Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Rotting from the Bottom Up: Whither the Entry-Level Road Group?

In all the excitement, surrounding Campagnolo’s announcement of its 11 speed groups, even I failed to notice that they are abandoning their “entry level” components. According to Bikeradar:

For 2009, Campagnolo is dividing its range into two distinct categories: the three 11-speed groupsets are deemed by Campagnolo to be for ‘Competition’, while those lower in the range – Centaur and Veloce – are designated for ‘Intense Use’ by people who may put in thousands of kilometres a year but don’t actually race.

[...]

Campagnolo’s entry-level Mirage and Xenon groupsets will be discontinued.

If you’ve never heard of Campagnolo, they are an old Italian bicycle component maker that used to make nice-looking stuff but now makes really ugly-looking stuff. “Campagnolo” is an Italian word meaning “workaround,” and it refers to the manner in which they innovate. (Think carving hunks out of their brake calipers and cutting crank spindles in half. At Campy, “ground up” is for meat, not engineering.) So it would appear that Campagnolo, on top of turning ugly, has also acknowledged defeat in the entry level/OEM marketplace. Furthermore, Centaur and Veloce, while suitable for “Intense Use,” are now not suitable for cycling if there is anybody around you who is trying to go faster than you. Again, ride Centaur and Veloce as hard as you want: just don’t compete with it or you’ll void your warranty. If you’re going to engage in that sort of behavior you’re going to need Chorus or Record. Or Super Record if you want to actually win.

So who’s actually making entry-level road componets these days? Not SRAM. Their lowest-end group is Rival. SRAM’s site does not specify exactly what kind of rider should be using Rival, and this freedom to choose is simultaneously liberating and frustrating. But since it’s called “Rival” I’m going to infer that it’s OK to use in competition (unlike Centaur and Veloce) since, well, it’s called “Rival.” Also, Rival costs about the same as Ultegra, which is considered a competitive group. But you probably won't win with Rival, because "Rivals" don't win--they just challenge winners. If you want to win you might have a better shot with "Force" (as in "Force to be Reckoned With") or Red (as in "Red-ress of Grievances," which is what will happen to your grievances in the peloton as soon as you bolt a pair of Red levers to your bars. I'm pretty sure that's where SRAM were going with that.) So, like Campagnolo, there’s no “low end” SRAM stuff, but unlike Campagnolo, it’s fairly straightforward and doesn’t resemble some kind of island castaway who’s constantly carving small bits off himself and eating them in a desperate attempt to stay alive. So SRAM is sort of the new Campagnolo, and Campagnolo is simply the Kate Moss of road groups—aging, shriveled, and trading on her former glory.

It seems then that only Shimano still dares to make entry-level components, which is hardly surprising since they dominate the OEM market. Shimano is also considerate enough to provide each one of its groups with little stories, so you know which one is right for you:

Dura Ace

Three key words have emerged as the theme for the latest DURA-ACE system: Speed, Smooth and Strength.


Unfortunately, that copy's clunkier than a first-generation Campagnolo Ergo lever. I think they meant "Speed, Smoothness, and Strength." But still, I see what they're going for--all those things start with "S." You know what else starts with "S?" Sex. And Shimano. Think about it.

Ultegra SL

The beautiful new Ice Grey finish will give the opportunity of even more beautiful and stylish road bikes. Ultegra SL features not only the Ice Grey finish, but also a weight savings of almost 100g compared to the standard Ultegra package.


Translation: it's grey. And grey is the color of excitment. And opportunity. And Ultegra gives you the opportunity to have an excitingly grey bike.

Ultegra

Continuing advances in human engineering technology stand behind road components that provide racing, sport and fitness cyclists with higher levels of control & response.


Ultegra shares Dura-Ace's engineering lineage but has its own unique identity, offering greatly enhanced feel and sleek design that's backed by a new level of performance.

I like the part about having a common lineage but its own unique identity. So basically Dura Ace and Ultegra are like the Indians and the Pakistanis.

105

Shimano 105 is a lightweight and efficient package which makes "pro-level" technology more accessible to part time racers and fitness enthusiasts. Shimano 105 is a by-product of our premier engineering range but has its own unique identity, offering great feeling and sleek design backed by high performance.


Translation: you can race it, but not all the time! Also, if you're reading carefully, note they snuck the phrase "by-product" in there. So if Dura-Ace and Ultegra are sausage, then 105 is hot dogs. And you know what hot dogs are made from.

