Anyone have anything they'd like to rant about?

[bamboocoreONLY]

QBP Stock levels...
The supply chain is not back to normal yet.
My email blew up today for the item watch list. These are all items that I'm waiting on, and have been out of stock for over 90 days. I couldn't zoom out my email to get the the whole list.

And still no SRAM 12s chains to be had....
Attachment 428540
Attachment 428536

Why on earth are you still even using item watch? Item reservation takes priority and you'll probably never get anything you put on item watch these days. Plus you get free shipping on item reservation so it's a no brainer.

[Bunion 2020]

does America have an E-bike problem

or an American problem

I would say it is a Canadian problem. Just cause you ride a mo-ped is no reason to be so butt hurt and defensive. It was a quality rant until he brought up the e-bikes. Wear what you want, ride in what shoes you like and stop trying to convince everyone else they are doing it wrong.

FFS with the projecting. Ride your own ride and bitch about the stuff that directly affects you and follow your own advice.

[jackstraw]

This guy gets it.

Yup.

I ride flats and clips. Depends on my bike and mood. They're both fun because it's like riding a bike a man and that's just fun.

The kom hunter roadie douchebags in the woods are the only thing annoying in the mtb scene. They can all fuck off and stick to inhaling exhaust.

[XXX-er]

I would say it is a Canadian problem. Just cause you ride a mo-ped is no reason to be so butt hurt and defensive. It was a quality rant until he brought up the e-bikes. Wear what you want, ride in what shoes you like and stop trying to convince everyone else they are doing it wrong.

no problem up here

rants are usually BS

here is somemore

love ya

[buttahflake]

You are an angry man, strawjack. I like bikes, 28mm, 42mm and 2.4’s or 4.0’s, it’s all good.
Smoke a bowl, ride a bike.

[fastfred]

^^^ Quality rant.

Flats don't agree with me, but I don't care if someone wants to ride in skate shoes. Main advantage I see is flats riders can walk around in comfy sneakers.

More idiotic trends are the fanny pack, taping tubes and shit to a bike frame, socks up to your knees, and (I think I ranted on this awhile back) goggles on trail rides. Pretty much the whole enduro bro package.

And tailgate pads. Good way to scratch your bike and your truck, at the same time.

My rant?
MTBers constantly choosing fashion over form, aka, fads.
It started with pro DHers who (documeneted by Farentino in a Grimy Handshake piece) requested a rule against spandex because they didn't want to wear it but didn't want to get beat by someone who would choose the racing benefits over the social horror.
There are a few fads I'm currently annoyed with. The first two are mild;

- Not wearing gloves; apparently, that whole "connection to the bars" thing is overrated. Besides, who sweats while riding?

-Riding in jeans. Too stupid for discussion. Again, who sweats while riding?

-My third and primary one is platform pedals. This fad is so big now, even long time riders, who should know better because they're well aware of the advantages of clipless, are even falling for it.
I've heard every excuse:
"It helps with extremely technical terrain" (No, it doesn't. It helps you to FALL in extremely technical terrain).
"It makes me a better rider to not rely on being clipped in." That one is my favorite and it's the one most often repeated by advanced riders going full-platform.
That's like saying learning how to drive a manual transmission makes you a better driver. Not if you drive an automatic. It's simply a different, unnecessary, skill-set (not a bad thing) but it doesn't add anything to your automatic transmission driving.
It's like saying, learning how to develop film makes you a better photographer. Not if digital is better than film. (caveat to this last example; I know nothing about photography and this is based on my limited understanding that most pros have switched to digital).

Having a real connection to the bike is essential to handling, especially in technical terrain. That's why platform riding requires that whole "front heel down, rear heel up" thing. It's an attempt to mimic clipless riding. Also important is getting the right foot placement on the pedal. With platforms no two pedal placements are the same. You know it. With clipless, dial the placement in and forget about it-it's now perfect every time.
I won't even get into the pedaling efficiency discussion as it's just too obvious.

A friend put it best, "Platforms are better if I fall. Clipless helps me to not fall".

Platform pedals are better than clipless in one, and only one, situation. It helps when you fall or dab. That's why they've always been in the beginner domain. Beginners have always started on platforms and graduated to clipless as their skills and confidence progressed.

They sure do look cool, though ...

