sim buying philosophy

I thought I would go at this from a different angle and see what all you people thought. If you are like me you have purchased a number of games/sims in the past. Some may be several years old but you still fire them up because there is something special, others began collecting dust after just a few weeks or months. In the past I would buy just about every auto game/sim that came out but .. at least for me things have changed. Sure I still drive GP2,N2,ICR2,Soda etc occasionally but I am getting pickier about where my money goes. Money doesn't grow on trees and it should be spread around based upon each persons priorities. What other interests you have in life and how much money you have to spare will determine your game buying purchases. If I will only play/drive something a few weeks before it bores me I see no point in shelling out $40 or $50. So I will only buy a game that I will use again and again for many months. That doesn't mean I think my preferred game/sim kicks your preferred game/sims ***and either one of us is superior inferior to each other. Of course some games/sims influence that process and that is what has happened to me in the past 10 months. I recently tried a new sim and it was excellent but I came to the conclusion that it would be a dust collector in a few weeks, doesn't mean I didn't like it, I just have my priorities. I guess i'm just a picky bastard and will only spend my hard earned money on something I will drive for a long time. What about you people? JM - go ahead and shoot me now, I have a $6000 bicycle...

JM, I *TOTALLY* agree.... I am far more selective now with all of the info on RAS and elsewhere on the net. I take all the info in and try to make sense out of it... sometimes more difficult than it seems. I think demos really can make or break it for me too... I did not buy CPR because of the demo. Hated it, steered like a Mack truck. (which brings up another point that the developers should not rush a beta out to make people happy, because a bad one will make FAR MORE people mad) But the end result is that I am more selective. I think some of it may be due to the excellence of GPL... it's simply raised the bar real high for me and I won't settle for anything that's drastically far from that in terms of physics and game play. I still jump into N2 and other now and then, but GPL is realistically the ONLY game I play almost everyday (even if only for about 15 minutes). After GPL, the new sims out there will have to be something special in order to capture my $$. N3 will be a slam dunk, because it uses the same physics engine. Trans-Am, Le Mans and others that are on the way will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Don't get me wrong, I WANT to buy new sims and love the variety. But Nascar Revolution shows that we HAVE to be ultra picky and *** the developers, or else we will get junk like that. So I am not very likely to buy as many titles as I did in the past. --Dave Hey, tell me about your bike! I have 5 bikes in the garage between me and my wife... and I still don't think I've hit your plateau! ;-)

Quoted text (23 lines)

> I thought I would go at this from a different angle and see what all you > people thought. If you are like me you have purchased a number of > games/sims in the past. Some may be several years old but you still fire > them up because there is something special, others began collecting dust > after just a few weeks or months. In the past I would buy just about > every auto game/sim that came out but .. at least for me things have > changed. Sure I still drive GP2,N2,ICR2,Soda etc occasionally but I am > getting pickier about where my money goes. Money doesn't grow on trees > and it should be spread around based upon each persons priorities. What > other interests you have in life and how much money you have to spare > will determine your game buying purchases. If I will only play/drive > something a few weeks before it bores me I see no point in shelling out > $40 or $50. So I will only buy a game that I will use again and again > for many months. That doesn't mean I think my preferred game/sim kicks > your preferred game/sims ***and either one of us is superior inferior > to each other. Of course some games/sims influence that process and that > is what has happened to me in the past 10 months. I recently tried a > new sim and it was excellent but I came to the conclusion that it would > be a dust collector in a few weeks, doesn't mean I didn't like it, I > just have my priorities. I guess i'm just a picky bastard and will only > spend my hard earned money on something I will drive for a long time. > What about you people? > JM - go ahead and shoot me now, I have a $6000 bicycle...

-- Dave Schwabe The Aussie Toad -- Grand Prix Legends & Brabham site http://users.wi.net/~schwabe

I concur. I think that developers need to start realizing that as sims become more and more advanced people are not going to want to shell out 40 or 50 bucks for a sim that wont be supported 6 months down the road. Yet I'm sure if the sim is good that they'd be willing to spend 20 or so bucks on new updates to the game, redone graphics/physics/sound/whatever engines, new tracks, new cars, etc.

