If a remap improves fuel consumption, why don’t they do it in the factory? Surely it would be a no-brainer. Unless it has some other less desired consequence.
Actually, they do.
A Mercedes Vito 114, 116 and 119 (140HP, 160HP & 190H) are identical engines with different maps from the factory. The 116 has the best official economy figures.
114 is significantly cheaper to buy but with an aftermarket remap can be made faster and more economical.
Sitting in the cinema surrounded by rustling, chomping noise as people gorged on rubbish. It really spoilt the immersive experience of watching Dune.
In all instances apart form this I would say you was just unlucky to meet a few idiots. This though deal with it it's the cinema.
Went for a run as the sun set to make peace with the world. Got bitten by a dog (I promise I'm not making this up), and the owners just watched, saying "sorry, your high vis top must have scared him!"
Later, I had a pleasant chat with an old lady about how lucky we were to live in such a beautiful area.
50/50.
I chose to focus on the nice chat which made me feel much better.
Came frighteningly close to punching a dog in the face though. That would have been awkward 😆
You know you can get phones without internet still. You can turn off your computer/tablet/whatever.
It's funny you're complaining about the internet, on the internet.
I go to GT every few weeks. It's often extremely busy in the car parks and yet I still manage to go for a quiet and pleasant ride where I don't spend the entire time raging about the behaviour of everyone else. I really think that a lot of this stuff says a lot more about those doing the complaining and those they're complaining about.
I know Weeksy. I just have a 1GB contract to try limit my usage. I also have a basic Nokia I could use, but my cycling club of which I'm a major part of the cyclocross training and racing group, uses WhatsApp and Facebook to communicate. Furthermore you have to be on Facebook to get information about races.
It's a necessary evil, and yes I realise the irony of complaining about the Internet on the Internet.
It is actually really nice to occasionally reach out for a bit of help and like today, most people can see that and offer a bit of sympathy and support. Just to be nice, you know?
Unfortunately the 10% who decide to be rude spoil it somewhat.
I spend a lot of time filled with barely-supressed rage caused by the idiotic and damnright selfish behaviour of other people.
Just got back for a weekend away in South Devon with my wife. Every person we encountered (in the hotel, pool, pubs, cafes, walking around, driving) was pleasant, considerate, sensible; basically did nothing to raise my ire.
Christ it was nice. Like a peek into a rarely seen world.
Is it my middle age, or is society broken and getting worse by the day?
I think people have been saying things are getting worse since the Romans left, so either things were utterly magnificent in the past, or it's just one of those Middle Age things. I get this middle aged angst after something has triggered it (someone being a dick at work, or a close pass on the bike), but try to find something to take my mind off it (e.g. a good film). Usually the next bike ride is fine and I feel better. I avoid most social media too, as I don't think it helps me.
Some things are much better than the past. We went to watch Durham Women today against Liverpool - utterly great: everyone was polite and supportive of both sides. The crowd was really diverse and there was no sweary language and there was applause for everything that was good, regardless of who did it.
The worst thing is when you've decided you hate everyone then meet somebody who is nice and then you have to hate them for contradicting your world view. I hate that.
"trail centres were awful places at the best of times"
This.
Can you help me regain some perspective?
Piss off and live in a place with real problems. Try much of Africa or many parts of Asia. Should help your balance and awareness of what is a real problem.
@rollindoughnut can empathise with you, and no I don’t think you are being unreasonable in how you feel. I have to work very hard not to feel similar some days. Whenever life’s a bit much I listen to the Cycling podcast femine with Rose Manley and Orla C. It’s infectious good humour gives you hope. It’s a small thing but it adds up.
I listen to Adam Buxton and Off Menu.
Both completely take me away to their world for the hour.
First listened to Adam Buxton whilst riding the Kennet and Avon canal from Bristol to Reading in one hit on my way back from an adventure in Wales. Had been peddling for 8hrs when I put it on. It's one of my fondest memories.
Piss off and live in a place with real problems.
Modern life affects people in different ways, and expecting someone to lead a perfect life because they live in a privileged country is infantile in the extreme.
There was no need to write something so vicious.
