It says something about my engagement in the cycling biz and the power of osmotic information gathering, that I know anything at all about the newest bikes and tech hitting the market, because I kid you not at all that I pay zero attention to these things. I currently have no bicycle magazine subscriptions. I frequent no gear review sites. Some might say this is a sort of dereliction of duty on my part.
But people tell me things.
A typical bike shop owner conversation might include, “Did you see the new XXXXX?” to which I respond, “Nope. What do you think about it?”
My bike friends serve this purpose equally well. They want my take on a thing. I ask them to describe it. Maybe then I look it up.
It’s important to say, I’m no expert. Every opinion I express comes filtered through the experiences I’ve had, which are likely different to yours. If you want to know what I think about a new thing, I’m willing to tell you, but first, I’m often wrong, and second, I probably didn’t see, hear about, or ride the thing this new thing is based on.
I’m just not paying that much attention.
In my defense, it’s all a bit of a firehose. There’s too much to sift through, too much to know about.
In addition to liking to ride bikes, I also like to read books. I read both literary fiction and scientific non-fiction. My friends who are avid readers say things like, “Did you read the new Rushdie/Kingsolver/Rovelli/Lightman?” And I say, “Not yet.” It takes time to read a book, just as it takes time to put together an informed opinion about a new bike. There aren’t enough hours in the day, and I drink enough coffee to know.
This week’s TCI Friday wonders how closely YOU pay attention. Where and how are you learning about new bike stuff, and how much do you care?