Thanks for the support. I was beginning to think I was the only one who felt this way. As for the bike... merlin titanium tsali, sid fork, xtr, thompson composite, crossmax wheels, etc etc. That money pit has stopped, sanity reigns again. JM

Quoted text (62 lines)

> JM, I *TOTALLY* agree.... I am far more selective now with all of the > info on RAS and elsewhere on the net. I take all the info in and try to > make sense out of it... sometimes more difficult than it seems. > I think demos really can make or break it for me too... I did not buy > CPR because of the demo. Hated it, steered like a Mack truck. (which > brings up another point that the developers should not rush a beta out > to make people happy, because a bad one will make FAR MORE people mad) > But the end result is that I am more selective. I think some of it may > be due to the excellence of GPL... it's simply raised the bar real high > for me and I won't settle for anything that's drastically far from that > in terms of physics and game play. I still jump into N2 and other now > and then, but GPL is realistically the ONLY game I play almost everyday > (even if only for about 15 minutes). > After GPL, the new sims out there will have to be something special in > order to capture my $$. N3 will be a slam dunk, because it uses the same > physics engine. Trans-Am, Le Mans and others that are on the way will be > evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Don't get me wrong, I WANT to buy new > sims and love the variety. But Nascar Revolution shows that we HAVE to > be ultra picky and *** the developers, or else we will get junk like > that. > So I am not very likely to buy as many titles as I did in the past. > --Dave > Hey, tell me about your bike! I have 5 bikes in the garage between me > and my wife... and I still don't think I've hit your plateau! ;-) > > I thought I would go at this from a different angle and see what all you > > people thought. If you are like me you have purchased a number of > > games/sims in the past. Some may be several years old but you still fire > > them up because there is something special, others began collecting dust > > after just a few weeks or months. In the past I would buy just about > > every auto game/sim that came out but .. at least for me things have > > changed. Sure I still drive GP2,N2,ICR2,Soda etc occasionally but I am > > getting pickier about where my money goes. Money doesn't grow on trees > > and it should be spread around based upon each persons priorities. What > > other interests you have in life and how much money you have to spare > > will determine your game buying purchases. If I will only play/drive > > something a few weeks before it bores me I see no point in shelling out > > $40 or $50. So I will only buy a game that I will use again and again > > for many months. That doesn't mean I think my preferred game/sim kicks > > your preferred game/sims ***and either one of us is superior inferior > > to each other. Of course some games/sims influence that process and that > > is what has happened to me in the past 10 months. I recently tried a > > new sim and it was excellent but I came to the conclusion that it would > > be a dust collector in a few weeks, doesn't mean I didn't like it, I > > just have my priorities. I guess i'm just a picky bastard and will only > > spend my hard earned money on something I will drive for a long time. > > What about you people? > > JM - go ahead and shoot me now, I have a $6000 bicycle... > -- > Dave Schwabe > The Aussie Toad -- Grand Prix Legends & Brabham site > http://users.wi.net/~schwabe

Forgot something... Funny you should use that phrase, that was the title of one posts a few months ago! Exactly. N3 is a slam dunk for me and I have high hopes for Trans Am and Le Mans. See ya, JM

Too funny! More *** types! As an old washed-up USCF road and track racer, I'm down to just two bikes now. A Specialized M2 StumpJumper Pro with all XTR and Mavic Crosslands, and my old Somec track bike with a Campy track grouppo that included the rare Campy titanium pedals. Man, I'll never forget the first type I strapped myself into that brakeless track bike, rolled down off the wall at the velodrome, and suddenly discovered that my shoes made intermittent contact with the front wheel (at slow speeds) due to the short wheelbase and upright geometry of the bike. Talk about unsettling! It was disturbing enough trying to figure out how to stop the beast coming off of 34-degree banking. Worries about shoe contact were certainly a unwelcome addition to the equation. Still have some great scars from those days! Expect Steve Blankenship, another washed-up USCF guy, to chime in any time now. He won't be able to resist this thread! I guess a lot of us just like to race anything we can get our hands on! Great! Jack Rambo

