Sorting the Men from the Boys LBS-wise

Stephen Baker

Kind of a disappointing day yesterday. Went to the
favoutrite LBS so kid #4 could pick up a tube for his GRS
bike, and was looking at the SpecialEd P1 - their wannabee
singlespeed. The thing weighs about half a ton, and has
adisk on the rear wheel, but no front brake at all. ?!? So,
feeling like a doof and hoping I don't get the amswer I'm
expecting, I ask one of the "weekend guys" on duty why they
would do that. Is there any reason? "Well, the rear brake is
the one you do most of your braking with", he says, "because
the front brake can send you over the bars by causing the
rear wheel to rise." Turns out (you didn't know this, did
you?) that most people never use a front brake at all,
because it is dangerous. And SpecEd decided it wouldn't
bother to put one on the P1 for that reason. On the way out,
I passed Buddy, one of the "all-week" guys who'ss been in
the business as long as I've been alive, and he grins and
says quietly "He came up with that all on his own - we're so
proud..." Moral of the story - none really, but it amused me

Steve

Slacker

Stephen Baker wrote:
> Kind of a disappointing day yesterday. Went to the
> favoutrite LBS so kid #4 could pick up a tube for his GRS
> bike, and was looking at the SpecialEd P1 - their wannabee
> singlespeed. The thing weighs about half a ton, and has
> adisk on the rear wheel, but no front brake at all. ?!?
> So, feeling like a doof and hoping I don't get the amswer
> I'm expecting, I ask one of the "weekend guys" on duty why
> they would do that. Is there any reason? "Well, the rear
> brake is the one you do most of your braking with", he
> says, "because the front brake can send you over the bars
> by causing the rear wheel to rise." Turns out (you didn't
> know this, did you?) that most people never use a front
> brake at all, because it is dangerous. And SpecEd decided
> it wouldn't bother to put one on the P1 for that reason.
> On the way out, I passed Buddy, one of the "all-week" guys
> who'ss been in the business as long as I've been alive,
> and he grins and says quietly "He came up with that all on
> his own - we're so proud..." Moral of the story - none
> really, but it amused me
>
> Steve

The guy is partially correct, it does come that way from
Specialized. <http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkModel.jsp?spi-
d=6774&JServSessionIdroot=1ydemmimbp.j27007>

--
Slacker

John Morgan

Stephen Baker wrote:

> Kind of a disappointing day yesterday. Went to the
> favoutrite LBS so kid
> #4 could pick up a tube for his GRS bike, and was looking
> #at the SpecialEd
> P1 - their wannabee singlespeed. The thing weighs about
> half a ton, and has adisk on the rear wheel, but no front
> brake at all. ?!? So, feeling like a doof and hoping I
> don't get the amswer I'm expecting, I ask one of the
> "weekend guys" on duty why they would do that. Is there
> any reason? "Well, the rear brake is the one you do most
> of your braking with", he says, "because the front brake
> can send you over the bars by causing the rear wheel to
> rise." Turns out (you didn't know this, did you?) that
> most people never use a front brake at all, because it is
> dangerous. And SpecEd decided it wouldn't bother to put
> one on the P1 for that reason. On the way out, I passed
> Buddy, one of the "all-week" guys who'ss been in the
> business as long as I've been alive, and he grins and
> says quietly "He came up with that all on his own - we're
> so proud..." Moral of the story - none really, but it
> amused me
>
> Steve

Yeah, he obviously made up that story... but I've noticed
that dirt and racing BMX bikes only comes with a rear brake
installed. Could this be Specialized's attempt to satisfy
the adult BMX following?

John M

Stephen Baker

John M says:

> Could this be Specialized's attempt to satisfy the adult
> BMX following?

Prolly. I wish they'd put it over on the BMX side of the
shop, though ;-)

Steve

Jd

saildesign@aol.comnospam (Stephen Baker) wrote in message
news:<20040711084641.25422.00001308@mb-m29.aol.com>...
<snip dew>
> On the way out, I passed Buddy, one of the "all-week" guys
> who'ss been in the business as long as I've been alive,
> and he grins and says quietly "He came up with that all on
> his own - we're so proud..."

In other words, "Ignorance is bliss".

JD