Credit to the kind and not so gentle folks over at Surly
http://surlybikes.com/blog/2514/
- If you think your bike looks good, it does.
- If you like the way your bike rides, it’s an awesome bike.
- You don’t need to spend a million dollars to have a great bike, but if you do spend a million dollars and know what you want you’ll probably also have a great bike.
- Yes, you can tour on your bike – whatever it is.
- Yes, you can race on your bike – whatever it is.
- Yes, you can commute on your bike – whatever it is.
- 26” wheels or 29” or 650b or 700c or 24” or 20” or whatever – yes, that wheel size is rad and you’ll probably get where you’re going.
- Disc brakes, cantis, v-brakes, and road calipers all do a great job of stopping a bike when they’re working and adjusted.
- No paint job makes everyone happy.
- Yes, you can put a rack on that. Get some p-clamps if there are no mounts.
- Steel is a great material for making bike frames – so is aluminum, carbon fiber, and titanium.
- You can have your saddle at whatever angle makes you happy.
- Your handlebars can be lower than your saddle, even with your saddle, or higher than your saddle. Whichever way you like it is right.
- Being shuttled up a downhill run does not make you a weak person, nor does choosing not to fly off of a 10 foot drop.
- Bike frames made overseas can be super cool. Bike frames made in the USA can be super cool.
- Hey, tattooed and pierced long shorts wearin flat brim hat red bull drinkin white Oakley sportin rad person on your full suspension big hit bike – nice work out there.
- Hey, little round glasses pocket protector collared shirt skid lid rear view mirror sandal wearing schwalbe marathon running pletscher two-leg kickstand tourist – good job.
- Hey, shaved leg skinny as hell super duper tan line hear rate monitor checking power tap train in the basement all winter super loud lycra kit million dollar wheels racer – keep it up.
- The more you ride your bike, the less your ass will hurt.
- The following short answers are good answers, but not the only ones for the question asked – 29”, Brooks, lugged, disc brake, steel, Campagnolo, helmet, custom, Rohloff, NJS, carbon, 31.8, clipless, porteur.
- No bike does everything perfectly. In fact, no bike does anything until someone gets on it to ride.
- Sometimes, recumbent bikes are ok.
- Your bikeshop is not trying to screw you. They’re trying to stay open.
- Buying things off of the internet is great, except when it sucks.
- Some people know more about bikes than you do. Other people know less.
- Maybe the person you waved at while you were out riding didn’t see you wave at them.
- It sucks to be harassed by assholes in cars while you’re on a bike. It also sucks to drive behind assholes on bikes.
- Did you build that yourself? Awesome. Did you buy that? Cool.
- Wheelies are the best trick ever invented. That’s just a fact.
- Which is better, riding long miles, or hanging out under a bridge doing tricks? Yes.
- Yes, you can break your collar bone riding a bike like that.
- Stopping at stop signs is probably a good idea.
- Driving with your bikes on top of your car to get to a dirt trail isn’t ideal, but for most people it’s necessary.
- If your bike has couplers, or if you have a spendy bike case, or if you pay a shop to pack your bike, or if you have a folding bike, shipping a bike is still a pain in the ass for everyone involved.
- That dent in your frame is probably ok, but maybe it’s not. You should get it looked at.
- Touch up paint always looks like shit. Often it looks worse than the scratch.
- A pristine bike free of dirt, scratches, and wear marks makes me sort of sad.
- A bike that’s been chained to the same tree for three years caked with rust and missing parts makes me sad too.
- Bikes purchased at Wal-mart, Target, Costco, or K-mart are generally not the best bang for your buck.
- Toe overlap is not the end of the world, unless you crash and die – then it is.
- Sometimes parts break. Sometimes you crash. Sometimes it’s your fault.
- Yes, you can buy a bike without riding it first. It would be nice to ride it first, but it’s not a deal breaker not to.
- Ownership of a truing stand does not a wheel builder make.
- 32 spokes, 48 spokes, 24 spokes, three spokes? Sure.
- Single speed bikes are rad. Bikes with derailleurs and cassettes are sexy. Belt drive internal gear bikes work great too.
- Columbus, TruTemper, Reynolds, Ishiwata, or no brand? I’d ride it.
- Tubeless tires are pretty cool. So are tubes.
- The moral of RAGBRAI is that families and drunken boobs can have fun on the same route, just maybe at different times of day.
- Riding by yourself kicks ass. You might also try riding with a group.
- Really fast people are frustrating, but they make you faster. When you get faster, you might frustrate someone else.
- Stopping can be as much fun as riding.
- Lots of people worked their asses off to build whatever you’re riding on. You should thank them.
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