3 ms·

I simply don't get it - is this just to show off, to be ostensibly and pretentiously 'green'? Why should I strap big, ugly, bulky, noisy, inconvenient garbage

by pxtail 3y ago

I simply don't get it - is this just to show off, to be ostensibly and pretentiously 'green'? Why should I strap big, ugly, bulky, noisy, inconvenient garbage to my bicycle instead of buying and using something actually practical and convenient? I mean isn't bicycling to grocery store and back with regular panners already "enough" and even much more compared to let's say Ursula von den Leyen taking private jet to fly 30 miles?

xtiansimon 3y ago
> “I simply don't get it … instead of buying…” You’re talking like a consumer, but the title says DIY. So the target audience is makers. You might as well ask why people make things for their bikes rather than buy. Not for nothing, I have a motorcycle and go moto camping. I have panniers, but needed a way to carry firewood or additional luggage. So I made a luggage rack out of a MOLLE synthetic frame [1]. It works great…so far. Could be it’s own website. And you might ask if I’m a military nut, but it’s just materials. In the DIY community you may get satisfaction from finding a ready-made object which is well made and also slated for the trash heap. Long before it was fashionable and hip to call this enlightened social response, there was simply utility and economic kudos, like you might find on a rural farm. [1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/MotorcycleLogistics/comments/xp0rs1/molle_backpack_frame_for_nonmoto_luggage_and_stuff https://www.reddit.com/r/MotorcycleLogistics/comments/xp0rs1...
- getwiththeprog 3y ago
  Buying is too easy. You gotta make stuff to be cool.
  - xtiansimon 3y ago
    HA! So you say. I like making things that exactly solve my problems and concerns. I like that what I make meet's my standards and not someone else's--reselling Chinese made products with a "cool" label. Or, bespoke gear not made for me that I can't afford. Also, context matters. I've owned cars and I'm perfectly happy letting others fix my car. I'm not at all comfortable with others working on my motorcycle. I avoid it if I can, because some mechanics are crap and make choices I'd never make. And when you work on your own stuff, you get to know every inch, inside and out. You take personal responsibility for the condition and it's performance. Different strokes for different folks.
the_third_wave 3y ago
While I do somewhat agree in that they seem to make a big deal out of something which has been done in many ways by many people for many years already I do have to point out that these types of practical DIY projects are far more useable than any factory-made bike bags. They fit more stuff, they are cheaper and if they ever get damaged or destroyed you simply make another one/pair instead of having to buy something new. The fancy presentation of this project/product fits with the 'cycling for the planet' crowd while the actual concept of strapping a pair of 25l cans to the carrier is more in line with those who use their bikes because that is just what they've always done without any thoughts of 'enough' or 'climate' or 'environment' or 'virtue'.

by pxtail 3y ago

xtiansimon 3y ago

> “I simply don't get it … instead of buying…” You’re talking like a consumer, but the title says DIY. So the target audience is makers. You might as well ask why people make things for their bikes rather than buy. Not for nothing, I have a motorcycle and go moto camping. I have panniers, but needed a way to carry firewood or additional luggage. So I made a luggage rack out of a MOLLE synthetic frame [1]. It works great…so far. Could be it’s own website. And you might ask if I’m a military nut, but it’s just materials. In the DIY community you may get satisfaction from finding a ready-made object which is well made and also slated for the trash heap. Long before it was fashionable and hip to call this enlightened social response, there was simply utility and economic kudos, like you might find on a rural farm. [1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/MotorcycleLogistics/comments/xp0rs1/molle_backpack_frame_for_nonmoto_luggage_and_stuff https://www.reddit.com/r/MotorcycleLogistics/comments/xp0rs1...

getwiththeprog 3y ago
Buying is too easy. You gotta make stuff to be cool.
- xtiansimon 3y ago
  HA! So you say. I like making things that exactly solve my problems and concerns. I like that what I make meet's my standards and not someone else's--reselling Chinese made products with a "cool" label. Or, bespoke gear not made for me that I can't afford. Also, context matters. I've owned cars and I'm perfectly happy letting others fix my car. I'm not at all comfortable with others working on my motorcycle. I avoid it if I can, because some mechanics are crap and make choices I'd never make. And when you work on your own stuff, you get to know every inch, inside and out. You take personal responsibility for the condition and it's performance. Different strokes for different folks.

the_third_wave 3y ago

While I do somewhat agree in that they seem to make a big deal out of something which has been done in many ways by many people for many years already I do have to point out that these types of practical DIY projects are far more useable than any factory-made bike bags. They fit more stuff, they are cheaper and if they ever get damaged or destroyed you simply make another one/pair instead of having to buy something new. The fancy presentation of this project/product fits with the 'cycling for the planet' crowd while the actual concept of strapping a pair of 25l cans to the carrier is more in line with those who use their bikes because that is just what they've always done without any thoughts of 'enough' or 'climate' or 'environment' or 'virtue'.