akelman
06-01-2020, 09:01 AM
I'm always grateful when threads are locked and a mod posts "I'm locking this thread" in the comments. It's a useful way of taking/assigning responsibility for what I assume must be a difficult choice. But this time the thread about Peloton just appears as locked. Meanwhile, we have other still-active threads about bike-related issues and the civil insurrection in Minneapolis.
As many of you know, I've long thought that avoiding political discussion here makes sense. The truth is, I don't care what most of you think about politics. I want to know what and where you're riding. I want to know if SRAM is now a worthwhile alternative to Shimano (don't be ridiculous and compare either to Campy, please). I want to know if you're in mortal danger because you still ride a bike with rim brakes (please, for the love of all that's holy, just don't). I want to know if you've got a new frame that I'll soon buy from you.
I think avoiding talk of politics on the eve of a presidential election that may be the ugliest of our lifetimes, as the country is still facing a pandemic and major cities are in flames, probably makes more sense than ever before. But the no-politics rule only works if it's applied uniformly. Either open up the Peloton thread or let's not talk about Minneapolis at all, even if that means we can't discuss people we know and admire who are suffering. This place has lost its mind many times in the past and then recovered. This time it may lose its soul.
As many of you know, I've long thought that avoiding political discussion here makes sense. The truth is, I don't care what most of you think about politics. I want to know what and where you're riding. I want to know if SRAM is now a worthwhile alternative to Shimano (don't be ridiculous and compare either to Campy, please). I want to know if you're in mortal danger because you still ride a bike with rim brakes (please, for the love of all that's holy, just don't). I want to know if you've got a new frame that I'll soon buy from you.
I think avoiding talk of politics on the eve of a presidential election that may be the ugliest of our lifetimes, as the country is still facing a pandemic and major cities are in flames, probably makes more sense than ever before. But the no-politics rule only works if it's applied uniformly. Either open up the Peloton thread or let's not talk about Minneapolis at all, even if that means we can't discuss people we know and admire who are suffering. This place has lost its mind many times in the past and then recovered. This time it may lose its soul.