Warning: Pedantic, rather meaningless content ahead. Not suitable for those easily miffed (as opposed to chuffed) or with better things to do. Like hop in (on?) your cockpit and go for a ride!
On Sunday, September 11, 2016 at 4:57:49 PM UTC-4, Tim Butterfield wrote: > > Mark, > > The term 'handlebars' also refers to a specific component of the cockpit. > Only if you decide your bicycle has a cockpit! > Some bars as you referred to them may include other components in the > area, but not all bikes have that setup. > ?? That was an imaginary example of one. There are multitudes. > Shifters may or may not be on the bars. Down tube shifters? > That's why I wrote "the controls being mentioned, with the sometime exception of shifters, are found on the handlebars." As my bell is on the stem and not actually on the bar, would that still be > part of your bar setup definition? > You might say "I have a bell on my 12cm Nitto Pearl." You would need to say that even if you added the term cockpit to the mix. > It makes me wonder where the term boundary might be, whether it is only > those items mounted on the bar itself or also to other items in the general > area. > Exactly. Racing cars and airplanes include the seat in the cockpit. So you would also include the saddle and the top tube when referencing a bicycle's cockpit. A handlebar bag and its rack, and the light attached? Could be; certainly they are in closer proximity than the seat and also right in front of the pilot's--I mean to say rider's--nose. I don't see any benefit into basically lumping everything but some parts of the frame and the wheels into one term. No need to fret over what to include when you stick to handlebars! > > I agree, different strokes. Then again, it does take a while for new > applications of words to become common place. Some disagreement with the > usage should not be unexpected even after it becomes common. > I realize the term is in general use here on RBW. Despite returning over half a million google results, I don't think the term is all that common in the regular, non-internet world. None of the cyclists, none of the mechanics I know or have ever known have ever uttered the word cockpit when talking about a bicycle. It may be that I just don't get around as much any more, and I'm way behind on this, but I stand by my assertion that it is an unnecessary and somewhat ill-fitting term when applied to a bicycle, a simple, unenclosed machine. All of the other uses refer to spaces that are pit-like, and partially or completely enclosed. If I ever get a recumbent with a big fairing bubble I might say it has a cockpit. One thing I am absolutely certain of: My Clementine does not have a cockpit. I guess I'm a retro word grouch. As Garth almost said, a handlebar is a handlebar is a handlebar. I rest my case. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
