glad the description cleared up things. I was having a WTF? moment for a minute there. :D

"Dont know why you would ruin a perfectly good bike ride by going to work in the middle of it." Dude, that was amazing.

You forgot the "internet cyclist". They have a bike but they spend more time talking about it on the internet than actually riding it.

I'm a 60+ year old and have been a life long road cyclist. Road cyclists have the worst attitudes in cycling. Instead of seeing the common connection and potential in feeling connected to a community of fellow cyclists they emit a air of superiority that it's laughable. I also ride motorcycles and the camaraderie is so different. Whether you're riding a crotch rocket or harley or dirtbike. If you wave at them they will wave back, That never happens between road cyclists.

I just ride around but sometimes ruin my rides by going to school and work in the middle of my rides.

I’m a retrogrouch roadie and also a bike mechanic. I am a cyclist first and a mechanic second. Love your videos and content.

I must admit to wearing those weird black tight shorts for 6 years as a roadie. I was into cycling anywhere from 35 to 105 miles just because I actually enjoyed the self inflicted pain. It’s kinda like taping your arms and legs together and rolling down a rocky hillside just to see the end result when you reached the bottom. Now at age 70 I’ll wear regular pocket shorts over those weird black tight shorts, hop on my mountain bike, peddle on the paved trails and prepare myself for a 50 miler this summer. I’m pretty excited about my new goal. It’s kinda like taping my arms and legs together and rolling down a rocky hillside just to see the end result when I reached bottom. When it comes to cycling, any kind of cycling, it’s all about self inflicted pain. But hey ………. it’s the best I can come up with to lose that unwanted 25lbs I’ve gained from quitting road cycling with those weird roadies.

I'm a new subscriber and have decided I love these quips: "Allow me to alienate a very profitable customer base for a fleeting 15 minutes of fame." ... "Welcome to nowhere land because there's no good reason to be here." .... "suckers (are) waiting all summer long for the weather to finally suck to ruin a perfectly good county park doing laps on short courses tapped off with manufactured obstacles ... while doing laps on muddy inclines ... while revelers dressed as hotdogs throw beer on each other." I think the best one was this: "Probably vegan, these urbanites look for opportunities to stop traffic as a pedestrian and take the lane like a bread truck as they pull out of the coop parking lot using their home schooled kiddos as human shields on a cargo bike loaded down with gluten-free chia seeds." Great job and keep it up.

Oh my goodness! Thank you. As a somewhat curmudgeonly, adventure loving cyclist, bike mechanic, former shop owner and current shop manager, this was a joy to watch. Bless you.

I’ve owned and ridden bikes since late 50’s (Ok, parents owned the first two, I earned enough for 1/2 of my third and after that they were all mine. Road bikes, touring bikes, triple cranks, recumbent, electric, hybrid and now a Trek Dual Sport with one crank. It’s light and perfect for my style which is to ride when I’m darn ready to ride. Sometimes group rides with fellow seniors and sometimes with the wife. But most for just me. You my friend are living my retirement dream which in my case never materialized. But it never fails that your videos always inspire me to get off my easy chair and mount the steed and go out and ride. Maybe around the park, the neighborhood or to the store. Ride the road, the trail or whatever. Just a regular guy who rides for the heck of it. Thanks Farmer, you rock! Keep the videos cranking!

This was lots of fun. As a mechanic, an old touring cyclist, and an occasional gravel rider, and probably a curmudgeon, when you mention press fit bottom brackets, electronic shifting, and internal cable routing, I wanted to cheer. New innovations are great, bicycles shift better than ever, modern brakes will stop you on a downhill in the rain, and saddle technology is a wonder (remember breaking in a Brooks?), but some things are just crap, difficult to work on, impossible to set up so they won't fail, or overly complex.

I appreciate that you acknowledge you are a cyclist. With that Waterford with the sweet Rene Herse brakes. But I even more appreciate that you are a mechanic first.

I might not fit with all cyclist but I love anyone who rides a bike for whatever reason.

I ride around on my frakenbikes through my neighborhoods dressed like a hobo 😂 and having a great time

Hey!!! You forgot the beer belly’d E-BIKE guys dressed up like Lance Armstrong 😂

That was good fun man. If you want to get a handle on the state of the bike industry today, I reckon this is the only video you need to watch. Ride on!