LOL! Good one Matt... I think it does have more downforce than a Lotus 49, especially when I prop my overweight ***onto it!! ;-) yes, the Avalanche is the poor brother to the mighty Zaskar... nice bike!! :-) --dave

Quoted text (21 lines)

> > OOOhh... kick-ass mountain-bike!! :-) I see... I have a *lowly* aluminum > > GT Avalanche (for my mountain-bike that is). Still great fun. The only > > bike that I know came close to your price tag is a road-bike racer I > > work with who had a custom Waterford built to his specs... > > Ride on! > > -_Dave > Hmm, GT's rock:) Here's to my alu Zaskar LE :) > off topic? sure.....but it has more downforce than a Lotus 49 :-) > Matt > -- > Matthew Knutsen > "The Art of Legends" - GPL add-ons > [link lost in import]

-- Dave Schwabe The Aussie Toad -- Grand Prix Legends & Brabham site http://users.wi.net/~schwabe

Quoted text (8 lines)

> OOOhh... kick-ass mountain-bike!! :-) I see... I have a *lowly* aluminum > GT Avalanche (for my mountain-bike that is). Still great fun. The only > bike that I know came close to your price tag is a road-bike racer I > work with who had a custom Waterford built to his specs... > Ride on! > -_Dave

Hmm, GT's rock:) Here's to my alu Zaskar LE :) off topic? sure.....but it has more downforce than a Lotus 49 :-) Matt -- Matthew Knutsen "The Art of Legends" - GPL add-ons http://www.cheekracing.electra.no/GPL/

I tend to agree with this point of view. I also used to buy every driving game \ sim that came on the market but GPL changed my boundaries somewhat and I now find myself looking at other games \ sims far more critically. I have been tempted to buy Viper Racing for some time now but have kept putting it off for fear that it may just not get the play time to warrant it's purchase. Now with SCGT in the frame I am desperately trying to decide whether that is another that will simply end up picking up dust on the shelf if I do go out and buy it. Pre-GPL both of these would have had their cost debited from my credit card before the shop had a chance to get the price stickers on them... Peter Hooper

OOOhh... kick-ass mountain-bike!! :-) I see... I have a *lowly* aluminum GT Avalanche (for my mountain-bike that is). Still great fun. The only bike that I know came close to your price tag is a road-bike racer I work with who had a custom Waterford built to his specs... Ride on! -_Dave

Quoted text (71 lines)

