A brand of bicycle intended for off-road use on dirt or gravel trails. There is no limit to how much you can spend on them. Some of the best ones are amazingly beautiful works of high-performance technology that are also tougher than nails.
Most mountain bikes, though, are bought for fairly cheap, sometimes under $100, at department stores under brands such as Mongoose, Schwinn, or Magna. These "mountain bikes" are covered with fancy graphics, lots of gears, and suspension, but actually work very poorly:
1) The components are all bottom-of-the line, even if they have good names such as Shimano. They are heavy, poorly machined, and wear out or break quickly. The gears will usually grind and skip no matter how well you adjust them. Rims are often steel, which quickly rusts and bends out of round, is very heavy, and is never seen on decent wheels.
2) They are no fun to ride. Most of them weight at least 31-35 pounds, and the full-suspension models weigh around 45! Try riding up a hill on one of these. Most people just ride them around the streets, and the knobby tires soak up so much energy you can actually hear it. Full suspension will completely absorb any power you put out. It feels like riding through mud.
Mountain bikes are extremely popular, though, accounting for over 90% of all bikes on the average college campus. They are easier to ride than road bikes, but will prevent you from ever enjoying bike riding. If they are used for off-road use, they simply become a toy like dirt bikes that you can't use for everyday transportation. Overall, I think they are a backwards development in cycling technology.
Most mountain bikes, though, are bought for fairly cheap, sometimes under $100, at department stores under brands such as Mongoose, Schwinn, or Magna. These "mountain bikes" are covered with fancy graphics, lots of gears, and suspension, but actually work very poorly:
1) The components are all bottom-of-the line, even if they have good names such as Shimano. They are heavy, poorly machined, and wear out or break quickly. The gears will usually grind and skip no matter how well you adjust them. Rims are often steel, which quickly rusts and bends out of round, is very heavy, and is never seen on decent wheels.
2) They are no fun to ride. Most of them weight at least 31-35 pounds, and the full-suspension models weigh around 45! Try riding up a hill on one of these. Most people just ride them around the streets, and the knobby tires soak up so much energy you can actually hear it. Full suspension will completely absorb any power you put out. It feels like riding through mud.
Mountain bikes are extremely popular, though, accounting for over 90% of all bikes on the average college campus. They are easier to ride than road bikes, but will prevent you from ever enjoying bike riding. If they are used for off-road use, they simply become a toy like dirt bikes that you can't use for everyday transportation. Overall, I think they are a backwards development in cycling technology.
"Did you see my new mountain bike? It's loaded! It has full suspension, 24 gears, chrome rims..."
"Dude-do yourself a service and buy a road bike like mine. Then see if you can keep up with me on the road."
"Dude-do yourself a service and buy a road bike like mine. Then see if you can keep up with me on the road."
by spinningtabletop January 31, 2009
I was like, "I need to define this term", but my brother was, like, "no, everyone knows it already," but I was, like, "hey, I have nothing better to do."
by spinningtabletop May 20, 2009
A commonplace word that occasions exclamations of "Ooh, SAT word!" when employed in normal discourse. Incidentally, those who use this moniker happen to not read enough books, not even pulp not conducive to formal education.
by spinningtabletop March 24, 2009
What people who either can't write or are too lazy do whenever a paper is due. Any usage of someone else's writing as one's own is plagiarism, no matter how cleverly disguised (or not) it is.
Perhaps the most common way is to search for or download existing papers, cut and paste, change the wording superficially and scramble it a little, and turn it in as your own. Other common methods are to simply copy other students' work in one's class, changing it superficially, or to download or even buy papers online.
Any way you do it, it's a reprehensible practice that can, and should get you in big trouble. There are known cases where students have been held back a year, or even expelled. Unfortunately, plagiarism still seems to be a growing problem, and students usually get away with it.
(note: this entry written by a student)
Perhaps the most common way is to search for or download existing papers, cut and paste, change the wording superficially and scramble it a little, and turn it in as your own. Other common methods are to simply copy other students' work in one's class, changing it superficially, or to download or even buy papers online.
Any way you do it, it's a reprehensible practice that can, and should get you in big trouble. There are known cases where students have been held back a year, or even expelled. Unfortunately, plagiarism still seems to be a growing problem, and students usually get away with it.
(note: this entry written by a student)
Student: Why am I getting an A- for this paper?
Teacher: Because it matches three other students' as well as wikipedia.
Student: No way! I didn't do it!
Student: And you didn't prohibit it in the syllabus!
Teacher: sighs I ought to make you rewrite it, but-
Student: I'll sue you!
plagiarism
Teacher: Because it matches three other students' as well as wikipedia.
Student: No way! I didn't do it!
Student: And you didn't prohibit it in the syllabus!
Teacher: sighs I ought to make you rewrite it, but-
Student: I'll sue you!
plagiarism
by spinningtabletop May 23, 2008
Music teacher: Your playing is technically good, but it lacks eMOtion. Glush it up!
Student: Isn't Rachmaninoff glushy enough already?
Student: Isn't Rachmaninoff glushy enough already?
by spinningtabletop January 31, 2009
An analogue to the Freudian slip that involves a physical action. This action must be indicative of a subconscious preoccupation or habit.
Fabio and Felipe were hanging out. Fabio was eating an apple when all of a sudden the core slipped from his hand and fell to the floor. Felipe thus inferred a subconscious propensity of Fabio to litter on his own floor, creating a literal Caleian slip.
Named after the first man to observe and recognize one such "slip".
Named after the first man to observe and recognize one such "slip".
by spinningtabletop November 13, 2010
A pickup truck or SUV whose suspension has been modified to jack it up. It is fitted with big off-road tires, usually mounted on expensive, tough-looking wheels. Often the engine is modified or replaced both to:
a) increase performance, and
b) make more noise.
Often they are adorned with gaudy decals for motorsports brands, heavy metal groups, or generic stuff like Tapout or SKIN.
Commonly lifted vehicles include most pickups and large SUVs, especially the Ford Excursion. Any vehicle designed for off-road use, however, can be lifted.
Theoretically this is to increase off-road performance, although the higher center of gravity would likely make them more likely to roll over on rough terrain. They never have a single scratch on their beautiful paint jobs anyway and are usually seen on the highway next to Corollas and Civics.
They guzzle gas like no other due to the higher aerodynamic profile, the big engine and the knobby tires. They also obstruct visibility on the highway. The point of these vehicles seems mostly to project an obnoxiously aggressive attitude over all other drivers. They are especially popular in the Inland Empire for this reason. One cannot live in the 909, or anywhere in SoCal, without seeing them every mile or so on the freeway.
a) increase performance, and
b) make more noise.
Often they are adorned with gaudy decals for motorsports brands, heavy metal groups, or generic stuff like Tapout or SKIN.
Commonly lifted vehicles include most pickups and large SUVs, especially the Ford Excursion. Any vehicle designed for off-road use, however, can be lifted.
Theoretically this is to increase off-road performance, although the higher center of gravity would likely make them more likely to roll over on rough terrain. They never have a single scratch on their beautiful paint jobs anyway and are usually seen on the highway next to Corollas and Civics.
They guzzle gas like no other due to the higher aerodynamic profile, the big engine and the knobby tires. They also obstruct visibility on the highway. The point of these vehicles seems mostly to project an obnoxiously aggressive attitude over all other drivers. They are especially popular in the Inland Empire for this reason. One cannot live in the 909, or anywhere in SoCal, without seeing them every mile or so on the freeway.
by Spinningtabletop February 03, 2009