Freds?

What exactly is a "Fred" as it was brought up in another forum? I looked it up via Wikipedia and got a laugh, but I'm guessing if you don't fit into a specific category you don't count.

Do we as women do the same thing as guys when it comes to calling someone a "Fred"?

If I buy an expensive bike (was looking at several), get some decent cycling clothes, a nice helmet, but have no experience and go to a bike trail, the "true" cyclers will call me a Fred?

I'd buy a good bike because I know quality. I have decent clothes because biking in jeans and a heavy T-shirt is uncomfortable. I bought gloves so if I fall (and I have) I don't scrape my hands to pieces. So if I go to a bike trail to gain experience and apparently if I don't ride the right way I will get ran over by Fred haters?

No wonder most people don't ride.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong:

Fred probably rides an old steel Trek, it's steel and quality but old.
Fred might be wearing one of those '70's mushroom helmets.
Fred wears Converse tennies, high white athletic socks and khaki shorts.
Fred has one or more high vis mesh vests with the triangle on the back.
Fred still has the plastic pie plate on his (or her! Fred can be a girl) bike.
Fred has downtube shifters ...

But the real thing that defines Fred is ... Fred will ride sprint and/or climb your freaking legs off! :p ;) :D So if you see Fred it's always from behind. :cool:

I'd never heard of Fred until just now. From Wikipedia:

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The roots of the term "Fred" are unclear, though some believe it originated from[2] a touring rider named Fred Birchmore from Athens, GA. In 1934-35, Birchmore rode around the world on a bicycle he named Bucephalus. Birchmore and Bucephalus traveled approximately 25,000 miles. Bucephalus is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.[3][4][5][6] In one famous incident while touring in Italy, Birchmore passed a bunch of racers during a race he had crossed paths with by chance. And despite going up hill on his loaded 50 pound non-racing bike, he passed the finish line well ahead of the racers. The cheering crowd at the finish line assumed him to be the winner of the race. [7]

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Sounds like if anyone's calling anyone else a Fred, they're just jealous.

By reading the Road Cycling subforum on BikeForums, I get the impression a Fred is anyone with a practical bike, like commuters and utility cyclists. Also anyone with safety equipment like mirrors, reflectors, refective vests, etc. In other words, those of us who use bikes as more than toys.

While I do take the dork disks off all my bikes as soon as I get them home from the LBS (I keep my derailleurs properly adjusted, so no need for the plastic spoke protector), I left the reflectors on the bikes that are ridden at night. The climbing bikes are stripped down with no reflectors or fenders because they are daytime bikes for climbing hills, so performance is more important.

I am sure that I have been called a Fred by some fast roadie - I show up to club rides with a Camelbak after all, and two of my three bikes have the plastic pie plate - but I don't worry about it :) I also don't have drop bars or skinny tires on any of my bikes - including the custom one...

Maybe the appropriate woman version would be named Ethyl.

I've been a Freda for a long time. Over last 18 yrs.

I've never had a bike with dropped down handlebars. And I have 4 bikes. :D
Nor have I ever cycled with skinny slicks.

C'est la vie.
Meanwhile I have done 500+, 1,000+ kms. touring rides, etc. with packed panniers.

It makes me giggle whenever I hear of roadies who absolutely refuse to ride with panniers. Sure it's not suitable on their road bike frame..but some would just refuse to cycle any bike with a bike rack. That attitude is just ancient.

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Originally Posted by goldfinch

Maybe the appropriate woman version would be named Ethyl.

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(di-)Ethyl Ether?
/chemist

Sounds like "Fred" is not a bad thing to be called. :)
I'm in the "road geek" group. Road bike, spandex, hydration pack, SPDs, pie plate, lights and reflectors...

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Originally Posted by Owlie

(di-)Ethyl Ether?
/chemist

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I was thinking Fred and Ethel from the I Love Lucy show and had a slip!

I had two precious baby dolls when I was a little girl. One was named Molly Ethylene. The other, Polly Ethylene. :) Geek from the get go.

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Originally Posted by goldfinch

I was thinking Fred and Ethel from the I Love Lucy show and had a slip!

I had two precious baby dolls when I was a little girl. One was named Molly Ethylene. The other, Polly Ethylene. :) Geek from the get go.

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I love it. I also completely missed the reference. Oops.

I've heard a female Fred is a Wilma.

LOL. I guess I am a Fred.

I didn't know what pie plates were until I looked it up. Check. Have them. Not sure I should take them off, but I don't care. It looked like too much of a pain to get them off anyway.

I bought lights..front and back. I really don't want to be run over by a semi truck going 60+mph. As a driver, I appreciate that you are visible so I don't accidentally hit you.

I thought about getting one of the vests with a triangle on the back but didn't want to look that desperate to be seen.

I put different grips on my mountain bike that are comfort style as my hands were really hurting. (I took my bike in to get my computer working and the guy loved them. Said he was going to order some in for the store) It doesn't look pure mountain bike anymore, but I don't care.

I have cheater clipless pedals. One side is flat, the other side is clipless.