Tiagra

Tiagra has been completely reengineered and remastered with a more refined ergonomic design.

Tiagra shares our top groups' engineering lineage offering greatly enhanced feel and sleek design backed by new levels of performance.

Translation: meh. Also, Tiagra shares, and sharing is for losers.

Sora

???

Strangely, Shimano has absolutely nothing to say about Sora. It's just there, like a cold sore.

2200

2200 components bring great value and features to entry-level road sport bikes.


Eureka! It took a lot of digging, but I finally found it. The entry level. I feel vindicated yet dirty.

So there it is. The bottom of the barrel. But what does it mean that only one company is making an entry-level road group? What is Shimano competing with? Well, quite literally, nothing. New cyclists want fixed-gears now, not low-end road bikes. As such, nothing is the entry-level road group for the new millennium. By the time the new fixed-gear riders are ready for gears, Campy and Sram are hoping they'll be ready to become "Intense Users" or "Rivals."

180 comments:

areUpake? said...

woohoo

areUpake? said...

now I can die in peace, being first is great

Anonymous said...

soooooo close.

I need a life.

Anonymous said...

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Kev-in's cryin' (wah-wowe)

Anonymous said...

fifth!

Scottie said...

I didn't realize they'd finally "upgraded" Sora to 9spd. But when they did, why didn't they get rid of the crappy thumb lever?

Daddo said...

told ya

Anonymous said...

i raced a veloce k2, but didn't win once. i now know why.
/me blames campy

Anonymous said...

aaaaarrrrgggg! ripped sole right off shoe. man you guys are quick.

Anonymous said...

Bring on the hate for saying that Campy's days are over. Something tells me that there will be some pretty angry dentists here in an hour or two.

Anonymous said...

Most full bodied riders are going to be to "powerful" for 11speed chains, that is just silly.

Marsha Marsha Marsha said...

shimano probably had nothing to say about sora because sora is shit and what else can you say about shit besides 'it smells'?

Daddo said...

"So basically Dura Ace and Ultegra are like the Indians and the Pakistanis."

And again with the pudding through the nose.

areUpake? said...

I have a question for all you expert bloggers, how do yourtext into a hyperlink???

Anonymous said...

holy crap, two posts in one day!!! Crazy

Anonymous said...

Sora copy: Imagine how smug you'll feel when you win the local CRCA cat 5 race with this crap!

Anonymous said...

Oh, the marketing conundrum. How do we make our cheap...err "cost-effective" products attractive and desirable while at the same time trying to up-sell consumers on our high-ends materials that far exceed their price range and useability?

How best do we convince consumers that they will need 30mm bottom bracket spindles, QR15, oversized and tapered steer tubes for road and trail conditions that they have been riding lesser components, and bikes, on (and doing fine) for years?

Am I less of a man because I have a 24mm BB spindle on my road and mountain bikes? Or that I use a internal bearing BB on my commuter/ grocery-getter/vintage, period correct/1x9?

"SL" is the "def" of the cycling lexicon.

Cameron said...

short hair:

{a href="http://www.yourlink.com"}Text Link{/a}

Replace {} with <>

Daddo said...

hey!
My KID rides Sora!

Easy my friends!

Cameron said...

Sora isn't bad, it's just Dura Ace from 10 years ago.

Drogon Saurischian said...

Apparently, 2200 is so low-end, that they have to use a low-end camera to photograph it. And that low-end camera is so low-end that it cannot focus.

Anonymous said...

Sora 8-speed shifters work in freezing rain.

Anonymous said...

The Shimano zaibatsu makes excellent fishing rods, Hello Kitty line of sex toys, industrial drills, and digital theremins.

Poor Campagnolo, got beat out of the critical Walmart grouppos, of 'glouppos' as they are now known. Everyone is now positioning themselves at the high-end of the group market, all the eggs in one basket, catching the rise of the US econo...oops. I'm sure no one could foresee losses like 2008-09.

According to the internets, "Shimano" translates from Japanese to "five years ago". Kudos to them, their founder would be proud. Second best is really underrated.

Anonymous said...

Campy fishing rods suck.

Jim said...

Wait a minute. You mean my Ultegra gruppo isn't "entry level" junk?

Hmmm. Maybe I need to quit hanging out with low-cat roadracers.

Jim said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Calvin said...

You know, it's a bit like some cheap places to get food. Do you want a medium, large, or extra-large pizza? By not offering a small, the medium seems so much bigger and the extra-large is unheard of!

Anonymous said...

