New Biker, Was recently shunned!

:o Hello All! First time poster, almost a first time biker and just wanted to share my newbie story:


Some background...

So, its been YEARS since I have been on a bike. But my bf got into cycling and decided that it was time for me to get on a bike again (I have not been on one since my pink huffy ca. 1992). Well, this was almost 6 months ago. I was riding on a Raleigh steel frame bike with friction shifters (!!). I loved that bike....

Well, this past weekend my wonderful guy bought me a new FUJI Finest 2.0 as a present and as a reason to convince me to go out to see him ride in his first century. Since I have only been commuting to the office (7 miles one way---easiest commute on a bike!), I haven't had a chance to get on the road and really have a good long ride. I surely wasn't ready for a full century so I decided to just ride 25 miles.

Here's where the story really begins...

I loved how the new bike felt. it was light and fast and pink! Now, I have always considered myself athletic, but more in the soccer and lacrosse side rather than cycling, but nonetheless, I am by no means scared of a little sweat. There were a ton of women on this 25 and 50 mile route. We stopped at the first rest stop at this mill about 10 miles into the ride. I was feeling amazing and couldn't wait to get back on the road. I was chatting with a group of riders who were riding together as part of a weekend cycling club and they were super nice to me and very encouraging as far as me finishing the ride without wanting to give up biking forever.

I left this group, went to the restrooms and chatted with a few more people in line. there was a group of about 4 women, all about my age, who walked back over to where our bikes were and I smiled and tried to strike up a conversation when one of the women took a look at my bike, smirked, and said in a very catty way, "Cute bike...and look, its pink." Her pals laughed and the other one turned to her friends and fired off with this gem: "I hate girls sometimes...always out riding in flashy colors. Might as well have ribbons in their hair...," all while giving me this nasty look.

Now, my first instinct was to fire back with some rude comment right back... but I held off. THEN, when i was getting back on my bike they laughed and one girl roared with "I wonder if she can even make it back...."

I was so outraged that I think it just fueled my fire and instead of riding just 25, I worked off that anger and rode for another 15 miles before calling it quits.

I want to ride that century next summer and do the full ride....and I surely am not going to let a bunch of catty chicks make me feel lame just because i haven't been riding all my life! We all have to start somewhere right?

ok, that's all. Just wanted to vent about a negative almost-first time riding experience!

How completely rude! How can some people be so rude??? You should be SO proud that you went far beyond your previous limits - they probably could only do the 25, and their words were the only powerful things they had. Grrr. Makes me made. Especially since I have four pink bikes. Two of them are replicas of the PROFESSIONAL T-Mobile race team, and one of them with the colors of the PROFESSIONAL Lampre men's race team. Yeah - real racers race pink bikes!

Oh yeah - you didn't have a negative first-time experience. YOU rocked. THEY were the ones with the problems!

Uh, how old were these... women?

You know, the new Trek Pilot, which retails for around a thousand bucks, is pepto bismal pink. And after test riding it, I can tell ya, it's no ribbon bike.

http://bandlbicycles.com/merchant/91.../PinkPilot.jpg

Congrats on your first quarter plus century. Keep enjoying your fuji finest. I test rode one of those, too, and really liked it. I'm new at this, too, and appreciate the desire to be a part of things -- the nice thing about TE is, you ARE!

Thanks for the encouragement and nice words!:D

I am going to try a few routes this weekend. There was this great website called babesonbikes.com and they have a few cue sheets for rides in Arlington and in the Northern VA.DC.MD Area so I am really excited!

Also.....bf is getting me to try out some clipless pedals this weekend...wish me luck in not tipping over!!!!!

p.s these women were definitely in their late 20s/early 30s and should have learned how to not be such school yard bullies!

wow, what aZZholes!

I ride a gaudy bike and I know a lot of men who do too. Please know that
most of us bicyclists are not like that!

enjoy your new bike and your new passion. I hope you meet many more bicyclists who enjoy biking enough not to make asinine and nasty comments about other riders...

