axelwik

Oh, but you can anodize an aluminum spork purple! And just think of the possibilities of plastic! Plastic beats them all!!!

Maelochs

yeah, great that you post this stuff.

What I asked for was a build list---a list of the parts and where you got them. If you can do it and I cannot, and you will not help me, then it really doesn't matter to me.

Maelochs

Every US oil company gets major support from the US government... cheap leases, subsidies for exploration and development .......

https://www.budget.senate.gov/chairm...ng-the-danger-
https://www.investopedia.com/article...-subsidies.asp
https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Article...ord-7-trillion


Edit: Koyote, in post# 392, also lists credible information.

smd4

Not sure I understand the expression—like cruising seems for an older crowd? I didn’t know what to expect, and was surprised at the level of service. The first one was to the Bahamas, but we’re considering an Alaska cruise in the future.

Koyote

Is that you on the far left?

indyfabz

I used my REI dividend $$. I needed to order something cheap to get to the free shipping minimum requirement so I would not have to spend time and gas going to the store to pick up the order It was only a few $$, and it has served me well.

indyfabz

East Glacier Park, MT. 2009. About 30 miles into an epic near century ride.

Koyote

Yep, those are direct subsidies which obviously keep the prices of fossil fuels below their true levels. And as axelwik mentions, there are plenty of less direct subsidies -- which are subsidies nonetheless and hence also keep users' costs below their true levels -- one of the foremost is the huge external cost imposed on the planet, which is not factored into fossil fuel prices. Strange that smd4 referenced the copious emissions coming from his cruise ship and can't recognize this.

Here is a very brief summary of a recent study...But again, this fact (of the external costs keeping fossil fuel prices artificially low) has been widely understood and accepted for a looong time among people who actually study this stuff. You can get together economists and policy makers from across the ideological spectrum (like this group) and they will all agree on this.

3alarmer 

....doesn't matter to the crows. That poor ol' hawk I was watching tried the same thing. The crows are on a mission from God.

rsbob 

All bikes good. No bikes bad.

tomato coupe

My bikes good. All other bikes bad, unnecessary, and not worth the money.

Atlas Shrugged

I am glad we have touched on the fossil fuel subsidy debate as it clearly identifies those individuals who look at issues with a narrow perspective. This subsidy argument can be said about every industry and almost every sector of our economy. Fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and natural gas, played a pivotal role in the development of mankind by fueling the Industrial Revolution. These energy sources powered machinery, transportation, and various industries, leading to increased productivity, economic growth, and technological advancements. Fossil fuels provided a more efficient and accessible energy source, shaping modern societies and contributing to the expansion of global trade and communication. Fossil fuels impact on agriculture has been transformative virtually eliminating famine world wide. Modern healthcare would be impossible without fossil fuels. Lastly North America is fully energy self dependent regarding fossil fuels. Reason for these wars not a result of fossil fuel dependence but rather political dogma and evil corrupt bureaucrats.

Fredo76

Speaking of excess weight, a 75% reduction in the human biomass would help a lot. If it could be done selectively, leaving only those who possess the genes for empathy, we could live happily ever after!

Or, at least until we become like shmoos, happy to feed the space aliens with our bodies.

It's a tradeoff that I'd accept.

axelwik

Some of those things are true, but we're at a point where we can see the harm that fossil fuels causes, such as the elephant in the room called global warming. We now have the technology to START moving in a direction away from fossil fuels. It's to our detriment if we do not. For those of us in the USA to not do anything simply means higher costs for everything, but for those in less developed parts of the world it's resulting in migrations and conflict when people flee areas with little to no resources. It's not fair to put the burden of our gluttonous lifestyle on those who did not cause the problem.

Regarding the wars that we've waged in recent decades you're completely wrong. With the USA it started in a big way with the 1991 war to stabilize Middle Eastern oil producing countries (Desert Storm). I was there, and it was obvious what we were doing. The terrorist acts that followed were a result of our occupation of those countries - there's no denying that. There were many, many conflicts occurring during the same time period, but we didn't get involved with those. We only got involved in those that might be a threat to our gluttonous oil consumption habits here in the USA. (And Panama during the same time period - threat to the Panama canal.)

As a geologist I know that we are NOT fully fossil fuel self-dependant - maybe in the short term, but certainly not long-term. It would be delusional to think otherwise. (Of course most of the oil that we import to the USA comes from Canada, but the price of oil tracks globally - doesn't matter where it comes from.) The only way for us to become fossil fuel independent is to make the transition to EVs - that would do it.

CrimsonEclipse

Sigh, I'm sorry:

Bike that bring happiness to their owners = good

Bikes that do not bring happiness to their owner = bad

The Good or Bad is not necessarily a constant during the duration of ownership.

Also:
my bikes are gooder than yours.
(probably not)

3alarmer 

...first, you have a relatively short history here. So I'm not blaming or chastising you. But some of the more experienced people in this thread should know pretty well there's different section of the forum to discus this and other political topics. I'm puzzled as to why long history posters, like Koyote , Maelochs , and Atlas Shrugged have encouraged this digression.

Well, not that puzzled really. The rules seem not to apply to them personally, in the same way they apply to everyone else.

Regardless, there is a P+R forum section, and this topic has been much discussed in there. I doubt it will stop anytime soon. You need 50 posts in your history, and to send a message to the moderation team to get permission to post in there. I don't disagree with you, but there's a time and place.

axelwik

Absolutely nothing political about it.

I don't post much, but have been here longer than you.

ScottCommutes

Fools!!!

1. Take a poop
2. Get a crew cut
3. Clip your toenails
4. Less water in your water bottle
5. Why are so many bikes painted these days?

squirtdad

only if all recharging for EVs came from solar, wind, nuclear and other non fossil fuel sources.

base2 

There is a time and place for everything. Yes, every improvement in the human condition has come at the cost of increased energy consumption. So-called "green" energy is about providing the same energy or even more than fossils can provide in a way that will be sustainable, mitigating the known harmful effects of littering waste everywhere. There is no debate here that falls under the umbrella of weight-weenieism. How this relates to the thread topic of titanium spoons, hydrogen tires and bikes made of 5mph bumpers is dubious at best.

There is a lotta foo to go 'round for light-hearted chit-chat about nonbicycle topics.

Just sayin'--
Carry on.

Atlas Shrugged

I am probably breaking Omertà however, I must admit, you have uncovered a nest of deep agents doing the work of “Big Bike”. Spreading misinformation and fostering dissent wherever we go. Why the rules do not seem to apply to us, must leave that unsaid.

3alarmer 

...whatever. Nice chatting with you.

axelwik

Yes, that's the goal.

Eric F 

I was summarizing the point of someone else’s nonsense.

IMO, the best bike is the one that excites you, and makes you want to ride it. Just ride bikes.

StanSeven

Okay guys. Enough of the political posts. A couple members warned about it already.