Short hair, it's very simple to imbed links, just find the link, copy it to memory, then type:

C:/rtruyyvsds877999///c-%%%)(

Then hang a dozen bananas in a paper bag from a fig tree exactly 4'3" off the ground and wait 5 hours, then call Microsoft tech support and "paste". Finally, restart while holding down ESC+F1+down arrow.

And people say computers are hard.

areUpake? said...

thanks commie, you Canadians are always so helpful. Gotta love our great neighbors up north

Anonymous said...

Of course, no one talks about the older entry level French groupsets from Simplex, two cables looped around your big toes, one for upshift, one for downshift, and drag your feet for brakes. Light, cheap simple, pick three.

Kids today with their pro-wannabe brakes and shifters, bah...pussies.

Scottie said...

So that's how you make a hyperlink in Canada! No wonder all my links were broken up there.

Scottie said...

Commiecanuck,

In Canada they sell bikes at Walmart that have actual Shimano groups (like the kind you can find on their webpage) on them? Man, that's an upgrade from down here, where the Walmart road bikes have the cut and re-glued drop bars with the twist shifters on the flats.

Anonymous said...

2nd!

Anonymous said...

Ahh, what about Sampson's Stratics and Showtime groups?

Anonymous said...

Walmart Canada sells the "Lamborghini" frames. Handmade! (by Jimmy the toothless greeter). The only engineering concern to Walmart bikes is the 340lb weight limit and the special helmets that let the hair out of the back with mullets.

Aisle 4 has the carbon fiber cigarette pack barriers next to the water bottles.

Anonymous said...

Also, if you're reading carefully, note they snuck the phrase "by-product" in there.

And the Bike Snob sneaked the work "snuck" in there... and sister Mary Margaret is spinning in her grave.

Strayhorn said...

So Veloce is now, by default, the bottom of the Campy barrel?

No wonder I keep seeing it on sale.

KevinFtMyers said...

Wow, Ive actually been mentioned today more often than BSNY.


HHHMMM?

Anonymous said...

Zoopaihr Reekord. ya gotta be kidden me. This is like an 80's Lambo Countach....

Or an '08 Gallardo Zoopaihr Leggera

Oh Yay for carbon and ti tiddly bits, Spuschul Berin's et. al.

Daddo said...

has someone been watching M*A*S*H? Commie?

KevinFtMyers said...

Never owned anything Campagnolo, sounds like I missed out on the glory years?

Anonymous said...

I though Rival was a brand of dog food.

KevinFtMyers said...

No mention of FSA, nobody running that?

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry 'bout my blog title

y'know

"I'm the Guy you love to Hate"

It's actually

"I'm the guy that Loves the Hate"

Anonymous said...

M*A*S*H is all we can see on Canadian TV, except if you live close to the US border, then the other option is "American Idol" which has led to a health care crisis due to spontaneous self eye gouging. The wait times are horrendous, ...where's Micheal Moore now?



Probably eating.

Kevin, FSA has not released their 11-speed groupset yet. Are you from the future?

Anonymous said...

I thought campagnolo was a sex act you can buy in alleyway in Tijuana for $15.

Anonymous said...

well my campy velour shifts way better than yer 105(tpi).

Anonymous said...

Commie, I'm from all points in time....there is no escaping me.

Anonymous said...

I prefer, "the guy you don't give a fuck about". nice ring to it.

Anonymous said...

hey, is that,like, from the matricks movie? or what?

KevinFtMyers said...

Anon, the frequency with which you post about me proves you indeed DO give a fuck about me.


Candy from a baby

(you are the baby)

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:27 PM

That was AnnaZed's Idea....she beat me to it.

Freddy...it is so totally like that! people start shooting h8 @ me then I like bend time & space

and yes Kevin as you, I do try to care about me...er you....I just wish you would listen...to me sometime...(sniff) weep...coz no one else does....(sniff) weep...

kale said...

I hope I can use my 105 friction shifters with the new 11 speed. They never miss.

Anonymous said...

just ignore the kevin guy from florida. He claims to be an avid cyclist, but how avid can he be when his claim to fame is riding a single speed for everything. Oh, and he apparently gets turned on when mountain bikers wear lycra

kale said...

I forgot to add that the 11 speed will go the way of my BioPace crankset.

Anonymous said...

I wish campy would come out with an njs approved pink fixie grouppo for my bar spinzz bike.

Sean Lynch said...

Short hair,

Get your the address you want to link to
and the TEXT you want to make clicky.

