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Old 10-03-2009, 11:46 PM
bironi bironi is offline
Byron
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 3,376
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Kirk
I'm sorry I offended you - it certainly wasn't my intention.

IMO there is no religion about this. It's either you can feel something or you can't. Some are more sensitive and others less so. Simple and scientific in my mind. You may be right. The bikes in question may be different in a number of ways and that is what he feeling. My point is that even when every effort is made to make the bikes identical they will feel different. When building bikes for pro teams I've often made a rider a few bikes at the same time -same tubes, numbers, all that. They they get painted the same way and they have the same parts hung on them by the same mechanic and adjusted the same way. The the riders take these things out on the road and have a preference for one over the other and can pick that bike out every time. This is my experience.

Some folks will say no one can feel the difference between latex and butyl inner tubes - that's it too small a difference. Yet many, myself included can tell immediately that there is a difference. In my experience there are many thing like this that some say they can feel and that others say can not be felt. In my mind it's not altogether different from high end audio. Some folks can not tell the difference because they are either not physically able or because they haven't trained their ear all the while others can clearly hear the difference. it's just the way it is.

I used to train with a guy who didn't notice that his seat post was loose and had slipped down into the frame 2 1/2". He was a damn skilled and strong cyclist yet it took someone riding along side him to say - "yo, what's up with your seat?" and even then he didn't notice. Some do and some don't.

What frustrates me is when folks tell me that something I clearly feel and can blind test on, and is repeatable, can not be felt.

As for the term naysayer. I did not mean this as a derogatory term at all. I meant it as someone who says "nay" to the point in question. The naysayers are folks that disagree. I think you disagree and that is cool and I would put you into that camp as someone who says "no, it can't be felt". Nothing bad about this IMO. I would be the naysayer to your side. No insult was intended. If I misunderstand the word and I used it incorrectly I apologize.

Due respect.

dave
This is one of the best posts I have seen here during my stay. I agree that some riders sense a difference and some don't. More importantly, I love the civility in your response.

Byron
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