Why are roadies mechanically inept?

Haakon

Haakon

has an accommodating arse
And mountain bikers know how to fix stuff?

Guy near me is one of those triathlete weirdos, and said he had a Giant Trintiy with ETap on it. Couldn’t answer any of the technical questions I had out of curiosity. Mega bucks bike and doesn’t know how it works... I find that weird.
 
the meat sock asked his wife how the internal combustion engine in he blubaru avoided engine knock.... silly philly couldnt answer any questions I had out of curiosity. Mega bucks car and doesnt know how it works... I find that weird.

Not knowing how shit works doesnt make anything less awesome

How does the quantum tunnelling effect the CPU you used to type your post???? Or how does the antiviral work to stop COVID- shit, keyboard wont let us type numbers... ninteen.... there stop you from shitting your gutz onto the floor...
 
Spanky_Ham said:
the meat sock asked his wife how the internal combustion engine in he blubaru avoided engine knock.... silly philly couldnt answer any questions I had out of curiosity. Mega bucks car and doesnt know how it works... I find that weird.

Not knowing how shit works doesnt make anything less awesome

How does the quantum tunnelling effect the CPU you used to type your post???? Or how does the antiviral work to stop COVID- shit, keyboard wont let us type numbers... ninteen.... there stop you from shitting your gutz onto the floor...
Click to expand...

ok fine... I’ve noticed this before though, MTBers just tend to be more DIY. And then get started on the Great Disc Brake Debate with roadies and heaps of them cite “too hard to fix” as a reason to not use discs.

Meh, a little social observation I’ve noted with exceptions to the rule of course around.
 
A lot of the fastest MTB riders in the world are mechanically inept. It’s just MTB riders who spend their time on the internet and tinkering that are mechanically capable.

Plus, a lot more shit goes wrong and requires attention on a MTB compared to a roadie, where shit just works (usually).
 
Some people work 50-60 hour weeks plus family commitments occupying weekends.

I do most of my own mechanical stuff, but I can definitely see why some people equally have other priorities. I’ve put a few bikes together and have had a go at most tasks. I enjoy the process, but often spend my limited free time riding and deferring maintenance.

On the mtb vs roadie front, I imagine mtbs require more attention more often, particularly trail side, so it’s in our interest to have a few skills as we’re not going to be hitching our way out if things go awry.
 
It's because proper mountain bikers break stuff, mostly in the middle of nowhere, where their significant others can't find them. On the other hand, roadies are on Google maps...

Honestly, though...your experience is clearly within a bubble. Having experienced two wildly different cycling communities now...most of the occupants are flat out understanding how gear changes actually happen beyond "I pressed a lever..."
 
silentbutdeadly said:
It's because proper mountain bikers break stuff, mostly in the middle of nowhere, where their significant others can't find them. On the other hand, roadies are on Google maps...
Click to expand...

This. A road bike is a very simple machine compared to a dual suspension mountain bike. MTBs require a lot more maintenance (or they just degrade faster). Try actually sticking to the rock shox service interval for example and you will go broke on servicing alone. The problem in for MTB if you don't maintain your own stuff then you are either compromising the experience or you are paying someone a fair bit to do it. Road bikes generally don't get grime and you can run them on a much longer service interval without too many problems. Similarly cross folk are probably on par, or better, than MTB folks wrt maintenance and knowing how stuff works. Their bikes cop a beating during race season.

The other aspect is road bikes are simple things roadies tend to do really shitty upgrades that do 1/1000ths of sweet FA. Swapping stems, going saddle hunting, losing 20 grams here and there, then maybe different bar tape. All superficial stuff that doesn't change the ride and so most stuff stays stock and all that really happens is a frequent lube, pump the tyres and then consumables once in a while that the shop does. Initially there might be some fitting, but a shop does that and roades tend to love going nuts of bike fits. On a MTB you have a tonne of dialing the bike in and to do that you have to know how it works. Pre-shockwiz, you had to ride, tune and then repeat over and over. There is shocks pressure and rebound, tyre choice, pressure etc. Then wider bars, brake types an droppers.

So in summary naturally a discipline that is both more prone to breakage, higher maintenance and is more responsive to modifications and changes means the folks tend to be more mechanically competent by necessity.
 
Spanky_Ham said:
the meat sock asked his wife how the internal combustion engine in he blubaru avoided engine knock.... silly philly couldnt answer any questions I had out of curiosity. Mega bucks car and doesnt know how it works... I find that weird.

Not knowing how shit works doesnt make anything less awesome

How does the quantum tunnelling effect the CPU you used to type your post???? Or how does the antiviral work to stop COVID- shit, keyboard wont let us type numbers... ninteen.... there stop you from shitting your gutz onto the floor...
Click to expand...

Every Subaru boxer engine knocks. You just get so used to hearing it, unless it’s 44 gal drum with a hammer loud, you don’t notice. Third gear, 35 degrees c ambient, 45degrees positive timing advance, small incline, tcu refusing to shift back to second...........

I’ll try to find the TSB about ej25 knock sensor orientation meme. Subaru’s tsb stipulated the knock sensor had to be orientated right to maximise effectiveness. Was hilarious.
 
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