Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - I don't know about this

I don't know if I like being called a Clydesdale. I am new to this forum and it is the first time I have heard of this term. I am 6' 3" and 230 lbs and I can keep up with the small people. I have a Cannondale Caad and have never had a problem.

I have been running a non-scientific experiment. I have been waving to all of the other bicyclist and about 80% won't wave back. Either they can't let go of the handle bar, or they are way to serious:D

you're a clyde

welcome

...bet you're popular on windy days (!how many! people on your wheel?)

They have a saying in Spain: Caballo grande ande o no ande. Meaning: The big horse is the big horse, whether he runs or not.

always wave to passing bikers, spread the velo love!

I don't know if I like being called a Clydesdale. I am new to this forum and it is the first time I have heard of this term. I am 6' 3" and 230 lbs and I can keep up with the small people. I have a Cannondale Caad and have never had a problem.

I have been running a non-scientific experiment. I have been waving to all of the other bicyclist and about 80% won't wave back. Either they can't let go of the handle bar, or they are way to serious:D

When I first got back into riding a bicycle, I noticed that many of the cyclist I crossed paths with on the trail would not wave at me, or my wife as we rode past; at first I thought this to be strange… Little did I know at that time, a cyclist is not just a person on a bicycle any more…

I began to notice that most of the ones that didn’t wave were dressed in a full kit, and often riding in a pace line (as I later came to know these terms), or sometimes alone, and seemed often to be almost irritated, or have a look of, how dare you… in response to my friendliness.

I have since came to know (via BF) that I am not only known as a Clydesdale, to this type of rider, but because I ride a step through frame utility cruiser bike, with a cargo rack, just for fun and exercise, and don’t wear Lycra; I am also a Fred… I have found that both terms are derogatory terms in the road biking world. And, are therefore, most likely, the reasons for the snub in return of my friendliness.
Now, having said all that, I’m not going to let this get spun into a denigration of all road cyclist that wear Lycra… I have met many Lycra wearing road cyclist on the trail that will at least give a smile, or a head nod, or even a wave… some have even asked when my wife and I were stopped, or resting if we needed any tools, or help… it truly depends on the person.

My first thought of retaliation against the un-friendly Lycra wearing road cyclist, was to just quit waving, or saying hello at all, and just say, up yours, under my breath… But, the trouble with that idea is, you don’t know who is un-friendly until you try and wave, or say hello... and by then it’s too late. And, if I don’t wave…then I am the un-friendly cyclist… So, I have decided that every bicyclist I pass, be it Road Cyclist, Clydesdale, or Fred… I’m going to smile, wave, and respectively say hello, and if that irritates them… that is on them. I can only be myself, no matter what they do…

Just my observations… safe and fun riding to you. :)

what does the term "Fred" stand for?

Fred has two rather contrary meanings. Take your choice or use both!

fred
1) n. a person who spends a lot of money on his bike and clothing, but still can't ride. "What a fred -- too much Lycra and titanium and not enough skill." Synonym for poser. Occasionally called a "barney".

2) n. a person who has a mishmash of old gear, does't care at all about technology or fashion, didn't race or follow racing, etc. Often identified by chainring marks on white calf socks. Used by "serious" roadies to disparage utility cyclists and touring riders, especially after these totally unfashionable "freds" drop the "serious" roadies on hills because the "serious" guys were really posers. This term is from road touring and, according to popular myth, "Fred" was a well-known grumpy old touring rider, who really was named Fred.

what does the term "Fred" stand for?

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=362275

I've been riding almost as long as anyone here. I've gotten to the point where I don't care what I'm called or what I look like. I get drafted on when I'm on my Tandem, or my Recumbent, and I can drop most of the KIDS while off-road due to better SKILLS that I learned over 25 years ago. They may call me Grand Paw, and that's all right with me. Yep, might not climb the hills as well as they can, might not carve the single track like they can, but I'm out there and I'm riding. THAT is what counts for me.

Chris

LOL I'm a Fred and a Clyde!

I don't know if I like being called a Clydesdale. I am new to this forum and it is the first time I have heard of this term. I am 6' 3" and 230 lbs and I can keep up with the small people. I have a Cannondale Caad and have never had a problem.

