Fred's Road Table Manners Tips???

[twinkie]

What's a Fred?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

What's a Fred?

Definition:
fred n.
1) a person who spends a lot of money on his bike and clothing, but still can't ride. "What a Fred -- too much Lycra and titanium and not enough skill." Synonym for poser. Occasionally called a "barney".
2) (from roadriding) a person who has a mishmash of old gear, does't care at all about technology or fashion, didn't race or follow racing, etc. Often identified by chainring marks on white calf socks. Used by "serious" roadies to disparage utility cyclists and touring riders, especially after these totally unfashionable "freds" drop the "serious" roadies on hills because the "serious" guys were really posers. According to popular myth, "Fred" was a well-known grumpy old touring rider, who really was named Fred.

Oddly, these two definitions seem to contradict each other. I think of a Fred as being more like definition #2.

[bikerchick68]

http://www.bicyclesource.com/you/cul...glossary.shtml

twinkie- scroll down to the "f's" and read about Fred...

Miranda... I agree with everyone else on the music thing... as to the rest, yeah, I agree with the ladies here too. I ride with a blinky tail-light for safety too... and weekend before last I did a 154 mile ride on Sat followed by 55 miles on Sun... am I a Fred? Maybe... but girl, I can ride!

and if I get hit by a car, well, then I CAN'T ride. So you do whatever it is that makes you safe.

your male friend, IMHO, sounds like he is trying to keep up with the Joneses of cycling... rather than enjoying the ride... got a lil bit of the "bike snob" thing going. I could be wrong, but that's what it sounds like from what you've described...

[Kuota Rider]

Hey Miranda - "Bike snob" sounds like an appropriate name to me also. You need to do what you can to feel safe. If that means surrounding yourself in mirrors and reflectors and "blinky things" then so be it. There have been many cycling accidents due to the fact that the bicyclist "wasn't seen". As far as the music.....to me, a definate no no. I can understand why you do it, I just don't think it is safe either. It makes it really easy for a car to "surprise" you.
As far as ride groups, check with your local bike shop (if you have one). They will usually have literature a rides and groups you can join ranging from "newbies" to "hard core roadies". Good luck with your riding and above all, have fun.

Karen

[Miranda]

Thanks ladies for your feedback.

Valids points about my Fred music device--think it has to be the death of it--just miss the beat alone. I would rather have human riding companions, vs electronic ones in the end. I guess point in case, eventhough I can hear car engines, I did NOT hear that paceline leader until the guy spoke up while right next to my head--so that about seals the deal.

Buddies and music is part of what spinning class does for my fix, plus just the beat gives me an added push to pedal faster/harder. Maybe this is some sign of pedaling sickness, but even while driving in my car and I hear music with a good beat, it just makes my legs want to spin in circles--kinda makes it hard to drive that way, so I refrain to my mind only.

HOWEVER...I will say, something that made me want to pedal even harder than music, was watching that paceline leave me. I know I am not with their skills--but eventhough intimidating, it is a motivation to try and "get there" in others. On the cyling list of "dreams", for today.

Yeah...about my Mr. Cycling-Jones roadie guy aquaint...he is a pretty good rider that I know of, and has some good advice, but I think snubbing people because of what they ride, wear, etc. is in the wrong spirit, and definately not me at the heart.

OH...and an after the fact "Fred Realization" for me about the offer to join up, I see now that the guy was trying to say that HE was the last in line and that I could expect no one else to pass me, safety-wise, fyi....DRRRRR ...Fred for me there! or just maybe "Freduian slip" wishful thinking.

[Zen]

You can ride in my paceline, just stay about ten feet ahead or behind pacelines scare the p out of me.


[edit] Upon rereading your original post, I see you kept up! You'll be in a paceline before you know it!

[KnottedYet]

OH...and an after the fact "Fred Realization" for me about the offer to join up, I see now that the guy was trying to say that HE was the last in line and that I could expect no one else to pass me, safety-wise,

I thought that, but since I wasn't there I didn't want to say what I was thinking.

[jobob]

Miranda, let me clue you in on something ...

I've gone on a few club rides with some really hardcore long-distance riders. The kind that do double centuries on alternating weekends for fun.

One thing I've noticed is that a large number of these folks use CamelBaks, have helmets with visors, wear mountain bike shoes, have triple cranksets and/or mountain bike casettes on their bikes, have lots of reflective stuff on their bikes and on themselves, and carry moderately large saddlebags.

All the things that get poo-poohed by self-proclaimed "serious" roadies as being "fred".

Well, these long-distance riders are about as "serious" as one can get (serious in the dedication/motivation/ability sense - the ones I've met for the most part have great senses of humor), and while I use what I like and generally don't give a rat's azz about what others think, it's a real eye-opener to see that these people I look up to find that "fred" things work for them as well.

Hope this helps. - Jo.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Riding long distances is a different kind of riding than fasty 25 mile club rides and pacelines. Long distance touring often means not avoiding hills, riding gravel roads, packing lunch and clothing changes, hours of hot sun or rain, walking around in your riding shoes, and riding roads that have less than ideal shoulders and visibility.
Thus, things like CamelBaks, helmets with visors, mountain bike shoes, triple cranksets and/or mountain bike cassettes, lots of reflective stuff, and large saddlebags all make perfect sense for long distance riding.
At a "mere" 100 miles per week, I'm not in the long distance "big league" just yet, but I have everything except the Camelback and the mtn shoes already on my bike- it just seemed totally logical for the kind of riding I like to do.

[Miranda]

Oh my, you ladies are a great source of support and smiles, plus knowledge.

Yeah, watching a cycling paceline is kinda like a work of art...something that looks smooth and easy, but oh so not easy. Thankfully I had read some about it cycling books to know that it takes a lot of skills and there are certain rules to follow--which I did not know or have (today anyway ), except for the sense at to kinda get the h*%# out of the way!

Boy, you wanna talk about almost soaking your shorts chamois..I thought I needed a Depends undergarment insert over my chamois when that mass of cyclists rounded the corner--we are in the midwest with lots of corn fields here in season, so all the pack was disguished behind the stalks until they were right up to the corner, and on me.

Yeah, heartfelt words posted above... I think I'm with the camp of admiring folks with mixed up gear that has been well loved and worn with lots of miles of cycling experience, vs the show boats...think the first folks might help me out of the ditch too, vs just leaving me if needed. Probably been there themselves, and just say par for the course.

BTW...ironically, when I just got home from that same ride, my youngest kid has gotten home from G-Ma's where he learned how to ride without his training wheels on his bike--lil homefront cycling victory. And, of course as I pulled up the house, he says, "hey, mommy, ride around the sub with me on my bike on two wheels!" So, like a good mommy I did to proudly watch, but geeez! ...ya wanna talk about a dangerous paceline! just the two us, him in front swerving all over and yelling back to talk, and me behind clipped in, waiting to run my precious riding companion over at any minute... I thought, hmm...maybe the OTHER paceline and massive pack of cyclists wasn't so scary AFTER ALL! Danger Will Robinson, DANGER!!! (aka Lost In Space for ya oldies/youngins )