All I can say is--it's obvious they weren't TE ladies.

Not proper TE ladies, at any rate :( .

So never mind them, just get out there and enjoy your PINK bike.

East Hill

Quote:

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Originally Posted by indigoiis

Uh, how old were these... women?

You know, the new Trek Pilot, which retails for around a thousand bucks, is pepto bismal pink. And after test riding it, I can tell ya, it's no ribbon bike.

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Trust me (and the rest of us who bought this no longer available 2007 Trek Pilot 5.2 WSD, although that's a picture of the 2006 model)......she retailed for three times that!!!! And she's an all-carbon powerhouse and light as a rose petal. With an experienced rider--or maybe someone p*ssed off enough after their comments to be raging with adrenaline--she would leave them whimpering in her wake!

I'm new to cycling entirely myself and I can totally identify with you since I have not yet ridden in any event like this. I'm outraged.

There was a thread a few days ago about "motivation". Like you this past weekend, bicyclulz, I just now figured out what mine is! Ride on, FUJI Finest!!!!!!!!!

don't worry about people like that - they are most likely insecure and try to bolster themselves by putting down others.
Just take that pink bike out and show them what you're made of. At 5' tall and a little over 100 lbs, I do not cut an imposing figure by any stretch of the imagination and I often hear comments about my "cute little bike", but most people find rather quickly that it does not pay to underestimate me - I won 3 state championship medals this year ;)

don't pay any attention to these people! Up with Pink Bikes (I don't have one)

There are some really snobby cyclist out there. But I think there are soooooo many more friendly cyclists!

Where's a picture of TrekJeni's purple bike with the purple streamers on the handlebars? She can stream past most of the riders out there on that baby.

I get the snobby thing from road cyclists quite a bit, because......I'm thin, I'm a triathlete, I was riding with someone who was killed.....:( Then I get the snobby thing from the tri folks because I don't ride a tri bike. Oh well!

here's another pink bike thread

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ight=streamers

I could only find a picture of Jeni's bike from her wreck pics:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ight=streamers

Just wanted to let you all know that your words of encouragement have been amazing....

....wish me luck...i try clipless tonight!

how about this bike :cool: :cool: :D :D :cool:

or this outfit....
http://www.alkirubiconracing.com/lit...s/DSC_0141.jpg
http://www.alkirubiconracing.com/lit...s/DSC_0132.jpg

I will repeat what everyone else said, IGNORE THAT SNOBBY LADIES if you want to call them ladies. geeeez I am sure next year you will be riding right past and leaving them in the dust if they are still riding by then.

Good luck with the clippless pedals. If you fall, do not worry, it happens to all of us :)

Chins up bicyclulz, you rode a great ride!!!!

~ JoAnn

well, Eden, at least YOU'RE wearing a helmet!

It's too bad you couldn't have had some fun with them. I'm the type to say something to interject into their conversation ... like "oh RIBBONS! That would've been SO CUTE! Oh wow, I wish I would have thought of that. Thanks for the idea, I will definitely do that next time!" And at the rate I've coordinated things to my bike (the Bianchi, not the gaudy Orbea), I have even done things like match nail polish.

I know what it's like to be athletic but new at something. I would have felt bad too - swimming is new to me and if someone made fun of me or made me feel inferior, I'd be upset.

When I was first riding, I was doing a century on my mountain bike. I had equipped it with city tires but the bike was not geared for road riding. I was riding about 6,000 miles a year on it though and was proud that I could keep up with roadies on occasion. On a century once a guy said in this totally patronizing bike "oh wow, look at you go! That is SUCH a heavy bike!". It wasn't said in admiration, I felt like he was talking to a child. I ended up passing him on a hill. I really wanted to say something but I didn't.

Life is too short not to have fun. Nothing wrong with pink bikes or streamers or ribbons. Go see an Aids Ride sometime if you want to see festive :D

you did 6000 road miles in one year on an MTB! you rock girl!

