[Closed] Things you were convinced about, but are now utterly skeptical about...

Democracy

Pertex and pile clothing for anything other than standing about.

The Royal Family - Used to think they were okay, now realise they are just a dysfunctional family who live off the state in absolute luxury

United Kingdom - Used to be convinced Union was best, now utterly sceptical about remaining with England and their long term love of Tories and all things Daily Mail. Independence feels like better option.

Tea (white, no sugar) - Used to be convinced tea was basically like oxygen, now I drink more coffee and rarely feel the need to make a cup of tea

Ebikes. Test rode one of the first Levo’s, was utterly convinced by them, placed an order immediately. Rode it loads, got fitter, started riding normal bikes more, but still kept riding the levo, thanks to recurring foot issues/injury.

Fast forward 5 years, and I hadn’t ridden it in months, my normal bikes are very lovely (thanks to geo changes and other improvements, and they are a LOT lighter) and while the ebike is brilliant for the ups, it’s not as good everywhere else, which is what I really enjoy so the downs are worth the suffering to me now. Was also nudged by crazy SH prices, so I’ve sold it.

Them and a local trouser company that seems more intent on selling anything it can get its hands on these days. Fair play to them, but it’s not for me anymore.

Pertex and pile clothing for anything other than standing about.

Oh absolutely, the evangelising of a single piece of clothing that while good in it's niche is terrible in nearly every other application is unfathomable.

Very big, very soft multi-ply tyres for general MTB use. You know the sort; Maxxis DD Minions and their equivalents by Schwalbe. great big fat tubeless ready monsters that have huge grippy lugs and weigh more than kilo. Good in some applications, totally unnecessary for 99% of most peoples riding (including mine)

Nobby Nics (maybe more that they worked in the Peak grit, but seem awful in the Highlands mud...)

A lot of cycling specific clothing such as jerseys and baggy shorts - fashion over function for a lot of it.

That I wanted a mountain bike.

My ability to build a 24ft x 4ft straight breeze-block wall.

I've done all the digging out - but now looking at the space and I'm bottling it. Can't see me keeping it straight vertically or horizontally - the space looks a lot bigger than I imagined! 🙂

"The wisdom of crowds"

Then Brexit, cryptocurrency and wood burning stoves proved otherwise.

Plusnet
EE

Roton - SSTO, massively cheaper engine (uses rotation of the craft to fling the fuel and oxidiser out in a rotating annular aerospike engine)
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Went bust in 2001

+1 for Nobby Nics. Used to swear by them, wouldn't touch them now. Was interested in the new ones, but they've made them silly heavy. Shame.

Shimano drivetrains are another. I'll stick with SRAM thank you.

!20mm bikes being not enough. They really, really are more than enough for most folks, me included. Doubt I'll buy anything longer travel again for what I do!

Living in old, character properties.

Scottish independence was a bad idea

Oh absolutely, the evangelising of a single piece of clothing that while good in it’s niche is terrible in nearly every other application is unfathomable.

I had several and used them for winter climbing for over a decade and then I realised I was rarely the right temperature. Leading a big pitch I was a sweaty mess then shivvered on the belay while I dried out. Now I wear far less climbing so don't sweat as much then put on a cozy belay jacket on the stance. Even with a beast of a belay jacket the whole system is lighter and less bulky.