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  • Gravel bikes and overly aggressive tyres *OR* I was surprised how much grip semi-slick tyres have when using the right pressure 🚲

    There’s an interesting article up on Gravel Cyclist:
    “Has Gravel Riding Got You Over-Tired / Over-Tyred? – By Big Head Todd”

    In the article the author, Big Head Todd, vents a bit about the trend towards ever more aggressive tyres on gravel bikes these days, whether that be people adding them because they think they need them or because bicycle manufacturers add them as spec.

    Reading through it, I nodded my head a lot because, inexperienced as I was/am with tyre choice, I’ve fallen into the same trap not too long ago and it took many rides on all kinds of terrain to take a step back and rethink how much tread I actually need.

    My gravel bike sports a pair of WTB Nano 40 right now. These are absolute overkill for a lot of the gravel roads that I encounter. The Specialized Pathfinder Pro with 38 mm on my second wheel set (slick center channel and fairly tame knobs on the sides), are far more appropriate and offer much more versatility. The reason the Nano 40 spend more time on my bike than the Pathfinders, is because in recent months, I’ve been riding on terrain that would typically be considered MTB territory most of the time. And even if I leave out the occasional section of tame single track, I kind of enjoy going up challenging climbs with this bike; loose ground, roots, and sometimes muddy paths, where I struggle to find traction even with the WTB Nano 40 at low pressures and a gearing of 30 in the front and 40 in the back.

    The Specialized Pathfinder Pro are an utterly delightful bit of rubber. Very much comparable to the excellent Donnelly X’Plor MSO 40 mm but more durable. They take a bit of getting used to, in that finding the right tyre pressure for the right terrain and rider/system weight isn’t as simple as with other tyres. Once I had a rough idea about that, it was simple to do the first half of a ride on gravel with stupid low pressures, letting the Pathfinder Pro climb really well and spend the second part of the ride blasting down a hill on tarmac, the tyres inflated to a higher pressure.

    I’m glad that I have the WTB Nano 40 but at the same time, it would have been nice to know and understand the true capabilities of seemingly tame gravel tyres.
    So if you’re looking for a good set of rubber for your do-it-all bike, think hard on where you ride and do some research before defaulting to the monster truck option.

    → 09:50, 22 Oct 2020
  • 11.287 neue Infektionen in den letzten 24 Stunden. Ihr verfluchten Idioten.

    → 07:56, 22 Oct 2020
  • From this morning’s long walk with the dogs. I enjoy finding these kinds of patterns. 📷

    → 13:22, 21 Oct 2020
  • A look at a platform lock-in tactic in organised religion

    I stumbled across this on Twitter. Originally this seems to be from the platform Quora but I wasn’t able to find the original posting.

    The question asked:

    Why do people get angry when I try to share the word of God with them? I only do it because I care about them deeply and don’t want them to end up in hell. I feel like some people avoid me because of this. Is there any way to get through to them?

    A person calling themselves “Doug Robertson” responded with this:

    The entire process is not what you think it is. It is specifically designed to be uncomfortable for the other person because it isn’t about converting them to your religion. It is about manipulating you so you can’t leave yours.
    If this tactic was about converting people it would be considered a horrible failure. It recruits almost no one who isn’t already willing to join. Bake sales are more effective recruiting tools. On the other hand, it is extremely effective at creating a deep tribal feeling among its own members.

    The rejection they receive is actually more important than the few people they convert. It causes them to feel a level of discomfort around the people they attempt to talk to. These become the “others”. These uncomfortable feelings go away when they come back to their congregation, the “Tribe”. If you take a good look at the process it becomes fairly clear. In most cases, the religious person starts out from their own group, who is encouraging and supportive. They are then sent out into the harsh world where people repeatedly reject them. Mainly because they are trained to be so annoying.
    These brave witnesses then return from the cruel world to their congregation where they are treated like returning heroes. They are now safe. They bond as they share their experiences of reaching out to the godless people to bring them the truth. They share the otherness they experience.
    Once again they will learn that the only place they are accepted is with the people who think as they do. It isn’t safe to leave the group. The world is your enemy, but we love you.

    This is a pain reward cycle that is a common brainwashing technique. The participants become more and more reliant on the “Tribe” because they know that “others” reject them.
    Mix in some ritualized chanting, possibly a bit of monotonous repetition of instructions, add a dash of fear of judgment by an unseen, but all-powerful entity who loves you if you do as you are told and you get a pretty powerful mix. Sorry, I have absolutely no wish to participate in someones brainwashing ritual.

    This answer resonated with me not just in the way it mirrored experiences I had with certain types of people considering themselves religious. Also with the increasing number of people who believe in conspiracy myths, particularly those fuelled by or based in anti-semitic and fascist movements.

    → 12:39, 18 Oct 2020
  • Haha, nee, aber jetzt mal ernst: #HaltDieFresseBild

    → 21:41, 17 Oct 2020
  • I have to concede—and not without a certain amount of sadness—that sandal weather is over.

    → 12:38, 17 Oct 2020
  • Brutal but true.

    → 22:01, 16 Oct 2020
  • Deezer just flushed Lady Marmalade into my music mix. Haven’t listened to that song in a long time. I’m dancing in my chair. Just FYI.

    → 09:24, 16 Oct 2020
  • Der Seitan-Aufschnitt, den ich grad geöffnet habe, ist haltbar bis zum 03.11.2020. Genau wie die Überreste der U.S.-amerikanischen Demokratie.

    → 08:10, 16 Oct 2020
  • Amber Ruffin is a national treasure. I hope you appreciate her, U.S. folks. Oh and she has $ 20.— more than your president.

    → 11:14, 14 Oct 2020
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