seypat

Golf gear story as it relates to this thread. The incident happened sometime in the mid 2000s. The clubs in question were Mizuno MP-14s. Look them up. Anyone in golf will tell you that forged, muscleback blades are supposed to be the hardest to hit. They'll tell you that you shouldn't attempt them unless you have a good elite level swing.

So, I was at the driving range on a Friday night about 3/4 through hitting a bucket of balls. Ups walks 2 other patrons. They take the 2 spots to the right, in my view while I'm addressing the ball. They start flailing away and are terrible! Hitting every kind of shot but a good one. We're talking Charles Barkley bad. As I am finishing, I overhear them talking. One of them has ordered a new set of clubs and is supposed to get them in a day or two. He ordered a set of Mizunos. Not one of the MP series, but one of their other models. The other guy is giving him lots of grief because he didn't go with Callaway or Taylormade. I enter the conversation. I give them a speech about how before pay for play became outragous, Mizuno won the iron counts on the tours by a large amount every year. About how if a player didn't have an equipment contract, he most likely had Mizuno irons in his/her bag. I then pulled out one of my irons. "This is a Mizuno MP-14, the winningest iron in the history of the tours. It's what Faldo plays. Tiger plays a mixed set of MP-14s and MP-29s, blah, blah, blah. You can't go wrong with Mizunos." By the time I had ended my speech, the club seemed like the Elder Wand in Harry Potter or the Ring of Power in Lord of the Rings. I said, 'Here take a few swings." Then I turned around and cringed waiting for the worst. But for some reason I had faith. The dude addresses the ball and takes a cut. Suddenly, the guy looks like a pro and stripes a beautiful shot to the end of the range. I sh-t you not, beautiful swing complete with the finish! He steps back and him and the other guy are looking at the club like it's magic. "How'd that feel?" I asked. "It felt great!" "Go ahead, hit another one." 4 times he took cuts and 4 times with the same results. After the fourth one I took the club away cause I knew he'd eventually hit a bad one. I said, "I think you'll do fine with the Mizunos." Then I put the club in my bag, picked up the bag and headed for the exit. Here's the kicker. About 50 yards up the hill I turned around to look at the two guys. They were both back to flailing away like they were trying to kill something on the ground.

I've thought about that incident many times since trying to figure out why it turned out like it did. I'm sure he has also. The guy made a leap with his swing in those 4 shots that it takes years to develop. Then it was gone in a flash. One of the strangest athletic coachy type things I've ever experienced.

BTW, those clubs were made on the Mizuno Tour equipment van that was at the local minor league tour stop. I got the pro experience. I would take a vacation that week yearly and caddie in the tournaments. Awesome vacations!

t2p

I'm 6'2" tall and currently 161 lbs. How much weight do I have to lose before I can worry about bike weight?



serious note about weight -

have a 76 yr old friend (woman) that rides - she won’t ride a heavy bike

one reason - it’s much easier to load the bike into the back of her SUV

seypat

Much like with bicycles, go to a fitter and get a fitting, then go from there.

Eric F 

For sure. I enjoy my time wrenching on my bikes. I enjoy it even more when I can use high-quality tools that are less likely to cause problems (stripped allen heads, for example). Good tools help me get the most from the skill I have in that moment. I find the same thing true in the kitchen when I'm expanding my mediocre cooking skills.

Likewise, even though my racing years are well behind me, I still enjoy riding high-end bikes because they get the most out of my current level of fitness, and I have enough experience to recognize and appreciate the quality of the machines.


My wife fell victim to social media marketing, and bought us a full set of the Hexclad cookware being pimped by Gordon Ramsey for Christmas. I can't speak to it's long term durability yet, but it sears stuff as well as my SS and CI skillets, doesn't need a crane to lift it, and is way easy to clean up. It seems to me like a step up from the Analon set we got as a wedding gift 20 years ago. So far, so good. Japanese chef's knives have my curiosity, but I know that's a rabbit hole that is likely to be pretty expensive.

indyfabz

I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.

indyfabz

You people and your modern appliances. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Polaris OBark

Let's get back on topic. Focus, people, focus!

https://bikesnobnyc.com/2024/02/02/b...y-fun-quiz-11/

tomato coupe

There's no good reason to buy a gas or electric oven. Only the people who don't need them actually pay for them.

rosefarts

I have a Shun, a DaoVua, and an SLD Sujihiki https://knifewear.com/products/fujim...sujihiki-240mm

Ive caught her cutting a tomato with a steak knife.