:o Pink bikes are cool! Those chicks were just jealous!

Good luck with the clipless pedals! You'll love them in no time, I promise.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by teigyr

I ended up passing him on a hill. I really wanted to say something but I didn't.

Life is too short not to have fun. Nothing wrong with pink bikes or streamers or ribbons. Go see an Aids Ride sometime if you want to see festive :D

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A simple "on your left" would do at that point ;)

His buddies will take care of the rest "dude, you got passed by a gal, on a mountain bike, with knobbies...on a hill...." ;) :D :p

Trek-3 time California AIDS rider proud of my metalic pink bike-420

Quote:

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Originally Posted by redrhodie

Good luck with the clipless pedals! You'll love them in no time, I promise.

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And....you'll pass those gals in no time. Give them a cheery and very girly wave!!

I'm not a pink person but I'd NEVER say something like that and I don't know anyone who would. Everyone I've met so far has been nothing but welcoming and helpful. I'm sure they're out there but those nasty women are definitely a minority.
You don't even want to be associated with people like that. You'll meet so many more nice people you might even start to feel bad for that group.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

you did 6000 road miles in one year on an MTB! you rock girl!

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That was before I knew better. I had more fun on that bike!!! Even toyed with the idea of putting aerobars on it. I loved the fact it (or I) didn't look fast but I could average 18-20 mph on 50 mile rides. Somehow can't seem to do that on the "fast" road bike. Go figure. I think I liked the challenge of surprising people.

What a bunch of BEE-ITCHES. Everytime I hear of people making mean comments about pink bikes, or stereotyping them as girlie, I think of a good friend of my husbands. Though he doesn't compete he is one of the strongest riders we know and for years he rode a pink Ritchie and bike shorts with lace up the side. The first century my husband an I did on a tandem, his wife and him did it on a tandem as well. At about mile 40, he cut off back to the start to drop his wife off. Once there, he hopped on his pink bike, went back to the course where he turned off, then proceeded to catch and pass us at about mile 70.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by teigyr

I could average 18-20 mph on 50 mile rides. Somehow can't seem to do that on the "fast" road bike.

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If I could do that I'd keep riding that bike!

...drinking their hatorade?

But again, you guys have been nothing but amazing...and giving me great personal stories that only make me proud to 1) be out there riding 2) be out there riding in all my very girly glory.

Also, just wanted to share PINKZILLA will all you wonderful ppl!

http://www.waterfrontbikes.net/siteb...es/fine2_3.jpg

ah very cool bike! and welcome to TE!

Ooh, beautiful bike. Enjoy it!

Stupid people are...well...just stupid. Unfortunately, they're everywhere. :o And many of them feel their commentary is valuable.

Try not to let it bother you...you've got a beautiful bike to ride!

I ride the pink Pilot 5.2 WSD too. It is an awesome bike.

TE ladies do make rude comments about the color pink. There are other past threads and they use such terms as "girlie." It is very insulting and sexist. I always figure if someone has to denigrate another person, then the problem lies within that person.

Bicyclulz, your bike is quite pretty. I've ridden my pink bike all year and get mostly nice comments from other cyclists. When you need new tires, try the pink tires that TE sells. And try pink handlebar tape.

Darcy

Very nice bike. Did any of you see the pink, special edition Giro d' Italia jersey that Terry was carrying a few months ago? I bought one because it was so beautiful. They must have sold out because it is not on their site any longer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bicyclulz

:o Hello All! First time poster, almost a first time biker and just wanted to share my newbie story:


Some background...

So, its been YEARS since I have been on a bike. But my bf got into cycling and decided that it was time for me to get on a bike again (I have not been on one since my pink huffy ca. 1992). Well, this was almost 6 months ago. I was riding on a Raleigh steel frame bike with friction shifters (!!). I loved that bike....

Well, this past weekend my wonderful guy bought me a new FUJI Finest 2.0 as a present and as a reason to convince me to go out to see him ride in his first century. Since I have only been commuting to the office (7 miles one way---easiest commute on a bike!), I haven't had a chance to get on the road and really have a good long ride. I surely wasn't ready for a full century so I decided to just ride 25 miles.

