gmule

When I started riding my bike last April I weighed in at 275# 11 months later I have lost 40 pounds and commute to work 30 miles round trip every day that I can. A couple of weeks ago I was riding my route to work when I happend upon a road cyclist climbing up a 3 mile hill I have to travel on my way to work. I was just riding my ride and eventually caught up to him at a light a few miles later. I think he was trying to complement me when he blurts out " You ride pretty good for a big guy" For some reason I was kind of offended by the remark so I replied " I am only going to get better as I lose weight you are about as good as you are going to get" He kind of chuckled at the come back and went about his ride. Was I out of line? should I have taken my compliment and peddaled on? Do any of you other guys get jabs from skinny guys while riding?

fat_bike_nut

Sounds to me like the guy took it as a joke

As for me, I've never really had any comments like that, though I must be ridiculous enough looking when I go out for a long ride in the cold, wearing a fleece jacket, beach-bum swimming trunks, and a backpack full of junk on my (now deceased) 10-speed.

crtreedude 

Nope, but the parity is even more extreme here. Average Costa Rican male 5'4", I am 6'2" inches, average weight, 120 to 130, my weight, 190 (I was a clyde)

Would you say anything mean to Herman Munster?!

ludeboy_77

I would not have been offended at all. I dont think he was offended by your comment either. Atleast you did not run into a bike snob.

Garandman

I think your comeback was perfect! He could have said, "You ride pretty good" and left it at that if he wanted to be complimentary.

kensuf

You should take his comment as a compliment, I don't think he meant anything bad by it at all.

But, your comeback was great!

funrover 

LOL...Nice comeback...... I like it, may have to use it!!!! I don't get teased really.... at least not where I hear it..... I have found a good group and we all just get along!

Garandman

My standard line to small humans is, "I'm 53 years old and still the first person my friends call when they have to move furniture."

Mr. Beanz

I guess goes to show that the skinny guys can be stereotyped just as easy as us big guys. I hear it all the time about being a big guy. I thought the way you did about skinny people till a couple of partners did some training and made mega improvements in their climbing with little weight loss. Shouldn't stereotype the skinnies either!

Turboem1

A compliment would be something like "You rode that hill pretty good."

What he was saying was " You ride pretty good for a big guy, BUT if you were skinny you would be slow and crappy (or what you did was not impressive)."

I would be slightly offended too. Why is it necesary he makes a note of your weight? It has nothing to do with anything on that ride.

He probably didn't mean anything by it though.

CliftonGK1

Not while cycling, but I've gotten a couple of comments about my weight while hiking and/or climbing.

I passed a group of skinny kids while porting a 60# training pack up Mt. Si, and heard one of them make a remark to his friends about my girthful midsection. I stopped and asked him to try shouldering my pack; he couldn't even lift it to put it on. I snatched it back up, and while putting it on told him "and I'm still faster than you."

I get ribbed at the local climbing structure. A couple guys mentioned that I'd probably climb better if I lost some weight (which is true, and they were just being honest, not mean.) I told them that I use my belly button like a suction cup so I don't fall off the wall.

yeamac 

Remember this line: "Today is my easy ride. You ought to come back when I pick up the pace a little."

lasteagle83

I believe my reply would have been "Yeah, I used to be a lot faster, but I've lost some speed since I've been sick and lost so much weight". That oughtta shut him up.

wethepeople

"I'm on the last 4 miles of my century."

jcm

CliftonGK1 wrote:
"I told them that I use my belly button like a suction cup so I don't fall off the wall."

charles vail

When I am riding with my 70+ extra pounds of weight, I am often reminded that when I ride, I am carrying the equivalent of a full touring load, all the time. I manage to ride quite fast for a 48 year old with one bad knee, on flat roads. Hills are where I am slow but I imagine most of the 40+ "pencil necks" on their 17 pound bikes would have a hard time riding at my pace with a 30 pound bike and 70 extra pounds loaded on it.
At 190 pounds (my goal) I would be no mountain goat but hey! that's not why I am riding or why I am training off the weight. I just want to live longer and ride faster in the process. Comparing ourselves to other always leads to disappointment, eventually. Being the best we can be, is always satisfying.

centexwoody 

You got it, my man, that's IT...

slvoid

A) Grow thicker skin, you'll get less scrapes and scratches.
B) You're probably right, I've never heard of a skinny guy packing on a lot of lean body mass and improving their speed. That whole training thing is bullsh*t.
C) The world is completely fair, everything is PC, we shall only describe a human being by their presence.

deputyjones

I wouldn't have any problem with either line, but where I spend most of my time (around other cops) scathing remarks in jest are the norm.

fredgold52

I kind of liked the original come-back. It smacks of the when Winston Churchill said to somebody who had commented on his being drunk, "That is true, but in the morning I will be sober. You however, will still be ugly."

Just love that one.

cohophysh

Hmmm, interesting comments...I am getting kind of tired of hearing "hey big guy"
Would you say "hey big gal" to a woman???? probably not without getting clobbered....so why does society think its okay to use the term "big guy" in front of you?

sorry for the rant

charles vail

I can relate to that one......its annoying. Its kind of a nice way to say hey!, fat guy! Why the reference anyway. Do I walk up to someone and say hey, little guy! Nice job lifting that 310 pound barbell? How many skinny dudes have you seen win the worlds strongest man contest?
Tall,short, fat, skinny, strong, weak, big, small! Why address anyone with an adjective in the first place. Why not just use their name or introduce yourself and learn their name? Now that I think about it, those seemingly harmless, descriptive words are insulting whether they are true or not!

AlmostTrick

"Skinny guy" here, and I can tell you that it can go both ways. I have had people who barely know me ask "Wow, how much do you weigh?" (as if it wasn't enough) I highly doubt they would ask a fat person the same question. I can't help it if I'm skinny, I've always eaten as much as I can. I would never make a fat jab at someone, especially someone I didn't even know. I say the comment was probably a harmless compliment.

cohophysh

+++1

lasteagle83

Wanna bet? I've had people guess my weight, pant size, and shirt size. People I didn't know. People I'd never seen before. So, yes, it goes both ways. Almost got myself killed one time when I replied "My weight never seemed to bother your wife". :-)