dim

There is an old guy who I often see on one of my commute paths.... he is approx 60 years old, over 6 feet tall and rides on a Brompton folding bike with small wheels .... His cadence must be well over 100RPM and he passes guys on £5000 carbon fibre frames even when there are strong head winds.... he is superfit

I have respect for Bromptons now .... they are pretty quick if you are fit

FullGas

yeah, I'd like a clarification on this too...

so, wearing cycling-specific attire is clownish...?

helmet, gloves, 3-pocket jersey, chamois shorts, and shoes that accept cleats is pretty normal for anyone that I encounter.

KD5NRH

Well, my Airzound broke a while back, and I usually just wear my black jeans and a hi-viz t-shirt (complete with Dritz iron on reflective strips) for the commute, but otherwise that sounds about right. (Vest is in a pannier in case I get caught out at dawn or dusk with a black company shirt, or it's cold enough to need the black company jacket. And the ankle bands are around my stem unless it's foggy.)

CliffordK

When you bump it up to 400W or so, make sure you can slip around a corner that the other rider surely won't follow you around.

bakes1

race bike, 17 mph, clipless, and matching colors = fred
I am confused...

CliffordK

A week and a half ago I was on a semi-organized hill ride.
A LOT OF STEEP HILLS.
About 20 - 30 miles in, I was definitely hurting, riding alone, and I'm pretty sure lagging quite a bit behind those who were still riding.

Anyway, I came around a corner into a quiet neighborhood and 3 kids were riding around in circles. I think it was gentle slope coming out of the neighborhood, maybe 1% or so, maybe less. So, I was recuperating before the next 10% climb. And this little kid on a 16" wheel single speed bike started riding next to me.

I was just trying to keep from running over him. But, he was keeping right up next to me. Tongue hanging out (really)... he was just giving it 100%.

I didn't realize it until later, but I'm sure he thought I was some kind of professional cyclist (in my jeans), and he was racing me (a new generation of cyclists is born!!). He dropped off after a block when the slope turned up to about 2%.

I wish I had a video.

CliffordK

Slim fit?

I don't mind slim ankles, but I could use a little relaxing through the thighs. And I don't have the power thighs that some cyclists have.

Wildwood 

Just call me a skinny 'NY Buffalo hipster Fred', a one block wonder.

kickstart

Expand your horizons, it may be "normal" in enthusiast circles, but not in the world at large.

NYMXer

I have been cycling for 9 months (almost) and in the beginning, rode with shorts over my cycling shorts and a tee shirt. Also...sometimes, even ankle weights during a club ride. I guess I was the textbook picture of Fred, and while people laughed (under their breath), they cried when I out climbed them. After the ride, they learned that I had heart and determination, something they seldom saw, nor respected. Ego can drive a man far beyond what he thinks he is capable of (or even what HE thinks he is capable of!) and asked me how a "beginner" could climb so fast... it was my ego driving me.

Maybe this Fred is the same, a ego driven beginner with good genetics and stamina.... Never judge a book by it's cover!

Oh, my Strava average speed, which includes about 1000' elevation rise per 10 miles is near 19 mph. Last Saturday, a seasoned member made fun of my cheap bike, he got dropped on that ride and I won the sprint to the parking lot!

Sy Reene

You're not a fred if you know how fast you ride at.

Wileyrat

I've probably been dropped by Fred, but I'm old and don't care anymore. On the other hand though, I'm probably more like the Freddly Dropper myself.

Fldaves

There's a fred that rides on the Suncoast Trail(Tampa) on a 70's Schwinn Varsity Sport with regular shorts and plaid shirts with old Converse snickers that make most people look silly. Granted, he probably rides close to 250 miles/week!

dougmon 

Oh, man...it ain't the speed; it's the mileage.

I have never been "dropped". Many people pass me, but I'm still upright after they're gone.

rydabent

On a few occasions I too have been "Fred" on my bents.

deapee

I laughed.

We have a few people nearby here that only travel by bike. I don't think it's for health reasons, I think it's monetary or based on losing their licenses or whatever (they come out of the trailer parks) (no hate, just saying)...they're always in pretty ragged clothing, etc. Most of them walk their bikes up the slightest incline, but a few of those dudes can really hammer. The one guy has an older bike with drop bars, and I'll see him trucking along with his groceries on the handle bars and everything doing 20+ uphills all day.

ltxi

I had one, also. But then she divorced me.

