Sitting on the ground seems to be one of those social norms which is completely harmless to break but so unusual that it really freaks people out.
At one point in my life I had severe vertigo and often had to sit down wherever I was - streets, parks, footpaths, shops etc. You can be as nicely dressed and put together as anyone else but the moment you sit down on the ground people perceive it as such unusual behaviour that they will presume you are homeless or similar. I think it's a very odd psychological thing that happens. On Sunday, April 13, 2025 at 9:24:37 AM UTC+10 Jay wrote: > Not sure why I had no energy. My daughter was leaving for work > mid-morning, taking my car, so I went out and ran errands, including > getting a bike lock, and then I did some bike prep: topped off sealant in > the rear tire, mounted a 1/2 frame bag that I'll keep the log and tools > in...plus some other tweaks to get the Fargo summer-ready. I got the lock > because I want to go out on long rides on Saturday's when she has my car, > which may include cafe's, errands, etc. The Roadini comes out tomorrow so > that's sure to get my energy up, plus I'll go early in the morning which is > my preferred riding time. > > On Saturday, April 12, 2025 at 5:43:57 PM UTC-4 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! > wrote: > >> Jay, thank you for not agreeing with that man! Lol. Why zero energy? Was >> it windy? The windy rides at the start of the season kill me. But you’ll >> get out there tomorrow and I bet you’ll be even better than you were today. >> And yes, if we move backwards in our weather, I …..don’t even know. Who do >> we call? >> L >> >> On Apr 12, 2025, at 4:43 PM, Jay <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> That is a great looking bike, I love the colour. You don't look >> homeless to me lol >> >> >> We had a similar temp today here in SW Ontario. I was out in shorts, L/S >> jersey, thin mtb gloves, what a treat! I had zero energy though. Hoping >> tomorrow's ride is better, as the temp will be a notch higher. Hopefully >> this is the start of nice weather and we don't go backwards ;-) >> >> On Saturday, April 12, 2025 at 1:43:10 PM UTC-4 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! >> wrote: >> >>> In recent Bike Life Lately… >>> >>> I am in the midst of Handlebar Adjustment Crisis. >>> >>> Welcome to Handlebar Adjustment Crisis where: Nothing is right. >>> Everything is wrong. >>> >>> Everything HAD been Handlebar Nirvana but then I decided 4 bolt stems >>> must be more secure so I got FacePlaters on 3/4 of my bikes. And then the >>> angles were wrong and the heights were wrong and I’ve been paying way too >>> much attention to these things ever since. I raised the bars and today will >>> tell me if I got it right. >>> >>> Today it is sunny and will eventually be 57 degrees, so like, a heat >>> wave in SW Michigan. I decided to hedge my bets that I wouldn’t be called >>> in to work, and cycle deep into the city in search of coffee and a good >>> pastry. I hand wrung in the garage about which bike. I settled on the >>> raspberry because I love it and the rackless, bagless Charlie is just >>> better suited to road riding. Here is my beautiful, happy, berry bike in >>> sunshine as we cross the Kalamazoo River. >>> >>> [image: image0.jpeg] >>> >>> Google lied and said the place was open but I arrived 30 min before the >>> real opening time. I had time to kill. There would be no other bikes here, >>> so I just took up the whole rack. >>> >>> [image: image2.jpeg] >>> >>> While I waited, I eyed the obnoxious QUILL stickers on my wheels and >>> decided now would be a great time to peel them off. I sat down on the >>> ground and began to pick at the stickers. A man emerged from the building, >>> looked at me, and said kindly, “Hi, can I buy you something?” It hit me >>> that he believed I was in some sort of distress. Biker = homeless, poor. >>> You guys. I was ready to get called in to work and had gotten ready this >>> morning. I took this right after, checking to see if I really did look >>> homeless. I don’t think his assessment of me was fair. I got the stickers >>> off. >>> >>> [image: image1.jpeg] >>> >>> I finally got coffee and a blueberry muffin and then headed home a >>> different route. I was treated to more river views and bridge crossings. >>> >>> [image: image3.jpeg] >>> >>> I stopped by the grocery store to pick up asparagus and blackberries to >>> serve alongside the entree I’ll make for tonight’s dinner. It is weird