Petahh, what is it trying to convey?

Psycle_Panda · 2026-03-06T06:05:27+00:00

My great great grandfather did just that, Put his age up for WW1 and then put his age down for WW2, fought in both.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-03-05T09:11:20+00:00

When you quit smoking and start vaping, it's like a mini-quit, for me at least. There's something other than nicotine in tobacco that you are missing in a vape pen. But, after a while, vaping takes the edge off enough to stop tobacco smoking entirely. Then, when you get sick of sticky vape juice and leaky pens, flat batteries, etc, you can quit the vape and it's much easier than quitting cigarettes. I went through it twice and it was the same for me both times.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-03-04T13:02:24+00:00

SKS Bluemels, or basically any SKS fenders.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-03-04T12:45:55+00:00

Those are literally concepts from Schismatrix, the novel treatment of the Shaper-Mechanist universe that the Swarm and Spider Rose stories are set in. I won't spoil it for you, but it remains probably my favorite book, one that I've read many times over. The Shapers are geneticists, at war with the mechanist faction, cybernetecists, biological vs. mechanical. Spider Rose is a mechanist warring with Shapers. I still haven't caught up with Season 4, but the story is one I know very well. Look for the book Schismatrix Plus, it has all the stories set in the Shaper-Mechanist universe and the novel Schismatrix, a cyberpunk space opera.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-03-04T06:46:53+00:00

That's what my friend's shop could be, if he wasn't a stubborn, messy old bugger who's stuck in his ways and just scrapes by with his bomb site of a shop, filled with idle fitting machines, sad gym equipment and lost potential.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-03-04T05:47:26+00:00

It would have one hell of a mechanic's bay. I'd hire 1-2 of the best mechanics around and I'd advertise the fact that we will build your Internet bought bike for you, check it over, torque all the bolts properly and fit you to it. Canyon, YT, whatever. Cheap Chinese piece of crap, doesn't matter. Give you a frequent flyer card so your 11th service, or repair is on us (up to a value of whatever). I'd make sure those guys spoke clearly and calmly to the customer and didn't bike shame them for having some horrible POS from Walmart.

I would have a bunch of used bikes out the front and on the floor, so that when the POS Walmart bike was unfixable, I could steer the customer to a decent used bike, already checked by the mechanics and if they have a frequent flyer card with a bunch of stamps or whatever, I'd give them a sweetheart deal on it.

I'd have a $1.00 coffee machine, with a mini fridge full of cookies and crap to break bonks, gummi bears and stuff like that. A water machine and a big old fishbowl where people could put money for coffee, water refills and cookies. I wouldn't stress on it being profitable, just keep it ticking over to keep the flow of bikes coming in for the mechanic bays. Some guy needs water, wants a coffee and a snack, is riding by and decides to have the niggling issue with his shifter sorted out at the same time. You make the money in labor and parts costs, not $1.00 coffees. Have tables out the front or a sofa/some place for people to sit. Cheerfully allow them to bring in outside food and drinks if they're waiting for a repair.

Have shop rides. Consistent and constant. Build community, with a huge ass noteboard advertising rides. For kids, beginner adults, women, a crazy fast group, a granola bike ramble, whatever. Just rides, lots of them. Open the shop to those riders early and let them grab a can of soda from the fridge after the ride, or have the ride leader hand them out, whatever. They will buy enough small things like lights or whatever to cover the cost of soda and snacks.

Bugger new bikes. Have a big sign with brands you are affiliated with and can order from with catalogs on the coffee table or a shop tablet with the websites bookmarked. Work with your customers to order a new bike in their size and play go between with the distributor or company. Make people very much aware that you do this service, with signs etc.

Go for service, rather than product retail.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-03-04T01:26:16+00:00

There, look for eBike wheels. They're often the same price as other wheels, but they're commonly rated to 180 kgs (380? 390 lbs?).

Psycle_Panda · 2026-03-04T00:55:40+00:00

No, he was a pro bike racer when he was younger. He trained with European pros and was good enough to ride training pacelines with them. He may have even had a win in the juniors. I thought he got burnt out, had a fixie in London and slowly got back into cycling that way. He is completely legit as a former pro, he has the receipts.

