Commuting - BS stories.

This afternoon after getting off work, I went for about a 25-30 mile ride. I rode to this quaint little village, Mystic, Ct. I was in downtown Mystic waiting for the draw bridge. Some older scraggly looking dude on an older trek mtb rides up besides me.

He says in what sounded kinda like a condescending tone "I rode bikes back when it wasn't cool. I had six or seven. I bought one in 1971 for 1500 bucks".

Hmmm, that's a lotta money back in '71, I said.

What was is? Something Italian?

"Motobecane. It weighed about 14 pounds"

Really? I said. I desperately wanted to answer "yer fulla $hit!!!!" but, I just smiled and said have a nice ride and off we went.

14 pounds sounds a might bit on the light side for an almost 40 year old ride. I have done some reading on the topic, but, an a long way from being an expert. Real long.

What would a state of the art racing bike of that vintage weigh? I'm guessing around 21 lbs. Or maybe this dude just had an early prototype CF bike. So what if CF hadn't been invented yet. :lol:

A 71 motobecane was a Reynolds 531 frame which weighs about 5 or 6 pounds. But with the components available back then, I think your guess of about 21 pounds is probably fairly accurate.

You know, I regularly run into scraggly old guys who give unsolicited lectures about what I should do, wear, or carry on a bike. Why is that?!

I hear that kind of nonsense all the time from people older than me who claim they used to ride bikes. Once someone told me their whole Italian-made Campy equiped something or other bike from the 80s weighed three pounds. When confronted with such an absurd claim, I usually ask what's the farthest they've ever ridden. People who don't really know much about cycling tend to grossly underestimate both bike weight and normal riding distances, so the response is usually something like "25 miles", as if I am supposed to be amazed at someone riding that distance.

This afternoon after getting off work, I went for about a 25-30 mile ride. I rode to this quaint little village, Mystic, Ct. I was in downtown Mystic waiting for the draw bridge. Some older scraggly looking dude on an older trek mtb rides up besides me.

He says in what sounded kinda like a condescending tone "I rode bikes back when it wasn't cool. I had six or seven. I bought one in 1971 for 1500 bucks".

Hmmm, that's a lotta money back in '71, I said.

What was is? Something Italian?

"Motobecane. It weighed about 14 pounds"

Really? I said. I desperately wanted to answer "yer fulla $hit!!!!" but, I just smiled and said have a nice ride and off we went.

14 pounds sounds a might bit on the light side for an almost 40 year old ride. I have done some reading on the topic, but, an a long way from being an expert. Real long.

What would a state of the art racing bike of that vintage weigh? I'm guessing around 21 lbs. Or maybe this dude just had an early prototype CF bike. So what if CF hadn't been invented yet. :lol:

Sounds just like most of the yarns spun here on BF!!
Cheers,
Geary

You know, I regularly run into scraggly old guys who give unsolicited lectures about what I should do, wear, or carry on a bike. Why is that?!

Yeah, me too. Damn recumbent riders!

Everyone's full of 5h!t.

P.S. The word censors on this site are ridiculous! Really? We can't say ****? Or *****? They use those words on television for Christ's sake! Gimme a ****ing break!

All in all it was a very nice ride. I am at the sub base in groton doing my 2 week navy reserve thing. This is a route I haven't rode before. Rt 184 is mostly straight, has a few moderate hills and by Ct standards, a ginormous shoulder in very good condition. And the weather is absolutely perfect. Not a cloud in the sky, maybe low 70s. Just a perfect almost fall day.

On the way out to mystic, I was rather quickly reeled in by a roadie commuter. He was a light dude on a CF trek. I figured he would drop me like a bad habit, but, as he passed me, we hit a slight downhill where my 235 lbs stops being a problem and starts helping. I paced him easily, then road up alongside and we shot the bleep for a while. Too bad they don't have slightly down hill road races. I swear, I'd be a cat 2 at least. Anyway, this dude turned off after a few miles.

Right after running into old scraggly BSer dude, I was passed by a benter. He was getting on it pretty good along this twisty road that follows the mystic river. He was making sharp right turns at intersections that would make joeybike cringe. I hung with him for a while. At first I had to work a bit, but, when he realized he wasn't gonna drop me, he backed it down a notch. We road along and chatted for a good 5 miles or so. When we got to a hill, he said this is where we benters get our arses kicked! It will be even worse today as I'm kinda spent from trying to run away from you! I laughed and said not to worry as I couldn't run away from anybody on a climb.

So, we limped up the hill at a blistering 6 or 7 mph.

