Fifty Plus (50+) - and so it starts

Over on the Road forum, people poke fun at Obsessive Compulsive Poseurs (OCPs).

Oh no, not us, chime the 50+ers. Oh no, not me, I chime. So why did I buy a new helmet yesterday, blue, white and black like the beloved new bike, and a carbon fibre water bottle cage to attach to the carbon fibre seat tube? And why did I put a happy hour into flossing the cassette and cleaning the welds from sand dust with a newly purchased paint brush?

I haven't yet accepted that I have a problem - surely, that's what everyone does? Isn't it?

Oh no, the head tube is getting a little dull where the brake cable touches. Where's me nail varnish? Back in a while

Theory -- I don't think this is a sign of OCP. I think you are a nice feller.

I did the same with my roadie yesterday in anticipation of riding this AM which I didn't do.

But a clean, well-kept road bike is a happy road bike. I swore I heard my bike purr once or twice while I was polishing it with Bike Lust.

So you don't have OCP, but something far worse: cyclopomorphism.

Agree. This not OCP. You are obsessed with your bicycle. That's a good thing. :)

So you don't have OCP, but something far worse: cyclopomorphism.

Cyclopomorphism - you have a point. I just was thinking I should do the same to the old reliable and the tandem lest they feel neglected. They're looking a bit downcast.

Must admint to painting the bottle cages as I couldn't find the style in the color I wanted.......

I haven't yet accepted that I have a problem - surely, that's what everyone does? Isn't it?

It's only a problem if you think it's a problem or if it's affecting other parts of your life. You don't need to have an objective reason for doing it. Making yourself happy is reason enough.

Incidentally, I think that those guys on the Road Forum have a scale for rateing your bike, clothes etc. that goes from Fred to Poseur. There's only the narrowest knife edge segment of that scale that's labeled "barely acceptable" and none at all that's "A-OK". If you're the kind of person who appreciates getting advice, post a picture of your bike on the Road Forum.

If you're the kind of person who appreciates getting advice, post a picture of your bike on the Road Forum.

Nope - funny responses to a humourously intentioned thread will do me fine! Keep 'em coming;) But there's something about bikes which eggs you on to activities which are slightly out of the normal pattern, eh!

Have you got matching bar tape yet?

How do you floss a cassette?

How do you floss a cassette?

Starts with a trip to the underwear store.

Theory --I swore I heard my bike purr once or twice while I was polishing it with Bike Lust.

So you don't have OCP, but something far worse: cyclopomorphism.

Are those of us who pamper several bikes guilty of cyclopolyamorism?

Road Fan

Cyclopomorphism - you have a point. I just was thinking I should do the same to the old reliable and the tandem lest they feel neglected. They're looking a bit downcast.


I do try to keep bikes in "take me out, please, please!" condition.

Road Fan

I do try to keep bikes in "take me out, please, please!" condition.

Road Fan


That would mean n+another couple for me. I do have spare bikes- but they get taken out by other riders and that means I have two bikes to clean after a ride. Yesterday after the ride- The bike was put in the shed. Road ride so not very dirty. Tonight- I cleaned it- Should have been a wipe over with an oily rag- BUT- There under the Bottom bracket was the smell I discovered when I opened up the shed. FOX poo- and I must have hit it on the road when it was fresh. It was all over the chainstays aswell. Serves me right for not cleaning it yesterday but It was off with the wheels and wash down outside in the freezing cold- (Got another cold spell coming through) Then clean the wheel while it was out so might as well do the front wheel- Then The brakes look dusty---------2 hours later and frozen stiff- I was inside for a bath- That fox poo must still have been soft and I smelt of it.

Yea keep the bike clean -but how RCK is getting on with his Skunk smell- I would not like to think.

Riding a recumbent automatically paints me as a Fred. So I've got a free pass for any other, um, eccentricities I might have.

My wife just told me the other day that I wash my bike more often than I wash my truck. I said of course I do, I like my bike better than my truck.

