Most needlessly contentious topics
#151
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Contentious? Best Foods Mayonnaise versus Miracle Whip. There is no in-between.
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#152
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Whether or not new bikes are shipped with Presta valve caps does not change the fact that they serve no practical purpose.
#153
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If you're in the "Presta valve caps and nuts are superfluous" camp, you deserve to know that the knurled nut atop the valve core is superfluous, too, so snip that off!
That way, you'll never again see the handle of your Silca frame pump explode out into the street. As long as the pressure is maintained at some minimal level, it'll be fine---and you'll be able to simply discard the punctured tube (or tubular) with a clear conscience instead of worrying about repairing it.
That way, you'll never again see the handle of your Silca frame pump explode out into the street. As long as the pressure is maintained at some minimal level, it'll be fine---and you'll be able to simply discard the punctured tube (or tubular) with a clear conscience instead of worrying about repairing it.
#154
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I don't find them "fiddly" at all. Screw on, screw off - easy. I don't get flats very often, and also can't relate when someone talks about the need to top off their tires every ride. (Is that a tubeless thing?) I also don't worry about dropping them and chasing them around on the garage floor. Even if you do drop one and it rolls behind the workbench, just grab another one from the bin. I buy the silver ones (to match the valve stem) by the dozen, for mere pennies. They're as close to being disposable as it gets.
In keeping with the spirit of this thread, I contend that the "I'm too cool to bother" attitude is just posturing. And valve stems without caps just make a bike look ghetto.
Last edited by Jeff Neese; 03-21-23 at 04:30 AM.
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#155
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What about valve stems that are different colors? Maybe that should be called Burl Ives Syndrome? You've got matching silver or gold ones, but the one you pull out on the road to use is the opposite color. How do you cope?
#156
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#157
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Depends on the bike. Road race bikes without valve caps just look normal since most racers don't fit them - not here anyway. They are considered a bit like dork discs i.e. something you just discard straight away. On a casual cruiser bike they are just a cosmetic choice (at least for presta valves). But I always fit caps on my mountain bike just to keep mud/grit/sand away. I have one with an integrated valve core remover, which can be handy.
#158
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Here's another contentious topic - the use of modern technology on bicycles. Especially if it involves electricity, computers or the internet.
#159
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If you're in the "Presta valve caps and nuts are superfluous" camp, you deserve to know that the knurled nut atop the valve core is superfluous, too, so snip that off!
That way, you'll never again see the handle of your Silca frame pump explode out into the street. As long as the pressure is maintained at some minimal level, it'll be fine---and you'll be able to simply discard the punctured tube (or tubular) with a clear conscience instead of worrying about repairing it.
That way, you'll never again see the handle of your Silca frame pump explode out into the street. As long as the pressure is maintained at some minimal level, it'll be fine---and you'll be able to simply discard the punctured tube (or tubular) with a clear conscience instead of worrying about repairing it.
Think you need a remedial reductio ad absurdum course. You're straining here. No reason why I can't find one useful and the other superfluous.
#160
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In ****** subforums and Facebook groups, it's always guns while riding and helmets. The gun question is too easy to troll, and the guys who ask usually lack the degree of self awareness necessary to shrug off the trolls. Helmets is just dull these days, as is the lycra vs. street clothes in commuting discussions, aka "won't someone please think of the scrotums."
#161
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I'd argue that's true of people who discard valve caps as well. And yet several of the guys I rode with in the sixties cut the knurled nuts off the valve stem cores of their tubulars as a matter of course. When Silca frame pumps were all we racers carried, there was a pretty good chance of the handle blowing out of the pump body every time you used it, at least until you mastered the technique of holding the pump at an undeviating 90-degree angle to the valve.
How well I remember the hollow pop as the handle sailed into the air. Good times.
How well I remember the hollow pop as the handle sailed into the air. Good times.
Last edited by Trakhak; 03-21-23 at 05:43 AM.
#162
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Cosmetically, seeing a bike without valve caps is like seeing a car that's missing its hubcaps. Sure, they're not functional, but the car still looks ghetto.
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https://www.southernliving.com/food/...-southern-food
Last edited by seypat; 03-21-23 at 06:02 AM.
