Bike beliefs you have learned are crap?

[Burnette]

The belief that all the stuff we buy makes such a huge performance difference is just complete and utter crap. Frames, wheels, ShimSRAMCamp, I don't care what people buy they still finish the ride with the rest of us with the same average mph.

It's crap how much love and loyalty to a fault that we devote to brands in general. People tout how they are smart and didn't drink the marketing Kool Aid and then turn right around and post five pages in a Rapha/Campy/SRAM/Shimano/Assos thread. I see red, green and purple tongues everywhere, Ha!

The belief that Pro Cycling means much to the average and even enthusiast cyclist is crap. We nerds follow it but most don't watch or care. I didn't even watch the TDF this year myself.

It's crap that we argue in efforts to divide ourselves into little camps based on brands and component use when we should work to unify. I mean we wear funny clothes, wear a funny hat with funny shoes, smear creams and oils on our butts and legs and ride a bicycle, A BICYCLE!, for hours to nowhere in sometimes horrid weather and terrain conditions. And we call that fun!

We ain't normal and are a minority. If we're fighting over stupid stuff it just makes it easier to round us up and put us in the back of the van.

[BikeNY]

Originally Posted by Burnette

The belief that all the stuff we buy makes such a huge performance difference is just complete and utter crap. Frames, wheels, ShimSRAMCamp, I don't care what people buy they still finish the ride with the rest of us with the same average mph.

It's crap how much love and loyalty to a fault that we devote to brands in general. People tout how they are smart and didn't drink the marketing Kool Aid and then turn right around and post five pages in a Rapha/Campy/SRAM/Shimano/Assos thread. I see red, green and purple tongues everywhere, Ha!

The belief that Pro Cycling means much to the average and even enthusiast cyclist is crap. We nerds follow it but most don't watch or care. I didn't even watch the TDF this year myself.

It's crap that we argue in efforts to divide ourselves into little camps based on brands and component use when we should work to unify. I mean we wear funny clothes, wear a funny hat with funny shoes, smear creams and oils on our butts and legs and ride a bicycle, A BICYCLE!, for hours to nowhere in sometimes horrid weather and terrain conditions. And we call that fun!

We ain't normal and are a minority. If we're fighting over stupid stuff it just makes it easier to round us up and put us in the back of the van.

[cmbicycles]

Originally Posted by Burnette

The belief that all the stuff we buy makes such a huge performance difference is just complete and utter crap. Frames, wheels, ShimSRAMCamp, I don't care what people buy they still finish the ride with the rest of us with the same average mph.

It's crap how much love and loyalty to a fault that we devote to brands in general. People tout how they are smart and didn't drink the marketing Kool Aid and then turn right around and post five pages in a Rapha/Campy/SRAM/Shimano/Assos thread. I see red, green and purple tongues everywhere, Ha!

The belief that Pro Cycling means much to the average and even enthusiast cyclist is crap. We nerds follow it but most don't watch or care. I didn't even watch the TDF this year myself.

It's crap that we argue in efforts to divide ourselves into little camps based on brands and component use when we should work to unify. I mean we wear funny clothes, wear a funny hat with funny shoes, smear creams and oils on our butts and legs and ride a bicycle, A BICYCLE!, for hours to nowhere in sometimes horrid weather and terrain conditions. And we call that fun!

We ain't normal and are a minority. If we're fighting over stupid stuff it just makes it easier to round us up and put us in the back of the van.

I think you need a time out, these viewpoints make sense... I mean they are obviously nonsense.

[cmbicycles]

Incremental gains are believable, and the sum of the incremental gains is rather exponential in the end... 1 second here plus another second doesn't equal a mere 2 second advantage, no it gives you minutes of advantage over everyone else.

"After all YOU work hard so YOU deserve the best." Obviously no one else deserves nice stuff, just me. I don't deserve to have, nor do I have, "the best-newest-greatest-latest-game changing", but I'm happy to ride decent stuff while I can enjoy it.

[93KgBike]

I think helmet safety has an empirical basis, at this point.

If you face-plant a lot, you should wear a full-face-helmet like the extreme bicyclers, I guess.

[booglebug]

Big fat tires at lower psi are always faster

[saab2000]

That Campagnolo 10-speed is the best stuff ever.

[colker]

The cycling forum is my family.

[choke]

Old components are junk and the new stuff is way better.

In the last few years I've spent a lot of time riding vintage groups and it all works just fine....in some cases I might dare say even better than newer parts. The new stuff may shift a hair faster but for me it's not enough of a difference to matter. The only actual advantage that I can see to newer components is that they are lighter.

Along those same lines:
Single pivot brakes are dangerous.
Deltas won't stop you.

[Black Dog]

Originally Posted by colker

The cycling forum is my family.

Is this just for you or universal?

I have seen some acts of generosity, true support and compassion on this forum that would make most families blush. We bicker and disagree but for the most part folks here will treat each other like brothers and sisters when needed.

[colker]

Originally Posted by Black Dog

Is this just for you or universal?

I have seen some acts of generosity, true support and compassion on this forum that would make most families blush. We bicker and disagree but for the most part folks here will treat each other like brothers and sisters when needed.

Universal.

[martl]

Originally Posted by BikeNY

Well, I've had 2 crashes where if I wasn't wearing a helmet my wife would now be a widow, so I never ride without one...

I've had crashes where, had i worn a helmet, i would doubtless be dead without one. (have that on medical authority)

[DarkStar]

Originally Posted by Red Tornado

Showering & leg shaving the night before a race makes you weak.... I think I read that Sean Kelly said that IIRC.

Raced plenty during the 80's, shaved night before a important race and felt like crap during the race. I'm with Sean on this one

[Ti Designs]

Pedaling a bike is natural.

[MisterMurray]

Not crap - The placebo effect is mighty powerful.