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This is what's wrong with The Industry™

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,504
In hell. Welcome!
This. "Investing" in old shit like that is a fool's errand, IMO. Unless you just really want to justify owning some old, fancy car. Then... whatever you need to do to delude yourself. :thumb:
My former boss has some old Mercedes convertible that he bought new and kept low use as an investment. He now cannot find a reasonable buyer because the soft roof needs work, and he does not want to spend the dough for fixing it either because he may not recoup that money. Fool's errand indeed.
 
My former boss has some old Mercedes convertible that he bought new and kept low use as an investment. He now cannot find a reasonable buyer because the soft roof needs work, and he does not want to spend the dough for fixing it either because he may not recoup that money. Fool's errand indeed.
There's a local dingbat who has been parking an old yellow Mercedes convertible with a for sale sign on US Route 7 for at least a decade. I keep meaning to put a "give it up, fool!" note under one of the wipers...
 

Kurt_80

Monkey
Jan 25, 2016
488
418
Perth, WA.
Coming back to topic... has anyone heard the Vital Podcast with the Deity guy? It's one of the most recent ones. Last 20 or 30 mins are gold, dude lays waste to the shi**y engineering and too-rapid development cycles that have resulted in the Standards™ mess we now find ourselves in.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/fasst-company-announces-flexx-handlebar.html

may i introduce you to this fine 430g carbon handlebar for the very low price of just 499$? it's flexxxxxy and makes you fassssssst!
"Are you weak and don't know how to tune your suspension? Then we have a product for you. Carbon handlebars with properties and weight of cheap steel ones! Now pay us 500 bucks!"

Jesus reading this makes me no longer feel bad about being part of the marketing team that sold people "God's not dead" movie in Poland.

Also Flex Stems?
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
Plus the Ad Populum fallacy "they are using it in MX, so it must be tits for MTB!!!"
I support a law that forces all morons who write that to ride down wet champery using MX like thread pattern, wheel size and geometry on a bike that uses steel handlebars and other bs that makes it weigh it was 2003. That would end this BS quite fast.
 

mykel

closer to Periwinkle
Apr 19, 2013
5,067
3,778
sw ontario canada

Electric_City

Torture wrench
Apr 14, 2007
1,993
716
I'm actually OK with Stupor-boost, 'cause all it is is 157 with relocated flanges. So my current 157 hubs work just fine.
I have no issues with heel rub on the 157 bike I do have, so meh.
If you have a 157... But it's not super boost, it's not compatible. Trust me. The industry™ will fuck it up for no reason.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,188
19,155
Canaderp
Same as with the 20x110 boost front spacing. Total crap.
Sometimes you just have to laugh. Like what the fuck.

Its similar to BMW. HEY, lets split up our car models based on whether it has two or four doors. Okay, great, now lets create a four door version of the two door version of the four door version of the same model. WHAT THE FUCK. :rofl:

:crazy:

I need to smoke more pot.
 

Lelandjt

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2008
2,508
821
Breckenridge, CO/Lahaina,HI
I'm actually OK with Stupor-boost, 'cause all it is is 157 with relocated flanges. So my current 157 hubs work just fine.
I have no issues with heel rub on the 157 bike I do have, so meh.
Do you mean "flange"? Looking at the 157 DT240 on my V10.5 I don't see where you'd move the driveside flange to. The left flange looks good too. Do they move it in or out? Also, to use this hub with a normal BB the only options are flipping a Raceface ring over or using Sram's 0mm offset ring that's intended for their BB30 crank, right? Cuz anything else will have shitty chainline on the right half of the cassete?
 
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jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,558
24,181
media blackout

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,010
1,142
El Lay
Is hand fatigue still a thing, now that we have brakes and forks that usually work quite well?

I don’t think I’ve experienced it in 10years, other than minor early season fitness issues.
 

mtg

Green with Envy
Sep 21, 2009
1,862
1,604
Denver, CO
hey @mtg your post in the "what's right" thread got me thinking, are you guys starting to see any price increases on materials/parts due to the new tariff nonsense going on? i saw the article linked below, and it sounds like the situation has the potential to impact a lot of the industry

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2018/06/22/us-component-makers-squeezed-material-costs-and-new-tariff-bearings#.WzULhTpKiCg
Yes, ironically the domestic produced aluminum billet we buy for CNC machining recently had a price increase "because the price of aluminum is going up". I'm no economist, but I'm pretty sure that's the opposite of the tariff intention.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,558
24,181
media blackout
Yes, ironically the domestic produced aluminum billet we buy for CNC machining recently had a price increase "because the price of aluminum is going up". I'm no economist, but I'm pretty sure that's the opposite of the tariff intention.
what's that? taxes implemented by someone who has a poor grasp of economics aren't working as intended? i am SHOCKED i tell you.

hope this doesn't impact your bottom line in a significant way.
 

mtg

Green with Envy
Sep 21, 2009
1,862
1,604
Denver, CO
what's that? taxes implemented by someone who has a poor grasp of economics aren't working as intended? i am SHOCKED i tell you.

hope this doesn't impact your bottom line in a significant way.
It was at least timed well, since in-sourcing CNC machining just before the tariffs lowered manufacturing costs. So, an increase in aluminum pricing was less difficult to swallow
 

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,001
1,693
Northern California

mtg

Green with Envy
Sep 21, 2009
1,862
1,604
Denver, CO
just cut out the middle men and start smelting your own ore
I worked an engineering internship for Toyota back in the day at an aluminum casting plant. They had done that...co-owned smelter next door..ore entered one side of the smelter, and cylinder heads & blocks shipped out the other side of the adjacent casting plant.

We have a couple steps between now and then.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,558
24,181
media blackout
I worked an engineering internship for Toyota back in the day at an aluminum casting plant. They had done that...co-owned smelter next door..ore entered one side of the smelter, and cylinder heads & blocks shipped out the other side of the adjacent casting plant.

We have a couple steps between now and then.
I've been to a couple of manufacturing campuses in China. They're set up in the same way. The various steps in manufacturing were literally next door to each other.
 

CheetaMike

Monkey
Jul 17, 2016
229
57
Whonnock BC Canada
Is hand fatigue still a thing, now that we have brakes and forks that usually work quite well?

I don’t think I’ve experienced it in 10years, other than minor early season fitness issues.
As one who wakes up with numb hands , yes too some there is still suffering. I have 2 trashed shoulders with nerve damage , throw in circulation issues and beat up hands from 30yrs in a manual trade.I for one would be willing to try them out. I have changed , bars , grips , suspension settings.tuning. Different tire/rim combos etc. Current combo provides the best results , yet I still get a burning sensation on some steeper trails and when combing trails together for long decents .
 

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,010
1,142
El Lay
@CheetaMike Totally.. I could see a flex bar aiding someone with serious issues stemming from previous injury.

My friends with spinal injuries often get similar numbness.

I’m glad you are still able to go riding!
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,375
12,529
In a van.... down by the river
I worked an engineering internship for Toyota back in the day at an aluminum casting plant. They had done that...co-owned smelter next door..ore entered one side of the smelter, and cylinder heads & blocks shipped out the other side of the adjacent casting plant.

We have a couple steps between now and then.
Doesn't smelting Al require horrendous amounts of energy? For some reason I recall it does...
 

mtg

Green with Envy
Sep 21, 2009
1,862
1,604
Denver, CO
Doesn't smelting Al require horrendous amounts of energy? For some reason I recall it does...
You could say that's one of the (many) steps I was referring to. Although, if you look at any product from ore to finished product, it's likely going to take horrendous amounts of energy to produce.