Keeping it civil when things get heated is way harder than people admit, so I get why you want tips. But here's where I see it different: you didn't really keep the tone calm, the topic just happened to be one where facts could settle it. Denver airport mural stuff has a clear answer, so people posting sources looks reasonable and nobody feels attacked. Try that same approach on something like politics or a local school board fight and watch how fast the sources get ignored and the insults come out. Tips like "just be respectful" or "cite your sources" sound nice but they don't hold up when the other person already decided you're the enemy. The real trick is picking topics where people are open to being wrong, and most heated ones aren't that.

Did you ever almost toss them before giving them a real shot? I used to roll my eyes at cheap grips like that, figured they'd die in a week or barely get warm. Then I rode a buddy's bike in January with a $30 pair and my fingers were fine the whole time. Turns out the price tag doesn't tell you much when you actually need them. Cold mornings have a way of making cheap gear look pretty good. You still running those same grips now?