The all road bike revolution

[bicycletricycle]

Anybody read Jan’s book? I think it is a well written book for a wide range of audiences. Some of the mechanics he describes may not be entirely accurate but on the other hand I don’t think anyone really has a full and accurate understanding (especially me) of the more complex phenomena involved in cycling. Just try to get to the bottom of shimmy and eventually everything you read will say “it is a complex phenomena blah blah blah, could be caused by almost anything and it isn’t possible to predict what bikes will or will not have it”.

Jan has done a lot of testing both semi scientific and practical so I respect his conclusions even if I am not fully convinced of all of them. He has also done a lot to spread the good word about the joys of big tire riding and I think the industry has benefited from that.

I think this is a great book and a good read.

[fiamme red]

I don't have the book, but I did listen to the interview that Jan just did with Path Less Pedaled: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oecr3YuXl2w.

[phoenix]

I also listened to the PLP/JH interview and enjoyed it quite a bit. Regardless of how much stock one puts on Jan’s claims, I really enjoyed, respect and share a lot of his his perspective on the industry. I think I’m going to get the book. I already subscribe to BQ, and will probably purchase the book as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

I don't have the book, but I did listen to the interview that Jan just did with Path Less Pedaled: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oecr3YuXl2w.

Agreed. Great interview - don't always love Russ' style, but I do love Russ - and the interview wasn't just canned responses, which is the sign of it actually working...

[Clean39T]

Talking Skinny Tire Paranoid Blues

Well, I was feelin’ sad and feelin’ blue
I didn’t know what in the world I wus gonna do
Them road riders they wus comin’ around
They wus in the Gram
They wus on the ground
They wouldn’t gimme no peace . . .

So I run down most hurriedly
And joined up with the Jan Heine Society
I got me a secret membership card
And started off a-ridin’ down the dirt
Yee-hoo, I’m a real Supple Life'r now!
Look out you Roadies!

Now we all agree with Heine's views
Although he killed the 23mm crews
It don’t matter too much that he was a crit racer once
At least you can’t say he was a Roadie!
That’s to say like if you got a bonk you drink a gallon of syrup

Well, I wus lookin’ everywhere for them gol-darned slick-treads
I got up in the mornin’ ’n’ looked under my bed
Looked in the sink, behind the door
Looked in the top compartment of my rando bag
Couldn’t find ’em . . .

I wus lookin’ high an’ low for them slick-treads everywhere
I wus lookin’ in the sink an’ underneath the chair
I looked way up my chimney hole
I even looked deep down inside my toilet bowl
They got away . . .

Well, I wus sittin’ home alone an’ started to sweat
Figured they wus in my T.V. set
Peeked behind the picture frame
Got a shock from my feet, hittin’ right up in the brain
Them slick-treads caused it!
I know they did . . . them 120psi ones

Well, I quit my job so I could work all alone
Then I changed my name to Sherlock Holmes
Followed some clues from my detective bag
And discovered they wus 23mm stripes on the American flag!
That ol’ Betsy Ross . . .

Well, I investigated all the tires in the bike shop
Ninety percent of ’em gotta be burned away
I investigated all the tubes that I knowed
Ninety-eight percent of them gotta go
The other two percent are filled with sealant . . . just like me

Now Josh Poertner, he’s a pro-peloton spy
Vroomen, Huang and that PLP guy
To my knowledge there’s just one man
That’s really a true Roadie: The Old Potatoe
I know for a fact he hates Gravel cuz he picketed Ted King's channel

Well, I fin’ly started thinkin’ straight
When I run outa things to investigate
Couldn’t imagine doin’ anything else
So now I’m sittin’ home investigatin’ myself!
Hope I don’t find out anything . . . hmm, great God!


--------

Riffed from here:

[tepextate]

I read the book and enjoyed it.

Would be curious to know what Paceliners' take are on the concepts discussed in his book, specifically his message that wider tires are almost universally always better (yes, even big honking wide tires).

While I'm naturally skeptical given the source / inherent conflict of interest, the logic seems sound. I will say that I was not overly impressed with the sample size of many of the studies that he uses as supporting evidence.

