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Completed my first century in 13 years yesterday and lost 15 kilo's in preparing.

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Completed my first century in 13 years yesterday and lost 15 kilo's in preparing.

Old 11-27-11, 02:03 AM
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Completed my first century in 13 years yesterday and lost 15 kilo's in preparing.

A few months ago Mrs. Fred and I said enough is enough to the midlife scale movements and started counting calories. I also committed to a century to be ridden with several friends. The last three months have seen 15 kilos come off. Clothes that have been in the closet for a long while are being worn again. And, to top it off,.... I finished yesterdays rather hilly, and definately windy Taupo Cycle Challenge in 7:35. Not fast, but, I didn't suffer either. Woohoo!
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Birth Certificate, Passport, Marriage License Driver's License and Residency Permit all say I'm a Fred. I guess there's no denying it.
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Old 11-27-11, 03:39 AM
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great job!

But I under understand the Fred thing in your signature area.
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Old 11-27-11, 06:56 AM
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In the cycling community calling someone a "Fred" is a putdown.
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Old 11-27-11, 07:16 AM
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Well done, BigFred. It is great to see some people fight against that which others perceive as inevitable.
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Old 11-27-11, 09:01 AM
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Originally Posted by paisan
In the cycling community calling someone a "Fred" is a putdown.
Except among commuters and tourists. Then it could be praise.
 
Old 11-27-11, 10:37 AM
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Originally Posted by Neil_B
Except among commuters and tourists. Then it could be praise.
No. This is only true for those people who purposely do things outside the norm because it gives them a false sense of satisfaction to be "different".

But don't kid yourself, Commuters and cyclo tourists still use the term "fred" as a putdown, they just use a different criteria for the definition because they tend to favor function over form and some of the things they do could be considered "fredly" by the normal definition.

Another poster was calling people "freds" in a different thread a few weeks back. He's a commuter, I doubt he was giving people "praise" .
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Old 11-27-11, 10:53 AM
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Great job on the ride!

I hope Mrs. Fred is riding as well - my wife's riding is one of my favorite things about resuming cycling. We both get to become fit enjoying the same workout together.

And ignore the Fred put-down stuff. Simply uncooth elitism.

Proudly a Fred!
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Old 11-27-11, 02:52 PM
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Originally Posted by paisan
No. This is only true for those people who purposely do things outside the norm because it gives them a false sense of satisfaction to be "different".

But don't kid yourself, Commuters and cyclo tourists still use the term "fred" as a putdown, they just use a different criteria for the definition because they tend to favor function over form and some of the things they do could be considered "fredly" by the normal definition.

Another poster was calling people "freds" in a different thread a few weeks back. He's a commuter, I doubt he was giving people "praise" .
Sorry, there's a logic fail here. First of all, what is the "norm" for cycling? Roadie? If so, then "Fred" is usually an insult. Its often misapplied by roadies to people better described as "poseur", AKA folks with expensive road bikes who have to walk up small rises. Or other roadies who don't meet "the standard" - said standard being a mirror image of themselves.

If you accept that there's more to riding than fast as possible from point A to point B, then you may not accept "Fred" as an insult. And when you consider that it's possible the term derived from a real cycle tourist, Fred Birchmore:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/histor...the-World.html

Also, you can find people on Bike Forums using the term as a compliment, or adopting it much as Americans adopted the insult "Yankee Doodle" as their own.
 
Old 11-27-11, 03:12 PM
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I'm a Fred.
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Old 11-27-11, 03:37 PM
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I am with mith,

"Hi! my name is Fred"
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Old 11-27-11, 03:44 PM
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Originally Posted by chefisaac
I am with mith,

"Hi! my name is Fred"
Same here....
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Old 11-27-11, 04:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Neil_B
Sorry, there's a logic fail here. First of all, what is the "norm" for cycling? Roadie? If so, then "Fred" is usually an insult. Its often misapplied by roadies to people better described as "poseur", AKA folks with expensive road bikes who have to walk up small rises. Or other roadies who don't meet "the standard" - said standard being a mirror image of themselves.