I go to GT every few weeks. It’s often extremely busy in the car parks and yet I still manage to go for a quiet and pleasant ride where I don’t spend the entire time raging about the behaviour of everyone else.
Pretty much this for me too. Except I'm there a little more often.
Carpark rammed then don't really see many people apart from passing the top carpark and at the mast.
Met some really friendly folks while out and about and ended up riding with a few random strangers just because. Some of them were even on Ebikes.
I try not to judge anyone simply by where they are or what bike they're on.
Got bitten by a dog (I promise I’m not making this up), and the owners just watched, saying “sorry, your high vis top must have scared him!”
Kick it into the canal, "sorry, his hi-vis collar scared me."
Piss off and live in a place with real problems.
"Hello, 999, yes, I'm being burgled as we speak."
"Well, other people are being murdered, so piss off."
The existence of greater problems does not invalidate lesser ones.
Balance it out and get all those other ****ers to hate you back.
The existence of greater problems does not invalidate lesser ones.
Maybe, but that's not what the OP asked.
The OP asked :
"Can you help me regain some perspective?"
Eddiebaby's suggestion seems reasonable to me.
What would you suggest?
I actually opened this thread thinking it was the work of Cougar tbh.
Hate to break it to you but it's the UK
Eddiebaby’s suggestion seems reasonable to me.
Moving to Africa to gain perspective on middle aged angst is about as unreasonable as you could probably suggest TBH.
There does seem to be an ever increasing number of people who don't give a damn about anyone other than themselves. They do whatever they want with no care for how their actions impact on those around them. I find myself asking "what is wrong with people" at least twice a day, usually on the school run.
I think the majority of people in the world are nice. We all have an off day or off 5 minutes though. If you are looking for the bad then you will see those off days or off 5mins.
Accept we are all different and try and embrace it rather than judge.
I think I am still the same person now I have an E-bike though not ridden it much yet so maybe I will turn 🙂 I am still tolerant of others on the trail. I don't harass people to get by etc In fact I think if they are pedaling they have the right of way when trying to clean a techy climb.
I was at Cwmcarn yesterday and the car park was rammed, out on the trails though it was really not that busy, lots of E-bikes as you say. Bizarely Afan the day before not rammed and hardly any e-bikes.
I just rode my own ride at both places chilled out enjoying the autumn colours tried to help my friend develop some confidence descending and pretty much everyone I met was nice.
I find myself asking “what is wrong with people” at least twice a day, usually on the school run.
Before my ironymeter explodes, can I just check if you were in a car?
I find that since being on Sertraline for anxiety I'm way less bothered and stressed out by other people's behavior. I can tell when I've missed doses, as I start to realise how awful people are!
This article is well worth a read OP (or anyone else who gets angry at others a lot).
NAUTIL.US It's much more nuanced than it sounds from the title, and I found it very useful.
BTW nobeer is right, chipping ebikes is generally considered on a par with child molesting on this forum.
I seriously can’t stand the human race much more.
Is it my middle age, or is society broken and getting worse by the day?Can you help me regain some perspective?
For balance, you also saw:
The vast majority of drivers driving sensibly and carefully
Most people parking considerately
Most people sitting quietly in the cinema (though rustling sweets has been a thing forever - maybe need to adjust your expectations!)
Most drivers being reasonably considerate to cyclists
Have to admit I haven't seen people on here boosting their eBikes. Suggest that most people are not.
... but you may not have noticed those as humans are conditioned by evolution to see fear, danger and anger rather than 'oh ok, everything's fine'. This is reinforced by the media (when was the last time you saw a headline saying 'life expectancy has increased again' or 'conservation efforts for rhinos, tigers and pandas are going really well'?) and we condition ourselves to seek out the things that we see as a threat.
There's loads of great stuff out there. We need to find better ways of conditioning ourselves to see it.
Long term neoliberal governments have encouraged and facilitated the fragmentation of communities, declining social capital, weakened trades unions, zero hours contracts, government corruption, blame the victim, individualism for the rich, dog eat dog culture for the poor, look after number one, 'human nature' is avaricious, 'they're all the same' defeatism etc. This manifests itself on a national level and on an interpersonal level, people feel threatened and aggressively defensive.