T Stew

I'm still trying to figure out what a Fred is, only have heard that here. Though I do not know any other cyclists personally, so perhaps this term is more common.

I do have full bike matching kit I guess you could say (minus shoes) but usually I just wear cargo shorts, a running t shirt, and of course barefoot with platform pedals on my vintage bikes. Am I a Fred?

I've never really been dropped before, but don't often come across many other fast cyclists. Far more common to see hybrids and mountain bikes slogging along at single digit speeds or so. Sometimes a road bike will pass me, then slow down and I pass em back. After a couple of those drive me nuts I'll pick it up into the mid 20's for a few miles and drop em, or if I'm not feeling it I'll just pull over and take a break and let some distance build between us. Unless you want to have a friendly chat I'd rather just enjoy the trail by myself than play tag.

Camilo

No, I'm talking about logo, advertisement festooned matching jerseys and shorts used by people who aren't racing. I wear bike clothes, but don't feel the need to be a riding billboard for companies that don't pay me for the privilege.

tcarl

I once was the "fred" who dropped the local racers. It was fun. Back in those days I was young and thin and regularly rode the 17+% grades in the hills west of St. Louis. While visiting my brother in Indiana we did a group ride down in the Nashville, IN area. My brother's comment to me was "if you can do the hills in Missouri you won't have any trouble with the hills here" (he was right). I had on cleated shoes and cycling shorts, but was wearing just a cotton T shirt and riding his "old" bike with fenders, cottered steel crank, and a frame a size too large for me. Approaching the base of one of the legendary local hills two local racers (whom my brother describes as "not as good as they think they are") were about to pass us, and knowing I was a stranger decided to wait to "see the look on my face" when I saw the hill. We rounded the curve, I saw the hill, sized it up, pick my gear and cadence, pulled ahead of them, settled into my hill-climbing rhythm (seated), marched right up the hill until the grade increased 3/4 of the way to the top where I stood up and maintained the same cadence over the top. Just another "Missouri" hill to me - I did them all the time. At the top I looked back to see our two racers struggling for all they were worth, only half way up the hill. Since I had to wait for my brother (not a good hill climber, so I guess the local's assumed I wasn't either), they eventually passed me. I said "Nice hill." They acted like I didn't exist.

Maelochs

I can't even catch Fred and hold his wheel long enough to get dropped.

mrodgers

From this forum I gather that "Fred" is a derogatory term used to describe a certain kind of person riding a bicycle.

I have seen "Fred" described as someone dressed up in regular street clothes usually riding a road bike.

It can also be someone dressed up in regular street clothes riding any kind of bike, usually with a bunch of stuff attached to the handlebars like lights, a bell, their phone, you know, "useless stuff."

I have also seen "Fred" described as someone dressed up in less than skin tight team logo cycling clothing (aka. "clown costume") riding an expensive road bike and riding like he was racing right at that moment.

So my only conclusion is, a "Fred" is someone who rides a bicycle.

What really gets me laughing on this forum is how the term "dropped" is constantly used. From this forum, I can only conclude that 98% of the time the term "dropped" means that you were riding faster than someone else was and you caught up with them, passed, and continued on. "Dropping" that guy who is just out on a ride cruising along at whatever speed he is riding should really feed your ego so much that you should immediately upon returning home, log onto Bike Forums and post how superior you are to that guy you encountered out on a bicycle ride.

mapeiboy

How many times have I seen so called fred flew pass me only to turn to the next street .

fishboat

"fred" depends on your point of view. A slick jersey, hot shoes, orange-mirror sunglasses, and a hotter bike doesn't lock you into being a non-fred. If that's you, and you get passed, and stay passed, by some young buck or old fart on an 'inadequate' bike in a laughable outfit..then look in a mirror and say hello to fred.

Looigi

Yes, and yes. A young guy around here typically wearing a sweat shirt, sweat pants, backpack and sneakers on an old dilapidated road bike joins fast group rides and routinely gives everybody and run for their money. I wouldn't call him a Fred though, more like ghetto.