Freedom
Modern society is pretty much fucked. The world is made up of vacuous, self-centered morons brainwashed by the internet and mainstream media, who in turn are no more than puppets of .ooo1% of the population who own 99% of the wealth and pull the strings of every major government, bank, business and institution. 1984 is a reality, we just don’t realise and acknowledge it, because if it was made that obvious then we might just say “wait a minute, they’re fucking us!” We are made to believe we have freedom, whereas, in reality, all we actually have is the illusion of freedom.
Cycling may be the only real freedom we have, and even that is surreptitiously controlled for us, and is controlling us. We are told we need the latest carbon frame that looks like dog shit and rides not much better, while a 30 year old steel bike does exactly the same job, which is: to move us across the earth and put a smile on our face, yet we are convinced that we won’t be happy unless our new standard bottom brackets constantly creak and need fortnightly servicing. Mountain bikers are now being cajoled into believing that an extra 6mm of width on a rear hub will change our lives. It’s enough to make me go back to a hardtail. With a longer fork, slacker angles, wider bars, shorter stays, bigger wheels, fatter tyres, less gears, naturally.
Of course, advancements in technology do make a difference to our rides, especially for mountain biking. Road, I’m not as convinced. My Bosomworth, while heavier, with less gears and slower shifting than my Jaegher, is still a great bike to ride and would no doubt make me stronger if it was my only ride. Suspension and dropper posts for the MTB are pretty much essential and improve the experience, but if I lost the rear shock I’m sure I’d still be able to ride most of the terrain I do now, maybe with a bit more discomfort and a little less control, but wouldn’t that put the emphasis back on me to sharpen my skills and pick my lines a little more carefully? Thinking? No, we can’t have that.
Same can be said with the choices we think we make in our everyday lives: we aren’t making them, they are made for us. We don’t need all that shit they are selling us. We have the freedom to think for ourselves and make our own minds up, yet still just go along with the status quo, what the tv tells us to buy, what the corporations tell us to consume, what the 000.1% want us to do. Be good little happy consumers and shut the fuck up. Or go ride your bike, any bike, and use the time to think about what’s real and what we’re told is real. Don’t be afraid, set yourself free. It’s the only truth we can really believe.
Now head over to The Gear page and buy some shit.
@PeakInTwoYears
Yes.
@Barracuda
I’m with you. First, being told you can’t get anything because it’s pointless is just as restrictive as being told you have to buy something because you need it.
Second, there’s a huge difference between want and need, and there is no reason in the world why, if you want something – however irrelevant it is – and you choose to spend your resources on that over something else, that you shouldn’t go ahead and do whatever the fuck you want.
And I’m not buying the effectiveness of MTB evolution over road bike technology. 99% of both sides is purely change for the sake of change. That MTB up there look idiotic.
I refer you once again to Pineapple Bob.
@senharv
Ron may get his meds wrong from time to time, but if you’re going to call someone on the carpet for using an offensive word, the minimum expectation is you get the right person.
@senharv
@frank
Yes, I think it was @DeanC who slung the word out there. Sometimes it helps to break a word down to understand it. Fuck … well, I think we all pretty much know what that means. Tard … is, according to Wikipedia, a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Hungary. So I’m guessing @DeanC was referring to some fuck in Hungary.
@frank
I have a Bridgestone MB-2. Except mine is purple and the original fork since replaced with a RockShox. But still using Deore XT thumb-shifters!
@chuckp
Yup, it was me, I did it, and the Lindbergh baby as well as reloaded for my uncle who took me to the Grassy Knoll.
Fucktard/Dopey dad
Sorry to pollute this site with this picture of these idiots, now I will leave to delete them from my computer.
Sorry, did not mean to derail the thread from its intended use. My apologizes.
Dean
The true illusion is that Road Biking is not technical. I learned to Mountain Bike on a hybrid and then went to a hardtail…I endo’d and had the worst fall ever 2nd ride in (why even have a fucking front brake that works when the shocks are compressed? Because I’ll hit it instead of the rear).
Hell I even did a century on a Mountain bike, 9k of climbing took me 9hrs. I got a road bike, and figured I’d be KOMing every thing because I had strong legs and endurance. Nah, had to start all over…to get past an 18mph average takes time and skill on very particular levels…hence why roadies adapt technology slowly, and MTB’rs will take it right away…because one can see the change right away…the other takes time to see if it really works.
Both bikes are freedom, so I love it either way!
@Dean C
No need to apologize! There have been WAY worse photos posted here. That one of Cipo shirtless comes to mind. BTW, Homer is one of the great philosophers of the late 20th century.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns9jAN-OudU
BTW – burning down the Reichstag – that was you too, wasn’t it? Or was it you who almost stepped on Cadel’s dog?
@brett
Two things: Nice article Brett, one of the very few benefits of getting older is not needing to obsess about all bike bits. It’s like cars for me. I want one that works faultlessly and is fun enough to drive. I no longer care about all the upgrades.
