Mountain Bikes · Public discussion

Technofear;just pedal

OldNickToo · 2006-03-14T18:30:49+00:00

Are we being used? Is the human body being taken out of the equation oif its own exercise? I recently railed against HEART MONITORS. I can se A PLACE for them; amomgst elite athletes and the very frail. Then I start looking at rear shocks (front shocks now seem almost unavboidable) and I get told by Giant; The VT suspension is influenced by our exclusive single-pivot four-bar DH design, combining single-pivot lateral rigidity and strength with a smooth, progressive four-bar linkage with up to 5.75 inches of travel. The Manitou Swinger 4-Way air shock has Stable Platform Valving (SPV), which resists pedal bobbing yet provides excellent small bump sensitivity. Put it all together and you have a bike with big-hit capability while at the same time being extremely sensitive to small bumps, as well as a drivetrain that has excellent pedaling efficiency while accelerating and climbing. Sorry. For anybody but a top athlete whose ONLY object is winning against technology, this sounds like; a PAIR OF WELL-TRAINED LEGS. OR; marketing gobbledegook I regret the fact that as time goes by, the human frame is being belittled by technology, when it should only "need" this if there is a cutting edge situation. Even then it is sad that we feel that with something as basic as bikes, the human frame is not enough, and (once again) we have to dehumanise the process. I place the quotes because I wonder when the human art of cycling gets lost in the techno jungle. And I will say that the top athlete will not be usng Giant's sales-driven compromises, but some highly-tuned specialty. Just one step up from Huffy?

Started by OldNickToo · 14 March 2006 · Last activity 18 March 2006 · 5 posts · 839 views

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Original section: Mountain Bikes
Published: 14 March 2006
Last activity: 18 March 2006
Original author: OldNickToo
Posts: 5
Discussion status: Public discussion
Total views: 839
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OldNickToo
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14 March 2006, 18:30 UTC #1

Are we being used? Is the human body being taken out of the equation oif its own exercise?
I recently railed against HEART MONITORS. I can se A PLACE for them; amomgst elite athletes and the very frail.
Then I start looking at rear shocks (front shocks now seem almost unavboidable) and I get told by Giant;
The VT suspension is influenced by our exclusive single-pivot four-bar DH design, combining single-pivot lateral rigidity and strength with a smooth, progressive four-bar linkage with up to 5.75 inches of travel. The Manitou Swinger 4-Way air shock has Stable Platform Valving (SPV), which resists pedal bobbing yet provides excellent small bump sensitivity. Put it all together and you have a bike with big-hit capability while at the same time being extremely sensitive to small bumps, as well as a drivetrain that has excellent pedaling efficiency while accelerating and climbing.
Sorry. For anybody but a top athlete whose ONLY object is winning against technology, this sounds like;
a PAIR OF WELL-TRAINED LEGS.
OR;
marketing gobbledegook
I regret the fact that as time goes by, the human frame is being belittled by technology, when it should only "need" this if there is a cutting edge situation. Even then it is sad that we feel that with something as basic as bikes, the human frame is not enough, and (once again) we have to dehumanise the process.
I place the quotes because I wonder when the human art of cycling gets lost in the techno jungle.
And I will say that the top athlete will not be usng Giant's sales-driven compromises, but some highly-tuned specialty. Just one step up from Huffy?

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IdahoohadI
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15 March 2006, 00:49 UTC #2

It's all about market stimulation. That's all. Why do you think there are so many millonaires in the world.
Other than weight saving stuff I wouldn't worry about it. I ride a hard tail all day long with guys who ride FS bikes. I ride everything they do.
That's funny you mentioned you went off against heart monitors the other day. I did not read that but I recently rode with a guy who had one.
This guy owns a local shop and he had: 2 fenders, a white rear facing strobe light (we were ridding singletrack in the middle of the afternoon, A cookie monster horn, a heart monitor and a speedometer.
Of course he had not one tool or even water on him

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OldNickToo
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18 March 2006, 14:52 UTC #3

Hehe! Love it. Sorry for the late reply. Had heart failure due to dehydration! <G>
I always carry water.
I am building up a toolkit (pump, patches, tyre levers, allen keys), but so far we ride "in circles" through bush and we are never that far from home that a walk is a real problem.
Glad I am not the only one, anyway....
BTW, I have an instant way to lighten _my_ system. It's called diet and exercise! <G>

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triguy98
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18 March 2006, 17:15 UTC #4

I was just observing the other day how much suspension has progressed. XC used to mean maybe 3 inches. Now its 4-5. Freeride used to be 4, now its all the way up to 7-8. Insane! These dudes roll up to the trailhead with this big long travel bikes and are amazed that my buddues with their hardtails and me with my 3 inch XC or hardtail can do everything they can... without the body armor and full face helmets. Pussification of the sport. You dont NEED that long travel bike to do a 5 foot drop or do those dirt jumps, dude. People have been doing that stuff for decades with worse equipment. Argh.

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OldNickToo
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18 March 2006, 21:59 UTC #5

triguy98 said:
I was just observing the other day how much suspension has progressed. XC used to mean maybe 3 inches. Now its 4-5. Freeride used to be 4, now its all the way up to 7-8. Insane! These dudes roll up to the trailhead with this big long travel bikes and are amazed that my buddues with their hardtails and me with my 3 inch XC or hardtail can do everything they can... without the body armor and full face helmets. Pussification of the sport. You dont NEED that long travel bike to do a 5 foot drop or do those dirt jumps, dude. People have been doing that stuff for decades with worse equipment. Argh.

Now here we part company.....a bit <G>
My knees are not what they used to be, and they were never much good. Cycling is doing wonders for them. I can now walk without crunching and pain as my posterior and anterior whatsits build up, after only a few months of cycling.
But a 5' drop would probably blow my _brain_ let alone my knees! <G>
But I do agree we are equipped with some amazing shockiess all of our own, and I have seen guys do some amazing stuff on unsprung bikes.
Interestingly, my flight over the handlebars the other day was probably aided by the front shocks, which would dive the bars.
Within my (slowly increasing) limits, I actually _enjoy_ pitting my body against the terrain. I would have trouble sitting there in cushioned comfort floating down a track. There is something exhilarating about feeling these ageing legs absorb a bump or drop, and making the whole bod help them. It's harder work, I suppose, but that's what I am there for; to use my mechanicals.
But I draw the line at singlespeed....._those_ guys are fundamentalists! <G>

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