Viewing 35 posts - 1 through 35 (of 35 total)
  • Why when someone asks a question that is obvious to some….
  • MoseyMTB
    Free Member

    Do they get slated. Take for example tonights brake pad question, the poster obviously enjoys mountain biking but maybe does not take it as serious as some on here.

    We are not all bike mechanics and some of us are new to the maintenence side of biking so asking on here is how we learn and get better.

    It seems you can't ask a question without out getting some sit at home expert taking a pop e.g. "use your eye's".

    I use this site often and find myself looking further afar for answers regarding set-up and parts because it's not worth the effort just to be called a numpty or some other witty sugestion.

    If someone asks for help i suggest we do our best to help them so they can learn themselves and not make themselves feel stupid for not being a fully trained bike mechanic.

    Oh and how do i know when my tyres need changing?

    TheSanityAssassin
    Full Member

    MoseyMTB – Member
    Blah, blah, blah…

    Oh and how do i know when my tyres need changing?

    When they don't say High Roller on them.

    theotherjonv
    Full Member

    I thought it was a fair question. In fact, such a good question I wish i'd read it before posting almost exactly the same one! Although in defence when I started writing my post the other thread was a few hours old and in between times someone wilfully bumped it back up to make me look silly.

    The OP did invite some abuse by decribing it as a numpty question though….

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    Nick
    Full Member

    the best thing to do is not get offended by cretins on forums

    simonralli2
    Free Member

    I have had nothing but lots of help on here. I posted what I thought was an arty shot of swans between my back wheel (radical phat air sik to the max dude that I am, I was totally owning my local river side cycle path) andthen some people were questioning my choice of gears. I thought they were saying I was dead unfit as I was in an easy gear, but it turns out they were saying mechanically it wasnt good, and after they realised I had no idea what they were on about I got some very useful help. And as for people I have actually met and ridden with, had loads of useful riding tips and encouragement on how to ride what many may consider easy obstacles but I have previously failed to clear. So yeah, I have no issues at all, have received lots of help, and if anyone makes a negative comment it is pretty easy to ignore as there are so many top and helpful people on here who give good advice.

    simonfbarnes
    Free Member

    Isn't it very normal and british to take the piss out of each other ? For the most part it's not meant to be hurtful.

    MoseyMTB
    Free Member

    i don't get offended it just seems like a waste of time, the op see's a reply hopes for the info they asked for and all they see is a daft answer.

    It's frustrating enough not knowing what size mech or what seat clamp to use without daft answers.

    Basically im useless with bike maintenence and need you lot to help lol!

    Useless man syndrome!

    Pook
    Full Member

    christ you're back!!!!

    😯

    MoseyMTB
    Free Member

    set myself up for a fall here didn't eye ha.

    I do get lot's of help by the way and plenty of cracking deals on the classified section. I just feel daft when i don't know something.

    petty rant i know.

    MoseyMTB
    Free Member

    never went away Pook just hadn't posted for a while.

    Kevevs
    Free Member

    +1 mosey. agree with ya, but..

    You can learn most stuff from parktools website and mates and trial and error. Sometimes you may have an esoteric question that you're not sure of. There's some really helpful bods on here as well though. It's a good place on a good day 😉

    Jamie
    Free Member

    Why when someone asks a question that is obvious to some….

    Its because we are all cocks innit?

    …well according to the big boss man.

    Pook
    Full Member

    are you likely to be up and running come wednesday?

    MoseyMTB
    Free Member

    im in London till thursday mate for work, driving down first thing tomorrow morning. Should be fun.

    Might need your help if your willing to swap some time for beers?

    Pook
    Full Member

    always old chap. Let me know when.

    MoseyMTB
    Free Member

    cool cheers mate, got brakes, mech's chain and cassette all in post and all pretty much no idea how to fine tune.

    Pook
    Full Member

    I have a big hammer. I'm sure we'll work it out

    br
    Free Member

    It's frustrating enough not knowing what size mech or what seat clamp to use without daft answers.