Secondly, even if you put tires on that MBK, you will discover how harsh those wheels are. I have the same ones on my steel steed and they are cruel. Put some 25s on and lower the pressure a bit, that’s your only hope.
@Captain Birdbath
This.
@Ron
Cynicism is healthy, otherwise we become one of the lazy uncaring fucks who ruin the world and bring more lazy uncaring fucks into it. It’s the “won’t someone think of the children” mob who have condemned the planet to its inevitable death, driving the gas guzzlers, powering the cruelty industry, burying their heads in electronics and teaching the little shits that they are the most important thing.
Insert rugby/league/AFL down here. The amount of misguided importance put on a rugby tournament here the last month was sickening, like it actually meant something to the national identity. There was an outcry to make bars be open at 5am so morons could drink while watching the games live.
Openly vegan, now that’s bold! Saying you’re vegan is a surefire way to get a bunch of vitriol aimed at you. It seems being aware of mass abuse and doing something about it is in some way to be ridiculed and seen as “extreme”, whereas supporting these horrors just so you can get fatter is manly. But there is change happening, I’m seeing it more and more, so working towards a day when eating animals is seen as wrong as slavery or sexism or racism or any mass genocide is my mission while I’m here.
If you want to support an openly vegan sports team, these guys are doing great things in England…
http://www.itv.com/news/west/2015-11-04/forest-green-rovers-the-worlds-first-vegan-football-club/
And they’re leading their division, and just pulled off a big upset win in the FA Cup against a higher division team. Leaders on and off the pitch.
Great point. Slavery isn’t just confined to animals, and the divide in race seems to be getting larger again rather than smaller. The Muslim hate being perpetrated by the Australian government is disgusting, and the bigots are taking their chance with gusto, white supremacist rallies are flourishing and everyday mum and dad racists are feeling vindicated that they can spew forth their hate without reprise.
While accepting that we’re fucked, I’m still not going to contribute to it and become one of those people I despise.
I love mountain biking. I absolutely cherish it. But the sport is in full-on Bitch Mode right now.
*End slightly off-topic, nonconstructive comment*
@Gianni
There’s a set of Mavics on the other bike he picked up, can give those a run. He also found a front Shamal in a rubbish pile, a couple of dings in the rim though.
@wiscot
Yep, the saddle is going, I’ve got a Flite somewhere I’ll take over for it. Some black fizik tape, couple of 25c’s and it’s a goer!
@brett
That’s not super record, but that’s an amazingly gorgeous bike, matey.
@brett
Could this be one of those you were referring to?
@senharv
Kudos to taking the time to register, just to complain about a word that is “somehow offensive”…if you’d taken the time to read a few more of the articles around here you’d be well aware that, not only has fucktard been in use on these pages for quite some time, but it’s barely scraping the surface when it comes to things that might, somehow, offend someone.
Were you referring to stuff like this @Brett? You mean we all shouldn’t run out and buy a dozen of these! Balderdash! I say!
@Barracuda
Why pay him Tuesday when you could give him a hamburger today??
@brett @frank @gianni @all.
My Thursday night FREEDOM
Roads were quiet, shadows were long, legs were turning, wheels were rolling.
Great to see some writers here wise on the JQ ;)
@senharv
Hey you fucking loser fuckhead, fucktard is perfectly acceptable so fuck the fuck off!
(Too much?)
@frank
Dunno, it says Super Record on the bike but haven’t seen it in the flesh… more photos:
@Oli
perfect, @Frank might even agree with you for once!
@Oli
not really much at all, but moreso pathetic
@Oli
No, why? The only way you could have topped it was if you’d addressed an innocent bystander.
@brett
Looks like Chorus or Athena; the cranks have the narrow spider, the brakes that actually work, and by the time the deraileurs were that sexy, Super Record had gone the way of the whippoorwill. But that is some seriously sexy stuff. Haven’t read the rest of the posts but I assume you’re fixing the bar tape and saddle, and if you can stand not riding moto-style brakes, the front brake cable has a much sexier curve to that front brake if you run it from rider’s left.
@brett
Those are Syncros II shifters as well; I had those on the TSX until I switched to Simplex; the front shifter is my key fob on my car keys now. I carrest is strangely in meetings at work.
@Oli
Besides, fucktard just means you’ve got no game.
@brett
looks like first year Athena, circa ’87 or so….and Synchro I (or is it II?) shifters, Campy’s foray into indexing-you could go one way and have it non indexed, or pull out that right shifter grooved ring and turn it the other way for indexing.
Start with Rule #9 Indeed it is a somewhat fucked up world which is partly why I ride , for example today I rode in cold ,overcast conditions with gale force winds and driving rain , on occasion the sun would squeeze through the clouds leaving brilliant rays of light casting down on a nearby lake. Heading back home with mother nature,s hand on my back was like low level flying. Soaked and cold when I got home a cup of hot chocolate a smile on my face looking forward to the next ride into a place where the sun always shines no matter the weather or the world .