You need to turn the text into a link with some mark up language. (Don't be scared, this is what corporate secretaries did for years in Word Perfect before Windows got all GUI and simple enough for even bosses and manager to use.)*

So you put something called a tag in front of the text and after the text like this:

<a href="address">
TEXT</a>

The TEXT you want to turn into a link goes between an star tag <a> and an end tag </a> .

The URL address you want to link to is included as something called an attribute in the start tag:
<a href="address">

So the format of a link is:
<a href="address">TEXT</a>

so the final product looks and acts like:

Click here to visit the bike snob.

*I'm going to assume you are smart enough to do this, like the secretaries that used to work in large corporations, if you are only as smart as a manager, a boss, or a C-level executive you will have to wait a few years for technology to advance to compensate.

KevinFtMyers said...

"but how avid can he be when his claim to fame is riding a single speed for everything."


Gears = "real" cycling?

Im sure the guys at the velodrome will love that.

By the way, maybe you didnt hear, I live in FLA, Im not a roadie, a geared drivetrain is dead weight here. Now, if I ever move to the mountains........

Anonymous said...

...hopefully you'll get raped by a bear.

Daddo said...

...you'll ride off of one.

Anonymous said...

You can drill holes in your Ultegra components to make them look like Campys.

It makes a really cool whistling sound to complement the baseball cards on clothes pins that make flapping sounds in the spokes.

Of course, you can't race them.

I've tried.

I was told they were too intimidating.

But now that I think of it, maybe it was the baseball cards.

Daddo said...

...you'll double flat and freeze to death at night.

Daddo said...

...you'll prove what a great climber you are and die of altitude sickness.

Daddo said...

...it'll be a mountain with no internet access.

Unknown said...

As someone in the transition from DERP DERP FIXT GARE 4 LYFe to appreciating derailleurs, I think the general trend (projecting from my own experience [just like a toddler]) will be towards some kind of scavenging horde hunting down older components like retroghouls riding reconverted 70s Schwinns.

KevinFtMyers said...

Wishing bad fortune on a cyclist?


Kharma andrew, kharma.

Daddo said...

i'm sure you mean "karma", moron of which you ran out of on your first post

Jim said...

Of course, no one talks about the older entry level French groupsets from Simplex,

Yeah, well, that's because they chose to name it after a particular manifestation of herpes, the lovely Herpes Simplex. You wouldn't buy a wheelset named "The Syph," would you? Of course they don't talk about it. "Entry-level Simplex" sounds just plain gross...

KevinFtMyers said...

Thanks for the spelling lesson.

Im talking about YOUR karma

Anonymous said...

When I outgrew my Schwinn Varsity I got an Atala. The shop gave me the choice of Simplex or low end Campy. The price was the same. I went with the Campy stuff. The bike never shifted as well as my Varsity did.

Daddo said...

kevvie:

I DON'T GIVE A F&*K!

now go on down to velodrome...

..."the boys" are waiting for you!

areUpake? said...

sean, thanks for the helpfull advise but cameron beat you too it.

"short hair:

{a href="http://www.yourlink.com"}Text Link{/a}

Replace {} with <>"

easy enough

Daddo said...

i meant "guys" which is much funnier for reasons it will take you a while to figure out

KevinFtMyers said...

So what is the real advantage of 11sp over 10?

Less weight? No
More durable? No
Less redundancy? No

Make all the fashion riders with 10sp stuff buy a whole new groupset so as not to seem "last year" DING DING DING DING DING!

WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously though, I dont race, so if there is an advantage for competetive cycling, I wouldnt know, but would love to learn about it.

Anyone?

Anonymous said...

btw folks

Whenever I see pixils on a screen in response to mine. It soooo totally gives me the jollies. (spin around in chair, giggle, prance dance and chest bump monitor)

Anonymous said...

or did you mean dharma like from that most awesomest show,like,ever. and really, i like, have to, so agree with my statebuddy bout dead weight down here. like it's hot right? so like the whole going fast/stopping fast thing is like sooo yesterday. what's so like cooool bout singlespeeds is like cruisin the retired chicks from like france or some frenchy place or like maybe it's a state up north like mane. they are so hot and oh yeah yesterday? well yesterday i got some ink,like,done.

Anonymous said...

"Don't reward an excited state, only give affection when he is calm/submissive." -- Cesar Millan

(Attribution included to avoid pissing off Annazed)

Anonymous said...

i'm so ashamed that i went down that particularly dingy street. i must retire this incarnation into a small nasty box, milk some geese, and have a shower.

