I use hemp twine. It's made in a Hungarian sweatshop by 12 year old girls.
Good stuff, too. On Sat, Dec 13, 2008 at 9:43 AM, Jon Cameron <[email protected]>wrote: > > Landotter, > > I see that the anonymous nature of the internet gives you permission > to use un-civilized language. Whatever........ > > For the record: No, I don't drive a Prius > Yes, I check where my pants, shirts, and shoes > are made. Stapler too !! > No, I don't use hemp twine > No, I never said that inexpensive bikes had no > place in this world. On the contrary, I applauded your use of a > satisfactory transportation tool and suggested that others do the > same. My only issue is with your attitude toward the choices some of > us make. Please do not condescend to those of us who choose to ride > something different than you ride. There is room for all idea's and > choices in the world, as well as on this list. Jon. > > > On Dec 13, 11:25 am, landotter <[email protected]> wrote: > > On Dec 13, 10:41 am, Jon Cameron <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Landotter, > > > > > I'm glad to hear that you are so pleased with your $400. bike. I'm > > > equally pleased to hear that it see's many miles of practical use, > > > that is a thing that many in our society should consider emulating. If > > > riding a low profile machine until the chain rusts so badly that the > > > wheel won't turn allows you to get out of your head enough to enjoy > > > the ride, more power to you. I too have a relatively low cost bike in > > > the stable that I willingly ride in terrible conditions ( a recycled, > > > US built, eighties vintage Trek ) It's nice to not worry too much > > > about the damage of road salt on bike parts. > > > > > Having said all of that, I much prefer riding in style on a lugged > > > steel bike, bagged and fendered with an eye toward the beauty of a > > > machine in service to us all. My Rivendell's never fails to induce > > > extremely positive comments from any and all who see them. To the > > > extent that they become a kind of ambassador to the car driving public > > > in this vast nation we live in, and compared to what they have paid > > > for their cars, I never apologise for my bike's cost. There are many > > > ways to use and enjoy a bicycle, all of them valid. Just don't suppose > > > that your preferred method is best. Not to mention that your $400 bike > > > was likely built in a land where workers are considered expendable, > > > and not worthy of a living wage for their efforts. > > > > Typical American Prius driving reply. Srsly You're an ignorant > > tokenist. ;-) > > > > Where do all the practical bikes across Germany, Sweden, Holland, and > > Sweden come from? Taiwan, China, Vietnam, etc--like all the other shit > > you have. > > > > Ya check where your motherfucking stapler was made, Huh? > > > > At the end of the day, it's a tool--what's important is to ride it. > > What PJW sells are some really good accessories--these come on some > > $500 Asian made bikes in Sweden. You buy a $1000 bike in Copenhagen? > > Bike made in China, lights made in Germany. > > > > SO--unless you start buying locally produced cutlery, pants, shoes, > > and everything else--you're being a hypocritical %...@--the important > > component in cycling is the cycling itself. As a European, I find you > > Americans to be nothing short of hilarious when you fail to comprehend > > things. > > > > Do you not get it? Cycling isn't about buying bikes--building a bike > > doesn't take very long--a Chinese made bike can provide much local > > business through service and accessories. Bike shop makes money with > > service. If I didn't build wheels--I'd have D. or PJW build me wheels > > for my Chinese Kona--see? Duh! > > > > Your post was a total fail--enjoy your hemp twine! > > > > BTW--I love domestic bike makers--love Rivs, ANT, and all the rest-- > > and they can be solutions--but for a lot of people THEY ARE LUXE > > ITEMS. You go ahead and rack and scratch and crap your pants 12X per > > day locking up a $3,000 bike in the big city with a $100 lock. > > > > > > > > > I may be reading more into your posts than you intended, and if that's > > > the case, I'm sorry for the strength of my reply. But I do believe in > > > the "mission statement" that PJW has written when he created this > > > list. I try to make my bicycling purchases and choices with that in > > > mind. Jon Cameron. > > > > > On Dec 12, 11:35 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Thanks...so much for tipple typin'! ;-) > > > > > > I just got home from a little run to the store on the little $400 do > > > > getter last night and I realized that of all the bikes I've owned in > > > > my life and regardless of components--it's got the unsexiest of > > > > Shimano integrated 8spd stuff on it--it's the bike I gladly ride > > > > dressed like I am now in fancy jeans, t-neck, leather vest, tech > > > > jacket, and Blunnie boots on MKS Sylvan strapless tours, for a tootle > > > > around the neighborhood--and if I wanted to do a century tomorrow, > I'd > > > > spd it and not even blink. On the same cheap stock Velo saddle even. > > > > Hi-larious! Heck--racked up, with LX hubs, I'd ride the thing to Baja > > > > California. Did I mention that it has a $9 front derailleur that > never > > > > misses a shift? It does have a luxury $20 Deore in back, because I'm > > > > worth it, dangit. ;-) Grips are Ritchey Trues + REI closed cell. If > > > > Tom Ritchey stops making True Grips, I will cry. > > > > > > At any rate--It's funny how we talk tech so much on here--and the the > > > > more we do, the more I realize that the bikes I've had with things > > > > like Brooks saddles have caused me to THINK about them more than ride > > > > them. I obsess about saddle tilt and smearing it with gunk and are my > > > > balls numb and so on. Then on to each and every other