Barcelona rider

Whilst warming down on Sunday I found myself on the wheel of a rider, after rapid inspection, on a colnago ferrari in red and black, ( they go for about 6500 euros basic). He was moving at about 15mph wich is reasonbale for a winter ride. (Well winter here is 9-15c.) A quick glance down revealed that he was just sitting in the 39-11, grinding that chain angle away and slowly milling away at the small sprocket and the back of the small ring. As we switched from city lane to uncluttered bike lane I pointed out to him in Spanish that his ring-sprocket combo was not great for his bike. After a bemused look I switched to English and inferred again. The Dutchman (heheheh) simply retorted that it wasnt a problem. I asked him why. He said cos he "knew everything". "I know everything. Not a problem. Theez is not a problem." I used to be a profesional raider weeth a professional teeem.I know everthing."
I switched back onto the road and carried on riding.

1) should I have left well alone and just presume that someone who spends 6500+ euros on a bike noone ever rides and which is used to complemet Ferrari delearships in the same way that Porche bikes clutter up Porche delearship front doors does know more than I think
2) was I being passively condescending my trying to be helpful
3) should I have asked him whether he was actually stephen rooks on holiday
4) was he one of the famed fat cat wannabes who just spends wads of cash o the most expensive luxury bike
5) have I been posioned by too much negative jealousy which circulates on the this forum about people who spend more time on buying that actually riding or training
6) damn...it was a nice looking bike......
7) how would you have reacted if i had told you that you should not ride in the small ring small sprocket combo????
8) can u think of a worse bike to ride on than this- i mean status symbol or what!!!

jimbud

Judging from his chainring and cog choice he probably had no idea what you were talking about and after becoming embarrassed said anything to get out of the covnversation.

jbhowat

How 'bout just letting him do his own thing. What the hell do you care - it isn't your bike or chain. Honestly, you probably sounded like a know-it-all ******* - I wouldn't be surprised if his attitude was simply in mockery of you.

The_Guru

I'm with the OP on this one -- I think you did the right thing, and shouldn't have pursued the matter further. If someone told me such a tidbit I'd take it graciously and, if I had doubts about the information or the motive, would question it further.
Kudos for trying to assist a fellow cyclist.

roadfix

See, the fact of the matter is.......alot of people, regardless of riding experience, ride in that combo without even thinking, and it was kind of you to point that out. Most of us are aware of the 'rule of 3' when it comes to cross-chaining but we forget.
....I've even caught myself in that combo once or twice in the past.
Now, would you have posted this thread if this person was riding other than a Colnago Ferrari?

dagna

I tend to think it was kind of you to try to tell him. Even if it embarrasses me, I'd rather someone gave me a hint if I'm doing something the hard way or the wrong way. I might not act grateful or say thank you at the time, since it's sometimes an awkward situation, but I think about it and usually eventually come around. However, I have come to recognize that there's a portion of the population that would rather continue doing something wrong--even if it's dead wrong and potentially damaging or even dangerous--than to have anyone correct them. Especially if it comes down to a stranger giving them unsolicited advice in public. You've got to just let those folks find out for themselves, the hard way. Don't let it bother you--you tried, you may have failed, you might not have. He might have figured it out after mulling over what you said. It's out of your hands now.

Dagna

Serpico

you tell some guy how to ride his bike, and you're wondering why he got pissed off?

even if you were trying to be helpful, peoples' egos on the road are too fragile to take advice--why stir the pot?

Barcelona rider

I love it when you flame me..ohhhhhh!!!

Barcelona rider

1990-rode a 23 min 10 on an old steel 531 bike. (I weighed about 52kgs) and the bike was 10kgs
2004-got back into time trialling and was told me some guys new to the sport that year that riding an 7,5kg bike in a flat time trial was not a good idea and the heavierte better.
My reaction. COuld have gone on about the fact that I rode a 23 on an ugly cheap steel machine but simply smiled politely and said my goodbyes.
The point: it is easy to know if someone is being helpful genuinely rather than condescendingly.
i was genuine with this guy and dutchmen generally speak damn good english.

Barcelona rider

Thanks for stating the obvious. What he is is a fellow cycllist. We have ownership over each other becase we are all fellow cyclists, whether it be telling a person on a boneshaker that they shouldnt be riding in the biggest gear all the time ( you know the types who do). or whether it is simply helping someone out who has punctured. If we followed your advice then we would never stop to help someone with mechanical problems simply because that person had a bike so nice it warranted not helping cos they "knew it all" or you were a "know it all". If giving advice or helping in your book is being a "know it all" then you are one selfish son of a *****. Seek counselling Mister.

TommasiniFusion

Is there a post for proper gear selections? I understand that the angle would be excessive with the selection of 11/39, but when do you make a shift to the 52-54?

Barcelona rider

Not sure what you mean by 52-54 but basically there are two gear selections or two chain lines which cause excessive wear and tear on the transmission. Most bikes have a 53-39 on a 12-25 so let's go with this default. Using the 53-25 or the 39-11 will cause advance wear on chain and rings and on your wallet. But these combos are still useable if you want to. On my old set up from 1990 I used to have a 52-42 on a 7spd 13-22. I used to use the 52-22 a lot cos it was a damn nice gear and the chain line was not so sever in the day. The chain was pretty worn by then anyway and it was almost a winter bike. If you physically look at all the chain lines in al lthe gears on your bike you can see that the 39 when paired onto your 4th gear ( or 4th largest sprocket) represents oneof the smoothest chainlines. One of my friends has purposely chosen a 12-27 so that his smoothest gear is a 39-21 which is his favourite climbing gear and which offers the best chainline for him. Petty smart, however he never uses the 27.