KevinFtMyers said...

"Whenever I see pixils on a screen in response to mine. It soooo totally gives me the jollies."

Isnt a blog about an exchange of ideas?

Save the one liner, trying to be witty, schtick for t-shirts and bumper stickers.

Or maybe thats the extent of your ability to comunicate?

Candy from a baby

KevinFtMyers said...

(communicate)

Anonymous said...

(spin around in chair, giggle, prance dance and chest bump monitor)

GAWD I LOVE ME!

Anonymous said...

it appears I too am caught up in the craze and can no longer not say anything.

Kevin - some (friendly) advise. The reason people keep yelling it you is that you post too frequently and with too much info. We don't really care about what your kids ride. and no this blog is not about the exchange of ideas. There are other bike blogs for that. If thats what you are looking for please go there. This blog is about entertainment. We reed it for the quick one linners, and the "whit" and "schtick". We read it Cause Snobby is funny as hell. I know you don't care what we think because you have made that perfectly clear but please keep your posts short because I (as i am sure others are) am tired of wadding through it.

AnnaZed said...

Kevin, you are only "communicating" with yourself.

Anonymous said...

Go Annazed!

Anonymous said...

I suppose the wind never blows down there in florida which means you select gearing for your intended effort and speed and cadence...what a jackass!!!

Anonymous said...

Kevin, the reason no one likes you is that you are you. You can't do shit about it, we can't do shit about it, BSNYC can't do shit about it... It's probably the same reason why you don't have any riding buddies, friends, or people that make a conscious decision to spend time with you.

I'm not trying to discourage you from posting here, because I love the ado, I'm just saying get used to the backlash.

And by the way, you don't sound cool, funny, educated, or interesting, so the whole superiority thing is way misplaced, but I guess you would have to hang out around people every now and then to have realized that.

I have to go ride my bike now, so that's all the wisdom you get for one day Kev. I'll be back tomorow to check up on your progress.

Anonymous said...

"Speed, Smoothness, and Strength."

The true essence of roadie lust.

You are right, Snobby, sex & Shimano. Mmmmm. And, is it my imagination or have you been mentioning sex a lot here lately?

Not that I mind.

Anonymous said...

I knew a guy in college who Kevin reminds me of. I've always felt bad for giving this guy such a hard time and being kind of a bully since he was just obnoxiously enthusiastic and clueless as to why he was so disliked. But Kevin has reminded me that homeboy deserved it. So screw you too, kevchops.

urchin said...

I think there's no entry level because 'entry level' is now a stage of the tour on a Cervelo spaceship. Isn't that what everyone starts on?

kale 3:40PM: I wish I had your optimism about the death of 11-speed. I'm not all sharp on my industry history, but has there ever been an increase in cog number that did not become the norm? No wonder they don't have to give any real reasons for it (except who doesn't love icing?).

OK, I'm just bitter because all my stuff is 9spd and therefore switchable. When the 9spd 12-25 becomes available only from a blacksmith, I'll have a lot of parts switchin' to do...

And by the way, I hate to even mention it, but could we take the flamefest somewhere else? Feels like 1989 or something in here. Ignoring people makes them stop sometimes...

Anonymous said...

Damn, this place is turning into a troll fest like the old Yahoo! message boards.

Anonymous said...

Kevin, you are such an amazing guy. We are poorer for not having known you sooner. We are all sooo anxious to get to know you better. Could you please post some links to pictures of your dog, your family reunion, and your 12 y.o. daughter's soccer team that time they won that tournament in Ft. Lauderdale?

Anonymous said...

"Let it be known, Kevin will not be posting his mileage on the warrior board today."

Anonymous said...

You MUST have a few words about this!
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/06/four-crazy-conc.html

bikesgonewild said...

...so how's that old self infatuation thing going on, i wonder ???...

...somebody on the south-west florida coast must be getting a little sore in the 'i love patting myself on the back' shoulder by now, you'd think...

...jeez...people were trippin' on the "frilly & bgw on-line affair"...tame stuff compared to the one-man soap opera, 'tempest in a teacup' outta ft meyers, bizzyness...

...guess i'll pass on that visit to 'randy wayne white' on captiva island 'til this all blows over w/ the next tropical storm...(obligatory-"obscure but popular"-author reference)...

Anonymous said...

I thought it was lips AND assholes....

-p said...

