Full Suspension

On Tue, 9 May 2017 08:51:29 +1000, James
wrote:

On 09/05/17 05:07, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-05-08 10:20, wrote:
What do you suppose is behind the idea of people who are buying a
bike to buy a full suspension bike and never ride it off-road and
only ride it around the city?

Do you suppose that it's a social ladder kind of thing?


It's called a chick magnet :-)

No kidding, I have a full-sus MTB and use the heck out of it. One day I
had just come off the end of the trail. Locked it to the fence at the
outside beer court of a ritzy Whole Foods store because that happened to
be on my way home, I was thirsty and they have good micro brews. The
place where you otherwise mostly see impeccably detailed BMWs and
Benzes. This bike, in its usual state of muddiness:

http://www.analogconsultants.com/ng/bike/Muddy3.JPG

After buying a beer I saw several people standing around it. "Man,
that's a mean-looking bike! Cool!"


Chicks, huh?

Translation: American Chick = Australian Sheila :-}
--
Cheers,

John B.

On 2017-05-08 13:19, wrote:
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:53:54 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-05-08 12:16, wrote:
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:07:23 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-05-08 10:20, wrote:
What do you suppose is behind the idea of people who are buying a
bike to buy a full suspension bike and never ride it off-road and
only ride it around the city?

Do you suppose that it's a social ladder kind of thing?


It's called a chick magnet :-)

No kidding, I have a full-sus MTB and use the heck out of it. One day I
had just come off the end of the trail. Locked it to the fence at the
outside beer court of a ritzy Whole Foods store because that happened to
be on my way home, I was thirsty and they have good micro brews. The
place where you otherwise mostly see impeccably detailed BMWs and
Benzes. This bike, in its usual state of muddiness:

http://www.analogconsultants.com/ng/bike/Muddy3.JPG

After buying a beer I saw several people standing around it. "Man,
that's a mean-looking bike! Cool!"

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Are you sure they weren't talking about the Schwinn next to yours?


Nah, those aren't dirty enough. The women there were particularly
surprise. You ride WHERE? They couldn't believe that leaving pavement is
possible on a bicycle.

This is different at most brewpubs I stop at. Like yesterday where there
were three well-worn downhill MTB outside the pub.

So you go to the pubs with bike riders instead of attractive chicks?


Two of the riders were attractive women. However, I am happily married ...

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 9:00:09 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-05-08 13:19, wrote:
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:53:54 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-05-08 12:16, wrote:
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:07:23 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-05-08 10:20, wrote:
What do you suppose is behind the idea of people who are buying a
bike to buy a full suspension bike and never ride it off-road and
only ride it around the city?

Do you suppose that it's a social ladder kind of thing?


It's called a chick magnet :-)

No kidding, I have a full-sus MTB and use the heck out of it. One day I
had just come off the end of the trail. Locked it to the fence at the
outside beer court of a ritzy Whole Foods store because that happened to
be on my way home, I was thirsty and they have good micro brews. The
place where you otherwise mostly see impeccably detailed BMWs and
Benzes. This bike, in its usual state of muddiness:

http://www.analogconsultants.com/ng/bike/Muddy3.JPG

After buying a beer I saw several people standing around it. "Man,
that's a mean-looking bike! Cool!"

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Are you sure they weren't talking about the Schwinn next to yours?


Nah, those aren't dirty enough. The women there were particularly
surprise. You ride WHERE? They couldn't believe that leaving pavement is
possible on a bicycle.

This is different at most brewpubs I stop at. Like yesterday where there
were three well-worn downhill MTB outside the pub.

So you go to the pubs with bike riders instead of attractive chicks?


Two of the riders were attractive women. However, I am happily married ....

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

That doesn't mean you can't be happy that chicks are making passes. I have somewhat of the opposite problem. If some of the women riders are going off to home or whatever and I ride along with them because they're going in the same direction it irritates them as if I were making a pass at them.

On 2017-05-09 10:10, wrote:
On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 9:00:09 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-05-08 13:19, wrote:
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:53:54 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-05-08 12:16, wrote:
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:07:23 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-05-08 10:20, wrote:
What do you suppose is behind the idea of people who are
buying a bike to buy a full suspension bike and never
ride it off-road and only ride it around the city?

Do you suppose that it's a social ladder kind of thing?


It's called a chick magnet :-)

No kidding, I have a full-sus MTB and use the heck out of
it. One day I had just come off the end of the trail.
Locked it to the fence at the outside beer court of a ritzy
Whole Foods store because that happened to be on my way
home, I was thirsty and they have good micro brews. The
place where you otherwise mostly see impeccably detailed
BMWs and Benzes. This bike, in its usual state of
muddiness:

http://www.analogconsultants.com/ng/bike/Muddy3.JPG

After buying a beer I saw several people standing around
it. "Man, that's a mean-looking bike! Cool!"

-- Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Are you sure they weren't talking about the Schwinn next to
yours?