> Thanks for the support. I was beginning to think I was the only one who felt > this way. > As for the bike... merlin titanium tsali, sid fork, xtr, thompson composite, > crossmax wheels, etc etc. That money pit has stopped, sanity reigns again. > JM > > JM, I *TOTALLY* agree.... I am far more selective now with all of the > > info on RAS and elsewhere on the net. I take all the info in and try to > > make sense out of it... sometimes more difficult than it seems. > > I think demos really can make or break it for me too... I did not buy > > CPR because of the demo. Hated it, steered like a Mack truck. (which > > brings up another point that the developers should not rush a beta out > > to make people happy, because a bad one will make FAR MORE people mad) > > But the end result is that I am more selective. I think some of it may > > be due to the excellence of GPL... it's simply raised the bar real high > > for me and I won't settle for anything that's drastically far from that > > in terms of physics and game play. I still jump into N2 and other now > > and then, but GPL is realistically the ONLY game I play almost everyday > > (even if only for about 15 minutes). > > After GPL, the new sims out there will have to be something special in > > order to capture my $$. N3 will be a slam dunk, because it uses the same > > physics engine. Trans-Am, Le Mans and others that are on the way will be > > evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Don't get me wrong, I WANT to buy new > > sims and love the variety. But Nascar Revolution shows that we HAVE to > > be ultra picky and *** the developers, or else we will get junk like > > that. > > So I am not very likely to buy as many titles as I did in the past. > > --Dave > > Hey, tell me about your bike! I have 5 bikes in the garage between me > > and my wife... and I still don't think I've hit your plateau! ;-) > > > I thought I would go at this from a different angle and see what all you > > > people thought. If you are like me you have purchased a number of > > > games/sims in the past. Some may be several years old but you still fire > > > them up because there is something special, others began collecting dust > > > after just a few weeks or months. In the past I would buy just about > > > every auto game/sim that came out but .. at least for me things have > > > changed. Sure I still drive GP2,N2,ICR2,Soda etc occasionally but I am > > > getting pickier about where my money goes. Money doesn't grow on trees > > > and it should be spread around based upon each persons priorities. What > > > other interests you have in life and how much money you have to spare > > > will determine your game buying purchases. If I will only play/drive > > > something a few weeks before it bores me I see no point in shelling out > > > $40 or $50. So I will only buy a game that I will use again and again > > > for many months. That doesn't mean I think my preferred game/sim kicks > > > your preferred game/sims ***and either one of us is superior inferior > > > to each other. Of course some games/sims influence that process and that > > > is what has happened to me in the past 10 months. I recently tried a > > > new sim and it was excellent but I came to the conclusion that it would > > > be a dust collector in a few weeks, doesn't mean I didn't like it, I > > > just have my priorities. I guess i'm just a picky bastard and will only > > > spend my hard earned money on something I will drive for a long time. > > > What about you people? > > > JM - go ahead and shoot me now, I have a $6000 bicycle... > > -- > > Dave Schwabe > > The Aussie Toad -- Grand Prix Legends & Brabham site > > http://users.wi.net/~schwabe

-- Dave Schwabe The Aussie Toad -- Grand Prix Legends & Brabham site http://users.wi.net/~schwabe

I'm a real cheapskate, I guess -- I think the magical price barrier is $29 or so; if it's much more than that, I'll REALLY wait to see if it's worthwhile. That's been a stopper for GPL, actually -- I like the demo well enough, but it didn't inspire me enough to shell out $49 for it when Viper Racing was going for a measly $29. Make 'em good, make 'em cheap, and I just might buy a copy for BOTH my computers! -- JB

Quoted text (31 lines)

>I concur. I think that developers need to start realizing that as sims >become more and more advanced people are not going to want to shell out 40 >or 50 bucks for a sim that wont be supported 6 months down the road. Yet >I'm sure if the sim is good that they'd be willing to spend 20 or so bucks >on new updates to the game, redone graphics/physics/sound/whatever engines, >new tracks, new cars, etc. >> I thought I would go at this from a different angle and see what all you >> people thought. If you are like me you have purchased a number of >> games/sims in the past. Some may be several years old but you still fire >> them up because there is something special, others began collecting dust >> after just a few weeks or months. In the past I would buy just about >> every auto game/sim that came out but .. at least for me things have >> changed. Sure I still drive GP2,N2,ICR2,Soda etc occasionally but I am >> getting pickier about where my money goes. Money doesn't grow on trees >> and it should be spread around based upon each persons priorities. What >> other interests you have in life and how much money you have to spare >> will determine your game buying purchases. If I will only play/drive >> something a few weeks before it bores me I see no point in shelling out >> $40 or $50. So I will only buy a game that I will use again and again >> for many months. That doesn't mean I think my preferred game/sim kicks >> your preferred game/sims ***and either one of us is superior inferior >> to each other. Of course some games/sims influence that process and that >> is what has happened to me in the past 10 months. I recently tried a >> new sim and it was excellent but I came to the conclusion that it would >> be a dust collector in a few weeks, doesn't mean I didn't like it, I >> just have my priorities. I guess i'm just a picky bastard and will only >> spend my hard earned money on something I will drive for a long time. >> What about you people? >> JM - go ahead and shoot me now, I have a $6000 bicycle...

