As a commenter commented within the feedback part of this weblog’s weblog feedback part just lately, Jan Heine has weighed in on hookless rims:
As he rando-splains in his attribute Heinian manner, it’s troublesome to make carbon rims with hooks, subsequently carbon rims with out hooks are higher:
This poses an fascinating philosophical query:
Is one thing actually “higher” if the fabric out of which you’re making it requires you to omit essential security options?
I’d go as far as to say your reply to this defines you as a bike owner and as a shopper. For instance, it’s my private and extremely subjective opinion that the reply is “No, it’s not higher; it’s in truth a sign that carbon is overprescribed as a rim materials.” Nonetheless, others will little question disagree, and argue that carbon’s different attributes outweigh no matter negatives come together with omitting a hook. Definitely all expertise requires us to make sure trade-offs when it comes to latitude and margin for error, and relying by yourself wants and beliefs you could or might not be keen to make that commerce. In bikes, we’re seeing this with hookless carbon rims: they’re lighter and extra aero and simpler to make, but when all the things’s not precisely proper the tire explodes. We additionally see it with digital drivetrains: they work “higher” than any mechanical system, however on the expense of cross-compatibility, and naturally if you happen to don’t maintain them charged they don’t work in any respect. And naturally we see it past bikes: streaming digital TV appears higher and is far more handy, however if you happen to’ve received an Web downside or a log-in downside or one thing you’re fucked, whereas your outdated VHS tapes regarded like shit and have been inconvenient, however they labored simply so long as you had an influence supply. I suppose as issues get extra refined additionally they get extra binary: they work completely, or they don’t work in any respect. It calls to thoughts the outdated line in regards to the Campagnolo Nuovo Report derailleur:
Furthermore, every of us strikes a distinct cut price with regard to expertise, and we’re inconsistent insofar because the bargains we strike. For instance, I’d relatively use a Campagnolo Nuovo Report derailleur than an digital one, however there’s no fucking manner I’d select a VHS over an Apple TV or no matter. I’d additionally relatively use a standard aluminum rim than a hookless carbon one, although I do all my speaking on a smartphone and haven’t had a landline for like 20 years. (Although to be sincere I believe civilization might have reached its apex about 5 minutes earlier than Apple launched the iPhone.)
In the meantime, aluminum rims are dependable and simply incorporate security tabs, however the Heinian spin on that’s that this a consequence of their inconsistent manufacturing tolerances:
I’d say the above is an argument in aluminum’s favor, however Heine appears to view hooks on aluminum rims just like the monitoring perform in your VHS–one thing that makes your shitty image rather less shitty.
Then with none obvious irony he says if you happen to’re nonetheless frightened about your hookless rims you possibly can simply use interior tubes:
This looks as if recording all of your streaming content material onto VHS tapes simply in case you may have an Web outage.
Anyway, it appears to me that, in relation to carbon rims, the bicycle business asks manner an excessive amount of of us. First we needed to settle for disc brakes on street bikes as a result of carbon makes for a shitty braking floor. Then we had to surrender fast releases due to the disc brakes. Now we’ve received to just accept hookless rims as a result of it’s too exhausting so as to add options that maintain the tire on there. What’s subsequent, will we have now to surrender tires altogether and journey on the naked rim? Certain, there’s a loss in traction and journey really feel, nevertheless it’s all value it for the efficiency advantages of carbon. (Thankfully the Supple Tire Industrial Complicated won’t ever enable that to occur.)
Talking of imitating the professionals, you received’t be in any respect shocked to be taught that numerous newbie racers are doping:
Right here’s what occurred:
Means again after I used to “race” I’d do the Tuesday night time races at Floyd Bennett Area. I put “race” in quotes as a result of this principally concerned me making an attempt desperately to hold onto the again of the pack, and as a rule I’d fail to take action. In the meantime, all the true racing was taking place up entrance, and on any given night there was a small handful of the identical riders attacking and counter-attacking and customarily driving the tempo. Properly, within the ensuing years, I’d say just about all of these riders received caught doping. Does that imply I’d even have been a think about these races had they not been dishonest? Nearly actually not, sucking is sucking. Nevertheless it does put my very own struggling in perspective, and makes my very own futile battle to hold in there week after week appear doubly absurd after I contemplate the diploma to which the tempo I couldn’t meet was facilitated by a pharmaceutical tailwind.
Lastly, the Queensboro Bridge is an actual shitshow:
The bike-and-pedestrian path is completely too slim:
On the similar time, check out the crashes [see PDF]:
Riders crashing whereas passing? Riders rear-ending different riders? Riders honking horns? Riders on scooters? I dunno, a number of this sounds motor-related to me.
Additionally, whereas it shouldn’t matter, I need to say the prose of those DOT crash studies is relatively uninspiring. How about one thing like:
It was a transparent day, and but the solar shone with portent upon a busy morning commute. Deliveristas girding themselves for yet one more day doing battle in Manhattan, cubicle jockeys standing prairie dog-like on their electrical scooters, and the denizens of Greenpoint and Lengthy Island Metropolis astride their gray Citi Bikes, addled by the morning’s Guardian headlines. It was a fraught and tentative peace, as fleetingly finite as these previous few moments earlier than the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand, and one quickly to be hire asunder by the easy twist of a throttle…
Hey, if the DOT pays somebody to do tweets like this, they’ll pay me for overwrought crash studies:
Oh shut up.
Once more, sure, the bike-and-pedestrian path is simply too slim. Certainly, the actual fact that it’s a bike-and-pedestrian path is ridiculous, as they need to every have their very own paths. Nevertheless it’s all of the motorized shit that basically takes it excessive. Even Streetsblog’s personal reporting makes that clear:
And when electrical meets electrical, sparks will fly:
Everybody needs carbon wheels so that they take away the hooks. Everybody needs stuff with motors so that they widen the bike lanes. I’m not saying we shouldn’t accommodate change. However I’m saying we shouldn’t be shocked by the blowouts.