    But you do ask some daft questions – the answer to the above for example, is measure them…

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    i don't get offended it just seems like a waste of time, the op see's a reply hopes for the info they asked for and all they see is a daft answer.

    Actually they usually get the right answer AND a load of people asking whether they really need someone to tell them to take their pads out and check them. The sensible question, in the pad case, would have been "whats the minimum thickness", not "how do i know when they're nearly worn out". The former suggests the poster has stopped to think, used a bit of common sense and taken the pads out to check, but isn't sure on the specific details. The latter suggests the owner has glanced at the bike, thought that it's been a while since they had the LBS change the pads but can't be arsed spending the 5 mins to get the pads out to check.

    I think it's purely because people are sick of answering questions where the questioner has spent no time at all looking for themselves. The number of questions I've answered on here that just require looking at 2 google results, but the OP couldn't be arsed to do, is quite stunning. In this case, min pad thickness is not easily found, but the determining how to check the pads is fairly simple. That said, I did ask a question about how exactly to remove some pads from a disc brake some months ago, because it used a fancy schmancy spring arrangement and, belonging to someone else, I didn't want to break it, but that was explained in the question!

    Woody
    Free Member

    …….. the answer to the above for example, is measure them…

    But isn't that part of the problem? Take f/r mechs for example, top swing/bottom pull/conventional, rapid rise, long or medium cage etc etc. and then compatibility issues does SRAM work with Shimano 9 speed with 8 speed or soon 10 speed?

    All very easy when you have been around bikes for a while but fairly bewildering to a newbie.

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    Not really the case though woody, though I think the example you're quoting is a bit off. Mechs are things that it's hard-ish to measure without calipers which not everyone has. As for the top/bottom swing/pull etc it's get what you have now (you can see it right in front of you). Re rear mechs cage length, yes that's a little harder but again you can easily match what you have existing. Rgarding SRAM compatibility, most of that info is already out there at the end of google IIRC.
    I don't think anyone would really complain/skit with regard to mech choice though, but brake pad thickness?

    br
    Free Member

    Mechs are things that it's hard-ish to measure without calipers which not everyone has.

    Buy some, they are cheap enough, its like asking how long something is – use a ruler.

    Haven't got one? Buy one.

    D0NK
    Full Member

    front mech band/seatpost size etc can normally be found on manufacturers website but who the hell knows what top swing, rapid rise etc means, it normally doesn't say on the mech itself so without help newbies will never know.

    I get asked simple google-able questions at work all the time and I do get a bit peeved but at work I have to answer them, here you can just close the window or click Back, no need to abuse/mock the poster cause they've "wasted" your time with "stupid" questions.

    Woody
    Free Member

    Donk +1

    it's get what you have now (you can see it right in front of you)

    That's fine until you get keen enough to build up a frame from scratch and anyway, shouldn't encouragement be given regardless! Let's face it, anything is better than another 'what tyre for…." thread 😈

    Having said that, a godd natured piss take is always welcome 😆

    Pook
    Full Member

    I must admit, from my own experience, STWers can often adopt a very sniffy attitude to newbies.

    I like to think (and people who've been on STW Peaks Pootles would attest to the fact) that overall, this place is very welcoming, understanding and supportive – but once in a blue moon you get some comment that to a newbie could be misconstrued as mocking, and therefore unwelcoming, and I wouldn't be surprised if many who have lurked here before posting have thought "sod that for a game of soldiers," and remained in the dark about what to others seem trivial and small maintenance matters.

    I'm no master mechanic. Far from it in fact. Luckily I have no pride in coming on here and asking numpty questions, knowing full well that in 20 "you're an idiot and I'm good enough for the Ferrari pit" type replies, I'll get about 5 genuinely helpful and encouraging responses.

    Plus, while it may be easy to google manufacturers manuals, they don't give you the real experiences of people who've actually serviced gunked up mechs and the like. Posing simple questions about mechs for example on here will bring up many sorry tales of what to do, what not to do, what the manufacturer recommends but doesn't work in practice, and maybe, just maybe, you'll have a laugh while you're doing it.