Nah, those aren't dirty enough. The women there were
particularly surprise. You ride WHERE? They couldn't believe
that leaving pavement is possible on a bicycle.

This is different at most brewpubs I stop at. Like yesterday
where there were three well-worn downhill MTB outside the pub.

So you go to the pubs with bike riders instead of attractive
chicks?


Two of the riders were attractive women. However, I am happily
married ...

-- Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

That doesn't mean you can't be happy that chicks are making passes. I
have somewhat of the opposite problem. If some of the women riders
are going off to home or whatever and I ride along with them because
they're going in the same direction it irritates them as if I were
making a pass at them.


I am too friggin' old for them to make passes at me. Most are almost a
generation younger than I am.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 5/8/2017 12:20 PM, wrote:
What do you suppose is behind the idea of people who are buying a bike to buy a full suspension bike and never ride it off-road and only ride it around the city?

Do you suppose that it's a social ladder kind of thing?

I'd suspect it's mainly two reasons:

1) comfort. full-suspension bikes do ride softer over bumps, and ass
pain is probably the #1 complaint that people riding normal bikes have.

2) I've seen where people (especially overweight people) think that it's
best that they not get a road bike, as they suppose that a MTB is
stronger. Which it may be. I try to offer some correction there but a
lot of people that [see the recumbent bikes I ride and] ask me about
bicycling aren't real committed to the idea overall.

On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 11:04:46 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-05-09 10:10, wrote:
On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 9:00:09 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-05-08 13:19, wrote:
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:53:54 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-05-08 12:16, wrote:
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 12:07:23 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-05-08 10:20, wrote:
What do you suppose is behind the idea of people who are
buying a bike to buy a full suspension bike and never
ride it off-road and only ride it around the city?

Do you suppose that it's a social ladder kind of thing?


It's called a chick magnet :-)

No kidding, I have a full-sus MTB and use the heck out of
it. One day I had just come off the end of the trail.
Locked it to the fence at the outside beer court of a ritzy
Whole Foods store because that happened to be on my way
home, I was thirsty and they have good micro brews. The
place where you otherwise mostly see impeccably detailed
BMWs and Benzes. This bike, in its usual state of
muddiness:

http://www.analogconsultants.com/ng/bike/Muddy3.JPG

After buying a beer I saw several people standing around
it. "Man, that's a mean-looking bike! Cool!"

-- Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Are you sure they weren't talking about the Schwinn next to
yours?


Nah, those aren't dirty enough. The women there were
particularly surprise. You ride WHERE? They couldn't believe
that leaving pavement is possible on a bicycle.

This is different at most brewpubs I stop at. Like yesterday
where there were three well-worn downhill MTB outside the pub.

So you go to the pubs with bike riders instead of attractive
chicks?


Two of the riders were attractive women. However, I am happily
married ...

-- Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

That doesn't mean you can't be happy that chicks are making passes. I
have somewhat of the opposite problem. If some of the women riders
are going off to home or whatever and I ride along with them because
they're going in the same direction it irritates them as if I were
making a pass at them.


I am too friggin' old for them to make passes at me. Most are almost a
generation younger than I am.

Don't be too surprised if some young chick makes a pass at you sometime. I don't understand it either and I'm not exactly what you'd call good looking. I'm not even what you'd call average. OK, I'm outright ugly.

On 2017-05-09 11:58, DougC wrote:
On 5/8/2017 12:20 PM, wrote:
What do you suppose is behind the idea of people who are buying a bike
to buy a full suspension bike and never ride it off-road and only ride
it around the city?

Do you suppose that it's a social ladder kind of thing?

I'd suspect it's mainly two reasons:

1) comfort. full-suspension bikes do ride softer over bumps, and ass
pain is probably the #1 complaint that people riding normal bikes have.


That is a very valid point. I used to go somewhere on a dirt road once a
week. At first in my car, a Mitsubishi Montero Sport (SUV) with the
usual offroad suspension consisting of leaf springs and torsion bars.
Even at 10mph everything in there went flying. Road bike, forget it.
After I bought my full-sus MTB I tried that road at the exact same 10mph
just to see the difference and it blew me away. With the rear shock only
at 180psi it was gliding along like a Lincoln.


2) I've seen where people (especially overweight people) think that it's
best that they not get a road bike, as they suppose that a MTB is
stronger. Which it may be. I try to offer some correction there but a
lot of people that [see the recumbent bikes I ride and] ask me about
bicycling aren't real committed to the idea overall.


Some even buy a bike. I know a guy for whom only the best of the best is
even worth a consideration. He plunked down $7.5k for a road bike. After
a grand total of less than 10 miles it sits in his garage, for years
now. And no, he absolutely positively is not going to sell it.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 5/9/2017 2:41 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-05-09 11:58, DougC wrote:
On 5/8/2017 12:20 PM, wrote:
What do you suppose is behind the idea of people who are buying a bike
to buy a full suspension bike and never ride it off-road and only ride
it around the city?