I been an avid cyclists for more than 26 years. I try mtb,cx,track,down hill,bmx and triathlon and this guy is 1,000% right. I approved his message 🤙

I am happy going through all walks of life being a curmudgeon. You described perfectly why I ride and now I find out I’m ’one of the good guys’! I’ll carry that badge with honor. I ride because it’s fun…no racing. And…I just subscribed. Keep up the good work

Trek really proved their ethos in the Armstrong/LeMond battle.

Old curmudgeon here. I’m still riding the Raileigh super record I bought back in the early eighties. I don’t mind entertaining tech advancements; I just think the prices have way out-paced them. The last video I watched was about how car theft is up over 100% for vehicles with electronic entry/starting systems which makes me feel good about still driving my old 2011 Chevy with over 220K on it.

This video hit home on so many levels! Loved it. Best line: "Dont know why you would ruin a perfectly good bike ride by going to work in the middle of it." This is my mantra

Just recently discovered your channel, and have been really enjoying your grouchiness. I worked in bike shops in my teens in the late 80's and early 90's, and it's as if you stepped right out of that scene.

This is one of the funniest and accurate things I’ve seen in a while!

Spewed my morning coffee all over my phone while watching this 😂

You left out us "Simpletons". One gear, fixed or free. Coaster rear brake, rim caliper front brake (preferably center-pull). All built on a 20 to 30 year old steel rigid frame. Hills no problem with proper gear ratio. When I rode motorcycles it was similar; one cylinder, one carb, one exhaust pipe, drum brakes, points ignition. Give me the simple life.

You rock and you're totally right. Gone are the days where you can buy a great steel bike and keep that bike for life. Like you said ,they want you to buy bikes every year, there's a sucker born every minute.

Very funny. I'm the mountain bike mid life guy. At least I was in the 90's. Now I ride recumbent. A trike. And I absolutely love it. When you come around to include us in a rant, have fun with how we have an undying need to just not quite 'fit' in- anywhere, everywhere!😂😂😂😂

It's back! Yess! I have a feeling bikefarmer has been cultivating this rant for many seasons. I pray the algorithm gods bless me by dropping this in my feed at least twice a year. Oh yeah happy holidays, you grumpy bastard!

Thank you for making me think " why did I ever stop riding?" Back in the '80s a guy had asked me what I thought the coolest bike was at the time. And I said "the one that gets ridden." I told him that there were all these ridiculous new bikes with all kinds of whiz-bang gears and stuff but I had a friend who used to ride bicycles after church in central Massachusetts in the 1920s. They were wearing suits, and the women were wearing dresses. And they were going up and down the Rolling Hills in Massachusetts on giant steel monsters with one gear and having a blast. Now everybody's wearing spandex with 18 plus speeds and trying to figure out how to make their bikes lighter. What a great thing bicycling is. And I have to say I miss the banana seat and the sissy bar. That was bicycling.

It was good .. even the second time. Here's hoping you have new content in the new year. Merry Christmas.

100% accurate and very true assessment of it all!

I've been watching cycling youtube channels since 2018 and I just found your channel. Currently binge watching your videos ❤❤ Keep it up! 🎉🎉🎉

I wouldn’t go to work if I couldn’t ride there

is this deja vu?

After 20 yrs as a bike mechanic starting in ‘93 I can relate. Keep fighting the good fight!

Absolutely hilarious, even more so the second time around. For those who take offence.........first get a sense of humour, second, you missed the irony. I've been all those types you mentioned, and I'm still a bit of one or two. All we gotta do is take a look at ourselves and see the funny side. On a different note, Andy, can you put together a cleaning, washing, lubing video? It might seem a strange request, but there is an art to doing it properly, and many products are misleading in their methods of use. All the best.

What a laugh! Loved the vid - especially that golf swing!!!! Keep 'em coming :-) Greetings from South Africa......even we can help the algorithm 🙂

I'm currently on a bike tour from Bellingham, WA to Central Europe, no flights, and I loved the synthesis of all the types towards adventure cycling--thanks for bringing bikes to the world at large, not just the pedaling stereotypes!