    That's my tuppence worth anyway.

    and in answer to the OP – Parkes, I've got some shiny new tools and very soon a workstand so we can go to town on breaking things with our hamfisted efforts.

    Anyone know how to change an inner tube?

    😉

    no_eyed_deer
    Free Member

    …to be honest, I never really expect a 1) useful answer, 2) straight answer, 3) not to be taken the piss out of in this forum. It goes with the frustratingly whimsical irreverance of the territory really! One thing this place has taught me though is to MTFU… 😉 Although, that said, I was probably a little dissapointed at the lack of much useful information in that thread. Perhaps no one really knows anything after all, eh?

    And as to the supposition that I might not take my MTB-ing seriously..? Well!

    Ti29er
    Free Member

    Most of the time I'll venture a reply if I think my knowledge will in some way help out.

    Except when we get questions like
    1)"Tell me how to photograph my brother's wedding as I'm too tight and don't appreciate the difference anyhow",
    or
    2) " Tell me how to design a logo and not pay a professional"
    or
    3) the post is generated by a evangelical convert who is looking for reassurance the he/ she has made the correct decision.

    I (now) avoid these like the plague!

    JtotheP68
    Free Member

    Because there are lots of ****ts on here.

    Swiftacular
    Free Member

    +1

    nickc
    Full Member

    As the author of the offending comment in the brake pad thread, what advice were you expecting other than take a look at them?

    As with coffeeking really, ask a dumb question…..

    igm
    Full Member

    I thought the correct form was to give the correct answer within two or three posts and then keep the thread going for a couple of months with increasingly ridiculous and tenuously connected comments.

    Seems fair – the OP gets the answer the forum gets a long piss take session that doesn't offend the OP 'cos he gave up looking after he got the answer – no?

    no_eyed_deer
    Free Member

    @ nickc – well, despite having ridden since 1990, currently owning 5 self-built bikes and – with unemployment – riding 4 times a week at present, I've never really had the opportunity to own a bike with disc brakes until now; hence they've always remained a bit of a mystery. The bike I recently bought was secondhand – and so did not have any instruction manuals with it. Not having had much firsthand experience of discs before, I figured there might be some easy and definitive way of determining when to change the pads, thereby preventing injury – or damage to the brake disks. I haven't the first clue how to take the pads out, even.

    As it is, there isn't – as the variety of differingly ambigious answers currently floating about on STW will testify. As with anything, yes, you can 'look at it', or alternatively you could 'wait till you hear the retention spring pinging', or 'ride until 1mm of pad is left', or 'carry a spare pair and change them on the trail when they wear out', or 'don't worry about it, because even the bare pistons will stop you and do no damage to the discs'… So I'm not actually sure anyone really knows, definitively.

    … There's some food for thought in there, for sure, but much of the responses to my original thread just seemed like classic STW random piss-taking uselessness to me – and I wouldn't expect anything less! 😀

    simonfbarnes
    Free Member

    as the variety of differingly ambigious answers currently floating about on STW will testify.

    but what else could you expect ? On most topics there are no definitive right answers, just assorted opinions!

    no_eyed_deer
    Free Member

    …I would've presumed – on metaphysics, yes. Brake pads, no. 🙂

    nedrapier
    Full Member

    but as you said in your previous post, there are. And the differing opinions are a reflection of the dffering approach of the individual.

    Safety conscious, risk averse? take the "check weekly and change out when less than 1mm left" approach.

    Not that precious about equipment and more pragmatic about safety? Take the "wait for bare metal, then order new ones" approach.

    There's very rarely a definite answer, and the beauty of forums like this is that you can look at a range of replies, see where the spectrum is and pick the approach that fits best with you.

    and if you're still a bit lost, there's also usually some piss taking peer review of approaches by those replying so you can take those into account too.

Viewing 35 posts - 1 through 35 (of 35 total)

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