[ncj01]

Noting in another thread that folks get fired up about different bike-specific things, I thought we should have a Poll about it.

Single most bike-specific thing that lites my fire:

Sizing issues.

People who don't realize the importance of ETT, and think that you have to be 6'8" to ride a XL frame...or don't see that "XL" isn't a industry standard...take for instance the XL Blur, which has a 24.0" ETT, which would be like a Medium Fisher.

Related pisser of an issue for me: Anyone who recommends a size becuase "I'm __ft tall and ride a size ___, and it fits GREAT"

 

[donkey]

Here's a few

I'll try to keep the list to a minimum...

Rigid 29er forks-if it doesn't measure approx. 470mm, it's NOT suspension corrected. This seems pretty simple to me. If your frame is built around a 470mm fork and you put a 440 on there, you just gained a degree in the head angle and seat angle, not to mention a lower BB. Let's set a standard here, ~470mm is suspension corrected

Rapid Rise-just don't like it, don't like working on it, don't like riding it. I wish Shimano would have abandoned rapid rise when it flopped the first time they pushed it on the market.

Negative stems and riser bars-This is basically an aesthetic issue, but here goes-if you are riding a stem with negative rise with a riser bar, why not run a positive stem with a flat bar? Same theory goes for running a stem in the negative position with a boatload of spacers under it...how about run it positive and get rid of some of the spacers?

Housing-Cut it to the right length. There is nothing worse than a sweet bike with waaaaay too much housing poorly routed flopping all over the place.

Stan's-If you want to try it, go for it, but don't go calling WTB or others when the tire blows up in your face. The tires aren't designed for it.

Short top tubes-This may just be me(and my west coast POV), but a 22 or 22.5 inch ETT on a 17 or 18 inch c to c frame is ridiculous.

31.8 mountain bars and stems-Why...

The term "compliant"-If a stem flexes it's undesirable. If a bar flexes we call it compliant and proclaim it's greatness.

Shimanos and proprietary chainrings-Good Lord, how many different chainring specs do these guys need? A person could own 3 pairs of shimano cranks bought in 1 year period and none of the rings would be compatible with one another.

That should do for now

B

 

[donkey]

Oh, here's a few in terms of internet forums-

rigid vs. suspension-give me a break, ride what you want to ride. If that happens to be rigid, don't brag about it, you're not that special. I happen to like riding a rigid fork on my main bike, it doesn't make me a better rider than the next guy, in fact it probably makes me worse on many occasions

Gears vs. Singlespeed-same as above rant about forks....ride what you want, but quit telling everybody about it.

That'll do for now

B

 

[Fattirewilly]

Interesting topic.

I'd say anyone thinking of buying a new $300-$400 bike and seriously riding it. I can usually go off on why they should buy a used bike instead. I also try to respond more to any xc rider over 6', with a good budget, that hasn't considered buying a 29er.

Recently I've also been fired up when someone claims a 700c wheel can't be built strong enough for mountain bike use. I'd think a 48 spoke tandem wheel should be enough for about anyone.

 

[bigwheelboy_490]

fires me up???

Flames, waist high......

That and broken tips to presta valves.

 

[farley]

This may be my fault. . .

I think my sarcastic "seatpost clamp violence" comment in another thread may have inspired this one. Therefore, I'd just like to clarify that I really don't care about seatpost clamps. I just tried to pick the most innocuous bike part I could think of in a general attempt at makign fun of people who get defensive about their opinions about bike parts.

Like several who have posted here, I really only get upset at people getting upset about minor differences--you know. general uptightness and intolerance. Ride what you wanna ride, how you wanna ride, as long as you're following good ol' Mr. Kant's Categorical Imperative and all that hoopajoop. . .

 

[colker1]

people who bring violence to their posts "made me want to beat the hell out of..". generally it's violence against other bikers. i've seen it in the SS board and it really annoys me. .

sarcasm towards anyone. what's so bad about being nice? being nice to others is the privilege of superior beings...

FS riders dissing HT's. SSers dissing gearies. MTBrs dissing roadies... stupid or what? if anyone is riding a bike, i'm for him/ her.

politics and nationalism clouding cycling issues. one here rides a bike first, nationalilty color and beliefs come second.

 

[Homer Simpson]

People...

who are not willing to accept another person's point of view/opinion. People who cannot admit a mistake or apologize to others when they are wrong.

 

[banks]

Trying to loose weight by using a tube type tire tubeless really chaps my ass....

Scoty

 

[Bigwheel]

People that call 29"ers, 29ers.

People that talk about it more than they do about it.

My newest beef is long top tubes on 29"ers.

 

[miles e]

People that call 29"ers, 29ers.

BW: perhaps you've already elaborated on this elsewhere, but are you just conceding 29er tag to the boat people because they had it first? Otherwise why should they be exempt from including the unit of measure (29'er)?

 

[Bigwheel]

BW: perhaps you've already elaborated on this elsewhere, but are you just conceding 29er tag to the boat people because they had it first? Otherwise why should they be exempt from including the unit of measure (29'er)?

If you happened across a new concept, and wanted to name it, would you call it Toyota?

I just happened to be standing there when the first measurement of a Nano mounted on a 622mm bead rim occured in Wes Williams shop over 5 years ago. As Wes already made a bike labeled the 28"er in his fleet it made sense in our addled minds to proclaim the term 29"er for the bigger meats. We used that term at Interbike in 99' a good year before Fisher started pimping the concept as 29er which just happens to interfere with another sports genre.

