[Westy]

At least mountain bikers can spend a shit ton of money trying to look blue collar.

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[jonKranked]

At least mountain bikers can spend a shit ton of money trying to look blue collar.

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take that patagonia!

 

[Jm_]

as much as i hate walmart, the family members that are into cycling have invested a lot in trails in there bentonville region.

Yeah, that totally makes up for destroying the hometown businesses in hundreds (probably thousands) of cities across the US.

 

[jonKranked]

Yeah, that totally makes up for destroying the hometown businesses in hundreds (probably thousands) of cities across the US.

just giving credit where credit is due. but other than that they're basically garbage.

 

[Electric_City]

WHAT. THE. F. U. C. K! As per an email from USAC today... "As the leader of the American cycling community, USA Cycling understands we have been a part of the problem in the inequality and representation in our sport. No amount of talk can change the past, we must use our position to take action to embrace, lift up and ride with the black members of our cycling family to ensure equality, equity, transparency and dignity. Riding bikes is a privilege, to safely explore the streets and trails of this country. We are proud ambassadors for this privilege. USA Cycling will use its voice and position as the National Governing Body for a sport that continues to grow in its inclusion and is committed to driving necessary change." WHAT THE FUCK? ​

 

[slyfink]

First they started bending downtubes for added water bottle space. It added frame weight while increasing rock strikes. It annoyed me but I figured the downsides were minimal and enough riders were insisting on a water bottle mount that I was just gonna have to accept it. This new trend of adding weight and cost to a frame for tool mounts and storage is a step too far and will be a deal breaker on any future frames I consider. I can imagine the demand for it at lower price points but I'm honestly surprised to see this above $4000. Above that price you're just paying more to shed weight with expensive materials and engineering so it baffles me that people would be willing to add the weight right back, rather than saving a few grand and wearing a small pack*. When Specialized came out with their downtube storage it made their carbon frame weigh the same as the much cheaper alloy frame. I wondered if anyone would pay for carbon when it doesn't come with weight savings, just a burrito box, BUT THEY DID!!!

*Here's my hypothesis: No one has tried a minimalist pack. Everyone who says they hate packs tried a large one. I base this on how few small packs exist and what I see on the trail. When pack shopping people think "I better get one that can hold plenty of stuff in case I ever want to". Then they realize how much it sucks riding with a big heavy pack and think it's a great idea to put their flat tire kit and water on the bike, even though they just added $3000 worth of weight to it. If I just described you try the smallest Camelbak or the Dakine hip pack. Weight is definitely better on the body than bike for handling.

disagree. it's essentially sprung mass whether on the bike or on me.

And I've found the advantages of riding packless outweigh weight placement issues anyways. I've been easing into riding packless for the past two years. Started with a bottle cage and pump clipped on to the side. Then added the EDC tool in the stem. I had Specialized bibs with the Swat pockets that I didn't use much. I put a platypus 500ml bottle in the back pocket. Tube is rolled up under the saddle. This set up is very unobstrusive. I also now ride in button down shirts. On really hot days, opening a few buttons and not having a pack makes a huge difference. not so much while climbing, but the second I start coasting, I can feel myself cooling off (and recovering) much faster. most of my rides are right around 2 hours, and this allows me to carry just the right amount of water. No downsides in my books.

But I will say I'd rather ride with a camelbak than a fanny pack. I dislike having things bounce around my waist.

 

[dump]

As per an email from USAC today...

You could make a point...

 

[Bikael Molton]

lol that's really funny that Walmart owns Rapha. hahahaha

No disrespect to Sethimus!

 

[jonKranked]

You could make a point...

you know he has a feeling because he used caps lock

 

[HAB]

Cogent analysis from reliably the biggest dumbass on here.


On top of all that, the USAC statement is bland as hell. Is your point that... having black people riding bikes is actually bad?

 

[Electric_City]

I'll spel it ouu fer yu.

The way I read it was they admitted to segregating blacks. They said they can't change what they did in the past, so NOW they're going to "ride with the black members".

 

[HAB]

I went with the more charitable reading that they feel that they haven't done enough to actively include people of color, rather than have previously specifically worked to exclude. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem kind of deal.

It's not a very strong statement though, I'll grant that for sure.

 

[jonKranked]

I went with the more charitable reading that they feel that they haven't done enough to actively include people of color, rather than have previously specifically worked to exclude. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem kind of deal.

It's not a very strong statement though, I'll grant that for sure.

knowing some people previously involved with USAC this has always sounded like it was the case, at least based on their awareness/involvement. doesn't change their actions (more specifically, lack thereof) or excuse it.

 

[jstuhlman]

bUt LoOk WhAt TiGeR wOoDs DiD fOr GoLf! it's so totally diverse now . . .

 

[HAB]

Yeah, I don't think anyone is arguing that one token black person at the top of the sport is how you fix a lack of diversity and racism. That doesn't mean that there aren't concrete steps that can be taken that would actually help.

