banerjek

It occurred to me that as a group, the freds I encounter on the roads and elsewhere tend to be among the middle aged and older cyclists who've been riding for many years. Sightings of young ones are not nearly as common.

So what's the deal? Is fredness part of the wisdom that accompanies experience or is it a natural part of the aging process like hardening of the arteries?

daytonian

redirekib

Black socks and sandals ring a bell?

Cannondaler

Define Fredness

FrankBattle 

yeah, what's the definition du jour?

operator

If you have to ask what the definition is, you probably are a fred.

banerjek

That level of wisdom that makes others jealous of your equipment choices and riding style

Cannondaler

Then yes Fredness is part of the wisdom that comes from experience and is also part of the natural aging process.(For most people anyway). It comes from knowing that how well something works is much more important than how something looks but most of the time the thing that works the best also has the most pleasing form. After all, form follows function, and if something functions beautifully it tends to be beautifull as well. Devine Fredness allows you to see this in all things Grasshopper.

FrankBattle 

Okay. Is it a bad thing?

Cannondaler

According to this article though https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_%28bicycling%29 Fredness is the lack of wisdom that people tend to pitty you for.

Cannondaler

Using the above article's definition I would reason that most Freds you see are older because older guys tend to have more money to spend on expensive things they don't need.

FrankBattle 

Oh. Then, I'm all Fred.

banerjek

There's a decent chance that entry was authored by a 19 or 20 year old wannabe. I stand by my observation that there are a disproportionate number of freds among the experienced riders. I would add that as a group, freds are far less likely to be mechanically inept than other cyclists.

Don't worry. With age comes wisdom....

palesaint

The reason you mostly see the Freds out on the road is that the real bicyclers are going too fast to be noticed.

/sarcasm

mud

Which came first Fredness or Wisdom?

banerjek

I believe that what is confusing you is that the differences between the two are subtle and that they are in fact aspects of the same thing....

StephenH

Fred: past tense of Fr.

barryflht

I'm a Fred, and I have enough money, age and wisdom to embrace it fully.......Here's wishing you all will be there one day......

Machka 

Age, for example, prompts cyclists to ride in a more natural, comfortable, upright position which some may consider less aero, and therefore, more Fred.

Cannondaler

Embrace the light side of the Fred, young padawan. Avoid the dark side you must.
-Yoda

Bionicycle

Cogito Fred, ergo sum Fred...

patentcad

I ride with a bunch of guys who are 45+ like me. If you think we're Freds, try to ride with us some time. There are some other guys on that ride, like the fastest guy in NJ for example (TT Cup champ for the past three years).

Any Sunday pal. Bring your Zipps you Wussies.

mud

MMmmmmmmm_ _ _ _ a subtle aspect, I think I shall meditate on this a while!

Mud

ohm ohm Ohm Ohm OHm OHm OHM OHM ))))))) I now see within___ Ohm