I have been running a non-scientific experiment. I have been waving to all of the other bicyclist and about 80% won't wave back. Either they can't let go of the handle bar, or they are way to serious:D

Well, since a clyde is anyone over 200lbs OR over 6' then even at 98lbs soaking wet carrying a 50lb box, your still classed a clyde, so enjoy your clydeness, embrace your inner clyde.

Waving, I think it depends on where you are and when, on a Saturday in the summer around here, especially early morning, your likely on smaller streets to get a wave back, and a hearty good morning too. On a major street during (c)rush hours your likely to get nothing, I find if wearing bicycle specific clothing then most riders will wave, lycra or not, the exception seems to be the full kit on the 2lb plastic wonder bike crowd, okay, if they don't want to be nice to other riders, their loss.... I wonder how friendly the full kit plastic wonder bike folk are if they are in the middle of nowhere, when they find they are out of CO2 and along comes Fred Clyde on his hybrid who stops to offer assistance, and yeah his big old metal pump that outweighs the wonder bike, comes with Presta and Schraeder hoses, and he always carries both.....

Well, since a clyde is anyone over 200lbs OR over 6' then even at 98lbs soaking wet carrying a 50lb box, your still classed a clyde, so enjoy your clydeness, embrace your inner clyde.

Waving, I think it depends on where you are and when, on a Saturday in the summer around here, especially early morning, your likely on smaller streets to get a wave back, and a hearty good morning too. On a major street during (c)rush hours your likely to get nothing, I find if wearing bicycle specific clothing then most riders will wave, lycra or not, the exception seems to be the full kit on the 2lb plastic wonder bike crowd, okay, if they don't want to be nice to other riders, their loss.... I wonder how friendly the full kit plastic wonder bike folk are if they are in the middle of nowhere, when they find they are out of CO2 and along comes Fred Clyde on his hybrid who stops to offer assistance, and yeah his big old metal pump that outweighs the wonder bike, comes with Presta and Schraeder hoses, and he always carries both.....

+1 :D

Be happy being a Fredsdale...

I usually cruise the mup with a seatbag full of tools...and a pump, on fender equipped steel tourers older than I am.:D

yea i just spend way to much money on bikes, but i race them

I have my Fred bike, Trek 7300 Hybrid with fenders for night rides and rides that I might get wet on, but I also have my road bike for the dry day rides. I'm Brian and I'm a clyde. Welcome to Bikeanon. The 12 step program to not caring what people think. In this forum, we are not pretentious, uppity or snobby. We are a group of fellow large riders that just like to ride. Some to lose weight and others to keep it off.

As Wogsterca said, embrace your inner clyde.

We're the same size. Welcome to the forum!

I recently learned that I am a Clydesdale, 6' 230, via bike forums. I might be a Fred too. Not that I mind.

If I am a Fred, then what is a "full kit plastic wonder bike folk"? That term had my ROTFL! I see these guys that wear $300 sunglasses with matching outfits, but I wave at them. I never do get a wave or even a look. I have fun biking so it doesn't matter, but you're right it might be interesting if they need my CO2 cartridge.

Heh. My middle name is Frederick, and there's another Neil with the username Neil Frederick around here somewhere. If commuting in work clothes is Fred, call me Fred.

For the record, most roadie are very friendly around here, whether I'm wearing lycra, street clothes, or winter kit. And most people seem impressed at the amount of stuff I haul on tour.

When I first got back into riding a bicycle, I noticed that many of the cyclist I crossed paths with on the trail would not wave at me, or my wife as we rode past; at first I thought this to be strange… Little did I know at that time, a cyclist is not just a person on a bicycle any more…

I began to notice that most of the ones that didn’t wave were dressed in a full kit, and often riding in a pace line (as I later came to know these terms), or sometimes alone, and seemed often to be almost irritated, or have a look of, how dare you… in response to my friendliness.

I have since came to know (via BF) that I am not only known as a Clydesdale, to this type of rider, but because I ride a step through frame utility cruiser bike, with a cargo rack, just for fun and exercise, and don’t wear Lycra; I am also a Fred… I have found that both terms are derogatory terms in the road biking world. And, are therefore, most likely, the reasons for the snub in return of my friendliness.
Now, having said all that, I’m not going to let this get spun into a denigration of all road cyclist that wear Lycra… I have met many Lycra wearing road cyclist on the trail that will at least give a smile, or a head nod, or even a wave… some have even asked when my wife and I were stopped, or resting if we needed any tools, or help… it truly depends on the person.