#164
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In keeping with the spirit of this thread, I contend that the "I'm too cool to bother" attitude is just posturing. And valve stems without caps just make a bike look ghetto.
#165
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That's a regional or state choice decision. In Virginia and most of the south, it would only be some type of southern mayo, never salad dressing. Using anything other than Dukes or Blue Plate would be a major faux pas.
https://www.southernliving.com/food/...-southern-food
https://www.southernliving.com/food/...-southern-food
#166
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Yep. Hellman's vs Duke's around here.
#167
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That's a regional or state choice decision. In Virginia and most of the south, it would only be some type of southern mayo, never salad dressing. Using anything other than Dukes or Blue Plate would be a major faux pas.
https://www.southernliving.com/food/...-southern-food
https://www.southernliving.com/food/...-southern-food
Brands within the mayo category are definitely debatable. But it is divine truth that Miracle Whip is an abomination in any context.
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#168
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I'd argue that's true of people who discard valve caps as well. And yet several of the guys I rode with in the sixties cut the knurled nuts off the valve stem cores of their tubulars as a matter of course. When Silca frame pumps were all we racers carried, there was a pretty good chance of the handle blowing out of the pump body every time you used it, at least until you mastered the technique of holding the pump at an undeviating 90-degree angle to the valve.
How well I remember the hollow pop as the handle sailed into the air. Good times.
How well I remember the hollow pop as the handle sailed into the air. Good times.
If I have knurled nuts, should I see a doctor or a mechanic?
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Sorry, I see no value in this discussion other than the opportunity to type knurled nuts a few times. Do you have a specific tool you'd recommend for the removal of knurled nuts? What's the best way to dispose of knurled nuts?
If I have knurled nuts, should I see a doctor or a mechanic?
If I have knurled nuts, should I see a doctor or a mechanic?
#170
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This invariably gets someone to post a "refutation" that states that that line is "irrational". Yup, that's literally what I said.
#171
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#172
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If you're in the "Presta valve caps and nuts are superfluous" camp, you deserve to know that the knurled nut atop the valve core is superfluous, too, so snip that off!
That way, you'll never again see the handle of your Silca frame pump explode out into the street. As long as the pressure is maintained at some minimal level, it'll be fine---and you'll be able to simply discard the punctured tube (or tubular) with a clear conscience instead of worrying about repairing it.
That way, you'll never again see the handle of your Silca frame pump explode out into the street. As long as the pressure is maintained at some minimal level, it'll be fine---and you'll be able to simply discard the punctured tube (or tubular) with a clear conscience instead of worrying about repairing it.
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"Don't take life so serious-it ain't nohow permanent."
"Everybody's gotta be somewhere." - Eccles
#173
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Is an “internet” a new hidden (inter) bike part that’s made of carbon fiber? Does it require batteries?
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#174
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But I'll take them on, one at a time:
1. Manufacturers are pro-valve cap.
No, they aren't. See any valve caps in they marketing photos of their best bikes? Surprise, you don't.
Specialized:
Cannondale:
Trek:
2. It keeps the valve clean.
Irrelevant. A Presta valve doesn't need to be kept clean. A little dirt does not render it non-functional, and what dirt might be there gets wiped off when you unscrew the top nut.
3. It provides protection
Protection from what, sunburn? A Presta valve doesn't need protection, as long as the top nut is secured.
4. It looks better
A purely subjective opinion, one which is not shared by major bike brands and the vast majority of avid cyclists.
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#175
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I have posted that I have drawn an irrational line that I will not have any part of the drive train electrically powered as it violates my sense of what a human-powered vehicle should be, and that includes me not wanting electronic shifting as I want the actual motion of the derailleurs to be powered by my muscle. I will state that this is a purely esthetic preference choice on my part--the sense that I am powering everything other than the boosts from gravity and wind--and that I am not advocating for that line, just noting that I have it. I use electronic navigation and I use my phone to monitor my speed and record my ride on Komoot.
This invariably gets someone to post a "refutation" that states that that line is "irrational". Yup, that's literally what I said.
This invariably gets someone to post a "refutation" that states that that line is "irrational". Yup, that's literally what I said.
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