Bill Wheeler said:Some like it.
Some don't.
Some have freed the minds.
Some have not.
When it comes down to it. I ride a single speed because it allows me to get the most out of my
rides, nothing is covered up and all your skills or lack of skills are exposed. Just you and your
bike. There can be no better riding experience. This is not opinion.
Peace, Bill
The mind serves properly as a window glass rather than as a reflector, that is, the mind should
give an immediate view instead of an interpretation of the world.
:-]
Nice.
Wait--hold it a minute. It's not nice! You're back to using your old sig! I have always meant to
comment on that sig, and now, since your post subject matter commits the same fallacy as your sig,
the time is right.
Just as you say that your opinion is not opinion (and by implication, that it is fact), your
sig is wrong.
The statement in your signature implies that the mind has access to the absolute truth via the
senses. Any idiot who actually thinks this through knows that the statement is bull.
Our minds *perceive* the world. They interpret what they see, smell, hear, taste. There's no way
around that. What your eyes, ears, nose, tongue feed into your mind is *interpreted*. It's
perception, not truth.
Ever been fooled by an optical illusion? Of course you have. Everyone has. It happens when your eyes
see something, your mind tries to figure out what it is, and makes a mistake. Our minds are
constantly working to make sense of the information fed to it by the senses. Our minds rush to
conclusion. Sometimes the first conclusion is wrong. Sometimes it commits several mistakes before
reaching one that is correct enough to base rational action on.
Does the mind ever know The Truth? Perhaps it thinks it does. What if I see a snake at night, look
closer and see that it's a stick. Then I ride on. What if instead, I get down on hands and knees,
look really close, feel it with my hands, then I see it's actually a section of discarded cable.
When have I found The Truth?
In practice, once I get to a point where I know enough about what I'm perceiving to decide whether
it's important to me or not, I stop caring. And I stop gathering info. Have I found The Truth? Maybe
if I'm a victom of my own ego, I *think* I have. But rational, wise people know to keep a strong
sense of doubt and humility in their minds.
The fact that I can see a snake while night riding and jump, then realize I'm mistaken and that it's
not a snake--this proves that my mind is interpreting the world. Any freshman philosopy student can
explain that.
You say that there can be no better riding experience than singlespeeding, and that it's not just
your opinion. I know you're wrong. You can't possibly know! Your experience isn't universal! You're
just one guy! For you to declare your opinion to be true and any other false, that's just pride and
arrogance.
Singlespeeding is great for you. Super. Where I ride, what I ride, I'd be pushing a singlespeed half
the time. Being able to switch to granny gives me great pleasure. Just me and my bike. Riding, not
pushing. It can take quite a bit of skill to clean some of the climbs I do, even with a 19 gear/inch
ratio. For me, here in CO, singlespeeding would suck.
But of course, that's just my opinion.
Peace, Tom
The mind serves properly as a reflector rather than a window glass, that is, the mind should give an
interpretation of the world instead of an immediate view.
Unless you're a little nutty and think you know everything 😉