lazerzxr

I have noticed a lot of posts about Freds lately, laughing at thir choice of clothes, bikes, riding style, slow speed or whatever and I dont get it.
I mean, after winter when I'm not trained I am effectively slow, but riding a nice bike. In summer when I am trained, I am still slow and riding a nice bike but because I'm trained I'm ejoying it more.
I ride to get away from it all and just enjoy the sun. When I'm well trained I find I am quicker than most people I see out and slower than some but I dont care because I'm riding, therefore I'm happy.
I own a reasonably nice bike because Its a hobby and I can afford it and I wear the outfit of my favourite team out of support for them like people wear their team colours to a footballl match.
I am probably what you would class as a Fred

What I dont get is why I have to be called anything, I mean, I am a cyclist and in the grand scheme of things I probably have as much cycling talent as most on this forum, which is insignificant and pathetic when compared to Pro cyclists.

The fact is I choose to ride a bike and I just dont get why it is that I come on a forum full of others in my position and there is this attitude that you have to have a certain amount of tallent to be considered as a cyclist instead of a Fred. Surely the forum should promote cycling to everyone.

When I see others on the road it just doesnt cross my mind if they are fast or slow or just a sunday rider because they are the same as me, they love riding.

Fact is every bike you see is one less car. I have many names for car drivers.

Rather than writing stories about "Freds" why not laugh at those people driving expensive cars covered in dents and scratches that nearly knock you off. they are the road users who have spent the most on their rides and dont have the skills or tallent to use them properly.

leave the cyclists alone, I mean, what are you scared of? Are you so slow that you are worried you wont be able to keep up with these "lesser" cyclists on their cheap bikes, and so you call them names?

hammy56

freds are so sensitive.

10 Wheels

Amen...

Do you wear black knee socks?

midgetmaestro 

I have taken the attitude recently that anyone out there with the rubber on the road, spinning those pedals is just one more person out there getting healthy. F' whatever bike they're riding, f' how they're dressed, I don't really care - they are out there having a good time, enjoying life. Isn't that what this is all about?

Edit: I don't wear black knee socks, and I have a decent amount of saddle to bar drop instead of the other way around

lazerzxr

I assume from the above you are an extremely slow cyclist. dont worry about it, just go out and ride and have fun...

alexvpaq

I wish I was.

X-LinkedRider

+1, that is what it is all about. When I sold bikes, I was so much more excited to sell a lower end bike to somebody who was going to use it and appreciate it more than I enjoyed selling the nicer bikes. Today, on a group ride, there were TONS of bikes out, We were all just happy to see people riding despite how they were dressed.

CyciumX

you have a nice bike and wear your team's kits... you aren't a Fred... but damn sure close to a poseur

jamesss

I wish there was an acronym for "fred" that way I could ignore it...

TheMudder

anyone driving a yellow hummer? ....THAT's a Fred.

JPH3

Every hobby is the same. You have your purists/elitists/"real cyclists" and then there are Freds (the guys/gals who buy the $5000 bike/camera/videocamera/Ski Eqpt/ ...).

TheMudder

So, You're basically saying that if someone has enough $$ to be able to afford an AWESOME bike and gear....the they're a Fred.
And you choose to be the guy who thinks he stands in the position to "judge".
..or maybe YOU don't do that at all and you, for the sake of clearing things up, are calling it how you see it.
..you DID identify very simply what a Fred is.

not intending to attack or offend. i'm a friendly.

Those who look down their noses and/or judge others are the ones I feel sorry for.
..ever notice how it's usually the Sophomore who does most of the harassing of the freshmen?

agarose2000

I too love the fact that anyone out on the road, is out on the road.

But even I admit that there's something that doesn't settle right about seeing a rider who can barely go faster than 16mph on a short 20 mile jaunt, spending $5k on a Cervelo R3 plus another $2k in deep dish aero wheels. Of course, you could make the same argument criticizing wealthy folks who drive Lamborghinis around town and never on a racetrack, so in the grand scheme of things, the Cervelo RS isn't so bad, but it still strikes a wrong chord.

guadzilla

Really? Doesnt bother me at all how other people choose to spend their money. If someone has the cash and is in a position to buy some bling that makes them happy, good on them.

There is a very long list of things that bother me (what can I say, I am a cranky SOB), but how others spend their money is not one of them.

Btw, arent we describing "posers" rather than "Freds" in this thread? I thought Freds were the ones wearing garish da-glo clothes, helmet-mounted mirrors and generally, making their bikes as practical as possible.

V.

Dawnrider

I'm a native Texan, I say hi, wave, or something. If I wave at a rider and he doesn't wave or nod back, I just assume he/she is in their zone. I try not to think ill of other riders because I just don't know what they have going on in their life. I see an old man on a cruiser, or a kid with training wheels, I give the thumbs up and keep on rolling.

Riders that have their pads to far up their crack need to realize they are no better then anyone else on this big ole ball of spinning dirt!

rydaddy

I don't think half the people here know what a Fred is.

TheMudder

well then give a link or explain it to us(them), rydaddy.

pretzelface

Reality check: you're out riding a bike in tight-fitting spandex. The non-bike-riding population, which is like 99% of America, already doesn't get you. You clearly have enough self-confidence to shrug off what people think. If you're ready to stand up for yourself that way in front of your neighbors, your friends, maybe even your boss, who the hell cares what a few elitist bike racers think?

rydaddy

Hang around.

JimF22003

Whew. I didn't get the aero wheels!

pchopper

He nailed me on all counts

well, I actually only paid $1200 for the deep dish wheels...

ktanner777

I never understood what a bunch of grown men (and women) are doing on the internet saying "my bike is better than yours...I've been riding longer than you"

Remember the majority of us are adults here...lets try to act that way. And be humbled by the fact that the majority of the public looks at us and says whats up with those rediculously tight shorts and shaved legs...

botto 

Uni-Vibe

Yep

CyciumX

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_(bicycling)

Although I don't completely agree since this article should have at the very least mentioned the poseur term.