Respect on the Road

[IvonaDestroi]

ummm ALL the time. yup. I ride an awesome 70's lightweight lugged steel motobecane super mirage, a rare type of mixte where the top tupe doesn't split until the seat stays, converted to a single speed. She's super scratched up, all black , and her logos have faded. A friend of mine found her in a dumpster with bent front forks and a missing wheel and I hammered her back into shape and cleaned her up. She's my main squeeze at the moment.

A couple weeks ago I was heading out of work onto my usual uphill upwind 30 minute battle home, and I was just about to roll off the sidewalk in front of my store when 2 *ahem* adult women rolled by on their fancy carbon frames that I could never, ever, EVER afford and one of them yelled 'hey, where are your training wheels?!' or something to that effect.

I think they may have assumed I was riding on the sidewalk or something. Irritating. I would have yelled back something brutal but I still had my work ID on and I was right in front of my workplace. They sure will feel like idiots when they figure out I work there, right there in the new store that just opened up in their nieghborhood that everybody loves.

But seriously, who does that? There could have been a million valid reasons for me to be on that sidewalk... and these ladies looked twice my age...

They probably don't even know how to tune those fancy carbon frames... Shoot, I'd be surprised if they knew how to change a tire with thier level of street smarts...

But yes. some people are bike-ists. It's true. I'm looking forward to seeing the difference in reaction with my 'fancy' new 80's aluminum cannondale that I have spent ALL of my money replacing parts on (pics up soon when she's done) If I could ever afford a carbon bike like that I would have one in a heartbeat. And I would probably kick a whole lot of butt on it too. Most people's butt. not to mention the level of appreciation I'd have that many take for granted. But I am happy with what I do have and I love my motobecane just the same.

According to my roomate, who's univega was found in similar shape in the same dumpster, there is a big difference in how people respond to the 'look' of your bike. He made his look like one of those hipster trendy bikes and now all the fixie kids in our building are jealous. I guess their parents can buy them all the parts in the world but their ride will never have the stamp of true passion.

Quite the opposite reaction before he put all those fancy matching colors on it. Same bike, different colors. hmmm....

and by the way we work twice as hard to go half as far most of the time, and don't you forget it