The real truth lies here.
Modern society is pretty much fucked. The world is made up of vacuous, self-centered morons brainwashed by the internet and mainstream media, who in turn are no more than puppets of .ooo1% of the population who own 99% of the wealth and pull the strings of every major government, bank, business and institution. 1984 is a reality, we just don’t realise and acknowledge it, because if it was made that obvious then we might just say “wait a minute, they’re fucking us!” We are made to believe we have freedom, whereas, in reality, all we actually have is the illusion of freedom.
Cycling may be the only real freedom we have, and even that is surreptitiously controlled for us, and is controlling us. We are told we need the latest carbon frame that looks like dog shit and rides not much better, while a 30 year old steel bike does exactly the same job, which is: to move us across the earth and put a smile on our face, yet we are convinced that we won’t be happy unless our new standard bottom brackets constantly creak and need fortnightly servicing. Mountain bikers are now being cajoled into believing that an extra 6mm of width on a rear hub will change our lives. It’s enough to make me go back to a hardtail. With a longer fork, slacker angles, wider bars, shorter stays, bigger wheels, fatter tyres, less gears, naturally.
Of course, advancements in technology do make a difference to our rides, especially for mountain biking. Road, I’m not as convinced. My Bosomworth, while heavier, with less gears and slower shifting than my Jaegher, is still a great bike to ride and would no doubt make me stronger if it was my only ride. Suspension and dropper posts for the MTB are pretty much essential and improve the experience, but if I lost the rear shock I’m sure I’d still be able to ride most of the terrain I do now, maybe with a bit more discomfort and a little less control, but wouldn’t that put the emphasis back on me to sharpen my skills and pick my lines a little more carefully? Thinking? No, we can’t have that.
Same can be said with the choices we think we make in our everyday lives: we aren’t making them, they are made for us. We don’t need all that shit they are selling us. We have the freedom to think for ourselves and make our own minds up, yet still just go along with the status quo, what the tv tells us to buy, what the corporations tell us to consume, what the 000.1% want us to do. Be good little happy consumers and shut the fuck up. Or go ride your bike, any bike, and use the time to think about what’s real and what we’re told is real. Don’t be afraid, set yourself free. It’s the only truth we can really believe.
Now head over to The Gear page and buy some shit.
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@Oli
Fuck yeah!
Fuck off the whole lot of you , then get back to being kind to each other , and when the kindness really starts to flow I,ll give my address to the kind soul with that fantastic MBK who will then throw it in the mail . I promise it will be going to a good home . Just kidding of course ,have waited patiently for years for the such a sweet deal to come along . I envy you my friend .
@Oli
I was always thought that people who use bad language are really only hiding a lack of education, vocabulary, imagination, manners and any semblance of self respect. I think you have just proven my point.
I can curse with the best of them, but lets try,at least try, to maintain some form of decorum , shall we.
Now there's a lot of words for "you all" to lookup.
I'm going for a ride now, take whatever meaning you like from that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@senharv
I have to agree with your sentiment ,with my father who has since passed away was an English major who not once in his entire life uttered one single swear word ,I do need to apologize to him ,to the folks on this site and sign out with some guilt for my lack of thought and class. It will not happen again . Don,t know what got into me . No matter what walk of life we come from class is something we can carry no matter what .
Clearly what we have going on here (at least for us in the northern hemisphere) is the evidence of stress caused by the impending winter. It is manifesting itself in some of the worst, rudest and most belligerent posts I've ever seen. Sure, we take a lot of stuff lightly and seriously here, but if you want to be an asshole, go and post on cyclingnews or some other site. We are all getting a bit nuts as we realize that opportunities to ride are going to get fewer and those we do get will require more Rule 5 than we can muster right now. So everyone take a deep breath and remember, please don't post anything that you wouldn't say to someone's face. Even if it means putting some sort of coda that you are joking/kidding/being sarcastic. Thanks.
@wilburrox
or maybe the entire history of the site?
@wiscot
Clear evidence of Seasonally Affected Disorder?
@wiscot
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
@Teocalli
Kicking in early I think. I hope it's not gonna be a long winter . . .
@universo
Sounds kinda Biblical. Did Merckx write that? Or Ben Carson's friend?