Bicycle Storage for Dummies, Revisited - The Freelance Files MMCCXXXVIII

Is that an "S"? [hint: no]

On a semi-regular basis we have one of our interns check the titles we've called out in the past, looking for dead links (they're identified by bold red print in our sorted lists, such as by site). When one shows up, the intern usually searches for the same article title to see if the text has mysteriously migrated to another location. Just a few days ago, the intern found that the title "Is It Bad to Hang a Bicycle by Its Wheel?" – one already so poorly addressed by "Elle di Jensen" that it has disappeared – was also addressed by Charles Webb (sometimes known as Erin Webb?) for Leaf Group's LiveStrong.com site. Whatever Webb's real name, their chops as "website/marketing guru" or perhaps "BA in journalism" clearly did not include cycling experience.

Tire Changes for the Dummy Cyclist

Bicycle tire lever

One of the staff's more... "experienced" cyclists claims to have repaired at least a hundred flats on bicycles over the years (he rides 5,000 miles a year on streets that seem paved with glass, so that's quite possible). He claims that he can flip a bike, pull off the wheel, and swap out the tube in under five minutes. Pumping that sucker back up can take a little more time. Whatever the case, he was NOT amused by the slap-dash job Jonathan Croswell did when attempting to explain "Easy Ways to Remove Bicycle Tires From Rims" at LiveStrong.com.

Shifter Replacement for the Dummy Cyclist

Road bike integrated shifter

It's occasionally, albeit rarely, amusing to see what a mess some internet freelancers make out of DIY instructions when they've obviously never DIT (Done It Themselves). They omit steps, skip over critical procedures, mangle terminology, and – in general – get it just plain wrong. Today's nominee is one such freelancer, a guy who wrote for LiveStrong.com on the basis of (we guess) his BA in "liberal arts." It's for damn sure Ryan Tubbs isn't a bike mechanic, at least based on the rubbish he posted in "How to Replace the Gear Shifter on a Bicycle."

Brakes for Dummy Bicycle Mechanics

brake cable housing (blue)

We freely admit to being purists here at the Antisocial Network, which (for the most part) means that we would prefer that people who know what they're talking about give us the information we need. That pretty much precludes some college English major writing "instructions" for bicycle maintenance without some sort of background as a bike mechanic, even if it's only DIY. When Daniel Barrows chose to bullshit about "How to Install Bicycle Brakes" for LiveStrong.com, he irked our house cycling specialists...

Schwinn Chain Replacement for Dummy Cyclists

Bicycle chain tool

If the truth be told, it makes no difference whether you're swapping out the chain on a Schwinn, a 99-dollar WalMart special, or a $13,000 custom-built titanium bike; the principle remains the same. Of course, it helps if you know that principle before you try to write instructions for the job; knowledge that renaissance DotD Darla Ferrara clearly lacked when she penned the LiveStrong.com article, "How to Replace the Chain on a Schwinn Bike."

Installing a Bike Computer for Dummy Cyclists

Bicycle speedometer (cyclocomputer)

The legal travails of Lance Armstrong notwithstanding, LiveStrong.com was – and, for that matter, still is – an admirable organization. Why, however, they would lend that good name to the likes of Demand Media Studios¹ (now Leaf Group) is beyond us, unless it's precisely because of Lance's troubles. We know that we wouldn't want our name associated with "help" from the likes of contributor and "expert" Brian Richards, at least based on his post "How to Install a Bicycle Speedometer."

RPM and MPH for Dummy Cyclists

Cycling cadence sensor

It's long been obvious to our research staff here at the Antisocial Network that many a freelancer's claim to be an "expert" in their topic is not worth the pixels it's printed on. Take for instance Alberto J. Medina, who according to his bio at LiveStrong.com is an "ACE-certified advanced health and fitness specialist... health coach and group fitness instructor." Despite a BS in "exercise and health promotion," however, it appears he knows little or nothing about cycling (lots about "grunt-and-fart," though, we suspect). We figured that out based on his post, "How to Convert MPH & RPM When Cycling."

Cleats for Cycling Dummies

Note the lack of "adjustment screws," Cecilia...

We're going quick and dirty today, mostly because we want to get out on the road for the team-building bike ride before it starts to rain.  Almost all the Antisocial Network staffers are cyclists, and a quick 25 miles with their office buds can get the day started just right, Some, of course, are more familiar with their equipment, but by this point most of them are smart enough to recognize the error when someone asks "How to Adjust the Tension on Bicycle Cleats." You can't say the same for Cecilia Harsch and the Demand Media content editors at Livestrong.com, however...

Calf Pain for Dummies

Anatomy of the calf

When it comes to medical questions, we prefer to get our information from a professional. 'Nuff said? Apparently not everyone agrees, however, that if you have an ache or pain, you should talk to your doctor or other person who is educated in the field (as opposed to some "personal trainer" who took "kinesiology"). So why would we want medical advice from someone who, like Livestrong's Michelle Wishhart, is a gardener with an English lit degree? especially if we want to know about "Calf & Walking Pain"?¹

Stationary Bikes for Dummies

Spin bike

As freelancers flit about the internet looking for something to assault... err, address, apparently it's common for them to run across topics that are somehow related to something they've already covered (if by "covered" you mean, "Copied-reworded-pasted from a more honest source"). Once in a while they even find a subject on which they believe themselves qualified to write, though that doesn't seem to happen often. The problem, of course, is that they expose their limited knowledge as their posts progress. Take, for instance, Demand Media's Meg Campbell: she believes herself a fitness expert (why else would DMS let her write for Livestrong?) but reveals her limitations in "What Shoes are Compatible with Stationary Bikes?" for Livestrong.com.¹