La Flamme Rouge **off topic discussion**

tomasrojo wrote: »

Fairly interesting look at using behavioural economics to help rebalance distribution of Citibikes in New York. Once they established a leaderboard of "angels" who redistributed the most bikes, some people got pretty competitive.
https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/12/11/675828915/citi-bike-s-better-angels

I'm always curious to see how these kinds of schemes might translate into different cultures. Would this idea make any difference in Ireland at all? Would anyone care?

For example, there used to be a very popular forum called "SomethingAwful", which many here might know. It still exists, but it's more niche now. Not long into its life, they began charging a one-off fee for signups. $10 to register a new account. The site grew. And grew and grew. And because of the signup fee, spamming and trolling was kept very low. People loved it.
Because tipping culture is so strong in the US, there is a cultural sense that if you are using a service, then volunteering a small fee as compensation is only fair.

I recall thinking at the time, that if boards started doing the same thing, the entire site would be killed, stone-dead. Irish (and European) culture just wouldn't support a sign-up fee, no matter how nominal.

Likewise, I wonder if an "angels" competitive leaderboard would die on its arse in Ireland.

My Strava got hacked a few months ago,they changed all the details. I though I had fixed everything but I started getting top 10s in a lot of segments they had changed my gender to female. I even had a QOM

My Strava got hacked a few months ago,they changed all the details [..] I even had a QOM

Crafty!

I assembled a bike yesterday for a friend. It's for his 11 year old daughter.
It has front "suspension forks" and "rear shocks". It weighs 16 Kgs. It is horrendous, I have never seen such a ball of sh1te. I have seen full on DH mountain bikes, that weigh less.
It's no wonder, they are so many bikes, lying unused in sheds, around the country.

I still get flashbacks to several years ago when a friend/neighbour asked me to help Santa by minding a bike for him. He asked me would I mind assembling it, I said no bother.

In my innocence I assumed it would be straighten the handlebars and put on the pedals.....

I had planned to do it Christmas Eve but for luck I had a day off before and with nothing better to do I decided to have a look at the bike, I nearly fainted when I saw a million pieces in the box, hardly anything on the frame. I had no problem putting it together but it took me a good couple of hours, just glad I didn't leave it til Christmas Eve night!

My only consolation is, because it will never be used, I'll never have to service it.

Did the truck drivers flash you as you were in the process of moving back into the same lane? Was it wet/raining at those times?

Hurrache wrote: »

Around the time I had moved in, but I wasn't cutting it close, I Ieave a reasonable distance before pulling back in. Conditions were poor and wet first time, very dull the second, hence my lights being on.

I haven't changed my driving behaviour in 20 years or so driving, and I've never experienced it any other time.

In poor driving conditions truckers frequently flash their lights when a vehicle has overtaken them and is in the process of moving back into their lane. It's a signal to the other driver that it's safe to move across. It's usually done for other truck drivers as, in dull wet conditions, with a long vehicle, visibility in the mirrors is compromised and there is considerable spray caused by multiple wheels making it more difficult to judge where the end of the trailer is. Some truck drivers do it for small vehicles also.

RobFowl wrote: »

Ah Lads, where is the Christmas fairy advert gone? Was practically having a wet dream picking through the liquidation stuff from a closed shop...

Mad craic of a thread, had to stop myself going back a few times for more!

Just checked my Strava. I've covered 4996km thus far this year... I wasn't planning on getting on the bike in the next week and I fly out of the country until January just after Christmas... it seems a shame to leave me 4km short of the 5k mark!

I was just looking at the Vuelta route for 2019, overall not the most inspiring but of potential interest is the possibility of 6 sprint finishes if Sam gets the nod and has a team interested in closing down breaks in the final week. But perhaps the most interesting aspect is that the final four stages are all close to Madrid so could make a nice holiday come September.

I have been to the final stage the last two years and always an enjoyable day with lots to do and typically plenty of time for the womens race as well. The weather is usually good (mid 20's )and this year will also see decisive (hopefully) stages in the mountains to the north and west of Madrid.


Elsewhere one of the more notable stages is a 96km stage in Andorra with the summit finish on a gravel track

Deleted User wrote: »

Couple of trips to the shops for milk or something will see you there. I wouldn't have the will power to resist hitting that 5k mark being so close to it

I know someone who finished 2016 on 5995.

I'm at 7,170km was aiming to break 8k this year but the last month has been a disaster.

Weepsie wrote: »

If I had 5995 I'd stop too. similarly 9999 or 7777 etc. I like the symmetry of it all more than the round number. That said, I'll be lucky to get to 6500 this year as it's been very stop start

We did a count your steps for a month in work and on one of the days I had 9000 exactly. I only noticed when I logged it the following day.

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

Well in April I'll be stepping into a cage to go toe to toe with another headbanger

Do us proud!

For after Christmas when your other half finds out how much you spend on bikes.