I certainly don't pretend to have all the answers, but I am curious to see what (if anything) USAC actually does now

 

[jstuhlman]

I kid, I kid. I understand and agree with the tone of the message. But seriously . . . everyone feels like they need to put out a "statement" right now.

If they're serious, support local, grassroots efforts to put kids on bikes. Support bike teams at schools in disadvantaged areas. Support shops that do the same. Get the big bike companies on board. Don't charge ridiculous fees for licenses, membership, and entry to races. I dunno. I'm not very involved with the sport on the "professional" side. I just dig trails and hope people enjoy them, and help out the good shops and clubs locally with some of the efforts noted above when I can.

 

[HAB]

I can't decide if everybody putting out a statement is a good thing, for the reasons that are fairly obvious, or if it's that organisations are just seeing which way the wind is blowing and taking an opportunistic move to score PR points, but won't actually do anything worthwhile. I guess it's probably a bit of both.

 

[StiHacka]

It's like all the covid themed marketing spam I've been receiving from various retailers lately, only much worse.

 

[slimshady]

Yup, the same caned speech everywhere:

"At $COMPANYNAME we value your $VIRTUE, so we are $NICE_PRESENT_TENSE_VERVE to increase our $NICE_ACTION with $COMMUNITY"

 

[canadmos]

Thoughts and prayers, thoughts and prayers...

 

[Bikael Molton]

I thought Eliot Jackson’s recent post was pretty powerful. Y’all should follow his brother too.

 

[jonKranked]

I thought Eliot Jackson’s recent post was pretty powerful. Y’all should follow his brother too.

link?

 

[dump]

link?

Eliot Jackson on Instagram: "There is a lot going on right now. A lot of people look at me and say “You’ve never experienced racism” or “You’re not really ‘black’ so you don’t have to worry about that.” @trevornoah articulates why this is so dangerous better than I ever could. It makes me so unbelievably sad and upset that there is a perception that some of us are “OK” and others aren’t. That there is a way that we have to act to be considered culturally acceptable. As @salmasekela said, I’m just doing me and it happens to be in an area without a lot of other black people. And of course I’ve also experienced explicit racism like every other black person. Being 13 years old riding with my friends at the dirt jumps and having the police come, single out my brother and ask him to put his hand behind his back without even acknowledging anyone else and having to have one of my 13-14 year old white friends talk them out of it. Being at the motocross races and hearing a dad say “I don’t care what you do as long as you beat that n-word” And on and on. It’s not just about the people who are killing people that’s the problem. It’s about the perception of who we are. That falls on everyone’s shoulders."

1,756 likes, 113 comments - eliotjackson on May 31, 2020: "There is a lot going on right now. A lot of people look at me and say “You’ve never experienced racism” or “You’re not really ‘black’ so you don’t have to worry about that.” @trevornoah articulates why this is so dangerous better than I...

www.instagram.com

 

[Jm_]

Yup, the same caned speech everywhere:

"At $COMPANYNAME we value your $VIRTUE, so we are $NICE_PRESENT_TENSE_VERVE to increase our $NICE_ACTION with $COMMUNITY"

#TheseUnprecidentedTryingTimes

 

[Bikael Molton]

Here is Eliot’s brother’s insta- https://instagram.com/andrewjackson_?igshid=gkvsywq58zjt

 

[Fool]

The Williams brothers and Legion while you're at it.

 

[6thElement]

I just reported the specialized e-bike ad that's been at the top of my page as inappropriate. I like bicycles, not mopeds.

 

[Bikael Molton]

Holy shit the racism in bike manufacturer’s Insta comments right now is off the chain.

Listen to Eliot.

 

[jonKranked]

Holy shit the racism in bike manufacturer’s Insta comments right now is off the chain.

Listen to Eliot.

yea, the amount of racism coming from mountain bikers themselves is hugely disappointing.

 

[Leafy]

disagree. it's essentially sprung mass whether on the bike or on me.

And I've found the advantages of riding packless outweigh weight placement issues anyways. I've been easing into riding packless for the past two years. Started with a bottle cage and pump clipped on to the side. Then added the EDC tool in the stem. I had Specialized bibs with the Swat pockets that I didn't use much. I put a platypus 500ml bottle in the back pocket. Tube is rolled up under the saddle. This set up is very unobstrusive. I also now ride in button down shirts. On really hot days, opening a few buttons and not having a pack makes a huge difference. not so much while climbing, but the second I start coasting, I can feel myself cooling off (and recovering) much faster. most of my rides are right around 2 hours, and this allows me to carry just the right amount of water. No downsides in my books.

But I will say I'd rather ride with a camelbak than a fanny pack. I dislike having things bounce around my waist.

I agree. I'd love it if they took the downtube storage even further and put a blatter in it so I can have all the weight of my tools, water, wallet, and phone down low on the bike rather than in my lumbar camelbak. And leaving my tools on the bike mean I can just throw a bottle in the cage and ride down the road to the local trails and ride for an hour and head home without accidentally forgetting my tools.