He turned off shortly after and I headed back to my car at the wallyworld parking lot.

If there's anyone looking for a nice ride in SE Ct, you could do worse than 184. Very nice and great shoulders. Good thing they are wide since the regular cage speeds are probably around 60mph.

Yeah, me too. Damn recumbent riders!

This old scraggly BSer was on a mtb. My run in with the bent pilot was shortly thereafter. He did have a beard, but not much of an aerobelly to speak of.

Sounds just like most of the yarns spun here on BF!!
Cheers,
Geary

Wrong, I really did drop Lance on the way to work a few weeks back. "This is my recovery ride!" he said when I turned back and gave him "the look".

Wrong, I really did drop Lance on the way to work a few weeks back. "This is my recovery ride!" he said when I turned back and gave him "the look".

That's funny!

Back when Lance was riding for USPS, every poseur roadie on the MUP (except me) was wearing that jersey. One day I get stuck at a busy intersection. The guy in the car next to me says "Hey Lance!" to me. I said "I'm not Lance. I passed that a55hole ten times already this morning".

Gosh let the guy have his fun. I mean what would you say to the person in the future with a 2032 trek.

Everyone's full of 5h!t.

P.S. The word censors on this site are ridiculous! Really? We can't say ****? Or *****? They use those words on television for Christ's sake! Gimme a ****ing break!

Why is there the need to use those words in a forum as diverse as this one? I mean isn't it possible for a person to express their feelings without bombarding the board with expletives?

You need to adjust for inflation. 14 pounds in 1971 is like 42 of today's pounds. ;)

You need to adjust for inflation. 14 pounds in 1971 is like 42 of today's pounds. ;)

"Now I don't care who you are that there is funny"

wut? he didn't tell you he used to ride to work in the snow blizzard every day uphill both ways? ;)

Why is there the need to use those words in a forum as diverse as this one? I mean isn't it possible for a person to express their feelings without bombarding the board with expletives?

this is a contradictory bit here...

censorship inhibits and suppresses diversity.

if cultural and/or social values are filtered solely by the dominant group, then the minority groups must assimilate or face termination.

stupid old puritan values still permeate into contemporary social systems.

I would say it was closer to 24-25 pounds depending on his components.

Even this guy admits to over 25 with the fenders on:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stronglight/sets/72157604489762935/

I believe the scraggly guy.
$1000 for the 21lb Motobecane.
$500 labour for aggressive use of this:
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s262/toronto505/Decorated%20images/100_1168_00.jpg

I would say it was closer to 24-25 pounds depending on his components.

Even this guy admits to over 25 with the fenders on:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stronglight/sets/72157604489762935/

Nice vintage bike pron. Thanks.

this is a contradictory bit here...

censorship inhibits and suppresses diversity.

if cultural and/or social values are filtered solely by the dominant group, then the minority groups must assimilate or face termination.

stupid old puritan values still permeate into contemporary social systems.

Forum guidelines number three.

Maybe he rode a fixie/track bike 40 years earlier than most....

I think that some people get deceived by the feel of how light some bikes are when they pick them up. My Jubile sport feels like it weighs only a few pounds, but I'd guess it's more like 20. Although, in comparison to my tank of a hybrid and mountain bike, which both have Aluminum frames, my steel Moto is much lighter.

One of my friends, who owned a Super Sport at one time, recently loaded my bike on his bike rack and he couldn't believe how light it felt. He's used to handling his kids X-Mart bike though.

I know my 1985 Univega that I had in high school was a little over 24 lbs stock.


I would say it was closer to 24-25 pounds depending on his components.

Even this guy admits to over 25 with the fenders on:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stronglight/sets/72157604489762935/

That bike is just sick.

I thought my 1982 Jubile Sport was clean.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3427/3883973209_5052169235_m.jpg

You know, I regularly run into scraggly old guys who give unsolicited lectures about what I should do, wear, or carry on a bike. Why is that?!

Gives us old guys something to do with our days... ;)

A 71 motobecane was a Reynolds 531 frame which weighs about 5 or 6 pounds. But with the components available back then, I think your guess of about 21 pounds is probably fairly accurate.

What if it was a track bike? (Uh a "fixie" to you hipsters...)

I have a vintage Sannino, and when I put on the sew ups vice clinchers, it is one darn light bike.

Did he claim to have invented the question mark?

I WISH my Motobecane was 14lbs.

The magazine page from '84 lists it as 26lbs.