I've crashed Tiagra, ridden it in mud, snow and rain. Beat Sora to hell. Absolutely neglected the lower end MTB stuff, and used a 7 speed Mirage drivetrain for years. No complaints. Record is for pros who get it for free and Freds with more money than brains. Same with DA.

FBIII said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Ridden on weekends? Who cares?
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/731417581.html

KevinFtMyers said...

:)

FBIII said...

bgw,
in death, we have a name. HIS name is kevinftmeyers.

Anonymous said...

100

KevinFtMyers said...

Looks like noone is really sure why we now need 11sp over 10?

Jonathan said...

been said a million times, but THIS is why 11 speed over 10.

http://tiny.cc/6oCby

thank you and good night.

sprider said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
KevinFtMyers said...

good stuff jonathan, I always wrote in the 11 with marker on my Marshalls.

Great Fn movie!

Jonathan said...

more to the point, is cameron going to have to start oldelevenspeedgallery.com?

Anonymous said...

I love boys....

...Just thought I'd sing it to the masses....

bikesgonewild said...

...ciao, frilly, mi amore...when i think sex & component-ry, i gotta go w/ passione italia rather than raw fish n' rice...so, santo cielo, it's campagnolo per me !!!...

...& despite what is muttered by 'back of shop' pundits, 10 speed 'record' (yes, i know, nigel, but 10 is good) has never let me down...just keep everything well lubed...

...now, "speed, smoothness & strength" aka "the true essence of roady lust"...just remember, that's all predicated on those long, slow, early season, "back in the saddle" rides, where you get 'in touch' w/ all the extenuating factors...

...& ultimately it all comes together, in the 'maglia rosa'...or whatever color you prefer...

bikesgonewild said...

...& techb3...that goose may cook itself while wearing a self fitted 'cone of smugness'...

Phil said...

You're probably all over it, but here is some decoupaged fixie fodder:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Newspaper-Fixed-gear-track-bike-bike-fixie_W0QQitemZ300236228302QQihZ020QQcategoryZ159089QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Anonymous said...

fuck me. took a trip to the pub but i see it so clearly now. kffm is the snob being an ass. it's the only possible explanation. i knew something was just too odd. something deeply amiss w/the whole blithely typing away thing that seemed disconnected from a) what was being said and b) reality and c) the usual feel here. fucker.

KevinFtMyers said...

anyone hear the Xfiles theme?

Anonymous said...

Sweetie, beautifully said.

I feel as cherished as your Serotta.

Well, almost.

Grump said...

Why didn't Shimano just list their groups as

2200: Losers
Sora: Bike nerds
Tiagra: Meh (as you put it)
105: Trying, but poor
Ultegra: Hey, I can't afford Dura Ace
Ultegra SL: Almost Dura Ace
Dura Ace: I'm better than you.

Anonymous said...

BGW: "...just keep everything well lubed..." I assume you were talking about Frilly, right?

veloben said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

You can't assume anything.

See 10:37.

FBIII said...

i love the shit out of some boys...

Anonymous said...

KFFM is proof that Andy Kaufman is not really dead. Brilliant.

bikesgonewild said...

...anon 11:24pm...you heard the woman...& she knows from whence she speaks...

..."you can't assume anything"...

Anonymous said...

as the campy flaks said "why not 11 speed?" and i suppose i agree. i dislike stuff getting phased out but an extra cog is still another bit closer to "just right". i thought 9 was stupid for a mountain bike but i don't want to go back to 8. i really noticed a diff with it. i know guys who swear by the 8 and hoarde the shit but it feels more stubborn than logical.

Anonymous said...

Sora means sister and Shimano didn't want to say it was like riding your sister.

KevinFtMyers said...

Wouldnt the real breakthrough be to find a way to provide the same range of gears with LESS parts?

Is anyone even attempting to work on this?

Or does 60yr old technology just keep getting lighter, shinyer, or outfitted with better graphic designs?

Anonymous said...

oh. god. no.

Frederick said...

Less Kevin.


More Snobby please.

Frederick said...

Less Kevin.


More Snobby please.

KevinFtMyers said...

I guess you guys think ADDING parts is a good thing?

Pros are happy they got indexed shifting, sealed cartridge bearings seem to have taken hold. Noone seems to miss cantilever brakes.

Anonymous said...

No Kevin, we think adding you is a bad thing.

KevinFtMyers said...

Point being, we found better ways to do these other things, but I guess derailer / cassette drivetrains are the pinnacle of drivetrain engineering.

