Maggie said:How did cycling become so technical?
It's never not been technical.
Way back in the mid-1800s when the thing was invented, it
was the Internet of its time. Way too tricky and high-tech
for your average person, way too cool and obsession-worthy
for your horse-and-buggy hackers.
Remember, it was their expertise with bicycles that gave
the Wright brothers the knowhow to create a machine that
could actually fly under its own power.
And when (the story goes) Eduardo Bianchi got tired of
climbing his big-wheeler and made the front and back wheels
the same size, I'm sure it got a lot less dorky and a lot
more geeky.
Quoted message said:Or is it just the world we live in now.
Everything that was once simple is now complicated in my opinion.
Decrying the apparently increasing complexity and
bizarreness of human life has been a participation sport
for thousands of years.
As has decrying the recurring sameness of the things humans
do (such as decrying the increasing complexity).
"It's new to you" is probably the best phrase to capture
why we all don't just sit on our saddles and pedal through
the celeste morning.
But only "I missed my TT record by one lousy second"
explains the carbon-fiber bottom bracket...
Quoted message said:Just call me another troll, trolling the NG. I enjoy riding, but I
know I will never spend time trying to understand the technical aspect
of it all.
As with your car, the people who love the geeky part have
taken great pride in making sure you never need to know
anything other than where to put your hands and feet and
how to unscrew the filler cap.
Quoted message said:I just a wanna have fun. I have a new bike, a new seat
(saddle) and the will to ride. What the heck else do I need to know?
Thats why God invented the LBS.
Oh. And there's no God.
--Blair
"Just thought you'd like a reality check."