Why is there the need to use those words in a forum as diverse as this one? I mean isn't it possible for a person to express their feelings without bombarding the board with expletives?

words can cut




ow



I got a wordcut on my finger

Meh. Chaucer, Shakespeare, Orwell, Joyce, Hemingway. They all used the F word. But if it offends the delicate sensibilities of BF, then who the **** am I to say?

words can cut




ow



I got a wordcut on my finger

I'd recommend that you wash the ******* cut, before it gets so ******* infected you can't ride. That would be ****** and your *** will be sorry!

Don't mind cussing/swearing ... whatever you call it, but IMO overuse tends to dull the knife.

When you really need the emphasis, it just isn't there.

I'm going back to the bacon thread.... I'm hungry.

Yeah, **** just doesn't have the comic punch of the actual words. :thumb:



Why does that sound to me what Martin Blank told Bob in Gross Pointe Blank?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Jk7oRafkf94/SBM6mHM_9wI/AAAAAAAAAfw/E6cstWi1sQU/s400/michael.jpg

Bob: These are my words.
Martin Q. Blank: It's a poem? See, that's the problem... express yourself, Bob! Go for it.
Bob: When I feel... quiet... when... I feel... blue...”
Martin Q. Blank: You know, I think that is *terrific*, what you have right there. Really, I liked it, a lot. I wouldn't sell the dealership or anything but, I'm tellin' ya... it's intense!
Bob: There's... more.
Martin Q. Blank: Okay, would ya mind, just skip to the end.
Bob: To... the very end? For a while.
Martin Q. Blank: Whew. That's good man.
Bob: For a while.
Martin Q. Blank: That's excellent!

my favourite tall tale was from a guy I used to work with. He overheard I had ridden the highway out to Banff in just over 3 hours. He claimed he had a pal who could do it in an hour. I asked if he was a pro cyclist as he would have been riding about 100 km/hour (60 MPH) to pull that off. He didn't have a response to that.

What if it was a track bike? (Uh a "fixie" to you hipsters...)

I have a vintage Sannino, and when I put on the sew ups vice clinchers, it is one darn light bike.And he filled the tires and tubing up with helium?

Everyone's full of 5h!t.

P.S. The word censors on this site are ridiculous! Really? We can't say ****? Or *****? They use those words on television for Christ's sake! Gimme a ****ing break!

That's right. You can't say ****, but don't you feel lucky you can still take the Lord's name in vain?

That's right. You can't say ****, but don't you feel lucky you can still take the Lord's name in vain?

That means we are going to "h-e-double hockey sticks" right?

I got a co-worker interested in cycling to work, and he did a few years back. Rode in a cheap mountain bike and arrived at work very sweaty. No rack--just carried a backpack. He always made a big production out of his sweaty arrival and talked about his ride. I'd listen if I had to, just to keep encouraging him.

Anyhow, he got to asking me how fast I was going and how long it took me to get to work. I told him and in turn he told me that he was going twice as far in half the time. He always tells the tall tales, but this was just ridiculous as I wasn't the least bit interested in his times and don't for a second believe them. Anyhow, this race of words came to a head when he bragged of his better times compared to mine to someone right in front of me. I just grinned and did a little coo coo motion with my hand near my head, and his co-worker smiled at me.

Some folks just love the action, I guess.

I own a top-of-the-line 1971 Crescent Mark XX. 58cm. A couple of world championship races were won on the same bike ca. 69-70. Sandvik Stainless steel tubing, Nervex lugs and all original Campy N. Record throughout.

It weighs 24 lbs, with a Brooks Team pro saddle. The original Italian butt-hatchet saddle is not appreciably lighter.

I own a top-of-the-line 1971 Crescent Mark XX. 58cm. A couple of world championship races were won on the same bike ca. 69-70. Sandvik Stainless steel tubing, Nervex lugs and all original Campy N. Record throughout.

Nice bike! Post a picture.


It weighs 24 lbs, with a Brooks Team pro saddle. The original Italian butt-hatchet saddle is not appreciably lighter.

You CAN actually ass-hatchet if you'd like. ;)

1. Thanks. It's in getting the lugs outlined. I hope to have it back and back together in a couple weeks.

2. Overswearing dulls the hatchet, as it were... ;D

and FWIW, I now have a lovely Brooks Swift to reward it for its patience at the painter's...

That means we are going to "h-e-double hockey sticks" right?
You betcha! ;)

Getting an early seventies track bike down to a 14 pound weight was possible... if your name was Merckx and knew a guy named Colnago.

http://www.loughrigg.org/eddyMerckxBike/eddyMerckxBike.jpg