I also got the impression that a Fred was a wanna-be racer that bought TOL everything to be cool and fit in even though he knows nothing but pretends to be an expert. That's where I was sort of worried..LOL. I saw everything in a practical way, not to pretend to fit in and I'm sure not an expert.

It's also interesting to walk into a LBS and see how the staff react to people coming in. I may not know much, but I'm not about to let you treat me like I'm stupid. If you can't be bothered to answer my newbie questions without rolling your eyes I can buy elsewhere. I've learned that much from buying sewing machines from dealers. Thankfully; my LBS has been really great about my newbie status even if there is some minor eye rolling.

I'd probably move closer to the Fred status if I bought the electric bike I was looking at the other day. LOL.

I have a name for cyclists without lights but it's not Fred and it's not nice.

Last Monday Channel 15 came out to do photo shoots of our ride (I can't find where/if they did a story, which I wanted to see, because this is the local station that aired a story after cycling fatalities and serious injuries where they interviewed a council member who lectured cyclists that they all needed to ride as close to the curb as possible... the fact that the two crashes happened to cyclists riding on the sidewalk didn't seem to matter...)
... I came there from work... street clothes and my Xtracycle. Everybody else (which I don't think is that common) was pretty much lycra kit and sleek road bike ... I figured I could find the video if they put it online and say "Find the Fred!!!" Since the previous week's ride had been in brutal winds and people had said they'd gone out too fast, the pace was slow enough for me to spend time in the lead, too :)

Well, I still have the dork disk on my road bike. It's not huge so I don't care... I also have a mtb saddle on my bike - it's shaped right, lightweight... and has a fox on it. I also have the super-bright DiNotte lights and a rearview mirror. And when I ride alone, I wear screaming yellow or orange. Bite me.

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Originally Posted by PamNY

I have a name for cyclists without lights but it's not Fred and it's not nice.

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Probably the same as what I called the lady I saw riding her bike in the fast lane of a 4-way highway today. No, she wasn't fast. No, she wasn't turning. No, she wasn't in the middle of the lane, she was close to the double yellow line. No mirrors, no lights, five cars all piled up behind her. I was driving the opposite direction and changed myself to the slow lane. But she had a helmet, and was smiling. :eek:

The female version of a "Fred" is a "Wilma". I understand it to be the one who buys a super expensive bike (way beyond their riding abilities), and ALL THE GEAR you can think of to go with it, trying to look like they "belong", when in fact they have very little in the way of biking skill or technique. They are just trying way too hard. They're "wannabes".

I don't think they're the ones who are actually trying, but look like dorks. Not sure what they're called.

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Originally Posted by Geonz

... I came there from work... street clothes and my Xtracycle. Everybody else (which I don't think is that common) was pretty much lycra kit and sleek road bike ... I figured I could find the video if they put it online and say "Find the Fred!!!" Since the previous week's ride had been in brutal winds and people had said they'd gone out too fast, the pace was slow enough for me to spend time in the lead, too :)

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:) There goes Freda on video.

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Originally Posted by Velocivixen

The female version of a "Fred" is a "Wilma". I understand it to be the one who buys a super expensive bike (way beyond their riding abilities), and ALL THE GEAR you can think of to go with it, trying to look like they "belong", when in fact they have very little in the way of biking skill or technique. They are just trying way too hard. They're "wannabes".

I don't think they're the ones who are actually trying, but look like dorks. Not sure what they're called.

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That's not a Fred, those peeps are Posers ... All the bling but nothing to back it up...

Just so nobody thinks I was making fun of Freds, I am a Fred for the most part. I don't own any high-end bikes, I have tons of LED lights front and rear, reflectors, mirrors (two on my Worksman Port-O-Trike), kickstands on both my folding bikes and my Trek 7000 hybrid, and racks and rack trunks on my newest folding bike and the Trek. I also have large seat bags on my road bike and Specialized Sirrus hybrid.

I also wear a Take-A-Look eyeglass mirror when riding the road bike, Sirrus, or folding bikes (the only bikes in my fleet that don't have mirrors on the handlebars).

I have bells on all my bikes too. Even the road bike.

Accd. to Wikipedia it depends on what region you live in regarding the use & meaning of the term "Fred". Personally I haven't actually heard anyone use it and I could care less.

I've got kick stand, fenders, rack, bell, handle bar rear view mirror, bike computer, rear view mirror on my helmet, head light and two blinky tail lights! And this is all on my leisure bike!!! I love it and that's all that matters.

Fred and Wilma. Reference is from The Flintstones. So a guy could also be a Barney.

The circle of riders I rode with, these terms were derogatory and demeaning.

Poser was a person dressed to look like they were in full kit (racing outfit to look like they belonged to a club/team).

Fred has multiple meanings and I think all of them have been mentioned. The source of the term "Fred" seems to have multiple sources as well.

If you wish to apply the term to yourself, please use "Wilma".

