Tag: Rant
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Shiny New Product For Your Thoughts?
Click or not: Shiny New Product For Your Thoughts?I’ve got a big problem with product reviews these days. To me they are about 99% chaff. Seldom do I come away from one thinking it will influence my decision to buy the product. Let’s be clear, the current media/company relationship presents a terrible trap. Companies rely on media to broadcast their products. Media relies… …
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The Worst Most
Click or not: The Worst MostTrails are being dumbed down, bikes are being dumbed down, the mass herds of homosapiens meat are being dumbed down. This is an R18 snuff film with blood, guts, pus, sputum and phlegm dripping slowly yet purposefully down your screen. I want to look at the worst the bike industry has conjured. Some old, some… …
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Is Bikepacking The New Surfing?
Click or not: Is Bikepacking The New Surfing?Do you remember when surfing became mainstream, driven by the combination of lens-flared laidback vibes and toned beach physiques pushed as “cool” by savvy marketing agencies? There was something in the simplicity of being out in the water, that pursuit of the ephemeral and elusive perfect spot, or perceived ease of just standing on the… …
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How To Ziptie
Click or not: How To ZiptieI’m often accused of being OCD at work which is not only incorrect, but a malapropism as well. OCD is a type of mental illness; I, am pedantic. A pedant is very particular about certain things and in this instance, I am a pedantic mechanic. From uneven faceplates to the little orange Shimano rotor sticker… …
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Foundations Of Growth In Recreation Activities: Part 1
Click or not: Foundations Of Growth In Recreation Activities: Part 1It comes as no surprise to me that New Zealand’s first truly dedicated chairlift-assisted, gravity-oriented mountain bike park has been built in Christchurch. Part one in this series highlights two examples of past approaches that led to different outcomes in recreation development, and demonstrates how the decisions of yesterday and today shape opportunities for the… …
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The Long Format Brodown
Click or not: The Long Format BrodownThere has to be a saturation point. The threshold for how many different-but-same storylines, reviews, and general commentary has been quite high since content started to be pumped out at an almost intolerable pace. I feel that a lot of what ends up on the front page of a website these days is a watered… …
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Who Bikes? No One Bikes
Click or not: Who Bikes? No One BikesI wouldn’t expect a toner distribution rep to be overly passionate about their job or product. Nor would I plan on being engaged in a riveting discussion about the history of the box spring or the pros and cons of the futon bed with a mattresses salesman. It’s just a job and at the end… …
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Ode To The Pub Bike
Click or not: Ode To The Pub BikeSome recent encounters with new technology which is incompatible with other new technology in imperceptible ways has left a bit of a bitter taste. After an old man rant later, on my way home I was reminded of one of the best bicycles ever: the pub bike. The pub bike is the spiritual predecessor to fixies.… …