One for the FG&SS Crowd:

[hartleymartin]

Like I often say, there's a Yehuda Moon comic for EVERYTHING.



http://www.yehudamoon.com

[sogood]

yep it is so true. nothing simpler and more refreshing than not having to waste energy on thoughts about what is the right gear, you just go for it.

There's nothing simpler than just keeping to the same cadence (with a few finger clicks) than to think about whether one can stand and power across the next hill or better to sit and grind it out.

[scotto]

yep it is so true. nothing simpler and more refreshing than not having to waste energy on thoughts about what is the right gear, you just go for it.

that can apply to all cycling IMHO - so well said, even though you didnt mean it to be

[cray-]

In no way am I anti FG/SS, but I really must wonder about the mental capacity of those who find gear selection too much of a brain strain.

[cray-]

Hehehe it's ok, that was a bit of a troll.

Actually I find myself somewhere between the two, I primarily ride an old 12speed but it has down tube friction shifters. This means it's often not easy to grab another gear, nor very precise. It makes me plan ahead a bit when approaching hills or dips. I find myself changing far less often than if I had modern accurate brifters with 18-22 gears at my fingertips. I just often just grind it out.

[cray-]

I like fixed-gear bicycles, and there will always be a place for them beyond the velodrome. However, I also don't think the fixed-gear trend will truly end until people have explored each and every scenario in which they are totally stupid and useless, and I suppose with fixed-gear freestyling and long-distance track bike touring down, hillbombing is now the latest foray into futility. What could be simpler and more pleasant than the reprieve a descent offers after a difficult climb, when we lean forward, rest our legs, and enjoy the feeling of the wind and of effortless forward motion? And what could be more pointless than spinning frantically down that same hill, ruining a perfectly good tire, and whip-skidding like an agitated dog trying to gnaw a dingleberry off his ass and run at the same time?

lulz