Happy riding!!:D

Kickstand, rack, bell, bike computer, headlight on the bike, headlight on the helmet, blinky tail light, lights in my spokes, light on my front cables, sometimes EL wire on the bike, and yes, a hi-visibility safety vest, too, when I ride in the evening (and remember to grab it). People see me coming, for sure; no trail ninja here. People can call me Wilma if they'd like, so long as they also call me seen.

And I swear one of these days I'm going to buy a bunch of little lights and hand them out to people walking/running/riding in the dark who aren't wearing anything reflective/glowing/lighted. Lights and bells are safety requirements, as are helmets and gloves, and when I see people without them, I think uncharitable thoughts. (When I see parents with kids who don't have helmets [the kids], I think... well, never mind, but you can probably guess.)

Why anyone would ride in the dark without lights/reflective gear is beyond me.
I saw it all of the time in the city, where it is well lit. About half of the riders had a flashing rear blinkie, but that's it. Maybe they would change their minds if they tried to ride where I live and there's very few streetlights.
I have a Fred bike and a road bike... I do have a very nice light for my road bike, which is easy to put on and off. It's only on when I have planned a "dark" ride. I also have a very cool and sleek Planet Bike rear blinkie that I have been complimented on by many, including the owner of the LBS. My Jamis Coda, on the other hand, has a light, a computer, rack, pannier, fenders, campus style pedals, and I think the dork disc is still on there. That is one thing I would like to take off.
A couple of weeks ago, DH and I rode to get coffee in town. We were both dressed in "city" type cycling clothes, although we had our spd compatible shoes on. When we were leaving and unlocking our bikes, another couple rode up on road bikes; you could see they were looking down on us as "Freds," although they were the ones I would put in that category. Huge bags on their road bikes, 2 mirrors, and some funky clothing.
Each bike has its purpose!

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Originally Posted by Crankin

Why anyone would ride in the dark without lights/reflective gear is beyond me.
I saw it all of the time in the city, where it is well lit. About half of the riders had a flashing rear blinkie, but that's it. Maybe they would change their minds if they tried to ride where I live and there's very few streetlights.

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No they wouldn't, because I am riding through woods at night, and people still don't have lights/reflective gear, whether they are in the city or in the suburbs. And the park that's in the city limits is large enough and wild enough to have coyotes. Amazes me that people ride without lights in the dark (and it's dark in the woods, believe me!!).

I think you'll be okay Bethany. Don't worry about it and just go riding! You have the right gear and the right bike, now go and have fun.

No worries at all..LOL. I just didn't know some people categorized riders in such a demeaning way.

Ha ha, I crack up every time I see the phrase "dork disk." Something about it just makes me laugh.

I'm definitely a Fred, I guess. I have a dork disk, front and rear lights, a rear rack for carrying my stuff, and, yes, a reflective vest for when I ride to work in the mornings. :D

Signs I am a (happy) Fred:

* My bike has a rack
* My bike has fenders
* My bike is a folder with 20" wheels and not-so-narrow tires
* I ride in Keen Commuter sandals
* I have a visor on my helmet
* I use a Take-a-Look mirror on my sunglasses
* I have a handlebar-mounted "Halt" holder
* I have an airhorn on my bike (Triple bonus score!)

But...I don't have a dork disk. :D

I have the plastic pie plate on my road bike and I'm leaving it there. My name is...

X

thankyouverymuch and I ride a bicycle that I paid for, upkeep, adjust and I'll do what I want. Besides, if you have a bad derail, say from a stick or other object, it could break or throw your chain through your spokes and rip them all out on that side. I've seen it happen. With the disk, usually the chain just gets stuck down between. It's a pain to dig out but the alternative is much worse. My dork disk stays. I've had enough surgery in my lifetime and I can't respoke and true a wheel to save my life. :D

Uh oh, I think I'm a Fred. I LOVE down tube shifters, fenders, racks, panniers, blinky lights and old steel bikes! :rolleyes:

Oh darn then there is the blinky helmet Catrin just gave me! Dang it! I'm definitely a Fred, sigh.

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Originally Posted by Bethany1

No worries at all..LOL. I just didn't know some people categorized riders in such a demeaning way.

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If it bothers you that people do that, stay away from the Road Forum on Bike Forums. Otherwise, just ride your bike and don't waste your time and energy worrying about what other people think.

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Originally Posted by Bethany1

No worries at all..LOL. I just didn't know some people categorized riders in such a demeaning way.

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I was thinking the same thing. I don't think I'd last long in a crowd like that, but I have this weird thing about hanging out with jerks...

aw, who I'm I kidding they'd never hang out with a Fred like me anyway. I have *fun* ringing my old-fashion bike bell (with a neon pink dinosaur on it) when my local hockey team wins a game. That probably isn't cool.

My favorite thing about my trek 7.3fx with it's flat handlebars is the dingy bell. I love that bell. I suppose that makes me a fred. I've done 7 centuries on that bike.

Better Fred then dead!!!!!

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Originally Posted by FlyingScot

Better Fred then dead!!!!!

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:p:p:p:p Brilliant! LOL!!

That should have read:

"Better Fred THAN dead"

It would truly suck to be Fred and then die.