"The advocates" lmao, you nailed it! Actually you nailed the whole video, well done :)) so much truth to it all.

The best innovation at least for me in my opinion is the electric bike. I have been wanting to ride for many years to help with weight loss and getting into better shape and due to the hilly place I live an acoustic bike just wouldn't do. when I pulled the trigger this past fall on an electric bike it has completely changed my life. I have a passion for personal health and growth I didn't even know I could. " I instantly felt like a kid again." the best part is I have control of how much it helps me. and will all that it has improved my health and do hope to move to an acoustic bike in a year or so. so to recap I believe 90 percent of what your are saying but I believe the electric bike technology really will open the door for people that want to but can't get out there on a regular bike. BTW I love your channel keep em coming boss!.

This is pure gold! Keep up the good work and read my favorite book, The Bike Snob, and report back in a future video.

Yep, I do or have fit into all these categories you so perfectly described. These days I am just happy to be able to ride whenever the opportunity presents itself. 🚴🚴🚴❤️

Yep! I'm kinda stuck having to ride my bike to the store. But, I enjoy the exercise. I wish I had a place like yours in Chicago!

Great video. I liked it. Glad you re-uploaded it so that it can be monetized - this video deserves tons of views, both metric and imperial!

While shopping for my bike, I relied on the price/pound metric target of 1:1. Came pretty darn close with my $40 Trek 820 CraigsList special :-)

I’m just hoping we’ve all given a few of those cycling disciplines a try, I did charity events on an old road bike pre-teen, went to my local off road track on a MTB just after, started commuting when I was working in the city on a fold-up and now trying to work off the weight in a fun way on a cheap 29er over the hills and on the flats. I have all those bikes still! Setting my bike up for what you class as ‘Adventure’ cycling when it gets warmer. ❤🚲

Remember when we were kids? When winter was finally over we'd get on our bikes and pretty much not get off them again until the snows returned. We treated them like garbage and if it wasn't for older brothers or fathers they probably wouldn't have lasted more than oh say 4 years of our abuse. But as it turned when we finally hit puberty and outgrew both the bike and any interest in exploring the world on one those bikes were still ride-able. You see them at garage sale with a $20 price tag and no takers. They look like they've been through a garbage disposal but if you squat down to check the chain is lubed and tight and the rubber still has miles on it. Suffice to say those bikes were our doorways to anything that existed outside our our neighborhood. We would have found plenty of other ways to explore and get into mischief without them, but as tools to be used they greatly enhanced both the scope and depth of our experiences. Of course we eventually grew up and many of us returned to bikes. But now we had the disposable income and a level of maturity sufficient to ruin something great by making it the focus, rather than part of the process. Yeah, but at least we didn't buy a motorcycle.

I've watched this one several times and always get a chuckle.

Oh man, I think I fell into just about every category. Hilarious! My wife is gonna love this...

I own two Rivs and laughed my ass off at this. Well done! New subscriber!

You bust me up. I was never bad before in bike shops, but I now make extra effort to be extra polite…

Enjoyed this. I love riding bikes but hate it when anyone refers to me as a 'cyclist'. 😂

I'm glad you were able to make a version that seems likely to stick on KZfaq, this time. Would've been a shame to lose that level of snark. Though my headcannon will be that most of us will go through at least one of the bad stereotypes on the way to getting to the good stuff.

It's amazing how accurate this is on the other side of the Atlantic. Greets from Berlin. I love your videos.

I love your attitude. I love cargo shorts and just getting out there enjoying trails and going from A to B in comfort.

Excellent Andy! Great commentary with a lil wit to boot. Really enjoyed, keep up the good work.

a great engineer once told me, “ if you want it to work well, keep it simple”. Remember your single speed banana bike of the seventies? How many times did you have to take it to a bike shop for repairs or a tune up? I rest my case.

I'm still riding around in my old Triple Allez and learned how to do bike maintenance on it. And you got my sub.

Omg you actually just reminded me I need to mow the lawn wtf 😂

As a mechanic myself, you're my new hero.