[Bici-Sonora]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Talking Skinny Tire Paranoid Blues

Well, I investigated all the tires in the bike shop
Ninety percent of ’em gotta be burned away
I investigated all the tubes that I knowed
Ninety-eight percent of them gotta go
The other two percent are filled with sealant . . . just like me

Now Josh Poertner, he’s a pro-peloton spy
Vroomen, Huang and that PLP guy
To my knowledge there’s just one man
That’s really a true Roadie: The Old Potatoe
I know for a fact he hates Gravel cuz he picketed Ted King's channel



--------

Riffed from here:

Dan, this might be my favorite thing ever posted on the PL. I hope it snows in Bend until May so you can keep cranking these out. Next request, a cycling version of Idiot Wind.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Talking Skinny Tire Paranoid Blues

Well, I was feelin’ sad and feelin’ blue
I didn’t know what in the world I wus gonna do
Them road riders they wus comin’ around
They wus in the Gram
They wus on the ground
They wouldn’t gimme no peace . . .

Riffed from here:

You just made my day!

[Bici-Sonora]

Originally Posted by bicycletricycle

Anybody read Jan’s book? I think it is a well written book for a wide range of audiences. Some of the mechanics he describes may not be entirely accurate but on the other hand I don’t think anyone really has a full and accurate understanding (especially me) of the more complex phenomena involved in cycling. Just try to get to the bottom of shimmy and eventually everything you read will say “it is a complex phenomena blah blah blah, could be caused by almost anything and it isn’t possible to predict what bikes will or will not have it”.

Jan has done a lot of testing both semi scientific and practical so I respect his conclusions even if I am not fully convinced of all of them. He has also done a lot to spread the good word about the joys of big tire riding and I think the industry has benefited from that.

I think this is a great book and a good read.

On your recommendation, I'm getting the book. Reading about Jan on the internet, you could get the idea that he is dogmatic and inflexible; he doesn't come across as such in interviews like the PLP one.

[FlashUNC]

There better be at least one chapter in it titled "Planing."

[bicycletricycle]

The sample sizes are very small, I don't really read his statements as fact but rather well thought out opinions with a lot of wisdom behind them. Just like all of us he has a bias towards certain things but I don't see him as someone who is making things up to sell stuff.

To me larger tires have opened up a more fun way to ride a bike and are fast enough to not bother me. Are they actually as fast as narrow tires? I don't really care, they feel fast enough to me. I don't time my rides or ride with other people so it makes no difference.

Originally Posted by tepextate

I read the book and enjoyed it.

Would be curious to know what Paceliners' take are on the concepts discussed in his book, specifically his message that wider tires are almost universally always better (yes, even big honking wide tires).

While I'm naturally skeptical given the source / inherent conflict of interest, the logic seems sound. I will say that I was not overly impressed with the sample size of many of the studies that he uses as supporting evidence.

[bicycletricycle]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

There better be at least one chapter in it titled "Planing."

he does spend some time on that topic. He has some interesting analogies and arguments around frame flex. I do not have a strong opinion about this issue but some of his claims don't make a lot of sense to me. He openly says that some people don't "feel" or benefit from planing.

[R3awak3n]

I have it coming my way. I wasn't going to buy it at first because I figured I already read it all through BQ but it seems like a cool book so I ordered it.

Don't always agree with Jan but I am also pretty opinionated so its fine. I am a BQ subscriber and always enjoy it, some great articles, some good pictures. Yes he tries to sell his tires but they are damn good tires so I forgive him

The interview with PLP was great, I am with Dan, not always into Russ style but he seems like a good dude.

Hopefully the book arrives soon, at this pace it prob will arrive before the winter issue of BQ

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

There better be at least one chapter in it titled "Planing."

Planing is covered in the reading prerequisites:

Planing: Volume 1 - the Metaphysics of Planing
Planing: Volume 2 - The Tao of Planing

And I think he has a follow up book exploring the experience of planing with bikes with odd-numbers of wheels, and when pedaling backwards. Rumor is that this will be made into a movie....

[Germany_chris]

I liked it well enough I do however wish it was a kindle book for $15 less