Originally Posted by
jsdavis
I am not entirely sure either, but from what I gather it's anything that makes the bike uncool or practical and arguably safer. Things like fenders, racks and panniers, reflective gear, lights, bells are all considered to be Fred. From what I can gather it's anything that doesn't align with the current fixed gear trend or possibly road cycling as a sport.
I'm not sure panniers make a bike safer. They add weight, sometimes just to one side (if you don't have a pair of them) which changes the bike's handling characteristics and can negatively impact braking (40 lbs of stuff in there means more inertia!).
Originally Posted by
robberry
The weekend rider who spends $5,000 buying a super-light bike and the most expensive bike to look "like a pro," but has to push the bike up a small hills.
No, that's a poseur, almost exactly the opposite of a Fred.