Here's where the story really begins...

I loved how the new bike felt. it was light and fast and pink! Now, I have always considered myself athletic, but more in the soccer and lacrosse side rather than cycling, but nonetheless, I am by no means scared of a little sweat. There were a ton of women on this 25 and 50 mile route. We stopped at the first rest stop at this mill about 10 miles into the ride. I was feeling amazing and couldn't wait to get back on the road. I was chatting with a group of riders who were riding together as part of a weekend cycling club and they were super nice to me and very encouraging as far as me finishing the ride without wanting to give up biking forever.

I left this group, went to the restrooms and chatted with a few more people in line. there was a group of about 4 women, all about my age, who walked back over to where our bikes were and I smiled and tried to strike up a conversation when one of the women took a look at my bike, smirked, and said in a very catty way, "Cute bike...and look, its pink." Her pals laughed and the other one turned to her friends and fired off with this gem: "I hate girls sometimes...always out riding in flashy colors. Might as well have ribbons in their hair...," all while giving me this nasty look.

Now, my first instinct was to fire back with some rude comment right back... but I held off. THEN, when i was getting back on my bike they laughed and one girl roared with "I wonder if she can even make it back...."

I was so outraged that I think it just fueled my fire and instead of riding just 25, I worked off that anger and rode for another 15 miles before calling it quits.

I want to ride that century next summer and do the full ride....and I surely am not going to let a bunch of catty chicks make me feel lame just because i haven't been riding all my life! We all have to start somewhere right?

ok, that's all. Just wanted to vent about a negative almost-first time riding experience!

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Someone needs to cinch their pigtails! How rude, I hope they got dropped. You did great to ride another 15 miles and the nice people you talked to were the ones that count. Keep riding, I like pink too. My road id is pink. Jenn :)

I'm so sorry... I can't believe adults said this to you, it seems so junior-high.

About the ribbons thing... I just absolutely abhor this argument. Like somehow you can't be strong AND feminine. It's actually insulting to women. Apparently the only good woman is a man, and in order to be taken seriously, women must be as man-like as possible.

People who know me consider me a feminist and apologize in advance before making certain jokes or comments... but I don't feel a bit guilty pulling out stilettos, red lipstick, anything pink, etc.

And I'm an athlete. I want to be as strong and fast as I can. I'm not afraid to sweat or hurt or get muddy. But when I run my outfits match (and sometimes involve pink), and I have pink all over my bike, and usually wear pink when on my pink bike. (I have three different shades of PINK armwarmers :o ...). I'm still secretly worried that my bike might be **ugly** (sometimes it's hard to be objective), but not worried a bit that it's pink.

So that's my rant.

But, at the same time, for the past year I've really wanted to try some local group rides and I've been afraid to do so because I'm still a relatively new rider and I don't want to have to deal with snotty attitudes...

Wow.
Meeeeee---yow!!!
Who spiked their waterbottles with nasty-juice??
Some people just have NO class.

As you can see, not all cyclists hold that attitude.
In fact, I think you may find that "cyclists" - and I really have to put that in quotes - such as you encountered on your ride, are truly a minority. This is particularly true on organized rides where FUN and comraderie are the order of the day.

You'll never get that kind of treatment from us D.C. area TE'ers!
Welcome to you and Pinkzilla.

PINK ROCKS! Don't let those snobs get to you! Geez! I didn't know Trek had a pink bike until AFTER I bought my blue one last year, soooooo......guess where my baby is going on Monday? To Trek to be painted PINK!!! :p Oh yeah! I want people to KNOW it's a girl passing them - PINK ROCKS! It's how all my friends know that I'm riding - all in pink from my helmet to my socks (even the accents on my bike shoes) and soon my bike!

I feel bad that these people said these things to you; all the cyclists I know are just so darn nice! My mom always said (and I'm sure ALL our moms said this) "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all". It's my rule to live by.

