If youre like me, cycling is about one thing and one thing only, which is the pursuit of explosive ride feel:The Cadex Max 40 continues to be the best wheel choice when you want an explosive ride feelhttps://t.co/UOcNVvUkNh Velo (@velovelovelo__) August 12, 2024This is of course why I ride vintage Spinergys, which could explode at any moment:Intrigued, I checked out the Cadex Max 40, which starts at only $2,000for one wheel:So what makes the Cadex Max 40 so explosively awesome? To find out, I checked the review:Not only does it feature tried-and-true hookless rim technologybut its also ideal for unnecessary sprints and putting down power when theres no point:According to Bicycling, the cycling industry is stagnant:The Bicycling Biz is Stagnant. Is Affordability and Practicality a Solution to Cyclings Challenges? https://t.co/vU6GqVTHiT Bicycling Magazine (@BicyclingMag) August 13, 2024Sadly I was unable to read the article as I am not currently a Bicycling member, but they seem to suggest that affordability and practicality is the solution to this stagnation. I strongly disagree with this, and clearly what the industry needs is more people who rarely race recommending $4,500 high-performance wheelsets to other non-racers who are interested in unnecessary sprinting:Oh, and dont forget the gratuitous noise:Loud hubs are one of the dumbest trends in cycling, right up there with hookless rims. Im old enough to remember when road bicycles used to be quiet. Sure, there were some boutique hubs that made a racket, but Dura-Ace hubs were silent, and Record hubs purred. But now when you ride over the George Washington Bridge all you hear is the squeal of disc brakes and the gnyAAAgnyAAAgnyAAAgnyAAA sound of plastic wheelsets designed for pointless sprinting. Between the brobag whos modified his BMW so that it backfires and the the roadie with his wailing freehub and screeching rotors I guess the compulsion now is to let the entire world know when youre decelerating. Somehow people think this is cool, though its really no different than the person with the helmet mirror on the charity ride who screams SLOWING!!! every five seconds.Speaking of slowing, Colnago is re-introducing the rim brake for people with a sophisticated cycling culture:But since when do people with a sophisticated cycling culture leave gaps in their bar tape?I mean I certainly do, but Im not even remotely sophisticated.Apparently the new rim brake Colnago transcends time and trends:Though as far as I can tell it doesnt transcend being compatible with electronic drivetrains only:Colnagos not the only company offering a limited edition rim brake model either:Black Heart Bike Co. will see Colnagos sophisticated and raise them a symphony of flow:So basically the rim brake was the performance road bike standard for like, what 100 years? Then in 2018 the UCI legalized disc brakes, and within a mere six years they went from being seen as primitive and sucky to a piece of specialized high-performance equipment for the connoisseur, the use of which confers upon the rider a unique set of bragging rights. Its like those people who need the world to know theyre driving a car with a manual transmission:Whether its using a bike with a rim brake or shifting a car, Americans love to boast about doing things that are completely normal for grandmothers all over the rest of the world:In fact, the only thing were better at than bragging about doing perfectly ordinary things is demanding change and then complaining about it. Consider e-bikes designed by car companies:Ford is dabbling with e-bikes. The company is working with N+ to produce "Bronco" and "Mustang" e-bike models.https://t.co/CZmFRodgXr pic.twitter.com/l0FnAFQffv David Zipper (@DavidZipper) August 12, 2024People are complaining that this is not biking for normals:That thing still tries to look like a mountain bike biking for normals isn't about that. It's about comfort and going to the grocery store. No stepthroug, frame, no fenders, no place for a serious grocery bag. That's a showbike. George K (@GeorgeKZI) August 12, 2024And that these are not real ebikes:Ugh, more electric motorcycles that'll be aggressively driven by carbrains Car makers if you're gonna make ebike, please make real ebikes for Utility/TRANSPORTATION/Families- you can make a lot more money vs annoying recreational e motorcycles! sam (@sam80554826) August 12, 2024Oh really? Id argue that these are absolutely real ebikes, because if the automotive industry has taught us anything its that the more powerful the motor the dumber the vehicle gets. If its biking for normals youre after then please allow me to introduce you to a normal bicycle without a motoryou know, the thing normal people have been riding since the late 19th century:But no. Instead smuggies hail e-bikes as the future of transportation and the thing that will finally get people out of cars forever, then they complain whensurprise!they turn into electric motorcycles that people ride in the bike lane.Sadly, none of this stuff will age as gracefully as a Y-Foil:Brakes for people with a sophisticated cycling culture and wheels with an explosive ride feel?Now thats what I call a symphony of flow.