Lack of Curiosity

[Globalti]

My cycling buddy is a top consultant with an Oxford degree and a brain the size of a planet; he does the Times crossword in a few minutes. Yet when I first started riding with him I picked his Pinarello up to heft it and the fork almost dropped out as the headset was so loose, he hadn't a clue. I have spotted and fixed loads of things on his bikes and saved him injury or expense. He didn't even know how to remove his back door and plane it to stop it sticking.

 

[migrantwing]

There are highly intelligent people, practical people who are intelligent and then people who are simply practical

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

My cycling buddy is a top consultant with an Oxford degree and a brain the size of a planet; he does the Times crossword in a few minutes. Yet when I first started riding with him I picked his Pinarello up to heft it and the fork almost dropped out as the headset was so loose, he hadn't a clue. I have spotted and fixed loads of things on his bikes and saved him injury or expense. He didn't even know how to remove his back door and plane it to stop it sticking.

This lack of practicality seems to be getting more and more common. I've got a friend like this. Qualifications coming out of his ears but totally hopeless at anything practical. He seems to think all he needs to do with his car is put fuel in the tank. It's an uphill struggle to even get him to do basic things like check that there is oil in the engine and air in the tyres. It's like banging your head against a brick wall trying to drum the concept of maintenance into his head. So long as the engine will start, he thinks everything must be OK. Very odd, because his dad was a very good DIY-er who essentially refurbished a complete wreck of a house and did everything himself apart from the roof.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Very odd, because his dad was a very good DIY-er who essentially refurbished a complete wreck of a house and did everything himself apart from the roof.

That could be the problem right there: I've met children of practical people who were constantly told "Don''t touch anything, I'll do it" when they tried to get involved, and learned that they 'couldn't' do practical things.

 

[Globalti]

But manufactured things aren't designed to be taken apart and refurbished any longer. Right now I'm struggling to rebuild a Mavic rear wheel that Mavic didn't want me to rebuild.

 

[tamiya]

I'm hearing that some kids get into uni & still have no idea how a screwdriver works

That could be the problem right there: I've met children of practical people who were constantly told "Don''t touch anything, I'll do it" when they tried to get involved, and learned that they 'couldn't' do practical things.

haha... if you're in the Handy camp today, did Dad know what you've broken getting there?

I can fix things today. But yeah I sure BROKE a fair few in my lifetime of learning (and by association, everything in the house is owned by Dad, right??!)

I estimate about 75-80% success rate of getting the gizmo reassembled & working by time he got home and he was none the wiser

Although there's this one time he comes home earlier... finds me under dashboard of his newly arrived Merc SLC, rats nest of wiring in hand... wasn't impressed luckily I got that sorted ok. (Hey the car turned up with aftermarket stereo with the left/right fader wired between front & rear speakers, WTF!?! Jeez that's like listening to a concert by sitting sideways with your right ear pointed to the stage, installer should be shot!)

 

[Nigelnightmare]

You've got to take it apart before it's broken, that way you know what it's supposed to look like when it does break.

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

 

[gaijintendo]

I'm hearing that some kids get into uni & still have no idea how a screwdriver works

I worked on campus for a decade, and quite a lot of the best and brightest seemed confused by the lifts; never pressing buttons, standing waiting for some magic to happen.

 

[tamiya]

I worked on campus for a decade, and quite a lot of the best and brightest seemed confused by the lifts; never pressing buttons, standing waiting for some magic to happen.

some say... like pedestrian crossing buttons... lift buttons aren't even connected up or is it just the Door Open & Close

 

[tamiya]

You've got to take it apart before it's broken, that way you know what it's supposed to look like when it does break.

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Same!

When I'm parked waiting for someone... I'm known to hop out, open bonnet & take a long gaze... invariably someone's gunna ask "what's broken?"

"well nothing amiss found yet"

"Why are you looking then?"

Umm... so I might catch any impending fault & fix it before disaster?!!

 

[tamiya]

Total lack of mechanical understanding?

View attachment 433154

This isn't mine. I was asked to fix something else on the bike!

Interesting... looks like the cantilever is the only one that could still work when cable breaks

U brake or V brake, you've got zero chance.