It doesn't have to be like this.
Most of you on this thread will still be young or middle aged, I'm actually an old, small woman with grey hair, who seems to get bullied the moment I'm in a car, on a bike or even walking. The walking bit was when a school run mum drove up onto the pavement in front of me and 2 elderly pedestrians, her child flung open the passenger side door nearly hitting one of us, luckily I'm still young and fit enough to read the situation and leap out of the way if needs be, the other 2 oldies weren't.
But tonight I shall be out volunteering with our local RSPB group. The people there are kind, caring, generous and it gives me hope.
Moving to Africa to gain perspective on middle aged angst is about as unreasonable as you could probably suggest TBH.
More unreasonable than declaring that you hate everyone and need help?
Edit : And to be fair most comments seem to have encouraged the OP to hate people and given him reasons why it is perfectly reasonable for him to do so.
Long term neoliberal governments have encouraged and facilitated the fragmentation of communities, declining social capital, weakened trades unions, zero hours contracts, government corruption, blame the victim, individualism for the rich, dog eat dog culture for the poor, look after number one, ‘human nature’ is avaricious, ‘they’re all the same’ defeatism etc. This manifests itself on a national level and on an interpersonal level, people feel threatened and aggressively defensive.
Well I knew this, but I didn't necessarily want to be reminded of it on a Monday morning. Thanks for that Debbie Downer.
It doesn’t have to be like this.
No, it doesn't, but changing all those things isn't necessarily going to make some-people improve their outlook on others. As @teaandbiscuits points out, identifying the individuals that you encountered on a daily basis make your life harder actively ignores the hundreds, possibly thousands of folks that you've encountered that just got on with their lives, or made it better.
Just shift your focus.
Can you help me regain some perspective?
As a species we've never lived in a more prosperous, less violent time than now. A person born today is more likely to live a long and comfortable life than at any point in human history.
You may want to weigh this fact against the undoubted personal tragedy of having to listen to someone rustle a crisp packet in the cinema.
lol!
btw socialists are optimists
Being harrased by a driver when I was forced into using a road to join two bridleways, endangering himself, his kids, me and the oncoming drivers.
I get that all the time in Portishead, the drivers play chicken to see who backs out first. As a cyclist I have an issue with this. I have noticed when drivers see you have a camera they tend to panic after cutting you up. Personally so far I haven't had the usual dick-h behavior, so it must be working. I started using head camera after having some many angry types having a go at me. Now when I get it I give them the option of shutting up or being on YouTube 😉
JeZ
Most of my hatred is focused on one guy at the moment, and we are in the office together tomorrow.
Just taken an LFT test and really wanting it to be positive.....
I get that all the time in Portishead, the drivers play chicken to see who backs out first.
Sour times.
trail centres were awful places at the best of times
Trail Centres are flipping awesome!
You turn up at a forest and someone has thoughtfully, graded, signposted and maintained a bunch of trails for the exclusive use of you the lucky mountain biker.
You can take a noob there and introduce them to the sport and see their face light up when they nail a corner or get their wheels off the ground.
You can take your kid there and have a safe ride free of traffic and other nuisances and even have an ice cream afterwards.
You can ride stuff that's progressively harder and improve as a rider, moving on to the off piste trails that always pop up at trail centres due to all the interest they generate.
You can talk about plastic bikes and custom vans will sipping a latte in the onsite cafe!
Yeah I've never had a bad time at a trail centre, even a rammed Llandegla.
I get that all the time in Portishead, the drivers play chicken to see who backs out first.
Sour times.
Excellent work. 👏
You should bask in the glory (box)
Yeah I’ve never had a bad time at a trail centre, even a rammed Llandegla.
Exactly, even when the car park is rammed, the trails aren’t that busy. The only riders I see are ones I’ve caught up because they’re on analog bikes but I just put it in turbo mode and force my way past them.
Had been peddling for 8hrs when I put it on.
Did you manage to sell much?
Just wanted to say thank you everyone for your empathy and good humour. It's all I needed to get back onto an even keel.