My first thought of retaliation against the un-friendly Lycra wearing road cyclist, was to just quit waving, or saying hello at all, and just say, up yours, under my breath… But, the trouble with that idea is, you don’t know who is un-friendly until you try and wave, or say hello... and by then it’s too late. And, if I don’t wave…then I am the un-friendly cyclist… So, I have decided that every bicyclist I pass, be it Road Cyclist, Clydesdale, or Fred… I’m going to smile, wave, and respectively say hello, and if that irritates them… that is on them. I can only be myself, no matter what they do…

Just my observations… safe and fun riding to you. :)

The latest issue of Dirt Rag has a complaint about Bicycle Club of Philadelphia members being rude to a guy who chose to ride a mountain bike in one of their road events. A rider even ridiculed his bike, a high-end Kona. BCP happens to be the same club that dropped me on a novice ride; the instructor also insulted me. That was back before I logged 2700 miles in a year. Revenge is sweet, and best eaten cold.

Revenge is sweet, and best eaten cold.

Khaaan!

The latest issue of Dirt Rag has a complaint about Bicycle Club of Philadelphia members being rude to a guy who chose to ride a mountain bike in one of their road events. A rider even ridiculed his bike, a high-end Kona. BCP happens to be the same club that dropped me on a novice ride; the instructor also insulted me. That was back before I logged 2700 miles in a year. Revenge is sweet, and best eaten cold.

From a letter to the editor in the latest issue of Dirt Rag, sent in by Ron Hall of Reading, PA, we excerpt a paragraph describing the disdain a mountain bike rider received when he took his bike to the street:

"But I just did the Bicycle Club of Philadelphia [Scenic Schuylkill] Century a couple of weeks ago and again I'm rollin' Typhoid Mary. This was Philadelphia for christ-sake! I was on the ONLY mountain bike to be seen in the entire event. Again, I was met with cold "Who let you in - don't we have bouncers for this...." looks. It was as if I somehow defiled their spandex wearin' wind cheatin' carbon fiber three-person draft line (does this REALLY make a difference) sub-25 pound party. I was not in any way being anti-social - heck I probably had a big stupid grin on my face the whole time (that's how I roll). I even rode a name bike. Now I ride a Kona paired with a triple crown Girvin Chubby (what can I say, I'm loyal.) OK, maybe two people talked to me - but not until I passed the 65 mile cut off point. I guess that's when I qualified. One guy did give me "Hey, hardcore" props. And another kind woman thought I was part of the SAG support, "Oh, you mean you're riding the 100 - on THAT?!?"

Roadies. Gotta love 'em.

*ahem*

"Sticks and stones can break my bones etc."

Does it really bother you that much to be called a "Clyde" or "Fred"? Some people are jerks no matter where you are or what your doing. For the love of god never go for a ride on a metric motorcycle if people not returning the wave bothers you ;).

Fun is the operative word! I wear spandex and I am over 300 and 6'6". I wave and smile at everyone. Why the heck not? I ride for me! I ride because it feels good. I ride because it is great exercise. I ride because it is just really the most enjoyable thing I do during the day.

I am a CLYDE and I am a FRED! Proud of both of those monikers. I don't take myself so seriously while on the bike. Why I even have a bike that has platform pedals! Gasp! I am honored and proud to ride with any cyclist. I think your 3 speed Schwinn with the fenders and the basket up front is cool. I also think your titanium lighter than air bike is also nice. It is all good and we are all cyclists.

Riding in the end is about me having fun. IF it stops being fun then I stop riding. What others think of me has no bearing on that decision! :D

HAHAHAHA I am SOOO a FRED
I bought a second hand shogun Ninja with RSX gears
Got hit by a car wich killed the right Hand gear lever got that replaced cheap with a Sora gear
so I have one Sora one STI
Bought a second hand pair of bib nicks for $10 with a small hole in the side
(added another hole on the othere side)
and I have a rugby jersy for a top

one day I'm sure my mish mash of gear will be fashionable again
but untill then Im just waiting patiently

My name is Keith and I'm a clyde. If I see you on the road expect a wave unless I'm in the middle of my group and so focused on the jersey in front of me that I don't see you.

Welcome to the club and practice your forum name.