I'm like Roberta; I take care of my stuff and try hard to overcome the desire to keep everything in like-new condition by "saving" items for special times. Sometimes I have to take a breath and have a little self-talk when it comes to my Rivs. "It's OK, it's just a bike. It's meant to get dirty. It will be fine on the bike rack." This was repeated many times when taking my dear Platypus on the rack for the first time, knowing I had a five-hour drive and Platy would be covered in road grime. This is even worse when the weather is snotty. However, I've figured out to cover the saddle and just live with the rest. Cleaning rags are essential gear and besides, it's more important to ride the bike, dirty or not.
Theft is always at the back of my mind, especially when I found out how easy it is to cut a lock. It has happened twice. I went on a summer camping trip and left the keys to my 1Up rack at home. A handy camp-host with a cordless grinder made quick work of it. Another time, I used my OttoLock at the grocery store rack. The combination dial failed, so I went next door to the hardware store to borrow a bolt cutter. The kind clerk brought one out and cut the lock with one snip! Lessons learned....but still, I lock it up with my new lock and smile broadly when I come out of the grocery store, see that beautiful design and relish the honesty of humanity. Joyce On Sunday, November 13, 2022 at 5:34:12 AM UTC-8 Roberta wrote: > This got me thinking about most of my possessions. I take care of what I > own and although careful, little is so precious that I won’t use something, > even my Rivs. (There was a time I wouldn’t use something because it was > “too nice” for everyday so I’d use it once a year or two, missing the joy > on the other days of the year.) Still, I am careful. What I am more > concerned with is theft and road salt. > > On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 3:47:47 PM UTC-5 penne...@gmail.com > wrote: > >> Patrick, Dustin: don't worry too much about me. -20 and calmish around >> here is much preferable to the alternative of, say, 5 degrees with 80kmh >> winds. One way or the other, Patrick is correct: it's dry as can be in >> these parts. My coldest-feeling commutes were living near Toronto, where >> it's much wetter. I'm also not that hardcore - my buddy Andrew in Calgary >> (hi Andrew, he's in the group) is twice as hardcore when it comes to winter >> commutes, and in harsh winter places like Edmonton and Winnipeg there are >> some real maniacs, I think. >> >> To your question, Patrick, I am large load capable with the Joe but the >> basket/rack combo is pretty light, and the bags usually aren't full. Often >> just a big U-lock in the saddle bag and my messenger in the basket. Today, >> not joking, I lost traction and did a >> slow-motion-almost-360-degree-pirouette/donut on a parking lot ice sheet >> and stayed upright, so handling is fine! >> >> Anyways, blah blah blah, I'm glad to be riding the Joe when I wouldn't >> have before. >> >> Mack >> >> On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 1:20:41 PM UTC-7 joshm...@gmail.com >> wrote: >> >>> Imo one of the saddest things you can write in a FS post is "barely >>> ridden" >>> >>> On Sat, Nov 5, 2022, 6:15 PM Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! < >>> jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>>> Did you read Grant’s Blahg? He covers a lot of ground, but most notable >>>> to me was the Please Don’t Be Precious About Your Rivendell section. In >>>> sum, Grant is saying it saddens him to think of people riding beater bikes >>>> instead of their Rivendells to do daily, monotonous tasks - because those >>>> tasks make up a lot of real life. If one “saves” their Rivendell, it will >>>> not realize its potential, sit mostly unused and then pass to one’s heirs >>>> who will sell it in “near mint” condition on EBay, and how sad. What was >>>> the bike for? >>>> >>>> I have found myself both guilty and innocent on the matter. My #1 >>>> favorite bike is my raspberry Platypus. I ride it all the time, because I >>>> bought it to ride it, but I also dread any harm coming to it, and I do >>>> guard it from that. I got a second Platypus that I dedicated to shopping >>>> and traveling with and promised not to be precious about it. But now and >>>> then I still am tempted to backslide. When traveling to the Philly Bike >>>> Expo I dithered about which bike to bring. I didn’t want my raspberry >>>> Platy >>>> damaged while locked up at racks and I feared it being stolen. Roberta >>>> said, “I don’t think you have a choice, Leah. That’s the bike people will >>>> expect you to bring.” And she was right, and I did. >>>> >>>> Then, there is Pam. Pam is at the other far end of the spectrum. Her >>>> bike is a model of beausage. Innumerable paint chips and little spots of >>>> rust cover her tiny Betty frame. Her Backabike bags are full of holes and >>>> the elastic closures are worn out. She locks it up and never worries about >>>> it. She did not obsessively stare out the restaurant window to see if it >>>> was still locked to the rack while we were at dinner (like yours truly). >>>> But she loves her bike, has real affection for it. She looked at me, eyes >>>> shining, and said exactly that. Ana, PurpleRiv, is another good example to >>>> us. She adores her bike, but has not spared it from hard work. Her bike >>>> has >>>> hauled obscene loads and taken her everywhere. I remember there was that >>>> one fateful camping trip for she 1. Posed it for a photo, only to have it >>>> topple and slide down the face of a boulder next to it. I believe she said >>>> she sat there and wept for 2 hours over her Joe Bell paint. And who among >>>> us would not do the same? 2. Same trip, another photo op, and the bike >>>> fell >>>> off a cliff. >>>> >>>> So, who truly loves their Rivendell? The one who lavishes it with care >>>> and protection? Or the one who pulls it out of the garage and into all of >>>> life - the mundane and the adventurous? >>>> >>>> On one end of the spectrum we have those who will only take a Rivendell >>>> out for special occasions so as not to spoil it, and on the other…well, we >>>> have Pam and Ana, who will give it a good thrashing. (Oh, don’t take it >>>> personally, friends, I’m being funny about both types of owners.) >>>> >>>> I find myself wanting to be precious but fighting it and succeeding >>>> *most* of the time. I’m lucky that the raspberry paint hides beausage and >>>> dirt, so it looks pretty new. But a dent in the top tube or a large chip >>>> in >>>> the paint would really hurt my feelings. Heaven help me. >>>> >>>> Where are you on the spectrum? What words of wisdom might you have? >>>> What strategies do you employ? Do you want to change? Or are you >>>> unapologetically staying put on the matter? It might be fun to hear >>>> perspectives. >>>> Leah >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> 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-bun...@googlegroups.com. >>>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/2f5fe184-d6ba-46f7-bd7f-256f8563c16cn%40googlegroups.com >>>> >>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/2f5fe184-d6ba-46f7-bd7f-256f8563c16cn%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>> . >>>> >>> -- 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 view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/885f0f0e-ad64-4dcb-a731-efb2b069c34bn%40googlegroups.com.