Kudos for ignoring them; just grin and wave when you pass them ;)

Lorie

I should mention that my favorite biking buddy, my DH, wears bright orange down to his shoes! We make quite the pair, but it's what we like. Sometimes someone might say something about my pink and his orange (we do clash a bit :rolleyes: ), but we just tell them it's what we like. I don't like blue, but a gal that rides with me does......cool! I would never "bad mouth" her blue bike or her matching blue jersey (her tri outfit even matches her bike which I think is so neat!). Another friend likes bright yellow while another always rides a bike that's red; again, cool! Whatever makes a person happy. Just don't "bad mouth" someone else's choices!

BTW "Pinkzilla" is not only dang pretty, she has the NIFTIEST NAME!

Lorie

I'm with Liza and Tyeger... WTF is wrong with ribbons anyway?????????
Do they think that the only way to be legit is to dress like men???

Phooey.

I started wearing lipstick when I was 20. It was becasue of this great scene in Hitchcock's Lifeboat. This cruise ship goes down . Next scene: Tallulah Bankhead is sitting in a lifeboat out in the middle of the ocean, all by herself and the first thing we see her do is put her lipstick on....

Now THAT is cool...:D

Does anyone remember, 20 years ago or so, the Ladies Mountain Biking and Tea Society? One of the first bunches of women to really get out and ride with the men, and they always wore pearls and lace gloves and "girly" stuff so the guys knew they were being passed by women.

Folks who make rude comments about your pink bike (and hoping you'll hear it) are insecure and trying to make themselves feel better by putting you down.

I'm not a pink bike kind of gal, but I have a pink helmet and lavender bar tape and usually ride in a skort.

Ride on!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

Does anyone remember, 20 years ago or so, the Ladies Mountain Biking and Tea Society? One of the first bunches of women to really get out and ride with the men, and they always wore pearls and lace gloves and "girly" stuff so the guys knew they were being passed by women.

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Wasn't that W.O.M.B.A.T.S?

Womens Mountain Bike and Tea Society? :cool: Think they still ride around here. :D :p

Cyclists are generally some of the friendliest folk around, these gals the exception to the rule. Don't let the idiots get you down. Ride on. :)

BTW; what were they riding? I bet your bike has nothing to be envious of.

Yeah, baby, the WoMBATS, I knew you'd remember!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

Yeah, baby, the WoMBATS, I knew you'd remember!

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Thank you! Yes, I am a veritable font of worthless trivia....and where are my keys? :rolleyes: ;)

Wow, that's seriously immature & I'm sorry you were treated so rudely. I've encountered bikesnobs of so many sorts & it's a shame to see people that have so little self confidence that they have to cut others down or think poorly of them because they have different preferences/budgets/whatever.

One guy that I see pretty often on my commute home was always friendly when I was on my road bike but would sneer and not return my hello when I was on my MTB. One day I was riding the MTB kept right behind him for 2 miles at 20 MPH after he passed me (sneering) and then blasted past him on a tough hill with my fully-loaded panniers and messenger bag. I looked right at him and smiled as I said 'on your left.' He is friendly anytime he sees me now. :) I shouldn't have let my ego get to me, but it was fun...

But the vast majority are friendly like the crowd you see here. And pink bikes rock! I always make a point of complimenting them because I am jealous. I got a great deal on my bike but I wish it weren't red. Every other piece of bike gear I have is pink. :)

Rock on & enjoy the new ride. Make sure you wear ribbons next year! And maybe decorate your bike with a kids horn and little flowered basket full of stones to throw at them as you pass! I'm kidding, but just barely! :D

Enjoy your beautiful new bike!

Anne

i don't care for pink...
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/b...ury/medone.jpg
but I do like baby blue :D

And pink & orange are a great combination!

K...I might not like pink clothes, bikes, etc..BUT i'm not going to say to the person''s face that I don't like them.

If you want to ride a pink bike, please do.


C