Twinges- freda cycling inferiority

[shootingstar]

Comments like here: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...t=22674&page=2 that some of you might feel differently in non-roadie cycling gear on a non-roadie bike vs. roadie cycling gear on a roadie bike...

Does remind me occasionally, twinges of my freda cycling inferiority. You know freda, is the female version of the "fred", male version of nerdy cyclist. Unroadie. I have always had hybrid bikes..under $800.00. And am happy to have the bikes I have and have accepted the fact I'm not comfortable with drop handles when I have a slight neck problem. (that is alleviated with some stretching exercises). I love looking a sleek bikes but in the end, it doesn't seem to meet my type of cycling lifestyle / way of cycling.

I have no intention to race nor randonneur...Don't know about doing a super-duper trans-continental ride..but given my geo-spatial weaknesses, can't see this doing it solo.

There are cycling days where I don't feel as fit...and will dress "less" cycling oriented. ie. a less-flashy cycling jacket, more muted-coloured jersey, you know. Just allow me to feel less fit, don't notice my performance but let me cycle-to-feel-better..kind of an inferiority complex.

Am I the only one here with occasional twinges of freda cycling hang-ups? I really ought to get over this ...after cycling regularily for past 17 yrs... but strangely..am only human.

[Geonz]

Yes.

You are the only person who has ever felt insecure about her cycling in the whole wide world.

:P :P :P

Hangups just keep on doin' that... things go smoothly for a while... then they hang us up for a bit

There must be something not right with you if you don't want to go out and ride 600 km .... or p'raps something right

You mean EVERY DAY isn't your flashy fashion statement?
Gosh, must be something' right there, too. Embrace our hangups

Snork. All hybrid here... but that's what works for me.

[bounceswoosh]

Does it count that I feel inferior to my bike?

Cuz I sure do. I haven't made as much progress as I'd like in technical mountain biking, but I ended up getting a ridiculously sweet ride*, and -- this is the really over the top part -- it's gold anodized. I feel pretty self conscious doing what are considered lightweight local rides (still pretty hard, I suspect, compared to most terrain in the US) on this beast of a bike.

A friend of a friend talks about how his bike must be so bummed to be stuck with him as a rider. Sometimes I think my bike feels the same way.

Also, I got a free jersey from the bike shop from which I got my ridiculously sweet ride, and I am nervous about wearing it. Because it's a high end bike shop ...

It doesn't help that there are so many competitive riders in the area. It's entirely possible that the guy or gal who just passed you is a pro-level rider. Drop that to sport level, and it's almost certain =P

Ah well. I've ordered the Hill Slug jersey to avoid any accusation of false advertising.

Yeah. Really need to get over it. What matters is that I'm out there, right?

*Ellsworth Truth with hand-picked components

[Zen]

I have only one cycling hangup.
I'd like to be faster (which is why some people call me Mo. First name Slo)
I ride because I enjoy the experience. I doubt I would enjoy a double century.

I have a hybrid and i have a road bike and will admit to dressing down a bit for the hybrid.
You wouldn't wear a black leather bustier to a picnic, would you?

Dress and ride for yourself and no one else


.

[shootingstar]

I have a hybrid and i have a road bike and will admit to dressing down a bit for the hybrid.
You wouldn't wear a black leather bustier to a picnic, would you?

Dress and ride for yourself and no one else


.

Well, it does feel like wearing high heels at a picnic if I wear a flashier jacket on a hybrid. But then on the other hand, it feels right at night for visibility.

YOu know I admantly did not wear any cycling jerseys until the last 5 years, simply because I didn't want to look like a weekend wannabe poseur cyclist. Seriously. For the first 12 years..I wore t-shirts or rolled up men's shirts (to protect my arms from fierce heat) in warm/hot temperatures. And I was piling way more mileage then annually compared to now... then during T-shirt period was 6,000 kms. annually. Now I'm lucky if I can edge up to 50-60% of that this year.

Go figure. But then I realize..it really is more comfortable to wear wicking material tops..and to have a back pocket..

[Crankin]

I definitely am not worthy of my bike (Kuota Kredo), but, hey, if I was stupid enough to pay for it, I guess I deserve it! And, I do get acknowledged by snooty racer guys as they pass me. I find this strange, because I had a Trek 5200 before, not exactly a Freda bike.
But, I do find myself dressing differently when I ride my hybrid. In fact, I have found it liberating to discover a new type of cycling apparel. I wear wool when it's cold and I have some new wicking tops that are not jerseys, but are kind of cool. I tend to wear a skort, knickers, board shorts, or mtb shorts when I ride this bike.
I always feel slightly inferior on my bike until I talk to my "regular" friends who think riding 5 miles is crazy.

[OakLeaf]

The only time I wear cycling apparel on my hybrid is when I've just gotten back from a road ride, have errands to run, and don't want to take a shower and put on clean clothes and get them all sweaty again right away. Otherwise it's either regular clothes on the hybrid, or clothes appropriate to the destination (whether it's gym clothes, or a skirt or nice slacks for church or dinner). I will wear a cycling jacket or my Xinglet when the weather or light conditions dictate, but I put those on over whatever I was wearing anyhow.