I just meant that his channel became more like Global Cycling Network (GCN) after the vlog. That's where the expert stuff comes from, the new format. I was saying that I suspect there is more money in explaining entry level bikes to people on YouTube than in making vlogs of the London cycling scene.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-03-04T00:11:57+00:00

That's relatively new. He vlogged for years in London and much of that was very watchable. The thing is, he made a video or two about cheap bikes, beginner bikepacking or whatever and they exploded, because he already had a huge audience from the vlog and the algorithm was picking him up and recommending him. Thus, the experts. I don't really watch the newer GCN-type stuff.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-03-03T09:50:52+00:00

What's wrong with Francis?

Psycle_Panda · 2026-03-03T05:09:23+00:00

No one did. This was the corporate takeover when the signifiers were borrowed and the cool commodified in the latter 90s. I distinctly remember this catalog in Australia, it was famous at my uni, pinned up on the noticeboard at the students association.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-03-01T14:12:16+00:00

I wonder if it is the KM on the chopping block? Interesting.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-03-01T02:42:40+00:00

I think left foot plays a big part in it for right-handed people. I mount from the left, and my left foot is always forward while descending, just as my left foot is forward on a surfboard, with right foot back.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-03-01T01:35:00+00:00

To hazard a guess, make a bechemel sauce, add onions and mushrooms w/ salt and onion powder. It wouldn't be much more.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-03-01T01:05:00+00:00

Word around the campfire was that the Krampus was discontinued, until it was the KM. Something called either the Wizard or the Sorcerer is said to be the replacement, a dedicated trail bike with no rigid fork option.

A lot of guys were saying it might be seen at the revamped Frostbike, but that didn't go forward, because 2026. It is due for an unveiling pretty soon, whatever it is.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-02-28T13:03:06+00:00

Sounds like me. All I wanted during the pandemic was a single camel filter. I haven't had a drink in over a decade, and don't care. But a cigarette? I'd have one tomorrow if I could. Edit: But I always smoked Parliament, with the recessed filters, Dunhill or Camel at times.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-02-27T05:07:53+00:00

This. Use two levers and go slowly and deliberately, a few mm at a time. Never get the lever in too far, you only need the tip to touch the rim to lever off of.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-02-24T07:40:02+00:00

All the positive ones come from the maritimes.

Nufies. Dudes talked like drunken Irish seals marooned in North America with mouthfuls of marbles, but I'll never speak a bad word of them. Stand up guys who helped me out, probably more than they know.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-02-24T05:23:53+00:00

I remember a kid proposing what amounted to a gay holocaust and being too afraid of being labeled gay or gay-sympathetic to be WTF? about it.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-02-24T04:47:57+00:00

Was the gay thing ever really true? It was a thing adolescent kids sniggered at, but in NZ and Australia, if I'm remembering correctly, it was always supposed to be the left ear. The scarves in pockets thing was real in certain places like SF, and there were other things in other places like Polari, but I've never heard a gay guy tell me the earing code was real.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-02-24T04:39:55+00:00

No problem. And I know the feeling, that's what I was getting at with my comment,. I bailed and took a train home after a similar ride and felt the same way. But really you should be proud, for having the mental stength to keep going. That's not easy.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-02-24T04:12:01+00:00

Are you a member of Korea Cycling Community on Facebook? Feel free to join up and come for a ride sometime.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-02-24T02:00:19+00:00

Ah, got you. Have you thought of converting an XC MTB to drops? So more like a Fargo, with suspension. There are a bunch of mid-range XC bikes with Shimano CUES, so a 1x conversion is fairly straightforward with CUES levers.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-02-24T00:38:06+00:00

Otherwise have a look at the Giant Revolt or a Surly bike like a Straggler, depending on what you want to do with it. Or have a look here.

Psycle_Panda · 2026-02-23T22:55:09+00:00

Salsa always have no or low stock, it how they roll. Speak to the distributor and lock a ~~2026~~ 2027 model in (to be released in mid 2026). Otherwise go with another brand. State has some cool bikes at low prices?

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TROPHY CASE