Re: Suspension losses

On 1/11/2025 4:11 PM, Wolfgang Strobl wrote:

Am Fri, 10 Jan 2025 20:01:26 -0500 schrieb Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:
 

On 1/10/2025 5:18 PM, Wolfgang Strobl wrote:

  This makes me reflect on the criticism of electronics in bicycles. ... But what about measuring the
amount of power applied to the pedals, what about telling the cyclist
who balanced he splits the power between left and right, by
instrumenting the pedal or the bottom bracket?

>
Yes, that can be done with enough sensors and electronics. But it seems
like useless information to me. As with much computer software, it seems
like "feature bloat." Why would anybody but a racer care?

 Is there any reason to believe that old people like me don't have a need
to care about training intensity, as a matter of principle?  How comes?
 When using my biycles as a middle aged, healthy adult I didn't care
about racing, didn't train and didn't try to find company in cycling
clubs, either. I didn't visit a gym until much later. Cycling was simply
a way to get to work quickly. During vacations it was a more
entertaining mode of transportation than the car. Fitness, strength and
cardio fitness came as a side effect, slowly and almost unnoticed.
 This has changed. My cardio fitness is still better than what I know
about a lot of people half my age. Nevertheless, it decreased over the
years and it takes more and more effort to keep what you have not yet
lost. As it is expected. The ability to measure power is helpful in
finding the point at which intensity is sufficient and overload has not
yet begun. This is even more true in combination with a heart rate
monitor.
 So far, this is only about aging. But there is more.
 Accidents that led to damage to bones, joints and tendons in the past
have consequences to be considered, too. There is a tendency to
compensate weaknesses by bad postures, whithout noticing. This is both
caused by damages and causing damages. This is to be avoided.  Measuring
how power is applied by the feet helps detecting differences early,
avoiding damage.
 Avoiding damage is far from useless.

But individual power outputs from left and right legs? I can't imagine much value from that measurement. In fact, I don't believe power measurement is necessary for fitness. I judge by feel. It has the advantage of naturally compensating for days when I feel stronger or weaker. And it's organic!  ;-)

My experiences with mechanical devices are at least as mixed as those
with electronic devices.  Some very complicated electronic devices that
I bought decades ago still work. The same applies to some that I built
myself a long time ago.  With devices that contained both electronic and
mechanical parts, the fault was more often on the mechanical side.
 Anecdotical, I know.

To me, a big advantage is the ability to _look_ at a mechanical device and _see_ what's wrong. That, and the fact I can often affect a repair. I hate the Kleenex ethic - "It's no good any more, just throw it away."

Two days ago, my kid asked me to figure out why an electric blanket
wasn't working. The controller refused to turn on. I opened it and
confirmed that it was getting supply voltage. Beyond that, the pile of
dozens of surface mount electronic components was incomprehensible to
me. I suspect Jeff might have been able to diagnose it, but not me.
Here's a photo:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/16972296@N08/54259119364/in/dateposted-public/
I know electric blankets are old technology. I know they functioned well
for decades with maybe a rheostat and perhaps a couple of other
components. Why add unrepairable complexity?

 Don't know.  We use devices like the blue one in the following picture.
<https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/W%C3%A4rmflasche1.jpg>
and better isolating blankets. No electricity necessary. :-)

:-) But you imply that _I'm_ the one insufficiently modern?

A few lights in our house are switched by set of 2 x 3 inexpensive
wireless sockets including two remote controls, that I bought eleven
years ago. I've still to replace the batteries. Two of the sockets are
still spares, I have a replacement cell for the remote controls stored
which might live even longer. Standard type, used in garage openers and
burglar alarms, too. Selecting a channel and paring one of the four
buttons of a remote control with one or more of the sockets is as easy
as pie, using a line of dip switches inside those devices.  Quite
similar to pairing switches and derailleur on our bicyles.
 While I avoid having essential functionality in my house depend on
wireless connections, I enjoy having the option, for certain use cases,
though.

Yuck.
I bought a new pedestal fan for our back patio last year. I've found a fan to be the best defense against mosquitos. The previous one still runs, but exposure to sunlight destroyed its plastic finger protection screen.
Anyway, the new one comes with a remote control, roughly the size of a snack cracker. Who needs a remote to adjust a fan? I rejected ceiling fans with remotes when I was shopping, too. It's something to lose, something whose battery will die, and something whose electronics will go bad and be unrepairable.
...

 When I see a 50 year old, perfect looking bicycle, I think:
That one must have been standing around inside most of the time, perhaps
for a reason.

My favorite bike is a young 39 years. It looks perfect, in part because I had it (and my wife's matching one) stripped and powder coated a couple years ago. Too many excellent memories to let it go.
--
- Frank Krygowski