My wife just told me the other day that I wash my bike more often than I wash my truck. I said of course I do, I like my bike better than my truck.

Not to mention it takes less time!

It sounds like a mild case of OCP, but how much did you pay for that new paint brush and is its sole future intended use to clean welds? Are you contemplating a matching outfit for this bike? Including new carbon soled shoes? Would uber-light carbon wheels make it a better/faster ride? Do you mostly hang-out with the bike at the local coffee shop? You just might be .... OCP.

My wife just told me the other day that I wash my bike more often than I wash my truck. I said of course I do, I like my bike better than my truck.

We're on water restrictions in my county - only 3 gallon bucket washes allowed. That's much easier for my bikes. They don't have to know I have 7.

How do you floss a cassette?

Obsessively! With a de-greaser like Simple Green and a fat hiking boot-lace, rinse with Perrier at 16 degrees C and repeat;)

I can be OCD/P with the best of them but to put it into perspective I just joined one of the local bicycle touring clubs. The group seems mostly 50+ and this is a high-income area in N. California so it seems that everyone can afford several of anything they want. My Roubaix Expert looks like a Good Will special riding with that pack. Must be about 20% titanium frames. Also lots of Orbeas and a bunch of other steath bikes that you know gotta are something special and will get to find out if you just ask (great for the new guy getting to know people). Very few off-the-rack bikes (unless you count the Orbeas :eek:).

Also, a good sampling of very exotic jerseys from rides taken all over the world.

Do you use a waxed boot-lace or a plain one?

Well, I ride a relatively old bike and everything I have on the bike is well worn. So I would think I would be safe from the "poseur" label. That is sort of the upside to fredness.

But isn't labelling someone a "poseur" a risky proposition? Isn't a poseur someone with more money than performance?

I mean it is one thing to think that someone is a "poseur" if that person a) boasts about their abilities b) is all tricked out in flashy stuff and c) can not change a flat or something basic like that.

But it seems to me that virtually any recreational rider can be easily shut down by an accomplished racer. I mean compared to anyone in the tour de France peleton wouldn't almost all of our local hotshots be "poseurs"?

I mean I have even heard discussions where people were trying to decide how "good" one had to be before one could legitimately rider Dura Ace. Do you have to be able to do a 20 mile hour long time trial? Do you have to have completed 10 centuries? Who keeps track of this stuff? Isn't that nonsense? If you enjoy riding and can afford Dura Ace and want the stuff, what is the problem with it? If the individual is doing it to show off that is one thing. Even if they are being obnoxious, so what? But if they are doing it because the love the sport and can afford it, why is that a bad thing?

Isn't one of the great beauties of cycling the fact that it can be done in many different ways? I mean you can mountain bike, you can ride really, really fast in a racing club, you can do fully loaded touring, you can ride on a bike path for a bit of relaxation and exercise, and so on. If someone likes to ride a high end bike and wear snappy clothing because they look and feel good, so what? There are many ways to enjoy the sport. That is one of its great strengths.

...I mean I have even heard discussions where people were trying to decide how "good" one had to be before one could legitimately rider Dura Ace. Do you have to be able to do a 20 mile hour long time trial? Do you have to have completed 10 centuries? Who keeps track of this stuff? Isn't that nonsense? If you enjoy riding and can afford Dura Ace and want the stuff, what is the problem with it? If the individual is doing it to show off that is one thing. Even if they are being obnoxious, so what? But if they are doing it because the love the sport and can afford it, why is that a bad thing?

Isn't one of the great beauties of cycling the fact that it can be done in many different ways? I mean you can mountain bike, you can ride really, really fast in a racing club, you can do fully loaded touring, you can ride on a bike path for a bit of relaxation and exercise, and so on. If someone likes to ride a high end bike and wear snappy clothing because they look and feel good, so what? There are many ways to enjoy the sport. That is one of its great strengths.