Solid work gentlemen even I can't come close but as I go through my day getting more and more agro I'm sure I'll come up with more

fanny packs are dumb it was dumb back in 1990 when I carried my weed and wallet around in one it didn't get any better

driving a stick does make you a better driver without a doubt

I wear spandex when riding a mtn bike becuase I like showing up my large package when standing around at the trail head

[toast2266]

Flats are like hardtails. Are they the best option in all scenarios? Absolutely not. Will they force you to be a better rider and develop skills that will be useful when you're riding clips / suspension? Definitely.

[fastfred]

^^^ Quality rant.

Flats don't agree with me, but I don't care if someone wants to ride in skate shoes. Main advantage I see is flats riders can walk around in comfy sneakers.

More idiotic trends are the fanny pack, taping tubes and shit to a bike frame, socks up to your knees, and (I think I ranted on this awhile back) goggles on trail rides. Pretty much the whole enduro bro package.

And tailgate pads. Good way to scratch your bike and your truck, at the same time.

I can't believe how many 9-5ers bitch that they have to take a break from their boring day as cogs in the machine to buy bike parts (which they won't pay retail for anyway). I mean yeah fuck those service industry folks, fuck them for wanting to hang with their friends and family. Just hire some young dumb kids that don't have to care about hanging with friends or family but somehow are master techs and super knowledgeable about the exact thing I am interested in.

exactly
boo hoo what do you mean you can't be open 7 days a week 12 hrs a day?

try being an employer I mean everyone wants to be a desk jocky and hit enter all day at the computer

[jackstraw]

You are an angry man, strawjack. I like bikes, 28mm, 42mm and 2.4’s or 4.0’s, it’s all good.
Smoke a bowl, ride a bike.

Good comedy coming from you Buttah. Did you take offense about roadie on dirt kom strava assholes? Are you one?

[Dantheman]

I couldn't give less of shit what type of pedal people choose to use. But, FFS please don't try to tell me flats work just as well as clipless for climbing. I've tested this extensively myself, they don't, period, end of debate.

[jackstraw]

I couldn't give less of shit what type of pedal people choose to use. But, FFS please don't try to tell me flats work just as well as clipless for climbing. I've tested this extensively myself, they don't, period, end of debate.

Well, you're also assuming people know how to pedal. In some cases it may not make a damn bit of difference.

[grskier]

I've been on flats for the last 2 years exclusively after ACL repair. I've gotten to be a better biker because of it... but I look silly on my gravel bike.

That I ride in jean shorts and merino t shirts. Which gets some looks when I pass/get passed by roadies all lycraed out.

I'm 67% sure I'm having more fun, so there.

[Roxtar]

Will they force you to be a better rider and develop skills that will be useful when you're riding clips? Definitely.

I would ask what skills those are. Seriously, I've thought this out and can't think of anything that I can learn from riding flats that would help me on clipless. And yes, I have ridden flats.
I suppose drifting, if that was my jam?

If anything, it seems it would enforce bad habits. For instance, the basic flat pedal stance; front heel down/rear heel up. While absolutely necessary on flats, it's a very inefficient, unbalanced riding position.

[XXX-er]

I went to flat for the mtb after blowing the ACL and never went back,

I think i like flats better for the E-bike

I still got clips on the other bikes

[toast2266]

I would ask what skills those are. Seriously, I've thought this out and can't think of anything that I can learn from riding flats that would help me on clipless. And yes, I have ridden flats.
I suppose drifting, if that was my jam?

It'll teach you how to bunny hop correctly. It'll teach you proper form when jumping. It'll teach you how to keep your body planted on the bike without relying on your feet being attached to the pedals.

All of those things can be learned with clips, but it's a lot more efficient to learn on flats. I see tons and tons of riders who use their clips as a crutch and pretty much suck at some basic bike skills.

I even see it in myself - in my early flat pedal days, I could bunny hop up onto picnic tables no problem. Now I've been cheating with clips for far too long and I suck at bunny hopping.

[Andeh]

I would ask what skills those are. Seriously, I've thought this out and can't think of anything that I can learn from riding flats that would help me on clipless. And yes, I have ridden flats.
I suppose drifting, if that was my jam?

If anything, it seems it would enforce bad habits. For instance, the basic flat pedal stance; front heel down/rear heel up. While absolutely necessary on flats, it's a very inefficient, unbalanced riding position.

