wn01

Thought I would share a "classic and vintage" encounter I had on a ride yesterday. It was certainly classic. Has anything like this ever happened to you?

I set off with an out of town friend yesterday on a 50 mile training ride on the Washington and Old Dominion rail-trail here in VA where I live. Pulled up to the parking lot in my '01 Honda Civic with my restored '74 Raleigh Grand Prix that I have had for almost thirty years, and my vintage Trek 1981 Road Bike, top of the line for its time, that a friend gave me when he upgraded to a carbon fibre road bike. My buddy was going to ride the Raleigh and I was going to ride the Trek.

Anyway, just as I was getting the bikes of the rack, a guy rode up on his very new and expensive looking carbon fibre bike and stopped at an equally new looking BMW 5 Series Sports Car next to me. It was threatening rain so he and I exchanged a word or two about the weather. As I was leaving, he said "Can I be brutally frank?" Not expecting that, and having no idea what he was going to be frank about (politics, religion, the weather) I said "sure, of course". He went on to say, pointing at my Raleigh Grand Prix, "You should get rid of that thing and get a better bike." He went on, unprompted by me, to say "For example, you could get one like mine, which I just spent $8,000 on. It's a "real" bike." He then said, pointing to my Raleigh again, "I wouldn't give you $50 for that thing."

So, feeling quite taken a back, all I could stammer out was "Well, I am very nostalgic about this bike and, in fact, I have read posts on bikeforums.net that a lot of people love older bikes and prefer them and many love Raleighs and many of them this particular model and I think I could probably get a few hundred for it but I won't ever sell it." (I have had the Raleigh for 30+ years and have recently restored it w modern cranks, a new wheelset from Harris Cyclery, and upgraded gearing since I am old). I pointed to my Trek and said "this is my road bike, the Raleigh is my commuter." He was equally unimpressed with the Trek which their top of the line model in '81. After extolling the virtues to me of his custom carbon fibre job, which probably weighs half as much as my Raleigh, he pointed out his top of the line Garmin bike GPS and his top of the line biking computer. He looked at my Raleigh and its bottom of the line speedometer and huge commuting bell and said, "But I do like your bell."

After he went on some more I told him his bike certainly was a nice one but that $8,000 was significantly out of my price range and he said, looking at my bottom of the line Civic, that "There are some ok road bikes that start at around $1,500." By this point, I had to leave. I didn't see the value in pointing out that my two bikes and car together were worth quite a bit less than his $8,000 bike. We were clearly on different wave lengths.

I have had a few put downs in life but this was the first time a total stranger had insulted my ride, and my favorite ride at that...

Where does this kind of bike snobbery come from and have any of you other vintage bike fans experienced anything like it?

rotharpunc

I thought the C&V types were usually the snobby ones. If you see the guy again, tell him they might really enjoy his point of view over at classic rendezvous, that should make for a good laugh

East Hill

I don't care if someone has an expensive car, or an expensive bike. Their decision to spend money as they want, my decision to spend money as I want.

I don't know how I would have responded to that--I doubt that I would have had quite the same conversation. Being a woman, he probably would not have deigned to talk to me.

duffer1960

Manic episode? Cocaine or speed? Hopeless a**? I would think the guy has a problem and I would want to be going the other way on the trail.

USAZorro

You could have stopped right here, and I could have predicted the rest.

Pardon my prejudices, but it's my experience that an inordinate percentage of the biggest snobs I've encountered have Beamers.

Sirrus Rider

Rejoice! You'll be riding your bike long after he he retires his $1,000 plus Carbon Fibre Wonder from fatigue cracking in a season or three. A modern bike is designed as a consumable; consequently, he'll hit a point where he either hangs it on the wall or throws it out.

10 Wheels

My response to the guy: How long have you been a drug dealer?

cb400bill

You've never hung out at the BF Road Cycling forum, have you?

Poguemahone

Nah, not really. Although I once passed a guy on a Litespeed while climbing, and heard him croak behind me: "How old is that bike?". I slowed down and we had a nice talk. It made my day, he was a really cool guy. I'd ride with him anytime.

Another time, I was at Ashland coffee and Tea, and a rider on high end carbon came up and asked what my bike was, and when I told him it was an Eisentraut, he and I had a really great talk. We wound up on another ride together by chance later in the year.

My ride partner once showed up with a friend of hers on a dura ace equipped seven. After he hung onto the wheel of my Peugeot for fifteen miles, he said "I didn't think that thing would be that fast." I'd ride with him again as well, a funny guy in a cynical way.

