It's Not The Bike, It's The Rider
08-22-10, 09:53 AM
#1
SpeedFreak
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It's Not The Bike, It's The Rider
So yesterday I went for a ride with this guy from work. He's been riding for several years now. He had a Giant Defy 3 above.
The first thing I noticed that this guy broke every single silly road biking rule.
He had no socks, wore a standard Nike T-shirt, and his bike.....it looked like a total noob bike/Fred bike. It still had the original reflectors that most roadies remove the moment they get the bike home. I was following behind him and I noticed his bike had a kickstand! LOL! He also had two different water bottles (it was 90 degrees out) and a frame mounted pump. At first I was kind of giggling under my lip, but when this guy took off, my visions of Fred evaporated. He was cruising along at 18-20 mph in the flats. I'm not as fast, usually around 15-18 by myself. So, all I saw was his rear cassette and the grease plate still on the rear wheel most of the day trying my best to stay with him. The only time I could put the hurt on him was in the hills. He's not used to hills so he was using his smallest cog in his triple crank while I was on a higher gear so I kept gaining on him. Plus, his bike must have weighed an easy 26+ pounds while mine was a measured 23 lbs. with pedals. He did have clipless pedals to replace the factory strap pedals.
Learned a valuable lesson that day: It's not the bike, it's the rider.
08-22-10, 09:57 AM
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08-22-10, 10:10 AM
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Scarlet Knight
08-22-10, 10:25 AM
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08-22-10, 10:56 AM
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This is BF, it's the bike, it's always been about the magical bike, the deceptive Freds and the wankers who judge them. And of course the water splashers, the spitters, the concealed weapon carriers and the Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo fanboys. Don't forget the steel, aluminum, titamium and carbon fiber discussions. 
08-22-10, 11:04 AM
#12
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Two different water bottles??? Who here even has two the same water bottles? I don't have two the same cages.
08-22-10, 11:16 AM
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08-22-10, 11:22 AM
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Can't find the weight on Bikepedia but from what I can gather, between 22-24 lbs but hell even "Veronica" weighs 21 lbs. No sock though, what a....
08-22-10, 11:30 AM
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Defy 3 with bottle cages, pedals and frame pump on my brothers bike is exactly 26 lbs actually. There are significant wheel, crank, fork, handlebars and stem upgrades between the defy 3 and 1.
08-22-10, 11:42 AM
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08-22-10, 11:45 AM
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08-22-10, 11:45 AM
#20
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08-22-10, 11:53 AM
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OP Fail.
So yesterday I went for a ride with this guy from work. He's been riding for several years now. He had a Giant Defy 3 above.
The first thing I noticed that this guy broke every single silly road biking rule. He had no socks, wore a standard Nike T-shirt, and his bike.....it looked like a total noob bike/Fred bike. It still had the original reflectors that most roadies remove the moment they get the bike home. I was following behind him and I noticed his bike had a kickstand! LOL! He also had two different water bottles (it was 90 degrees out) and a frame mounted pump.
At first I was kind of giggling under my lip, but when this guy took off, my visions of Fred evaporated. He was cruising along at 18-20 mph in the flats. I'm not as fast, usually around 15-18 by myself. So, all I saw was his rear cassette and the grease plate still on the rear wheel most of the day trying my best to stay with him. The only time I could put the hurt on him was in the hills. He's not used to hills so he was using his smallest cog in his triple crank while I was on a higher gear so I kept gaining on him. Plus, his bike must have weighed an easy 26+ pounds while mine was a measured 23 lbs. with pedals. He did have clipless pedals to replace the factory strap pedals.
Learned a valuable lesson that day: It's not the bike, it's the rider.
So yesterday I went for a ride with this guy from work. He's been riding for several years now. He had a Giant Defy 3 above.
The first thing I noticed that this guy broke every single silly road biking rule.
He had no socks, wore a standard Nike T-shirt, and his bike.....it looked like a total noob bike/Fred bike. It still had the original reflectors that most roadies remove the moment they get the bike home. I was following behind him and I noticed his bike had a kickstand! LOL! He also had two different water bottles (it was 90 degrees out) and a frame mounted pump. At first I was kind of giggling under my lip, but when this guy took off, my visions of Fred evaporated. He was cruising along at 18-20 mph in the flats. I'm not as fast, usually around 15-18 by myself. So, all I saw was his rear cassette and the grease plate still on the rear wheel most of the day trying my best to stay with him. The only time I could put the hurt on him was in the hills. He's not used to hills so he was using his smallest cog in his triple crank while I was on a higher gear so I kept gaining on him. Plus, his bike must have weighed an easy 26+ pounds while mine was a measured 23 lbs. with pedals. He did have clipless pedals to replace the factory strap pedals.
Learned a valuable lesson that day: It's not the bike, it's the rider.
08-22-10, 12:04 PM
#23
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I try to stay out of shape, that way I will ride slower so everyone can be impressed with how well color-coordinated all my gear is. If I ride too fast, I'll be a blur. 
08-22-10, 12:12 PM
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All I heard is you judged a guy for being on an entry level bike / his gear and accessories, yet you only average 15-18 in the flats on a better bike...
I'd love to know how I get judged by people like you for showing up w/ nike trainers / strap pedals and frame pumps (also on a defy 3). At least I still manage an average speed of 18.5-20, and I've only been biking for a couple months.
I'd love to know how I get judged by people like you for showing up w/ nike trainers / strap pedals and frame pumps (also on a defy 3). At least I still manage an average speed of 18.5-20, and I've only been biking for a couple months.
08-22-10, 12:15 PM
#25
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There is a guy that I ride with on the weekends that is extremely competitive and every time I ride with him, it is a race. He doesn't just ride tempo, he gets in the drops and sprints. He wants to make sure no one passes him.
I am over coming health problems that were corrected through surgery. My oxygenation has been greatly reduced. So, I run out of oxygen fairly quick and I get dropped. I hear all kinds of things from this guy like I need a faster bike, faster wheel, I am using the wrong gears, etc. I am getting a little tired of it. Without question, it is the motor in my case and not the bike.
I am going to start something called the Torture Clinic. This is a class that trains cyclists to improve their speed and fitness. I would like to be at least 20% faster than I am.
I am over coming health problems that were corrected through surgery. My oxygenation has been greatly reduced. So, I run out of oxygen fairly quick and I get dropped. I hear all kinds of things from this guy like I need a faster bike, faster wheel, I am using the wrong gears, etc. I am getting a little tired of it. Without question, it is the motor in my case and not the bike.
I am going to start something called the Torture Clinic. This is a class that trains cyclists to improve their speed and fitness. I would like to be at least 20% faster than I am.