Cycling blog entry

"Paul" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Well, I feel I must mention my (non-commercial and on-topic to
cycling) blog.. http://anticonsumerism.blogspot.com/

Ok, the whole thing isn't about cycling but the latest, and
second-ever, article is. Feel free to comment on the article if you
want to "amen" or criticize - at least I'll know it was read!

Now, I'm off on a ride before the sun goes down..

--P.I.

Oddly enough, I view cycling (a) not as a hobby, but actual
transportation, and (b) anti-consumerist in itself, although I don't
have anything against earning money and spending it on people or stuff I
like. I do object to my money being taken away so other people can
consume stuff that winds up having more money taken away from me to fix
the problems arising from that subsidized consumption.

Going by the posts in this group, I think people who bike as real
transportation are less likely to overspend on bikes and accoutrements;
I think there's some people here who make their own bikes out of old
parts. My main commuting bike is a used 3-speed.

But the important question is, is your blog going to do anything with
bicycling as an alternative to traditional consumerism?

--ag

andy gee said:

Going by the posts in this group, I think people who bike as real
transportation are less likely to overspend on bikes and accoutrements;
I think there's some people here who make their own bikes out of old
parts. My main commuting bike is a used 3-speed.

Of course, someone had to buy it "new" for you to get it "used".

And of course one person's overspending is quite reasonable to another.
I'd think that personal priorities and wherewithall make the answer
quite variable.
I prefer to spend money on a nice bike more than a nice auto and I can
afford to do so-so I do. And I am amazed what folks will spend to play
golf or take the family skiing. That is not a value statement merely
that I don't enjoy those activities enough to spend lots of $$ there.
But I do love having a nice bike!

"gds" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

andy gee said:

Going by the posts in this group, I think people who bike as real
transportation are less likely to overspend on bikes and
accoutrements; I think there's some people here who make their own
bikes out of old parts. My main commuting bike is a used 3-speed.

Of course, someone had to buy it "new" for you to get it "used".

And of course one person's overspending is quite reasonable to
another. I'd think that personal priorities and wherewithall make the
answer quite variable.
I prefer to spend money on a nice bike more than a nice auto and I can
afford to do so-so I do. And I am amazed what folks will spend to play
golf or take the family skiing. That is not a value statement merely
that I don't enjoy those activities enough to spend lots of $$ there.
But I do love having a nice bike!

I also have a 4-figure bike for training and road trips; no matter how
much I spend on bikes, it's much less than a person like me would spend
on the car thing. Although I do have a 10 year old Honda which serves
four adults.

But my point is that bikes are not generally what is considered to be
"consumerism." There were no tv commercials for any of my bikes; mass
culture doesn't recognize biking as a thing which is done; no one ever
whispered about a conspiracy by shimano to take over the world; it's
been about 60 years since anyone went to war over rubber.

--ag

In article <[email hidden]>,

gds said:

andy gee said:

Going by the posts in this group, I think people who bike as real
transportation are less likely to overspend on bikes and accoutrements;
I think there's some people here who make their own bikes out of old
parts. My main commuting bike is a used 3-speed.

Of course, someone had to buy it "new" for you to get it "used".

In my case, they also had to throw it (them) away.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

andy gee said:

I also have a 4-figure bike for training and road trips; no matter how
much I spend on bikes, it's much less than a person like me would spend
on the car thing. Although I do have a 10 year old Honda which serves
four adults.

But my point is that bikes are not generally what is considered to be
"consumerism." There were no tv commercials for any of my bikes; mass
culture doesn't recognize biking as a thing which is done; no one ever
whispered about a conspiracy by shimano to take over the world; it's
been about 60 years since anyone went to war over rubber.

But Shimano is trying to take over the world.

How else do you explain that ...

andy gee said:

But my point is that bikes are not generally what is considered to be
"consumerism." There were no tv commercials for any of my bikes; mass
culture doesn't recognize biking as a thing which is done; no one ever
whispered about a conspiracy by shimano to take over the world; it's
been about 60 years since anyone went to war over rubber.

But where are the strategic carbon fiber reserves? ;-)

"gds" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1130362723.373990.269290
@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

andy gee said:

But my point is that bikes are not generally what is considered to be
"consumerism." There were no tv commercials for any of my bikes; mass
culture doesn't recognize biking as a thing which is done; no one ever
whispered about a conspiracy by shimano to take over the world; it's
been about 60 years since anyone went to war over rubber.

But where are the strategic carbon fiber reserves? ;-)

Aha! There _must_ be a conspiracy! Local, municipal governments force us
to give them our reserve carbon, then they route it through underground
pipes and into sinister-looking "treatment" facilities. Flouridated water
wasn't enough for them.

--ag