Anonymous said...

nooney body can deny that it's the snob fuckin around.

KevinFtMyers said...

Not talking about some sturmey archer internally geared rear hub BS. Im talking about a reputable company, thinking outside the box.

Totally against that aye?

Anonymous said...

You had me at 'hotdogs'.

Some Guy on the Innernets said...

Is that dork still here? Jesus!

Kevin, you will never ever be able to get revenge for all those wedgies you got when you were an insufferable little ass. Please look at the traffic on your own blog, and ask yourself what that should be telling you. Or just go play in the highway, I really don't care.

tuppercole said...

Don't feed the loser bear.

Anyone from the great state of florida should really find a blog that is extolling the virtues of 11 speed before challenging the blogger and/or commenters to defend it.

KevinFtMyers said...

"you will never ever be able to get revenge for all those wedgies you got when you were an insufferable little ass."

Wasnt that guy growing up, wasnt the guy giving them either.

I was the guy that hung out with both of the guys in the wedgie transaction.

Played sports but not a jock, was smart but not a nerd.

Sports, skateboard, bike, beach, art, in a band, pretty much could relate to all....except the guys that were just pricks, you guys seem to never get me.

P.S. If you dont want to hear about my personal life, stop posting assumptions about my personal life.

Anonymous said...

11 speed is nothing. When are we going to see 4 chainrings up front?

Actually, forget that, it's been done. I'll just put a 10 speed cassette on my crankarms.

Anonymous said...

Kevin,

I think what people are saying is that you are putting a little (way) too much of your self in BSNYC RTMS's blog. Maynbe take a rest so people can stop whacking you and get back to the content.

just sayin

KevinFtMyers said...

Sd,

Not asking for someone to defend it, Im admitting I dont understand it, and cant find anyone willing or able to explain it.

Is it logical? Or is it simply "Im bored with 10 speed, lets do 11 speed now!"

And I have been googling, best I can find is:

"To hear Campy's engineers tell it, though, 11 speeds was not the primary focus of the redesign of their top end groups. In fact, the idea to add an 11th speed was almost an afterthought. They point out that adding a speed increases the ratios available to the rider, and decreases the jumps between ratios."

http://thisjustin.bicycling.com/2008/06/preview-campy-1.html

Anonymous said...

Yer still not gettin' it, Kevie Boy. Morons are fair game around here, so as long as you keep stinkin' up the place, we'll keep havin' fun at yer expense. It's the way of the world. Get used to it, 'cause if yer still such a dick at 33, there ain't much hope fer ya.

KevinFtMyers said...

My last post was on topic.

Anonymous said...

And I had steak and eggs for breakfast.

Anonymous said...

dear kevin,
please visit the discussions at velonews.com and i will attempt to answer all the questions that these morons are unable to deal with. see ya there!

Anonymous said...

Kevin, I have to begrudgingly admire your tenaciousness to keep posting long after everybody has told you to quit. It's not that you were that kid always picked last for dodgeball and who stayed home the night of senior prom: we all already know that, whether you deny it or not. The problem is that you have never posted, not even once, a comment which was witty, memorable, clever, thought-provoking, or otherwise worthy of hijacking the entire comment board. If we pay you, will you go away?

Some Guy on the Innernets said...

That was your last post? Really?

WhooHooooo! Goodbye, Asshole!

KevinFtMyers said...

If we pay you, will you go away?

Absolutely, I think a new 11 speed groupset will do it.

Some Guy on the Innernets said...

Liar!

Anonymous said...

I'm like that really annoying college housemate you have to have around to make the rent, but no one wants to talk to, but he just follows you everywhere with annoying comments.

Anonymous said...

Holy Shit! I AM the eleventh fucking cog! How did this fucking happen to me?

KevinFtMyers said...

"Holy Shit! I AM the eleventh fucking cog! How did this fucking happen to me?"


Now thats funny

Anonymous said...

"Kevin, I have to begrudgingly admire your tenaciousness to keep posting long after everybody has told you to quit"

Tkx anon but really let's face it...If I really admired anything about anything (least of all myself) I'd long quit posting by now.

Anonymous said...

It happened to you because of DKHarma

KevinFtMyers said...

Whats that saying about immitaton?

Some Guy on the Innernets said...

It's imitation, moron. Use your spell check.

KevinFtMyers said...

something about flattery...?

KevinFtMyers said...

Thanks CC, combination of sub par spelling and sub par typing is a bad thing, trust me.