Do you suppose that it's a social ladder kind of thing?

I'd suspect it's mainly two reasons:

1) comfort. full-suspension bikes do ride softer over bumps, and ass
pain is probably the #1 complaint that people riding normal bikes have.


That is a very valid point. I used to go somewhere on a dirt road once a
week. At first in my car, a Mitsubishi Montero Sport (SUV) with the
usual offroad suspension consisting of leaf springs and torsion bars.
Even at 10mph everything in there went flying. Road bike, forget it.
After I bought my full-sus MTB I tried that road at the exact same 10mph
just to see the difference and it blew me away. With the rear shock only
at 180psi it was gliding along like a Lincoln.

,,,

Back around the year 2000, I decided I didn't like riding uncomfortable
bikes anymore. At the time I had 2 road bikes and 2 MTBs, but the only
place to go MTB riding was a 1-hour drive away.

I gave away the 2 road bikes and the unsuspended MTB, and kept the
full-suspension MTB but put slick tires on it (a Pro-Flex 856, IIRC).

The Pro-Flex worked but it felt rather draggy on pavement. And also, the
urethane dampers had degraded from age and there was nowhere to buy
replacements. It would have been fairly easy to make replacements if I
had known of a source of suitable rubber-like materials, but back then I
didn't know anywhere that sold such things.

I began to look for either a full-suspension road bike, or a recumbent
bike. This was around the time that suspension forks were a thing in the
TdF. Nobody made a suspended road bike at the time and the
shock-absorbing stems and seatposts around would only fit on MTBs, that
used larger-diameter parts than road bikes did.

So I got a recumbent. And even though it was not suspended, it was still
far better riding comfort than any of the previous upright bikes was.

I'd still consider buying a suspended road bike, if anyone made a
sub-$1000 one properly (that being--using undampened elastomer for the
shocks). But nobody does except folding bikes, and I don't want a
folding bike.

On 2017-05-10 00:23, DougC wrote:
On 5/9/2017 2:41 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-05-09 11:58, DougC wrote:
On 5/8/2017 12:20 PM, wrote:
What do you suppose is behind the idea of people who are buying a bike
to buy a full suspension bike and never ride it off-road and only ride
it around the city?

Do you suppose that it's a social ladder kind of thing?

I'd suspect it's mainly two reasons:

1) comfort. full-suspension bikes do ride softer over bumps, and ass
pain is probably the #1 complaint that people riding normal bikes have.


That is a very valid point. I used to go somewhere on a dirt road once a
week. At first in my car, a Mitsubishi Montero Sport (SUV) with the
usual offroad suspension consisting of leaf springs and torsion bars.
Even at 10mph everything in there went flying. Road bike, forget it.
After I bought my full-sus MTB I tried that road at the exact same 10mph
just to see the difference and it blew me away. With the rear shock only
at 180psi it was gliding along like a Lincoln.

,,,

Back around the year 2000, I decided I didn't like riding uncomfortable
bikes anymore. At the time I had 2 road bikes and 2 MTBs, but the only
place to go MTB riding was a 1-hour drive away.

I gave away the 2 road bikes and the unsuspended MTB, and kept the
full-suspension MTB but put slick tires on it (a Pro-Flex 856, IIRC).


That is what my MTB buddy did with his Titanium hard-tail MTB. However,
his are real slicks like on road bikes, only wider, probably 32mm.


The Pro-Flex worked but it felt rather draggy on pavement. And also, the
urethane dampers had degraded from age and there was nowhere to buy
replacements. It would have been fairly easy to make replacements if I
had known of a source of suitable rubber-like materials, but back then I
didn't know anywhere that sold such things.


Urethane dampers? That must have been a Flintstonian MTB :-)


I began to look for either a full-suspension road bike, or a recumbent
bike. This was around the time that suspension forks were a thing in the
TdF. Nobody made a suspended road bike at the time and the
shock-absorbing stems and seatposts around would only fit on MTBs, that
used larger-diameter parts than road bikes did.

So I got a recumbent. And even though it was not suspended, it was still
far better riding comfort than any of the previous upright bikes was.


Some day I'll have to test-ride one of those. Many of them look cool
with cup holders and all.


I'd still consider buying a suspended road bike, if anyone made a
sub-$1000 one properly (that being--using undampened elastomer for the
shocks). But nobody does except folding bikes, and I don't want a
folding bike.


Why elastomer? I test-rode an elastomer seat post (the expensive kind,
Thudbuster) and came away unimpressed. What I have now is oil/air shocks
with springs in them. I can adjust the hardness and the rebound while
riding without even having to slow down. They can also both be locked
out when a stretch of smooth pavement comes. Try a out a bike like that.
Mine is from the Fuji Outland series but they change the configuration
every year, not sure what they've got on there now. Some shocks aren't
lockable and that can be a drag when riding long stretches of pavement
or mashing up a long flat incline.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/