To tell the truth we had no idea at the time that 29er designated a class of sailboats. However upon research when it was found that it did, it made even more sense to drop that moniker to us here.

 

[escamillo]

My newest beef is long top tubes on 29"ers.

Hey Biggie. Can you elaborate?

I've received spousal approval on getting a single speed and am working out the geometry. I've been satisfied with the long tt on my fisher but am willing to change my mind.... Maybe.

e

to keep this relevant with the thread: Euro trash paint scheems, I just can't figure out what inspires such bad design, and the guys in my riding group and race series who have switched to 29"ers. They are kicking my a$$ now.

 

[brewdog]

If you happened across a new concept, and wanted to name it, would you call it Toyota?

We're talking about two different sports/activities here. If I were to post up saying I'm gonna race the Clydesdale class this weekend, I don't think anyone would be confused as to what event I'm entering. Would people I also race over-sized horses? I think not. 29"er, 29er, two-niner, 28"er, 622cm'er...we know the subject is not a type of sailboat.

 

[miles e]

We used that term at Interbike in 99' a good year before Fisher started pimping the concept as 29er which just happens to interfere with another sports genre.

Fair enough, I figured there was more to it than just a strong urge for accuracy in nomenclature.

 

[MDEnvEngr]

Damping vs Dampening

People always talk about adjusting the "dampening" on their shocks...even some people that should clearly know the correct terminology.

Unless you are hosing down your shock, you do not adjust the "dampening".

You adjust the DAMPING. DAMPING. DAMPING!

Oh, it also drives me crazy when products get rave reviews only because they are "not Shimano". The most glaring example I can think of is the Onza clipless pedals of the early 90's.

B

 

[Baldone]

Tire pressue

I just love how everyone will go off on what tire pressure they are running, well thats fine and good but its useless unless you mention.

Your weight
What you ride, rocks, sand, fire road, or pavement?
Are you riding tubeless?
Even though you ride at 40psi or whatever pressure, have you ever pinch flated, what was the situation?
If you do run tubes what kind are you running?
What kind of rims are you running?
Is it on a sussy or a ridged or a hardtail or what?
What tire? What size tire? Is it the 127tpi or the 60? The wire or the kevlar?
Front pressure verus back pressure?

 

[EIBfan]

What chaps my hide?

What chaps my hide?

Not fully developed technology. I've never had a problem with square taper cranks. Now we have 3 different spline standards, none of which have the reliability of a $20 UN-72 which has now been replaced by the inferior UN-73 with more steel and a plastic cup. The new Shimano and Race Face cranks with the fixed spindles have a poor reputation for bearing life and staying tight.

Shimano's new shifters, rapid rise and integration. I would be perfectly content if technology never advanced beyond thumb shifters. These things were light and simple. They allowed trimming the front derailleur. Cables were easy to change. The indexing could be turned off if something got messed up. RF worked well too though a little more complex and expensive. The latest and greatest from Shimano solves a non existent problem with a complex, heavy, bulky and expensive solution that is hard to use and takes away my choice to run whatever brakes I want to run.

Shimano's new price schedule.

Groups that refuse to share or recognize the rights of other groups that use the trails. I have a great set of trails near my home completely closed to bikes because of the equestrian lobby. I see no reason why responsible mountain bikes can not coexist on the same trails. Heck, most of them are too sandy to ride anyway but I hate being excluded in my pursuit of happiness from a public park that I pay taxes to maintain.

Downhill shuttlers. Irresponsible riders of downhill bikes should be restricted from multiple use trails. I think everyone should first ride up to earn his or her ride back down the hill. Maybe then they would recognize the need to be more respectful to uphill riders.

The choices in November. On one hand you have an unsophisticated cowboy with good intentions but who blundered horribly in gaining world support and in reading intelligence data. On the other, a two faced SOB, quick to criticize and deny, but short to identify a plan who wants our sympathy vote because he was a soldier for 4 months, over 30 years ago and got a few nicks and scratches. Why oh why couldn't the democrats have nominated Lieberman.

Just to balance things out - things I really like:

SRAM's shifters, chains and derailleurs, Chris King's head and hubsets, steel frames, Avid brakes, Thomson stems and posts, Race Face Turbines, Salsa, Fox, Marzocchi, White Bros, WTB's commitment to 29" tires, Park tools, Surly's and Soma's quest to give us quality, low cost frames. Titus, Santa Cruz, Turner and Intense mountain bikes, Marin road bikes, Rivendell Bicycle Works, Pauls, Hope, Sidi, and DT.

 

[Rhino]

Orange Surly's

People that post the same picture of an orange Karate Monkey in every thread.

 

[tl1]

If you happened across a new concept, and wanted to name it, would you call it Toyota?

I just happened to be standing there when the first measurement of a Nano mounted on a 622mm bead rim occured in Wes Williams shop over 5 years ago. As Wes already made a bike labeled the 28"er in his fleet it made sense in our addled minds to proclaim the term 29"er for the bigger meats. We used that term at Interbike in 99' a good year before Fisher started pimping the concept as 29er which just happens to interfere with another sports genre.

To tell the truth we had no idea at the time that 29er designated a class of sailboats. However upon research when it was found that it did, it made even more sense to drop that moniker to us here.

The whole problem could have been avoided by using a little metric system thinking and calling them "73.66 centimeter bikes" . See how musically that rolls off the tongue?