On Grant Petersen's Tips For Happy Riding, he says "Don't ever describe any bike, no matter how inexpensive or dilapidated, as "a piece of crap." I kinda felt bad that when I ordered my bike from him, I had called my old commuting bike a piece of crap. He didn't yell at me or anything, but now I try to be a bit nicer to the not-so-gently-used bikes.