 

[William42]

Holy shit the racism in bike manufacturer’s Insta comments right now is off the chain.

Listen to Eliot.

I don't do much in the way of the gram. I'm not even sure I have an account. Is it MFG's that are being shitty or riders?

 

[Bikael Molton]

Just regular riders’ comments to various big brands’ posts in support of black lives.

The Pinkbike article was pretty good, which was heartening to see.

I don't do much in the way of the gram. I'm not even sure I have an account. Is it MFG's that are being shitty or riders?

 

[djjohnr]

I used to volunteer at a place that took inner city kids on mountain bike rides. We'd fit them for bikes and helmets and then take them on a short fireroad ride to a beach in Marin and then back to the parking lot. Lots of the kids were african americans from Oakland. Now if you don't know, Oakland is part of the San Francisco Bay Area and is within ~15 miles of the Pacific Ocean, and every ride there would be a handful of kids (teenagers) who had never seen the ocean before. That fact somewhat redefined what I think of as privilege.

 

[Bikael Molton]

I am from the Bay.

My mom was a counselor at a middle school in Redwood City. Many kids there hadn’t been to the beach, and it’s even closer than Oakland.

My good friend is a middle school teacher in Hunter’s Point, and he got some bikes donated so he could take kids riding in McLaren Park, SF. (Then the PE teacher got him in trouble for doing that because he’s an English teacher.)

Having lived in NYC and now LA, I can say that the MTB scene can be more diverse than in other parts of the country, obviously. But there is still a big divide.

Maybe we can learn something from skating and BMX.

 

[Westy]

I am from the Bay.

My mom was a counselor at a middle school in Redwood City. Many kids there hadn’t been to the beach, and it’s even closer than Oakland.

My good friend is a middle school teacher in Hunter’s Point, and he got some bikes donated so he could take kids riding in McLaren Park, SF. (Then the PE teacher got him in trouble for doing that because he’s an English teacher.)

Having lived in NYC and now LA, I can say that the MTB scene can be more diverse than in other parts of the country, obviously. But there is still a big divide.

Maybe we can learn something from skating and BMX.

Calling people Joeys and making fun of people who ride a slightly different genre of bike should help. This thread is the perfect example of what is wrong with the industry, not the new standards but the self absorbed privileged bitching.

 

[kidwoo]

Calling people Joeys and making fun of people who ride a slightly different genre of bike should help. This thread is the perfect example of what is wrong with the industry, not the new standards but the self absorbed privileged bitching.

Oh stop.

The bike industry does some horrendously annoying shit.

And toshi still rides an ebike. Not just gonna just let either of those slide.

The idea for different hub and BB standards come from INSIDE the person, not from their appearance or cultural background. It is where evil truly lives......the inside.

 

[Bikael Molton]

I’m sorry if I made fun of your bike before.

Calling people Joeys and making fun of people who ride a slightly different genre of bike should help. This thread is the perfect example of what is wrong with the industry, not the new standards but the self absorbed privileged bitching.

 

[Lelandjt]

I used to volunteer at a place that took inner city kids on mountain bike rides. We'd fit them for bikes and helmets and then take them on a short fireroad ride to a beach in Marin and then back to the parking lot. Lots of the kids were african americans from Oakland. Now if you don't know, Oakland is part of the San Francisco Bay Area and is within ~15 miles of the Pacific Ocean, and every ride there would be a handful of kids (teenagers) who had never seen the ocean before. That fact somewhat redefined what I think of as privilege.

I see that as a representation of how shitty some parents are. Imagine never bothering to show your kid the ocean when it could be done in an afternoon using public transit? If we view having reasonable parents as a privilege that normalizes shitty parenting. I'm all for helping out kids who had the bad luck to be born to shitty parents but at the same time clearly placing the shame and blame for their situation on said parents, not society at large. #fundplannedparenthood

 

[johnbryanpeters]

I see that as a representation of how shitty some parents are. Imagine never bothering to show your kid the ocean when it could be done in an afternoon using public transit? If we view having reasonable parents as a privilege that normalizes shitty parenting. I'm all for helping out kids who had the bad luck to be born to shitty parents but at the same time clearly placing the shame and blame for their situation on said parents, not society at large. #fundplannedparenthood

This presumes that one might have time and resources available after the struggle to have food on the table.

 

[dump]

I see that as a representation of how shitty some parents are. Imagine never bothering to show your kid the ocean when it could be done in an afternoon using public transit? If we view having reasonable parents as a privilege that normalizes shitty parenting. I'm all for helping out kids who had the bad luck to be born to shitty parents but at the same time clearly placing the shame and blame for their situation on said parents, not society at large. #fundplannedparenthood

Oakland to Ocean Beach and back on public transit, on a weekend? There goes your whole day.