Only time my rear heel comes up is when I'm trying to actively lift the rear wheel off the ground. During normal descending, it stays down. Not as far as the front foot, but that's more due to body mechanics than something specific to a flat pedal.

You also said previously that your foot ends up being all over the place on flats. Again, not true for experienced flat riders. The wear spots on my shoes are very precise marks corresponding to the pin locations. I also have almost no wear on my chainstays or cranks, which means that my heels mostly stay aligned and aren't rotating inward.

Just like a clip rider builds up muscle memory for clipping in and out, a flat rider builds up muscle memory of putting their foot in the same spot and rotating the pedals as the situation warrants.

[rideit]

So, something like 60-70% of EWS riders use clipless. That says something. On the podium, it’s evenly split, according to what I have read. So my opinion is that there are two ways to skin the cat. Personally, I am way, way faster and feel more in control on clipless, but everyone’s different.
I equate it to shredding on tele/freeheel skis, sure, some people rip, and it takes a lifetime to master. I personally flail around.

[skaredshtles]

I am eager to see how this flats vs. clipless debate works out!

[rideit]

^^^^^^This guy gets it^^^^^

[jm2e]

I’ve been having a lot of hand pain the last couple seasons. Switched to Vibrocore, and that helped some, but not enough. Got to where I was thinking about carbon bars for the first time in years since swearing off carbon bars.
Riding the lift at Snow Shoe a week after the World Cup. Guy comes out of the very top woods section (the woods you drop into for a hot second after the road gap near the start). Guy comes out of the woods, over the 18” step down, and his torso/face continue to drop straight to the ground. Faster than you can process WTF.
Immediately moaning and yelling “Oh my god, I’m fucked up. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck”. Literally straight down under our chair this is happening.
Turns out his carbon handlebar broke, and his hand/wrist/arm if fucked.
So carbon handlebars are back off the table.


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[meter-man]

You guys are doing it all wrong.

Flats? No way man, too much steeeeeeeze! It must hurt your dick to get laid that often.

Clipless? I smell a dirt roadie... stanky spandex incoming.

Duh, you gotta ride with CLIPS! That's real telepathic mind-body-bike connection, leading inexorably to mind-body-ground connection.



Works for JFB too!



Dumbo has Secret Service in tail, and yet does not have his helmet buckled.

RANT: WTF Secret Service?!?! Buckle the damn helmet of the leader of the free world. fuckin hell

[jackstraw]

It'll teach you how to keep your body planted on the bike without relying on your feet being attached to the pedals.

That was the biggest thing I noticed when I started riding flats. I was not grounded at all. Like a fish out of water flopping at speed. Now I'm not riding buff machine made trails, so I'm not sure if anyone would notice riding that terrain. Clips are definitely cheaters for a lot of things. Now I flip back n forth so often I can't even tell the difference, but it's improved my riding. The other side of flats for me as a builder is pedaling out to the build in hiking shoes is so much better. I've always had a 2nd pair of clip shoes that were beaters to build in, but they kinda sucked for walking around.

[VTskibum]

Agree w those points. Long ride and especially techy climbing with flats is awful. I ride both enough that I have few issues switching, though I think riding skinnies is far better on flats and I think they also help teaching you to get planted, really makes you embrace heels down and also weighting/unweighting the bike.


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[bagtagley]

I like flats for skinnies and dirt jumping. I also tend to favor them for lift assisted, but comfort is a big part of that. Agree on clipless for lots of climbing. I can get used to climbing in flats but going back to clipless after a long stint is revelatory.

[Bunion 2020]

You guys are doing it all wrong.

Flats? No way man, too much steeeeeeeze! It must hurt your dick to get laid that often.

Clipless? I smell a dirt roadie... stanky spandex incoming.

Duh, you gotta ride with CLIPS! That's real telepathic mind-body-bike connection, leading inexorably to mind-body-ground connection.



Works for JFB too!

Rode those from 1985 until about 2002 and loved them, switched to SPDs and meh. Switched to CB eggbeaters and love all over again. I have switched back to flats after an ankle rebuild, as soon as I could trust the ankle, back to clipless but that is me. You (whoever) do you.

no problem up here

rants are usually BS

here is somemore

love ya

Ditto.