, 2020, 22:59 GMT),
there have been 1,849,666 diagnosed as having the virus, of which
422,565 have recovered and 114,064 have died and 1,313,037 are still
undergoing treatment.

As there is no method of determining the outcome of those currently
undergoing treatment the only definite numbers are the 536,629 in
which the disease has been terminated. Using those numbers some
422,565 have recovered (79%) and 114,064 have died (21%).

On a world population basis 237/1 million have been diagnosed with the
disease and 14.6/1 million have died.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

There are almost certainly many cases that have not been diagnosed, some
of which have not even felt sick. They may have, however, passed the
virus along.