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The lure is getting fit and achieving something graspable with that fitness. Riding an artificially incapable bike would ruin the latter, like cooking something

by usrusr 6y ago

The lure is getting fit and achieving something graspable with that fitness. Riding an artificially incapable bike would ruin the latter, like cooking something nice with one hand tied behind your back, riding an e-bike would ruin the former, like advising a weight lifter that he could raise that bar much more frequently if he removed those annoying metal discs from the ends.

exporectomy 6y ago
Hmm, so is it that the difference between 0 and non-zero power assistance happens to provide a natural well defined boundary between not handicapping yourself and still posing a challenge? It's not really about the power assistance at all but about having a clear scope to avoid drifting off into easier-and-easier land until you're weightlifting without weights and "cooking" by hiring a personal chef?
- usrusr 6y ago
  Kind of, but it's not a continuum at all. Cyclists may use a surprising number of batteries (some configurations provide you with no less than five charging states to keep in mind, and that's before adding lights, and not counting the three coin cells also hidden in that configuration), but when you start using external power for propulsion, from a cyclist's perspective, puts it into an entirely different category: it's not a particularly easy bike, it's a very weak motorcycle. Obviously from a driver's perspective it's exactly reversed and cyclists will happily tap into powered drafting opportunities whenever they arise, but the category borders are what they are. Imagine showing up at a marathon start block wearing roller blades: good luck convincing anyone that you do and love the same thing, just having a slightly different taste in footwear.
  - exporectomy 6y ago
    I'm not talking about organized sport, just recreation, so rules don't matter. Nor about other electric devices, just powered propulsion. I used to cycle for fun and had no idea what rules the actual sports might have had - it didn't matter to me. I'm sure there are others who also do it for purely personal reasons and don't need to follow any rules. Just calling it a weak motorcycle doesn't really explain anything other than the cyclist's confusion about what he wants.

by usrusr 6y ago

exporectomy 6y ago

Hmm, so is it that the difference between 0 and non-zero power assistance happens to provide a natural well defined boundary between not handicapping yourself and still posing a challenge? It's not really about the power assistance at all but about having a clear scope to avoid drifting off into easier-and-easier land until you're weightlifting without weights and "cooking" by hiring a personal chef?

usrusr 6y ago
Kind of, but it's not a continuum at all. Cyclists may use a surprising number of batteries (some configurations provide you with no less than five charging states to keep in mind, and that's before adding lights, and not counting the three coin cells also hidden in that configuration), but when you start using external power for propulsion, from a cyclist's perspective, puts it into an entirely different category: it's not a particularly easy bike, it's a very weak motorcycle. Obviously from a driver's perspective it's exactly reversed and cyclists will happily tap into powered drafting opportunities whenever they arise, but the category borders are what they are. Imagine showing up at a marathon start block wearing roller blades: good luck convincing anyone that you do and love the same thing, just having a slightly different taste in footwear.
- exporectomy 6y ago
  I'm not talking about organized sport, just recreation, so rules don't matter. Nor about other electric devices, just powered propulsion. I used to cycle for fun and had no idea what rules the actual sports might have had - it didn't matter to me. I'm sure there are others who also do it for purely personal reasons and don't need to follow any rules. Just calling it a weak motorcycle doesn't really explain anything other than the cyclist's confusion about what he wants.