This week, I’m going for a long ride down a backroad I’ve never driven. What could possibly go wrong? 🚴🤷‍♀️😂

Love this video. I'm a 78 yo cycle tourist, former adventure cyclist who lost his fondness for camping, carrying 20 lbs of extra gear, and map reading. When I took up cycling in my early 40's the only cyclists near me were racers. I could keep up but there was a serious lack of fun in the group. I began solo touring in the mid 90's and have gradually picked up a dozen or so fellow crazies. Although I support Adventure Cycling, the organization, I find their emphasis on exotic travels annoying. There's always something wonderful in cities and towns not on any list of suggestions for cycling if you just take the time to chat with the locals.

Proper bike use: 1. Freewheelin' (we agree on this one) 2. Puttin' on the miles 3. Gettin' out of town

The TPS Report, holy crap. What a reference. Where are "the Bob's" when you need them, LOL.

this is the best open mic set I've ever seen

From a highly cynical 40+ year BMX rider, thank you for saying all of it! Funniest shit ever and soooo true!! 👍👍

You should go on a comedy tour, bro. Too funny from beginning to end.

Brilliant, made me laugh, just randomly clicked on this video 😂❤

Dude you're exactly like the bike shop owner I used to do work for in the late 90s early 2000s. Same long hair same beard same exact glasses and full of piss and vinegar 🤣

Boy Howdy! I sure do like your attitude. 80s-90s MTBs are the bike to upgrade for comfort and a fun ride. I can't wait for all that carbon and disc brake nonsense to get relegated to niche slots and what is left of the industry to get back to building practical bikes.

I used to be a bike mechanic in college and later became an architect then returned to be a bike mechanic in my spare time.

Ha! you defined me in numerous points - Gotta love the self deprecation.

From your BRUDDAH of another muther!!! THANKS!!! This is more ore less why I sought out the cro-moly frame 90s mtb. We moved to the city and I have 6 bikes…so I wanted to downsize a bit. Love my early 2000s Italian bikes too much so they stay…and Campangolo well…I do live in Italy and married an Italian musician….so I do love art. But the Trek 4600 was really a bit too heavy and works fine but I missed the 4300 and it’s more simple set-up. Anyway that’s how I found your channel. Thank for the content and I agree with your assessment!!!

This is hilarious! Another great video. Thanks again.

Yeah, having worked for years as a mechanic in a bike shop that relied on "the cyclists" to stay alive, there is no worse kind of customer..... People who buy a 10k BMC roadbike and show up in the shop at least once a week whining about their bike making a noise... Dude, I told you this pressfit-in-carbon BB will creak one day and your integrated brakes will rub as soon as you ride in the rain, clogging up the mechanism but you still wanted it.... But actual road racers, they were actually nice to work for. People who know their high end race bike is not made for everyday use and treat it as such, using some old sturdy alloy roadbike for training and not whining about stuff. As racers know they rely on us mechanics to give them the perfect fit, best mix of components for their (chronically low) budget and terrain and optimal care for race day, they have way more respect for us then the dentists and lawyers who treat their bike as a symbol of status. For example, the racer would trust me to choose their wheels and tyres for a race and bring them back afterwards (we'd stock used high end tires and wheels that are "rented out" for race day). Going for a hilly endurance race in shitty weather? Sure, take this light carbon rim tubeless setup with fresh sealant so you can just pump up and go after a puncture. Going for a fast crit race? Have those TT tubulars on sturdy alloy rims. A puncture will take you out of the race anyway, no need for sealant... But the dentist will insist on having the most expensive parts, no matter if it makes sense and then complain that it didn't.

'Paving the trails for their $4k full-squish'. Amen to that dude! Too much of that at trail centres.

For many years I owned a professional bike shop. I learned that the worst of all are the road racers. They will be amazed that you dare to ask them to pay for the work and then they will argue with you for hours about the price just to buy the most expensive item online that they obviously don't need at all

I'm all for that trailer bed full of cold IPAs waiting for me. Almost makes the whole effort worthwhile.

The industry is burning itself to the ground. Great vid.