If you accept that there's more to riding than fast as possible from point A to point B, then you may not accept "Fred" as an insult. And when you consider that it's possible the term derived from a real cycle tourist, Fred Birchmore:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/histor...the-World.html

Also, you can find people on Bike Forums using the term as a compliment, or adopting it much as Americans adopted the insult "Yankee Doodle" as their own.
There are numerous lists floating around describing what people consider the norms. I'm not going to dig them up, I'm sure you've read them. Whether or not I agree with them, calling someone a fred is not "praise". Regardless of where it "may" have started, it's a putdown. Plain and simple. Obviously some people have turned it into a tongue in cheek compliment, and many people proclaim to be freds for a laugh(as evidenced on this thread), the fact remains if you're on a ride and someone you don't know, calls you that I highly doubt he is giving you a compliment.

For the record I was just answering Isaacs question. I didn't call anyone a fred, nor do I believe in calling anyone a fred. I've said this many times on this forum (and in person, to Neil no less) that "it's your ride, ride it how you want". My only crime in all of this is daring to question Neil on the fact that calling someone a fred is "praise".
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Old 11-27-11, 04:37 PM
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And weren't we both called Freds on the Peach ride Neil? I bet they were giving us compliments, right?
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Old 11-27-11, 08:06 PM
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Originally Posted by paisan
And weren't we both called Freds on the Peach ride Neil? I bet they were giving us compliments, right?
Life's too short to spend your time caring what someone called you. In my experience, people who call others names are doing so because they have some deficiency themselves and are trying to make themselves feel better by putting someone else down. Eh. I don't care. People can call me Fred as much as they want. Heck, I'll do it for them. I won't be spending any time caring about it though- I'll be busy enjoying my bicycle.

In the end, here's what it comes down to:

"Anyone who rides a bike is a friend of mine"
- Gary Fisher
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Old 11-27-11, 08:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Mithrandir
Life's too short to spend your time caring what someone called you. In my experience, people who call others names are doing so because they have some deficiency themselves and are trying to make themselves feel better by putting someone else down. Eh. I don't care. People can call me Fred as much as they want. Heck, I'll do it for them. I won't be spending any time caring about it though- I'll be busy enjoying my bicycle.

In the end, here's what it comes down to:
LoL thanks mith. I really could care less about what those people think of me. Chances are I'll never see any of them again. I was just trying to prove a point.
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Old 11-27-11, 09:08 PM
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Originally Posted by paisan
And weren't we both called Freds on the Peach ride Neil? I bet they were giving us compliments, right?
I wasn't called anything.
 
Old 11-27-11, 09:21 PM
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Originally Posted by paisan
My only crime in all of this is daring to question Neil on the fact that calling someone a fred is "praise".
I'll let you have the last word. Least I can do after having pwnd you here:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...1#post12276838

"I'll be a Fred any day. I have the red panniers on a green bike and wear a red helmet. I've got the take a look mirror on my glasses and I ride with either tennis shoes in the summer and Gortex hikers in the wetter times of the year. I wear cargo pants that the legs zip off in the summer and when its cold I've got some REI Headwinds and my jacket doesn't match either. My bike has a kickstand too so thats really Freddy. Am I a Fred? I hope so."

"I've never been called that AFAIK, but I agree with the previous posters who've said they'd either be proud or would not care. "

"I know that "Fred" has two meanings. A cyclist who pays no attention to the dress code and can blow you away, and a poseur. From study, I'm pretty sure that the first definition is the original as the background story is more solid. I've read of at least two cyclists actually named Fred who could be the prototype for the concept. Fred Birchmore and Freddie Hoffman. I think that Roadies just invented the second meaning trying to eliminate the original concept."