I'm sure some look down at my bikes as hopeless relics, but for some reason they rarely talk to me.

jtarver

Unpleasantness...

garysol1 

Hmmmm.....really? Is his Carbon bike REALLY going to develop fatigue cracking in three seasons... ?
The material of the guys bike has nothing to do with him being a horses butt.

stausty

Doesn't the joke go, "Opinions and beamers - every a**hole has one."

I think that situation was one that would warrant huge loads of sarcastic flattery.
"You're right, I should spend thousands of dollars on a carbon fiber road bike."
"That's such a shiny new bike, I wish I could afford one."
"Oh, are those Shoomanou gears? I hear those are really good."
"How do you walk around with those weird clicky shoes?"
And so forth.

bbattle

Just smile and say, "Have a Nice Day." Then ride off with a big grin on your face like Enzyte Bob.

Poguemahone

You know, I think Syke once had one, although I recall his bikes better than his cars. He must be the exception to prove the rule.

Roll-Monroe-Co

What a dick. Based on your experience, you can probably make some a predictions about how fulfilling his relationships are. He sounds like an empty husk. I wouldn't take 10 of him for one of you, wn01.

Bearonabike

Whip out a hammer and put a ding in his top tube, remark that it now resembles yours, all except for the fact that the bike is about to self destruct.

God did not intend for bikes to be made from pencil lead.

CV-6 

Usually it is just the opposite. The guys on the new bikes are falling all over themselves to get a look at one of my bikes. And for the most part they are self-disciplining. Had a case where several guys were eyeballing the LeJeune Champ du Monde and one of them made a disparaging remark. His buddy told him to "Button your lip. That is a top of the line classic racing bike and you should show respect for the history it represents." This before I could get my standard "Let's see if your carbon bike is around 40 years from now." And actually I was floored he knew about LeJeune.

pass the peas

Can I be frank? Sounds imagined to me. Nice character assassination, though. Not all rich guys are ******bags.

10 Wheels

Why do you think the prick was rich?

East Hill

That's the truth.

trashion

Sounds like a real jerk. I had a 2009 (admittedly entry-level) aluminum bike with carbon front fork, and I sold it to buy my '69 steel-framed Frejus. Best decision I ever made, in terms of ride comfort and reliability.

Tigerprawn

Man oh man... That story made me cringe.

Reminds of a similar story I had riding in San Francisco...

I have a Nishiki International converted to a fixed gear. I went on a family/friend bike trip over the Golden Gate bridge and then down a really nice path to a beach near Sausalito. It gets quite hilly, but I wasn't too worried since riding fixed gear had definitely made me stronger.

Halfway through the ride I come to a stop to wait up for my g/f and her family to catch up. All of a sudden a guy passes by me on his new carbon bike brakes and turns around to talk to me. He begins with, "Hey, I don't see too many fixed gear riders around here... Do yourself a favor and head back 2-3 miles and there is a bike shop where you can rent a real bike with some gears." - His words not mine haha - He then takes off. Now, I'm not heated or offended, but I was a bit taken back at how a guy who does not know me can be so arrogant and blunt.

I decide to take off with him. He pulls away from me on the flats and looks back a few times. We hit a really steep hill and he begins to climb. I sprint and mash up the hill with him. I get off my seat and start mashing some more. He spins like mad slowly climbing the hill. I end up passing him by and reaching a sitting area with a bench. Decided to take a rest and wait for everyone else. He comes up a minute after me and I'm just sitting on the bench with my water bottle and power bar and give him a nice big grin and wave.

rotharpunc

before my car free days, I owned a couple of beamers. I loved the damn things. They were C&V though.

bigboybiker

Two words..... Over Compensation. With a we little pee pee he needs something to brag over.

Jerry

tolfan

a guy spends 8 grand on a bike then see you feeling just as good and having just as much fun on your favorite classic. Guess he had to do something to try and justify such a foolish purchase to himself.
Lets see for $8000 the 68 Dodge dart I just saw, a top of the line classic italian road bike full campy,My Neighbors mint condition 73 sportster( I was 9 in 73 and have wanted one ever since), WWII german Luger, Winchester 30/30, a lap top computer and still have money left for a case of domestic beer.
Ya $8000 for a bicycle good buy there. there is no direct corolation between money and brains.
edit; ya my carbon specialized full shimano 105 with mavic ksyrium wheels and a brooks pro sadle $180.