to >>> see this bike parked as a shopper outside the store when it has been a club >>> rider for so long. It’s plenty secure with locking skewers and Hexlox >>> protecting the saddle and seatpost. It makes me happy. >>> >>> I am happy to report that I am back in Handlebar Nirvana and my bars >>> are now completely perfect and I am not even tired and could have ridden >>> for several more hours. Also, I did not get called into work! I am back at >>> the house, being assaulted by headbanging music wafting up from the >>> basement, courtesy of three teenage boys lifting weights down there. >>> >>> Hope everyone else is out there, getting sun and miles done. >>> Leah >>> >>> On Apr 8, 2025, at 2:19 PM, Cormac O'Keeffe <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>> Hey John, >>> So jealous. I'm out in the Fontainebleau forest most weekends for >>> bouldering (and biking). >>> It's one of the ways I justified buying the Hillbourne- I neeed a bike >>> that could handle the GRs! >>> >>> On Tue, 8 Apr 2025, 13:58 John Johnson, <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Cormac, >>>> >>>> Francilien, actually, yes! >>>> I live out near Fontainebleau. >>>> >>>> cheers, >>>> >>>> John >>>> >>>> On Monday, April 7, 2025 at 8:25:48 PM UTC+2 [email protected] >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Nice whip @Nathan and cool to see a fellow Parisian (or Francilien) on >>>>> the forum! >>>>> >>>>> On Mon, 7 Apr 2025, 17:41 Bill Lindsay, <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Mighty 900 for the win! >>>>>> >>>>>> BL in EC >>>>>> >>>>>> On Monday, April 7, 2025 at 5:00:03 AM UTC-7 John Johnson wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> So, I've been meaning to respond to this thread since Leah started >>>>>>> it. It's just starting to get nice outside here in the Île-de-France >>>>>>> and >>>>>>> we've had lots of sunny days and not very much rain (which is uncommon, >>>>>>> actually). Other than getting out and riding, I've been working on 3 >>>>>>> projects to keep myself occupied. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> The first is building up a Black Mountain La Cabra, which I bought >>>>>>> while they were on sale earlier this year. I'm not too far along in the >>>>>>> project, but I'll probably post it on the IBOB forum once it's up and >>>>>>> running. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> The second is changing my single-speeded 1994 MB-1 to a 3x1 >>>>>>> drivetrain, inspired by all the "reverse 1x" drivetrains built around >>>>>>> Roadunos. I picked up a Sugino Mighty 900 triple (Bill >>>>>>> Lindsay-approved!) >>>>>>> on the French version of Craigslist. I'm not convinced the chainline is >>>>>>> good yet (the middle ring is around 47-48mm and I might have to swap >>>>>>> out >>>>>>> for another bottom bracket). And I'm also futsing with the front >>>>>>> derailleur >>>>>>> (a Suntour XC-pro), which isn't staying in place. I'm using a gen 1 >>>>>>> Silver >>>>>>> shifter, and I'm not sure if it's the ratchet that's tired, or if I >>>>>>> need to >>>>>>> work on the limit screws of the derailleur, or something else. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> The third is my cheap bike build to leave at the train station in >>>>>>> Paris. I ride the train in to Paris from the countryside for work, and >>>>>>> wanted a bike that I can lock up at night and over the weekend and not >>>>>>> worry too much about it getting stolen (which it probably will, on a >>>>>>> long >>>>>>> enough timeline). I also wanted a good drivetrain for city riding and >>>>>>> minimal maintenance, so I settled on a fixed gear based around a weird >>>>>>> rear >>>>>>> wheel I had (26" rim with a 120mm rear fixed hub). I found an old orbea >>>>>>> mountain bike with 126mm rear spacing and horizontal dropouts for the >>>>>>> reasonable price of €23. I spray painted it rust brown and left the >>>>>>> fork as >>>>>>> was (a weird spray painted purple). A pair of 130BCD sugino cranks, an >>>>>>> old >>>>>>> turbo saddle, soma oxford bars, a wald basket, and some SKS fenders, >>>>>>> and >>>>>>> I've got a really fun, comfy bike for riding from the train station up >>>>>>> the >>>>>>> canal to where I work. All-in-all, I'm pretty satisfied with the >>>>>>> bike-that-I'm-okay-if-it-gets-stolen project. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> cheers, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> John (outside fontainebleau) >>>>>>> [image: bastille.jpg] >>>>>>> On Sunday, April 6, 2025 at 9:56:00 AM UTC+2 [email protected] >>>>>>> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Hey Nathan, >>>>>>>> I agree, having a bike with everything you want can be nice but a >>>>>>>> bike with only want you need is so much fun too. >>>>>>>> Thanks for the link to Hobo Hub Works, if the Instagram is any >>>>>>>> anything to go by it seems like a fantastic space. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 10:09:03 PM UTC+2 Nathan Mattia wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> [image: IMG_0653.jpeg]Life in the Lou has been WET and pretty >>>>>>>>> miserable for the last week. Thank the Good Lord I finally just had >>>>>>>>> #BofurBike (the Appaloosa)and #FaramirBike (the Miyata) fendered. I >>>>>>>>> finally >>>>>>>>> made it to our local Coffee Outside ride this last weekend, which is >>>>>>>>> hosted >>>>>>>>> by Matt @HoboHubWorks here in St. Louis. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Matt’s shop has become a bright spot and a hangout for many here >>>>>>>>> in the Lou this past year. He has put it together inside some >>>>>>>>> warehouse >>>>>>>>> space in the old Lemp Brewery, and it is a bohemian biker’s paradise. >>>>>>>>> Matt >>>>>>>>> has made a business out of resurrecting and Rivefying old >>>>>>>>> steel-framed >>>>>>>>> bikes and keeping everyone’s rigs chugging along, for reasonable >>>>>>>>> prices. >>>>>>>>> But what he has excelled at, and what will keep me coming back, is >>>>>>>>> creating >>>>>>>>> community. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Here’s what else is new: turns out I like to go fast sometimes. I >>>>>>>>> stripped the racks from #Striderbike, laying his 94 Bridgestone RB-T >>>>>>>>> bones >>>>>>>>> bare. Only a small Sackville Saddlesack remains for cargo. >>>>>>>>> Replacing the >>>>>>>>> cranks and BB with a 105 setup last year, and installing new brake >>>>>>>>> pads >>>>>>>>> already made it the most pleasurably-mechanically “tight” of my >>>>>>>>> bikes. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> BUT NOW >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> This whip now feels as sporty, tight, and nimble as I care to be >>>>>>>>> on a bike. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> -- >>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in >>>>>> the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>>>>> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit >>>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/ksvlbi-Jd6w/unsubscribe >>>>>> . >>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >>>>>> [email protected]. >>>>>> >>>>> To view this discussion visit >>>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/5209fb61-3d0e-4fd7-9bf3-2c79ffbac721n%40googlegroups.com >>>>>> >>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/5209fb61-3d0e-4fd7-9bf3-2c79ffbac721n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>>>> . >>>>>> >>>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >>>> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/ksvlbi-Jd6w/unsubscribe >>>> . >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >>>> [email protected]. >>>> To view this discussion visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/1fd665d0-1d60-4bab-bfce-c4a567f839b1n%40googlegroups.com >>>> >>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/1fd665d0-1d60-4bab-bfce-c4a567f839b1n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>> . >>>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >>> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/ksvlbi-Jd6w/unsubscribe >>> . >>> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >>> [email protected]. >>> >>> To view this discussion visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CAMOj9ibwS6g8OvQbYZMR6g4-Yn6hBr2fs6cdVKA1JmMhD%3D12Lg%40mail.gmail.com >>> >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CAMOj9ibwS6g8OvQbYZMR6g4-Yn6hBr2fs6cdVKA1JmMhD%3D12Lg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> . >>> >>> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/ksvlbi-Jd6w/unsubscribe >> . >> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >> [email protected]. >> >> To view this discussion visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/dead36c5-a6df-4588-aad0-f67041692f7an%40googlegroups.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/dead36c5-a6df-4588-aad0-f67041692f7an%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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