"If someone calls me a Fred I will always take that as a compliment... thinking of the inestimable Fred Birchmore who was / is so much more than a world class cyclist but a world class athlete and human being."

"I have never been called a Fred except by people that I respected and I knew it was a compliment."
 
Old 11-27-11, 09:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Neil_B
My bike has a kickstand too so thats really Freddy.
No no no, the adjective is fredly not freddy.
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Old 11-27-11, 09:51 PM
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Originally Posted by engstrom
No no no, the adjective is fredly not freddy.
I defer to people who are more Fred-like than I am. :-)
 
Old 11-27-11, 09:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Neil_B
I'll let you have the last word. Least I can do after having pwnd you here:
Woah! Slow your roll there, Sparky. I don't think you "pwnd" anybody.

Originally Posted by Neil_B
"I have never been called a Fred except by people that I respected and I knew it was a compliment."
And that's all well and good, however I have to agree with paisan on this one. Regardless of which of the definitions of the term you personally subscribe to, calling someone a "Fred" is not "praise". It never has been. You may not find it offensive, and clearly many folks affectionately refer to themselves as Freds; just as I am not ashamed to carry the lable of "bulky" when describing my riding style. But that doesn't change what the word means. If someone calls me chunky, fat, chubby, bulky, etcetera, they're right. Just because it doesn't bother me doesn't mean that it's "praise." A derisive term is what it is.
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Old 11-27-11, 10:02 PM
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Originally Posted by neil_b
i defer to people who are more fred-like than i am. :-)
lol!
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Old 11-27-11, 10:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Sayre Kulp
Woah! Slow your roll there, Sparky. I don't think you "pwnd" anybody.
Your thoughts are pretty much irrelevant.
 
Old 11-27-11, 11:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Neil_B
I wasn't called anything.
Because you didn’t hear it or refuse to acknowledge it, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

so you pull out one thread of people saying it doesn’t bother them. They even acknowledge it's a putdown but say they don't care. Just because they don't care doesn't negate the fact that it is a put down. Walk into any shop and ask them the meaning. Chances are they are going to say it’s a put down.

Originally Posted by Neil_B
"I know that "Fred" has two meanings. A cyclist who pays no attention to the dress code and can blow you away, and a poseur. From study, I'm pretty sure that the first definition is the original as the background story is more solid. I've read of at least two cyclists actually named Fred who could be the prototype for the concept. Fred Birchmore and Freddie Hoffman. I think that Roadies just invented the second meaning trying to eliminate the original concept."
The term “Fred” is much like the term “Barney” in skiing, or the term "squid" in the Navy. It's not a compliment. The fact that two athletes from a century ago were named Fred cannot be proven to be the origin of the derogatory term that is used today. Everything regarding that is just speculation. Even if they were the origin of the term, it doesn’t mean some guy is giving you a compliment in 2011 when he calls you the name of a cyclist from the early 1900's.

Originally Posted by Neil_B
I'll let you have the last word. Least I can do after having pwnd you here:
LOL, Pwnd? Really? How old are you exactly oh self proclaimed hero of the C/A forum?

Originally Posted by Neil_B
Your thoughts are pretty much irrelevant.
There you go buddy, the true colors come out. Good job Neil. Show the rest of the forum how you really are. You know the real person that can’t stand being disagreed with… How dare Sayre to not submit to your greatness. .

Again, You can try to color this any way you want. Isaac asked a question, I answered it. If you don’t like the answer.. oh well. But it was a valid answer.

Again, Walk into any shop and ask them the meaning. Chances are they are going to say it’s a put down.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_(bicycling)
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Old 11-27-11, 11:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Neil_B
Your thoughts are pretty much irrelevant.
A little uncalled for, don't you think? My fault. I forgot that your opinions were facts.
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Old 11-27-11, 11:24 PM
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Shame on you Sayre. You only have 893 posts. How dare you question someone with 14,000 posts.
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