Dropper posts for every bike?

On Thu, 5 Dec 2019 16:27:16 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 12/5/2019 2:09 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Thursday, December 5, 2019 at 11:04:42 AM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/5/2019 1:06 AM, Ralph Barone wrote:


Come on, John. Don’t be a smarty pants. If I’ve got a roof over my head and
a million in the bank, I may choose other means to achieve fulfillment than
if I have a roof over my head and $2 in my pocket. The main point that
people are dancing around here is whether they feel that a certain
technology is worth paying list price for. I’m currently running a 3x9 STI
setup with canti brakes, simply because I do not feel that I will get
adequate incremental satisfaction per dollar by going with disks and Di2.
However, if there was another zero on all of my bank balances, I might give
it a try. What makes Lou happy is overkill for Frank. Chalo and Jay are on
different paths to enlightenment, but it doesn’t mean that their personal
choices don’t get them where they wanna go. Now, I personally believe that
there is excessive marketing going on and that a lot of new stuff is being
sold simply because “we can’t sell you something that you already own”. I
also think that at the bleeding edge, the incremental cost of innovation is
pretty darn high, but without early adopters, there’s nobody subsidizing
the more affordable mass market products.

+1, with the addition of my usual comment: We should be able to discuss
the benefits and detriments of each marketed "advancement."


Hopefully in an informed way after having tried said "advancement."

Really?

In (say) the 1880s, when bicycles were changing and improving rapidly,
that may have made sense to evaluate different springing systems, wildly
different frame designs, brand new pneumatic tires, etc. But now
bicycles are an extremely mature technology. We're deep into diminishing
returns. In fact, this is the era of negligible returns.

I don't have to try the next aerodynamic frame to know that the benefits
of a tiny reduction in aero drag are negligible. I haven't ridden an 11
cog bike, but based on my experience owning from 5 up to 9 and briefly
trying a 10, I don't need to ride an 11 to know it won't transform my
experience. I understand physics well enough to know that yet another
bottom bracket standard, 8% stiffer than the last, will be undetectable
in my riding.

Decades ago, an article in (IIRC) Scientific American discussed bike
technology. One interesting part was the computation of the performance
of the "ultimate" conventional bike - one with zero mass and zero aero
drag. The point was, it would not be much faster than what we have. The
mass and drag of the rider already dominate. Performance is not going to
improve much, and that's been shown by historical data from the grand
tours.

I already have so few problems (braking, shifting, etc.) that it's hard
to imagine any great mechanical improvement. If I could choose the
direction of the research efforts, it would be toward greater climate
comfort. It's cold out there! And rain still sucks when riding,
especially in halfway presentable clothing!

Simple, as in the early autos simply add a collapsible top and side
curtains.
--
cheers,

John B.

Frank Krygowski writes:

On 12/4/2019 5:22 PM, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/4/2019 4:12 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

Andrew had an excellent tale bookmarked, a guy selling a
Campy bottom bracket by telling how it would make you
irresistible to the ladies.

When sending out a particularly beautiful Gunnar:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/gun0907a.jpg

I flippantly said, "Pretty bike, it's a chick magnet."

email from customer:
"Gunnar First Ride Report:
I got a ride in before the rain hit and it was AWESOME. Thank you so
much for guiding me through the process of getting this bike.
Brian
PS Andy was right apparently, it's a chick magnet. At a stop light
on my way home with it on top of my car, a woman rolled her window
down and chatted me up about the bike. Then asked if I'd want to
take a ride sometime and gave me her phone number?!?!!?!?!!!!"

I've told this before, but: Maybe 5 years ago I built up a nice,
custom Reynolds 531 frame into a 3 speed about-town bike. I used
almost entirely parts I had in my junk boxes. I did spend $7 for a set
of alloy upright handlebars, and a few bucks at Staples for a chrome
desktop wire basket, which I zip-tied onto my front Blackburn
rack. That's where packages go.

Anyway, not long after the bike was completed, I was riding it home
from the library. A gaggle of teenage girls on the sidewalk shouted
"We like your bike!" Then one of them said "It's sexy!"

I have no explanation for that.

You looked harmless.

Years ago, when I could still think of myself as young, and was actually
much younger than the dust-farting contingent here in rbt, I was walking
down the boulevard on the first really nice day of Spring. The sun was
shining, the breeze was warm, the girls were wearing their summer
clothes. When what to my wandering eyes should appear than a car full
of cute Puerto Rican girls, stopped at the light just before me. They
waved and smiled flirtatiously. I mentally patted myself on the back.
Then one of them spoke. She said "Hi, sir!".

Ooof. It's been pretty much downhill ever since.

--

On Friday, December 6, 2019 at 10:45:22 PM UTC-5, Radey Shouman wrote:

Years ago, when I could still think of myself as young, and was actually
much younger than the dust-farting contingent here in rbt, I was walking
down the boulevard on the first really nice day of Spring. The sun was
shining, the breeze was warm, the girls were wearing their summer
clothes. When what to my wandering eyes should appear than a car full
of cute Puerto Rican girls, stopped at the light just before me. They
waved and smiled flirtatiously. I mentally patted myself on the back.
Then one of them spoke. She said "Hi, sir!".

Ooof. It's been pretty much downhill ever since.

I remember the day, at the university where I was teaching, when a cute young
coed paused to hold the door open for _me_.

Ooof indeed!

- Frank Krygowski

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