Ohhh, when I was a bit younger I would have loved to try a track bike, but now? NFW ... JM - no-------way!!

Quoted text (23 lines)

> Too funny! More *** types! > As an old washed-up USCF road and track racer, I'm down to just two bikes > now. A Specialized M2 StumpJumper Pro with all XTR and Mavic Crosslands, and > my old Somec track bike with a Campy track grouppo that included the rare > Campy titanium pedals. > Man, I'll never forget the first type I strapped myself into that brakeless > track bike, rolled down off the wall at the velodrome, and suddenly > discovered that my shoes made intermittent contact with the front wheel (at > slow speeds) due to the short wheelbase and upright geometry of the bike. > Talk about unsettling! It was disturbing enough trying to figure out how to > stop the beast coming off of 34-degree banking. Worries about shoe contact > were certainly a unwelcome addition to the equation. Still have some great > scars from those days! > Expect Steve Blankenship, another washed-up USCF guy, to chime in any time > now. He won't be able to resist this thread! > I guess a lot of us just like to race anything we can get our hands on! > Great! > Jack Rambo

Quoted text (8 lines)

> I'm a real cheapskate, I guess -- I think the magical price barrier is > $29 or so; if it's much more than that, I'll REALLY wait to see if > it's worthwhile. That's been a stopper for GPL, actually -- I like > the demo well enough, but it didn't inspire me enough to shell out $49 > for it when Viper Racing was going for a measly $29. Make 'em good, > make 'em cheap, and I just might buy a copy for BOTH my computers! > -- JB

LOL, good news! Seems you buy too many copies of GPL over there, here in Norway I've seen it in many bargain bins (that's about $ 29...)When I bought it it was NOK 400,- which roughly equals to $ 65... Matt -- Matthew Knutsen "The Art of Legends" - GPL add-ons http://www.cheekracing.electra.no/GPL/

Hi, actually i just read a post from Scott B Husted, a couple of threads ago and he summed it up perfectly when he said if a sim does not have good multiplayer options he's not interested. I couldn't agree more. I have been sim racing since the days of the Amstrad CPC464 and i have owned nearly every program that could be classed as a racing sim and quite a few that left a bit to be desired... Untill GPL came along i was quite content to race the AI and have occasional races, modem to modem, or run in off-line leagues, but GPL on-line has totally ruined any enjoyment i get out sim racing off-line. :( I am not complaining about that, i am just saying that i too would not even consider looking at a racing sim now, unless it had good Internet racing capabilities. (well maybe i am complaining) I waited with baited breath to see if VIPER or SCGT would have Internet capabilities and when i learned through RAS that they were not up to speed in this department, i wasn't even interested in looking at them. I used to race N2 a lot, not on-line as it is a bit hard to do here in OZ, but i used to enjoy the racing against the AI etc, but i havn't fired up N2 for over 3 months now. :( Somehow the lack of human opponents has just taken the enjoyment out of N2 for me. I also used to love ICR2 and spent hundreds of hours on it, but that too has been relegated to the, 'no on-line play'. bin. :( On a final note, i hope someone gives us a good on-line version of CART racing soon. A GPL engined CART racing sim would be a answer to all my wishfull thinking. (i know, i need to get a life) Papy, i hope you do this much for us...... Anyway, that's my thoughts on the subject.. Cheers, Ron

: Too funny! More *** types! Still *** a worn but trusty M2 Stumpjumper with choice upgrades... hoping it gets me through one more Swiss Bike Masters race before I come back to Canada. : As an old washed-up USCF road and track racer, I'm down to just two bikes : now. A Specialized M2 StumpJumper Pro with all XTR and Mavic Crosslands, and : my old Somec track bike with a Campy track grouppo that included the rare : Campy titanium pedals. I tried riding a summer on a fixed gear, supplemented with a front brake. Scariest bike I ever owned. Also one of the most fun bikes. I finally wimped out and bought a Trek OCLV and have been in heaven ever since. It's the wings below my feet and my secret weapon at canoe triathlons. You're right... some of us sim-heads will race anything we can get our hands (or ass) on. I convince myself that an hour in the saddle has "earned" me some goof-off time in front of the computer. Of course, the PhD work has to fit in there somewhere as well... Off-topic, but a fun thread. Stephen