When I got my new road bike I really felt like I didn't deserve it. After 2500 miles (which is less than that bike deserves in the amount of time I've had it), it's just my bike. Too bad about the mileage and about my slow legs

At the end of last season my Wednesday night group went out to eat. People started talking about how many miles they had for the year. Most of them were in the 5-7000 range. I was embarrassed to even say how few I had! But ya know, cycling isn't my only workout. I was by no means the fastest one in that group, but I kept up with the slower ones. Maybe I should've felt okay about that.

[rij73]

My first bike (which I got just a year ago) was a flat-bar road bike. I got cycling gear right away because I was doing fitness rides in the park. I did look a little out of place, but I didn't care. I was having great fun, and I loved the lycra shorts and wicking jerseys.

Now, though, I have a gorgeous road bike, and to be honest, I do feel a bit embarrassed out there. Not because of how I'm dressed, but because the bike is simply too nice for me! I get passed in the park by almost every roadie there no matter what they are riding, and it does make me feel like a poser to be so slow on my beautiful carbon bike.

Don't get me wrong... I adore my bike and look at it lovingly all day. I just feel a bit sheepish out there when guys on fixed-gear old-school bikes pass me on the hill.

[Andrea]

This reminds me of something I've been contemplating on my morning commutes lately ...
Roadie guys (ok, women too, but there aren't very many, so I'm generalizing) around town know me as a racer, etc. They see my team kit and often know who I am and usually wave to me or greet me when we pass going opposite directions.
Since I started commuting on my Mule bike (a home made hybrid- photos in the commuter forum), I'll pass the same guys I occasionally train with on the weekends. There's an early morning ride from a bike shop in midtown that a lot of them go to. Since I'm on a goofy looking bike (not calling hybrids goofy at all- just my hybrid) and not in a team kit, when I wave at them, the most reaction I ever get is a chuckle and occasionally a slight wave back (if they'll even make eye contact).

What gives? How about being nice to everyone instead of just the people you think are "worthy" of your greetings??

[Jolt]

Hey, nothing wrong with being a utility cyclist, riding a hybrid and wearing regular clothes while doing so--we don't all have to be racers. Plus, think of how much we save on gas by riding our bikes around town instead of driving! I can relate to sometimes feeling like a dork though--having a big plastic crate on the back of the bike (see avatar) and wearing the "screaming yellow zonker" vest for visibility can do that! However, I think I'd feel sillier wearing roadie gear while riding around town doing errands on a hybrid--just doesn't go together so well, does it?

[Andrea]

I wear an orange & reflective yellow safety vest

[F8th637]

I wear regular clothes even on my road bike if I'm going to run errands or something on it or going for a ride that is less than 10 miles or so. I will still wear a bright shirt so I can be seen but I'll leave the lycra at home.

I'm with zen (Ms. Mo) on this. I want to ride for the experience and to see things not to chase after people. Becoming faster will come in time, I've even noticed that I've gotten faster in the past couple of months which is always a welcome surprise. I figure if I'm going to beat myself up for doing something I love and enjoy. . I probably better stop.

And when I DID have my hybrid (who now lives with zen) I wore the whole get-up because it made sense to me to wear it. I'm going for miles on the bike even if it is a hybrid so I better dress for comfort lycra-style!

[bounceswoosh]

I wear regular clothes even on my road bike if I'm going to run errands or something on it or going for a ride that is less than 10 miles or so. I will still wear a bright shirt so I can be seen but I'll leave the lycra at home.

I'm with zen (Ms. Mo) on this. I want to ride for the experience and to see things not to chase after people. Becoming faster will come in time, I've even noticed that I've gotten faster in the past couple of months which is always a welcome surprise. I figure if I'm going to beat myself up for doing something I love and enjoy. . I probably better stop.

And when I DID have my hybrid (who now lives with zen) I wore the whole get-up because it made sense to me to wear it. I'm going for miles on the bike even if it is a hybrid so I better dress for comfort lycra-style!

Lycra is comfortable ... jerseys wick ... bike socks are so comfy I like to wear them even when I'm nowhere near a bike ... why *not* wear technical gear whenever you're on a bike?

I guess it would be weird going into a grocery store or something in Lycra. I have a great skirt from Title 9 that I could wear over spandex to feel a little less exposed.

[F8th637]

Lycra is comfortable ... jerseys wick ... bike socks are so comfy I like to wear them even when I'm nowhere near a bike ... why *not* wear technical gear whenever you're on a bike?

Exactly! After switching to bike gear, I have officially stopped working out in anything with cotton. All those white cotton socks I had?! Now unused! I wear lycra and other synthetic dry-wick materials exclusively right down to my socks now. I'll never go back!

[Geonz]

Snork.... why ahve rules at all? I wear... whatever makes sense at the time, or whatever's on top of the laundry bin (is that pile clean or dirty? sniff...)