Anonymous said...

It's official.

I hate Florida.

Anonymous said...

Everyone, stand back this is going to get ugly. I'm going to have a one big long drawn out conversation with myself Tyler Durden Style....

Anonymous said...

Like many bike parts, the cheap copies are better than the originals.

I am the reel Keven.

KevinFtMyers said...

So can you just roll up your pant leg / legs with any old pair of pants?

Or would rolled up Dockers be incorrect?

And isnt a bar pad the cushy vinyl part you put your elbows on at the pub?

Anonymous said...

"Florida..America's wang."
--H. Simpson

tuppercole said...

It's like we were all at this great party. RTMS got great food, a bunch of really good beer, good music. Hot girls (Frilly!), and it was a really good time. Sure there was the awkward moment when we were telling lawyer jokes, and realized that there was a lawyer there, but he had a really good sense of humor about it, and the fun continued. Then some guy crashed the party, without bothering to hang out and see what the deal was started in with Dice Clay routines. Then got all pissed off because we weren't laughing, so he hijacked every conversation with more stupid nursery rhymes, and telling everyone what a genius Andrew Clay was, and we were all stupid for not laughing. The more you throw beer cans at him and tell him to fuck off, the more he keeps going with his routine...

Sigh

KevinFtMyers said...

I think Snobby's waiting for this thread to hit 200 before starting another.
(or for SD to quit bellyaching)

Anonymous said...

ok this officially sucks. this is usually clever and fun. i'd say 'approaching' the tone and tenure of rtms HIMSELF. and being fairly new i'd like to know the usual method of stopping this stuff. i agree that ignoring it would/should be the way to go, but much like turning away from a train wreak, i seem unable to. pls help

KevinFtMyers said...

Listen guys, I do have some respect, I swear, I wont post a single comment on the next thread.

I wonder if it will be a good post from Snobby? Not that it has to be...he could piss in your mouths and you would all say MMMMM! Thats good!

Some Guy on the Innernets said...

This thread has an alarmingly high WankerDex. It's just the percentage of posts by that Kevin douche. The original, not the new improved version who is actually funny. I don't know what the exact number is, and I don't have the stomach to count, but it's way too high. We keep trying to beat the shit out of the fool, but his shit supply seems endless. He must be connected to the Ft. Myers sewer system, or something.

tuppercole said...

He's trolling now. Just ignore him

AnnaZed said...

I think Snobby's waiting for this thread to hit 200 before starting another.

Um, no, RTMS "starts another thread" (as in writes another erudite post) every weekday (sometimes twice). He is not waiting with baited breath for you personally to do anything. Trust me on this.

Just sayin'.

Anonymous said...

"And now for something completely different"

Anonymous said...

annazed, bringin back the just sayin'! Good call. I feel like thats been missing from our BGW for a while. He seems to preoccupied with frilly.

just sayin'

bikesgonewild said...

...areupake...you are right & i am preoccupied...

...this frilly chick does seems like a hot one...

...just sayin'...

Anonymous said...

Kevin, dearie, sd's right. Ummm, there's this other party going on & I know this girl who's going to be there & if you wanted to, you know, go...I could make a call.

Anonymous said...

bgw--

Right back at ya, sweetie.

Anonymous said...

"..you guys seem to never get me."

"never" (Wow, where'd that come from ? Don't answer!)

and its already been two days !

Anonymous said...

Actually, 2200 isn't Shimano's bottom of the line. You can buy road bikes with Shimano's RevoTwist shifter, and I've even seen some with new road bikes being sold with Shimano indexed shifters mounted on the stem (like they brought out all the stuff they didn't sell in the late 1980s out of the warehouse).

Anonymous said...

I miss campy athena. A wise component group. I never liked campy daytona--a dumb name because it's named after a car race in florida. Centaur isn't a much better name--it suggests something heavy & clumsily aggressive, like a bull. Veloce is an awesome name, cuz it's "fast".

Anonymous said...

How about Campagnolo Pink Flamingo. 'Cause, you know, John Water's films are campy.

[zing]

HerrLicht von Wunderkindland said...

http://berlin.en.craigslist.org/bik/732574932.html

Anonymous said...

Thanks to certain trolls and those who bite, RTMS's comment section is no longer an entertaining read. Alas, yet another previously decent forum falls prey to a few obnoxious regular particpants.

KanyonKris said...

"Heya, Mario! What's thata on your lipa there? Looksa likea cold sora."

go boo boo said...

Brilliant!