Quoted text (23 lines)

> Too funny! More *** types! > As an old washed-up USCF road and track racer, I'm down to just two bikes > now. A Specialized M2 StumpJumper Pro with all XTR and Mavic Crosslands, and > my old Somec track bike with a Campy track grouppo that included the rare > Campy titanium pedals. > Man, I'll never forget the first type I strapped myself into that brakeless > track bike, rolled down off the wall at the velodrome, and suddenly > discovered that my shoes made intermittent contact with the front wheel (at > slow speeds) due to the short wheelbase and upright geometry of the bike. > Talk about unsettling! It was disturbing enough trying to figure out how to > stop the beast coming off of 34-degree banking. Worries about shoe contact > were certainly a unwelcome addition to the equation. Still have some great > scars from those days! > Expect Steve Blankenship, another washed-up USCF guy, to chime in any time > now. He won't be able to resist this thread! > I guess a lot of us just like to race anything we can get our hands on! > Great! > Jack Rambo

agree to that, and I'll have to admit, that I've been just as scared downhilling my MTB as I have in a racecar:) Good one with the crosslands, my budget has shrunk somewhat after numerous encounters, where the "pro mode" sent me to the pits..... :-D Matt -- Matthew Knutsen "The Art of Legends" - GPL add-ons [link lost in import]

After upgrading to a PII 450, I fired up GP2 to see how it looked with full graphics. Ahh...how nostalgic. I drove this puppy for years with minimal graphics & with all the graphics, it sure looks nice. But...after running a couple of races, it felt like I was driving an arcade racer. Bouncing off of walls, flailing the brakes, steering like a madman. Sheesh. I thought of how many times I would have gone flying off the track in GPL and lost count at about 99. [...] Same here. I tried the SCGT demo & it kept me interested for about 1/2 hour. GPL has transformed my sim experience into a demanding, frustrating, crazed, time-consuming but ultimately *sensational* experience. I hear you. I'm about to spend over $1,000 on a ECCI wheel. Yikes. -- -- " Why bother..." -- R. Crumb

Steve... Front brake?!? After a few years of track racing, I would occasionally do *criterium* training races on my track bike with no brakes. :) Drew a few comments from my fellow competitors, needless to say! LOL. I was always easy to spot, I was the guy spinning madly at 130 to stay in the bunch on the down grades. :) Speaking of wild cycling experiences, here's one...Ever had a crank arm snap? I did. I once had an old Dura-Ace crank arm shear off as I was up out of the saddle sprinting for the line. With all your weight on the pedals, you can imagine the result...Instantaneous pavement pie! The funny thing was after I regained my senses, I got up, still having no idea what happened, and started to walk around only to discover that there was something attached to my shoe. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was a pedal with about 1" of crank arm still attached! Jack

Washed-up eh? Speak fer yerself, ya knobby-tired, triple-ringed traitor to all things paved! May a Flandrian cobblestone punch out your radiator! Only your possession of that lovely Somec saves you.... and yes, I know what Somec stands for. Just as I know my buds out at Litespeed would get a hoot at the idea of JM's Merlin "TSALI". Wrong brand, I'm afraid. But of course! Cars, bikes, PC's, shopping carts, no matter! For the ultimate combination, you should try going backwards down the Kemmel straight at Spa, spun-out in the 53/12. It may not be 300kph, but it's better than going up; that's a big-ass hill! Too bad they block off Eau Rouge to normal traffic. Heck, on the bike I even made it through Masta without lifting. Take that, Wolfgang! :-) Oh well, enough nostalgia. On to pondering life's eternal questions; 3Dfx/NVidia, Clinchers/Tubulars, Groceries/ECCI, etc. Cheers, Steve B. Remove "edy" from address for email