Obviously you have all the business you need; ). Cycling is no different than sailing, or that of most activities with a broad range of participants. Except golf. I tend to stay away from golfers. What I am saying is any good clean fun activity is going to be enjoyed by a full spectrum of personalities from all different places which make all these activities much more colorful and fun. I found this especially true riding across Iowa with 30 thousand other cycling fools this summer. As for riding to work, I did, twenty one years, twenty six miles in Connecticut year round. I was only depressed at work when I had to drive there. More people should try it, the world would be a better place. Besides commuting I have raced, got groceries and toured in many states. All good. I can afford high quality bikes partly because I never needed a bicycle mechanic. Liking your channel because many can see fixing and tuning a bicycle is not rocket science. Love all!

Spot-on cycling philosophy.

Love it. As a former bike shop salesman in Minneapolis, I was just happy to see another person on a bike. I was always disappointed with the cliques and arbitrary compartmentalization that caused bicyclists to look at other bicyclists as “the other.” I see a lot of this now with people who think e-bikes are “cheating,” revealing the way they think of biking as some sort of competition. Being outside on a bike is the best, and any time we can get a bike out there instead of car, the better things will be and the more likely that person will understand and share the need for bike lanes and infrastructure. Keep up the good work!

I'm a casual biker. I have a basic Specialized Roll steel frame bike. Mostly rail trails for me because of age and injuries. I love this video. I can't say I've had bad encounters with other bikers because most of them just pass me like I'm standing still . 😂

Haven’t done it in years but I used to LOVE the group rides with 30 or so people and racing on the weekends. Now I see the group come through my neighborhood and I say to myself, “I’ll get back in shape and rejoin them one day” Heh heh.

Fark I'm all of these including the grouchie bike mechanic 😂

30 year old bike shop in August less than 50 mi. from the factory & wouldn't sell a Trek if you pd. us.Paid off the building working on their stuff. 😎

"destroying a good bike ride with the work in the middle of it "😂😂 But without the interrupted bike ride the day would be totaly destroyed 😂😊

I see what you did here. 😂 Give 'em the finger.

Thought I was having a de je vu moment 😄, good move, gotta keep the man happy.

This is so spot on.

I'm only 30 but somehow you nailed me as a curmudgeon, even down to the wool underwear lollll. My gooch has developed a strong callus that protects it from those pesky ghost shifts on my high end suntour groupset.

I ride around exploring every nook and cranny of my town and the adjacent city on my “mountainish”bike from the early 90s. I ride all spring and summer every year. I even get my kids to go on weekends. I love finding little connecting paths no one would ever see from the street, riding greenway trails and finding historic things buried in the woods or at dead end roads.

I get my bikes from the Goodwill or from a dumpster. :)

Hey wait! You forgot the E-bike aficionados! But that might be a whole nother episode!

I ahhhhhh just stopped in for a inner tube😂

I had a 2007 Trek 7100 that I bought new and really liked. Solid, well built. Only replaced it in 2019 cause I rode it to pieces, and the replacement was a Trek Verve 1. The Verve is....fine. It's fine. I've customized it to make it more my own, but I only really like it cause it's lighter than the 7100, comfortable for longer distances and didn't break the bank. I recently built up a 'klunker tribute' from a 1992 Murray beach cruiser, with a Nexus 3spd, and I absolutely love that bike. I look so forward to riding it, such a blast. Granted it is kinda heavy and not as fast as the Verve, but I don't care. Still ride the Verve for longer rides, but my heart is with that Klunker. My point here is, don't think you need the latest and greatest, a regular bike with some cheap upgrades or tweaks can be just as rewarding a bike as any other.

I lived in the Washington DC for three years. It was always an hour plus if I drove to work each way. If I rode my three speed Sears special through the back streets and alleys it was 15 minutes each way and I stayed in shape. Save this personal observation you really nailed things.

Man, that’s about how I felt when I put down my wrenches and went to lunch to never return in 2012.

Gluten free chia seeds... brilliant!!! Thank you. I will vote for you!!!

thank you for calling out the overpriced rivendell stuff. riv builds break my brain. beautifully built and painted frames built with the cheapest plastic new components and sold for 6k. then ridden at 8 mph to the coffee meets. oh yeah 14" rise stems with drop bars?????? just ride flat bars with a few inches of rise.