component. With > > > > the Dew--for example--I knew the hubs were Formula shit to begin > with, > > > > so I repacked them with new good balls and overflowing grease first > > > > thing with a perfect adjustment and my attitude is "meh--I'll deal > > > > with them again when an axle breaks." ;-) Just like back home in > > > > Sweden--when your chain is ready to be lubed when the back wheel is > > > > hard to turn. Hee! > > > > > > At any rate, I do do a lot of practical riding--and like I said > > > > before--when I had bikes that were really gee whiz and not even that > > > > expensive--maybe 1200 bucks with kit or so and folks asked how much > > > > they cost because they wanted one for sincere reasons--it sucked to > > > > give them the answer--but with a $400 bike, it's a much more fun > > > > answer to give because they can join my clan--and I want them to! > > > > -LO > > > > > > On Dec 12, 11:13 am, Doug Shaker <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > Landotter- > > > > > > > Great story of bike loves, both sustained and lost. It was a > > > > > pleasure to read. > > > > > > > At 06:31 AM 12/12/2008, landotter wrote: > > > > > > > >On Dec 11, 11:36 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > This is a Friday night ramble, so fair warning. > > > > > > > > > I've been riding a long while in a practical manner since I was > a wee > > > > > > > tot and my grandpa put me on his folder and had me learn in the > 70s. > > > > > > > Never been a racing lad, though I've owned a few fast bikes, > even a > > > > > > > current fun fixie. > > > > > > > > > I've had a slew of work bikes and sort of became a bit of a > snob, at > > > > > > > first my first meter was the ole Kroon I had in the 80s--a nice > > > > > > > classic Euro number. Fell off the wagon in the grunge years and > rode > > > > > > > olde wimmins frenchies with flowers painted on them and didn't > give a > > > > > > > shit in the good style of the north. > > > > > > > > > In 97 I got one of the first stateside Nexus7 bikes with a > roller > > > > > > > brake rear and canti front. Alu fenders, racks, from Rapid > Transit in > > > > > > > Chicago. I rode that bike for years--probably 30-40K! With all > kinds > > > > > > > of bar and whatnot configurations, but always in a citi style > that was > > > > > > > clothes friendly. Great bike, I worshiped the dang thing--it > shit on > > > > > > > winters and laughed at them. But honestly, the frame was brutal > and > > > > > > > overbuilt. > > > > > > > > > So, it was stolen for the final time a few years ago and after > a > > > > > > > couple years of fixies, singles, three speeds, restores, and > all kinds > > > > > > > of bikes, I just bought a new Kona Dew from a new bike shop two > > > > > > > blocks from me to support them-- and the fact that I needed a > ride. > > > > > > > > > FWIW, I flipped four bikes on craigslist to buy the kona--fixed > them > > > > > > > up and all. > > > > > > > > > So, at any rate, take the Kona home, and it's fairly lame, all > the > > > > > > > bearings are super tight, and it's basically crap. Build it > back up > > > > > > > and it's OK.... (The shop JUST opened, so one can forgive, > they're > > > > > > > kick butt now) > > > > > > > > > Ohhh fuck all the stories > > > > > > > > > bottom line is > > > > > > > > > Kona dew has great geometry > > > > > > > > > I rebuilt the wheels > > > > > > > > > bonged on a new rear mech > > > > > > > > > racks frontnback > > > > > > > > > tires that weigh 350g > > > > > > > > > fenders and proper splashguards > > > > > > > > > and > > > > > > > > > trekking handlebar > > > > > > > > > At any rate--this combo of bike with the hand built wheels and > > > > > > > commodity frame > > > > > > > >Hahaha-fired off a draft while drink'n bourbon--how internish of > me! > > > > > > > >At any rate-took a nice ride last night, and it struck me dang > nice my > > > > > >Dew is--how I've surrendered to it, because it fits ultimately. I > know > > > > > >a lot about bikes. Grew up riding them, got them in my blood--I > could > > > > > >get a big head about it and start to think I'm worth a $3K > bike--but > > > > > >couldn't most Dutch, Chinese and Swedes like me make the same > boast? > > > > > > > >When I go back home to Gothenburg--it's funny, we all ride back > there-- > > > > > >and no one gives a shit about headsets until they break. Then you > get > > > > > >the dang thing fixed--but you live a heck of a bicycle lifestyle. > > > > > > > >But back to the Dew--I think that's what I like about it--it's at > the > > > > > >price point that one really should pay for an urban scoot--it's > about > > > > > >what a three speed goes for in Stockholm these days. Darn thing > costs > > > > > >enough for everything to work. > > > > > > > >"Bicycle Lifestyle" sometimes is what it is--back home in > Gothenburg-- > > > > > >we got us bike roads, baby, bike stoplights, bike everything! We > are > > > > > >bicycle--but the bikes we ride--they're mainly $3-700 jobbers. And > > > > > >they last a good long long time. > > > > > > > >And I was riding my Dew last night like a dozen other people in > the > > > > > >'hood that also ride Dews--and thinking first--I'm not > iconoclastic > > > > > >like I used to be--I'm no longer the weirdo on a lone DL1 or on a > rare > > > > > >Nexus group--but when I rode my Kroon with the case of beer roped > to > > > > > >the rack in Gothenburg clattering down the cobbles--that bike was > > > > > >never anything special either--but it was still quite a joy. > > > > > > > >D. down at the shop is getting his A.N.T. soon--but I'm happy with > my > > > > ... > > > > read more ยป- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - > > > -- Cheers, David Redlands, CA --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Bicycle Lifestyle" group. 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