@brett
Cartridges are upside down
@brett
@frank
Might be a bit of a mix. The shift levers and brake levers look almost like my Croce d’ Aune stuff
@universo
Thanks, champ.
@Oli
I’d comment too, but on my third glass of wine so and ah yea, I’ll try this again tomorrow
I rest easy in the knowledge that this is just another cycle repeated, since the beginning of ‘civilisation’, socialism is what made us, capitalism will break us, in between we are lucky to ride.
Sio I haven’t posted for a while, but (sniff sniff…) I love you guys. I wanted to reply to a bunch of you for expressing sentiments better than I have time for, Ron, Oli, Fhrohnk, and it’s so cool Unversio is posting here.
On terms of inspiring rants, I did see this on facekook the other day, every time I go to delete my account something like this pops up…
(quote starts below) (flame retardant jumper on)
I have never read a better bunch of words in one single comments section:
“The level of self-absorbed whining from a position of massive privilege you get from drivers on cycling-related matters is astounding.
This country spends billions and billions of dollars creating the infrastructure for you to be able to drive your car around the country, including multi lane roads/freeways/eyesores, ugly safety infrastructure, petrol facilities and so much more. This involves de facto exclusion of non-drivers from large proportions of built-up areas. Due to the inability of a large minority of drivers to obey the law, measures are put in place which cause considerable inconvenience to other citizens (e.g. barriers, speed bumps etc.). Also provided are large areas of public land for you to leave your cars (which apparently is still not enough given the amount of whining about full car parks and parking tickets).
To fuel your cars we have to enter into deals with despotic regimes, and ship the fuel around the world at considerable risk to the environment. The pollution from your cars causes thousands of deaths per year and harm to the development of children costing billions of dollars in healthcare costs and lost working hours, as well as major environmental damage in the form of wildlife-damaging water and air pollution and global warming. This is to add to the more direct form of death and injury which is being actually hit by a car which is over a thousand deaths per year nationally.
One of, if not the biggest cause of death in this country is inactivity. Cars, by their hogging of public land and their danger to other citizens doing healthier activities such as walking or cycling, are a major contributor to that problem. The biggest losers in this are children, who have lost almost all of their places to play due to cars and their drivers.
So poor you, a cyclist delayed you for 5 seconds or you witnessed a cyclist running a red light. Just remember there wouldn’t be a need for red lights if car drivers were capable of operating without something telling them when to go or stop. A world without cars is a world without traf
@brett
Yeah but nah seriously I’m in Canberra if there’s anything your Dad’s got hook me up (I’ll pay, of course, et cetera blah blah blah)
@brett
You don’t suppose someone binned it because they couldn’t get the rear mech to shift?
@minion
Brilliant!
@Chipomarc
This post may have exhibited the most wisdom in the entire thread. Cheers
I always pay the most attention to the outsiders because they’re the ones who can offer the correctives that we need in our ways of thinking.
@minion
Got a link for that? Sounds like something that would be worthwhile to keep on hand…
@Oli
Fuck yeah!
Fuck off the whole lot of you , then get back to being kind to each other , and when the kindness really starts to flow I,ll give my address to the kind soul with that fantastic MBK who will then throw it in the mail . I promise it will be going to a good home . Just kidding of course ,have waited patiently for years for the such a sweet deal to come along . I envy you my friend .
@Oli
I was always thought that people who use bad language are really only hiding a lack of education, vocabulary, imagination, manners and any semblance of self respect. I think you have just proven my point.
I can curse with the best of them, but lets try,at least try, to maintain some form of decorum , shall we.
Now there’s a lot of words for “you all” to lookup.
I’m going for a ride now, take whatever meaning you like from that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@senharv
I have to agree with your sentiment ,with my father who has since passed away was an English major who not once in his entire life uttered one single swear word ,I do need to apologize to him ,to the folks on this site and sign out with some guilt for my lack of thought and class. It will not happen again . Don,t know what got into me . No matter what walk of life we come from class is something we can carry no matter what .
Clearly what we have going on here (at least for us in the northern hemisphere) is the evidence of stress caused by the impending winter. It is manifesting itself in some of the worst, rudest and most belligerent posts I’ve ever seen. Sure, we take a lot of stuff lightly and seriously here, but if you want to be an asshole, go and post on cyclingnews or some other site. We are all getting a bit nuts as we realize that opportunities to ride are going to get fewer and those we do get will require more Rule #5 than we can muster right now. So everyone take a deep breath and remember, please don’t post anything that you wouldn’t say to someone’s face. Even if it means putting some sort of coda that you are joking/kidding/being sarcastic. Thanks.
@wilburrox
or maybe the entire history of the site?
@wiscot
Clear evidence of Seasonally Affected Disorder?
@wiscot
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
@Teocalli
Kicking in early I think. I hope it’s not gonna be a long winter . . .
@universo
Sounds kinda Biblical. Did Merckx write that? Or Ben Carson’s friend?