You are right. And I look at many of these things as industrial works of art. Ok, so I ain't got no taste. :cry:

Good Post Pat,

You make several good points, and I really wish more cyclists shared your attitude!

Rick / OCRR

Isn't a poseur someone with more money than performance?


I'd take that definition one step further, and call a poseur someone who is all appearance and no substance. Looking the part is more important than actually riding. An extreme example is the guy who dons his full Team Discovery kit, puts his $10,000 bike on the SUV roof rack, parks in a prominent spot by the front door of the spa, and when he's done with his workout he drives home and puts the bike away until next time.

Over on the Road forum, people poke fun at Obsessive Compulsive Poseurs (OCPs).

...And why did I put a happy hour into flossing the cassette and cleaning the welds from sand dust with a newly purchased paint brush?

I haven't yet accepted that I have a problem - surely, that's what everyone does? Isn't it?

Oh no, the head tube is getting a little dull where the brake cable touches. Where's me nail varnish? Back in a while

Oh yeah?
I'll see your flossed cassette and raise you....
-It was stormy today, so I disassembled the bike, cleaned the components, lubed the lubeable bits and
fine-tuned the reassembled bike.
No, I did not tear apart the wheels (spokes-rims-hub): but I thought about it.

Oh yeah?

I took a pair of brand new tires off of my spare road wheelset and replaced them with a slightly worn set. I have no idea why I did that.

I'd take that definition one step further, and call a poseur someone who is all appearance and no substance. Looking the part is more important than actually riding. An extreme example is the guy who dons his full Team Discovery kit, puts his $10,000 bike on the SUV roof rack, parks in a prominent spot by the front door of the spa, and when he's done with his workout he drives home and puts the bike away until next time.

Or Mountain bikers that "Apparantly" have just done a 30 mile ride in our Local forest on a Wet day and don't have a single bit of Mud on themselves or their $5,000 Bikes. Made our bikes look shabby and Dirty. They did look good though with their top of the range helmets and spotless clothing. I Think it was the Reflectors on the wheels that let them down.

I remember you used to be able to buy a sweatshirt that looked like you'd sweated heavily, so you could say you went jogging (and really just saunter down to Starbucks).

Well, I ride a relatively old bike and everything I have on the bike is well worn. So I would think I would be safe from the "poseur" label. That is sort of the upside to fredness.

But isn't labelling someone a "poseur" a risky proposition? Isn't a poseur someone with more money than performance?

I mean it is one thing to think that someone is a "poseur" if that person a) boasts about their abilities b) is all tricked out in flashy stuff and c) can not change a flat or something basic like that.

But it seems to me that virtually any recreational rider can be easily shut down by an accomplished racer. I mean compared to anyone in the tour de France peleton wouldn't almost all of our local hotshots be "poseurs"?

I mean I have even heard discussions where people were trying to decide how "good" one had to be before one could legitimately rider Dura Ace. Do you have to be able to do a 20 mile hour long time trial? Do you have to have completed 10 centuries? Who keeps track of this stuff? Isn't that nonsense? If you enjoy riding and can afford Dura Ace and want the stuff, what is the problem with it? If the individual is doing it to show off that is one thing. Even if they are being obnoxious, so what? But if they are doing it because the love the sport and can afford it, why is that a bad thing?

Isn't one of the great beauties of cycling the fact that it can be done in many different ways? I mean you can mountain bike, you can ride really, really fast in a racing club, you can do fully loaded touring, you can ride on a bike path for a bit of relaxation and exercise, and so on. If someone likes to ride a high end bike and wear snappy clothing because they look and feel good, so what? There are many ways to enjoy the sport. That is one of its great strengths.

Well said Pat.

It doesn't matter to me what fancy equipment someone is riding or wearing, it's all about attitude. Period.

Well said Pat.

It doesn't matter to me what fancy equipment someone is riding or wearing, it's all about attitude. Period.

Ride your own ride. If you're cool with others it's all good.