I think her favorite knife is the one that’s within arms reach, without exception.

indyfabz

I bought an overpriced stove that came with a free house.

seypat

That's me.

Atlas Shrugged

Why ruin a good productive thread. Besides anyone who uses the word crabon is effectively an adolescent fool.

Polaris OBark

Did you click on the linked "Crabs on Fire" video in the quiz?

rosefarts

Purely worried about the functionality of things.

Nary a tear when you scratch your frame. Nearly transparent bibs because they’re still comfortable. Nose hair indistinguishable from your mustache. A faint odor of sunscreen and BO.

rsbob 

Have to agree. I have two Bianchis, one 87 steel and a 2020 carbon. Yesterday the roads were wet so I got down the Columbus bike with fenders and put it up on the hitch mount rack. The difference in weight between the two is remarkable. Let’s just say the Columbus bike is an excellent training bike on the hills, especially with 80s gearing.

Garthr

Or carbon frame ..... according to the BSNY .....

Very funny/clever !

Polaris OBark

Nothing gets by you.

Maelochs

I have thought it through ... only people who get paid to read Bikesnob need to read Bikesnob, so i guess I will continue not to bother.

Jughed

My steel Lemond Zurich is about 1.5# heavier than a similarly equipped Madone.

Swap out the stock wheels for a 1500 gram CF set and the difference is about 6 oz.

indyfabz

Crabon! Crabon! Crabon! Quads!

squirtdad

this gets to the core of the BSNY article...that. carbon bikes take additional TLC that steel or aluminum do not need for day to day life with a bike

what type of rack do you use... hang from the top tube with a clamp, clamp the down tube or one with the various gizmos that let you clamp the bike in by the wheels?

this is a practical example of differences between carbon and steel and Aluminum

Trek advises

Carbon bikes

Give bikes with carbon fiber frames extra care when loading up. Carbon frames shouldn’t be clamped down on, as clamping too hard may damage or crack the frame and too loose may not be secure. Stick with racks that either secure the wheels or connect directly to the axles if you think you’ll transport a bike with a carbon frame.

thule says


Bikes with carbon frames and forks are best used with frameless contact racks, like the T2 line of hitch bike racks, or the Thule UpRide roof bike rack. Some fork mounted bike racks are compatible with carbon bike frames, like the Thule TopRide and FastRide, but older models can exert too much lateral force, causing splintering of carbon forks.

Thule also sells a carbon frame protector , which can protect the bike from clamp systems, like the EasyFold XT or ProRide racks. Without it, bike racks that grip the main frame of the bike can cause abrasion to the carbon, or crush the fragile material.

Thule always recommends consulting the bike manufacturer or dealer for recommendations for your specific model.

Koyote

I would never clamp any bike by the top tube, whether in a work stand or a bike rack. I think that's going to be true of most riders who are serious enough to consider purchasing cf bikes.

By the way, that Thule adapter that allows one to clamp a cf bike by the frame tube costs a whole $30. You provided the link -- did you notice just how inexpensive the solution is? Less than a decent saddlebag.

In other words, you've made up an imaginary problem.

rsbob 

The tires sit in a channel (not a hanging clamp rack) and there are two retractable arms the extend up from the rack which clamp over the top of the tires. The only thing touching the frame is air.

Atlas Shrugged

Or another way of looking at it, Carbon is for those who can read and follow simple instructions. Not for those who got into the sport in the 80’s or earlier and unwilling to adapt or learn new things. For those steel, friction shifting and tubulars are the way to go.

Koyote

ikr?

One of the big sources of confusion and disagreement here on bf is that the people who denigrate newer tech (especially things like disc brakes and tubeless tires, but also sometimes cf) have never even tried it and hence don't understand it...while those who endorse the new tech have, in fact, usually had much experience with the old tech and hence actually know what they're talking about.