Ok Jack Here's One 4 Ya; It was late May 1970 & I was racing the "Billy Huber Memorial" in Reading, Pa.. A 1/4mile dirt oval. {Sadly now it is a shopping mall} Racing Expert with a Harley 750xr.. I was lined up in 5th, a 20-lap race & 25 racers. In 2laps I was 3rd going down the back straight got under 3rd place before turn 3 and just started to go under first. Well {what I was told!? Don't remember?} I just touched the guy in 1st place on his back fender. {And I mean a tini-wini-tap!!} Here I go 'high-side' into the big signs above bank 3-4 {about 25 feet above the track} at 110mph & hit the huge signs flat with my back {Guess I "kinda" flipped in mid-air?}The bike 'flip-flopped' 3-4 times & slid down the bank looking like pretzel.. I slid down too.. Got up & tried to bump start this 450'lb pretzel to go again while I was still {allegedly} unconscious!! I don't remember one thing after passing the 2nd place dude!! It is all on 8mm film at my old sponsor's house somewhere? No sense in detailing all my injuries because it's all old news.. I was more 'ticked' when they cut off my "Brand New $980 Custom Leathers" than all my personal bone breakage!. ;0) If I had a chance to do it all over again; I'd do it in a flash! ;O) And you computer sim racers think its tuff racing behind a PC! Just jokin' Ladies & Gents. Dont get those Underalls bunched up now..<BG> Just a little fyi for you Jack & the others. Cheer.. Thom_j. aka ^Fretts..

Quoted text (10 lines)

> Speaking of wild cycling experiences, here's one...Ever had a crank arm > snap? I did. I once had an old Dura-Ace crank arm shear off as I was up out > of the saddle sprinting for the line. With all your weight on the pedals, > you can imagine the result...Instantaneous pavement pie! The funny thing was > after I regained my senses, I got up, still having no idea what happened, > and started to walk around only to discover that there was something > attached to my shoe. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was a pedal with > about 1" of crank arm still attached! > Jack

no_spam.n2rif1.vcf < 1K Download

Really LOL! Yet another Blankenship classic. I'm saving your gems and have a contract with Harper Collins to publish as soon as we reach 600 pages. Keep up the fine work! You know what's kind of funny...All of us telling old "war" stories sounds frighteningly like Jeff Papows, Lotus' president, and newly-discovered pathological [____]. In the interest of staying out of court, I'll let you fill in the blank. If you read yesterday's Wall Street Journal article about him, you'll know what goes in the blank. If not, read the article. It's absolutely unbelievable!

Jack, my good man, you are NUTS! :-) I'm staying away from you... no brakes... AAGGGGHHHH! As for the crank gig... I know a road racer buddy who had the same thing happen with his Campy crank... and he's about 140 pounds. Surpising that it failed. But he too was about to get on when he noticed that he was limping... due to the pedal-on-the-shoe problem! :-) -_Dave

Quoted text (18 lines)

> Steve... > Front brake?!? After a few years of track racing, I would occasionally do > *criterium* training races on my track bike with no brakes. :) Drew a few > comments from my fellow competitors, needless to say! LOL. I was always easy > to spot, I was the guy spinning madly at 130 to stay in the bunch on the > down grades. :) > Speaking of wild cycling experiences, here's one...Ever had a crank arm > snap? I did. I once had an old Dura-Ace crank arm shear off as I was up out > of the saddle sprinting for the line. With all your weight on the pedals, > you can imagine the result...Instantaneous pavement pie! The funny thing was > after I regained my senses, I got up, still having no idea what happened, > and started to walk around only to discover that there was something > attached to my shoe. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was a pedal with > about 1" of crank arm still attached! > Jack

-- Dave Schwabe The Aussie Toad -- Grand Prix Legends & Brabham site http://users.wi.net/~schwabe