Barcelona rider

As for "proper gear selection"? That is like askign whether there is a post for proper bike selection. You choose a gear according to the terrain adn your fitness. Everyone tends to under rev but as a general rule if you can spin at 90-100 rpm ( use a cadence metre) then you are doing very well. I would say most people average about 70-80. I am a high revver cos of long legs and low weight of legs. If you wanna use Lance as an example, he spins up alp dhuez in a 39-23 at about 100rpm enabling him to go up at about 15mph. Better to spin out then to over gear. But this is elementary stuff..........
Practise in the winter with a fixed gear bike or just stick to the small ring until March.

patentcad

The fact that you would actually carry on a conversation with anyone idiotic enough to ride a friggin Colnago Ferrari is puzzling. The fact that the guy actually does turn out to be an idiot is the 'no shock there' of the decade.

Barcelona rider

hehehehehehehehehhehehehehehhehehehhhhhhhhhhehehehehehhehehehehehe............

TommasiniFusion

Gotcha, thanks

patentcad

I hope you pointed out to him that your Six13 is a MUCH cheaper bicycle. From those stupid AMERICANS!!!

1centaur

You mean he could ride in 39-11 without getting a really annoying grinding noise out of his running gear? That Ferrari-Colnago must be a hell of a bike. I have yet to have a bike that did not deliver an unacceptable chainline warning sound in at least the 39-12.

Barcelona rider

people who ride colnagos and pinarellos look down on people who ride cannondales. I suppose as a parallel it is like merecedes drivers looking down on honda drivers maybe?? So by default for those guys a cannondale is ****e "american" crap. And by default there would have been no point engaging much more in conv with a guy not only on a colnago but on a colnago ferrari in red and black. To be honest clnagos have become more afordable but it is a shame the c50 kncoed out the c40 but is is also great to see trickled down c40 seat stays on the cheaper bikes. The new colnago range made in taiwan are gross. pinarellos are SOOOOOOO overrated. i was going to buy a 2005 Paris but then realised what the f I was doing spendng 2500 euros on a pinarello frame which wasnt even a dogma.

Barcelona rider

maybe it was a 39-12 or even worse a 34-11!!!!!!!!! The most ridiculous gear ever!!

biker7

I don't think I would have said anything but don't see it as a big deal. When I see someone on a high end roadbike, I just leave well enough alone and ride with them if it works out in terms of speed either way.
I have offered suggestions to those that are no doubt new to cycling or are grossly ill fitted...or mashing along laboriously in clearly the wrong gear...a common error with newbs. As to your comment...I have known more then a few racers that didn't care about violating a X-chaining condition...if the driveline objects mildly...so what...is their view. Also, really depends on bike set up. Some setups are more tolerant of big front and small rear chainlines. Keep in mind what a wise man once told me regarding the irony of offering advice or trying to help someone out which is often reinforced on this forum..."No good turn goes unpunished."

George

Barcelona rider

cool .)

Barcelona rider

The point of this thread is of course not to be anti Colnago or even anti OCP or even anti "rich guy on cool/uncool paradoxical bike" but simply lookin at our own attitudes to others based on first impression. So what if the guy is using a 6500 euro bike as a winter bike around the city. He loves cycling and is retired maybe. So what if he didnt like the advice or even make an attempt to say "......anyway where u from...". He is probably an anti social ass. So what is the guy was in te small ring small sprocket combo....he probably thinks it is the best combo on his bike at 15mph. And so what if the guy is an ass.....I got to see a colnago ferrari in the flesh instead of in a car showroom or in a magazine.....he probably got it cheap or as a present....and that bike with non carbon wheels and a centaur group and standard barstem combo would prob be about 5000 euros. Hoe do we know that he wasnt an *******. If he was anybit a normal decent bloke then he would have chilled and chatted and not turned and rode away and shown his back making me turn and ride away. Maybe he had a job to get back to or maybe he ad to get back to his Dutchcylingforum and complain about six13 riders on their cheap bikes hassling him on his day off.

Barese Rider

I see people riding bad chain lines all the time and have seldom said a word..The few times I did were to people I knew and they just looked at me like I had two heads.. Even after I explained some of the problems associated with a bad chain line they gave a me blank stare and said "this is how I like to do it".. Therefore,I would never offer unsolicited chainring advice to a stranger..Youre better off smiling and riding off away from them as theres few that ride a bad chainline that even this fat old guy cant pass..

Im sorry to hear about the Pinarellos, I was planning on getting one if I win the Million dollar lottery..

Barcelona rider

HEhehhe. The Pinarello dealer in Barcelona rubbishes practically every other brand which isnt Italian. The mechanic bought himself and opera carbon a couiple of months ago and is sellign it now cos of bb noises. heheehehe. It is funny how they rubbished trek until a relative of theirs starting riding in a certain amercian team on certain american bikes and then they started stocking that certain american brand of bike and suddenly that one american brand of bike wasnt a load of w@nk. Not saying Pinarellos are rubbish. Are saying they are overrated.