When someone thinks you are a newbie... and you have been riding 4 years.

[shootingstar]

I don't mind if a male/female bike mechanic in a bike store tells me whatever (I might know)...it is part of their job/duty/customer service ..particularily if they don't know me.

My dearie partner only tells me if he notices I'm cycling particularily slow during certain rides. As for other men, lecturing/telling me something I don't know....maybe I hang out with the wrong men, but these guys that I know have also (like my partner) cycled across Canada. So they are competent and knowledgeable cyclists. No, these guys are not racers also.

They don't lecture me/offer newbie info...

Maybe being such a plain Jane woman like myself I don't get unsolicited advice.

Cycling is a inherently, a solo sport so it's easy to ignore some annoying folks.

[KSH]

I don't mind if a male/female bike mechanic in a bike store tells me whatever (I might know)...it is part of their job/duty/customer service ..particularily if they don't know me.

I completely agree.

See, I asked the guy if he could figure out why my chain kept dropping. I said that the bike had been worked on because it was skipping gears... and everytime I laid down the bike it would drop the chain. He said not to lay it on the derailer. Ok, no problem.

I then went on explaining how the bike was NOT dropping the chain BEFORE they worked on it... and the chain stayed on for an entire year without dropping. To give him some clue to as to the fact that something the other shop did, caused the chain dropping to start.

Then he went on to tell me how the bikes worked and how they can be complicated. He said it in a way that was like, "Well little missy, these bikes can be mighty complicated... too complicated for you... " In a tone like that.

My boyfriend was listening to the whole conversation and we walked off even he commented how the guy was talking to me like I had just bought the bike and had never ridden it before. We started to laugh because it was so silly how this guy was talking to me.

[SouthernBelle]

That's when you totally snow him and start talking about the bike you built, whether you did or not.

[lph]

heehee - or if you have the balls, excuse my language, you go all out, start batting your eyelids and going "gee, that's so NICE of you to explain it to me, I find this all so CONFUSING...!!"

I have a friend who is infamous for talking down to people. When he starts doing that to me I've learned to just stop and stare at him. He gets the point after a minute or so of a blank stare.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I have a friend who is infamous for talking down to people. When he starts doing that to me I've learned to just stop and stare at him. He gets the point after a minute or so of a blank stare.

That's a very effective technique. My DH uses it on ME when i start babbling irrationally about something or other. But he'll start it by very S-L-O-W-L-Y turning his head towards me.....then when the stare finally gets pointed in my direction it's just too much, I totally crack up. He kills me!

[Miranda]

We know that statistically cycling is a more male dominate sport. I think even just the sight of a woman makes you stand out, and for those men inclinded, they begin to yammer. If I run an errand straight from spinning and have on my cleats it never fails that a complete stranger of a man will approach me. Or just even looking at bike gear anywhere. I just usually smile and nod if I have a moment to listen. I think if they have nothing else they can talk about, it's an opportunity to feel an ease with a subject they know (or think they do) and blab to a pretty woman. Chivalry (they are trying to rescue you from your statistically newb self)... through manly man eyes.