Dave; All AMA sanctioned dirt race ovals had no brakes! Its more dangerous if you do!! Just think of 4-6 racers going into a turn and the 1st racer locks-up his brakes... Wham! Trust me! It is better to slide off on the low-side of your bike instead of slamming into 3 to 5 other racers at a 100+mph! I know what it feels like! Cheers Thom_j. aka ^Fretts > Jack, my good man, you are NUTS! :-) I'm staying away from you... no > brakes... AAGGGGHHHH! > -_Dave no_spam.n2rif1.vcf < 1K Download

writes: Jeez, I didn't spend that much for my CAR... :) __ Put your message in a modem, and throw it in the ***-sea... remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

>LOL, good news! Seems you buy too many copies of GPL over there, here in >Norway I've seen it in many bargain bins (that's about $ 29...)When I >bought it it was NOK 400,- which roughly equals to $ 65... >Matt I bought it(based on Papy's reputation) when it first came out, for about $54.95, IIRC.. It's a great game, but I *still* can't drive it worth SHIT. :) __ Put your message in a modem, and throw it in the ***-sea... remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

:>What about you people? :>JM - go ahead and shoot me now, I have a $6000 bicycle... :> : Jeez, I didn't spend that much for my CAR... :) After 15 years of driving and owning cars, and a similar period of cycling and canoeing, I have yet to reach the point where the value of the car is greater than the value of the toys attached to the shiny Yakima rack on top of the car. And that's just the way I want to keep it! Stephen

Me personally, I have to have just about every sim that really e***s me. Not too many do, so it's not a big deal most of the time. When too many good games come out at the same time, I start selling old ones, avoid taking unnecessary trips in the car, avoid going to the movies, and eat out less often - works out well enough. Looks like there are more than a few of us who like to go fast, internal combustion or no. =) '97 Klein Mantra Comp rebuilt from the ground up with DT Revo spokes, Stratashock Pro, XT/XTR mix, and various magnesium, titantium, and aluminum aftermarket parts. Value is roughly $1800. Looks like a HAZMAT vehicle with all the yellow and black. =) On the road, my baby is a carbon '98 Kestrel 200SCi built from a bare frame with 15g DT spokes, Michelin Axial Pro tires, Ultegra STI, and a triple crank. It goes like a bat outta hell and is my favorite ride for long treks up Angeles Crest Highway. Quite comfortable considering how efficient it is, too. Approximate value of $2500. Twitchy handling but fun - you steer with thought control. Just hope you have iron concentration. =) The nice thing about bikes is that while you can spend a fortune on buying them, it doesn't cost a fortune to keep them. Neil M. >Thanks for the support. I was beginning to think I was the only one who felt >this way. >As for the bike... merlin titanium tsali, sid fork, xtr, thompson composite, >crossmax wheels, etc etc. That money pit has stopped, sanity reigns again. >JM

Gee Guys/Gals; My first car was a 55 Chevy w/ a 327, twin 4 barrel hollies, jacked in the read for over size tires, roll & pleaded interior, hurst quick shift 4 speed & a beautiful primer gray paint job & I paid $550 for it! And no the engine wasn'y blown..<G> Just had the ugly gray primer that I painted later! A Nice Deep Cherry Apple Red! Wish I had that car now! ;0) "O" yea; my next car was a 1958 "Mga" Paid $650 for it.. Had it all thru college! I know this was a bit OT but wanted to share some "fyi" and go down memory lane of my 64-67 era......Cheers ^Fretts..

Quoted text (14 lines)

> : writes: > :>What about you people? > :>JM - go ahead and shoot me now, I have a $6000 bicycle... > :> > : Jeez, I didn't spend that much for my CAR... :) > After 15 years of driving and owning cars, and a similar period of cycling > and canoeing, I have yet to reach the point where the value of the car is > greater than the value of the toys attached to the shiny Yakima rack on > top of the car. And that's just the way I want to keep it! > Stephen

no_spam.n2rif1.vcf < 1K Download