OldTryGuy

Since I'm new here, just wondering if Fred and goat might be referring to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Hoffman or just a euphemism.

stilltooslow

Don't know 'goat', but a Fred is a cycling 'try hard' who spends more energy on kit and gear than fitness. You'll recognize them as you get a quick glimpse while quickly passing on the first climb.

Homebrew01

A "Fred" is someone who is clueless about fashion and exotic machines, and just goes out to ride his bike.

stilltooslow

I always thought 'freds' and 'poseurs' were close cousins? If your definition is fact then I stand corrected, and will cease calling my out of shape friend with incredible equipment 'Fred'. He will be pleased.

ls01

incorrect, see "poseur".

rebel1916

I have heard both uses. But the bearded guy on the beat up old bike, with the mirrors is by far more common.

OldTryGuy

Thank you very much for your replies.

stilltooslow

Not quite. Seems my original assertion is also accurate. According to 'Two Spoke Forum' (slightly paraphrased for brevity)...."More recently, particularly in the US, a Fred is more often somebody with higher quality and expensive equipment then his talent would warrant....someone who after watching The TDF would go out and buy the newest carbon fiber wonderbike and matching kit that he just saw leading the peloton".

rpenmanparker 

Don't know if this is OP's usage, but a goat is a term generally used for a proficient climber as in "mountain goat".

catmandew52

From a zombie thread

Thanks to Bionicycle

No I'm Not a Pirate! [HR][/HR]Join Date Aug 2007 Location The middle of somewhere in Indiana Posts 693[INDENT]fred
n.1...a person who spends a lot of money on his bike and clothing, but still can't ride. "What a fred -- too much Lycra and titanium and not enough skill." Synonym for poseur. Occasionally called a "barney".
N.2... a person who has a mishmash of old gear, does't care at all about technology or fashion, didn't race or follow racing, etc. Often identified by chainring marks on white calf socks. Used by "serious" roadies to disparage utility cyclists and touring riders, especially after these totally unfashionable "freds" drop the "serious" roadies on hills because the "serious" guys were really posers. This term is from road touring and, according to popular myth, "Fred" was a well-known grumpy old touring rider, who really was named Fred.

Source: Glossary of Bicycling Slang

I personally like the number 2 definition the best myself, but basically a “Fred” seems to be anyone that doesn’t fit in with someone, or their group in cycling.

I can’t say for sure, but many people believe the term “Fred” got it’s name from Fred A. Birchmore, who was a very amazing touring cyclist, that did a world bicycle tour and wrote the book
Around the World on a Bicycle.


Personally I’m a biking Fred, and quite proud of it… Cogito fred, ergo sum fred…(I think fred, therefore I am fred)...
Embrace your fredlyness...

ls01

See Sheldon Brown site for clarification on this issue. Many people use these two terms indiscriminately and have no grasp of what they are talking about. A poseur is someone who poses like they are all that in the bicycling scene, latest gear ,clothes etc. but cant or wont ride, makes excuses for poor performance etc.
A Fred, (or Wilma or Doris for a woman) As in Fred Flintstone,( or Wima, I am not sure on the Doris refrence but have heard it) is someone who rides in gym shorts has hairy legs, old equipment and still kicks ass on a bike.
Like I said see Sheldon Brown resource.

stilltooslow

That's fine, we can apparently both be right on this one. I'll settle for both the quote I cited as well as the above post by 'catmandew52' as supportive evidence. Nearly all references I looked up since my first post here did indeed include both definitions. Seems that yours was the originally the intended use, but it morphed a bit more recently.

Homebrew01

Like "jealous" and "envious". Often used interchangeably, even though they are sort of opposites.

Envious - I want what you have
Jealous - You can't have it.

I suppose that by sheer force over the years the "wrong" definition becomes "right"

bikepro

You must mean the guy who dropped you on the first hill.

Zuzus pedals

The first time I heard the term "Fred" long ago, I was informed it was the pronounced form of FRD, which stood for Fluorescent Riding Dick - a jerk of a guy with mediocre ability who fancies himself among the elite (or at least a level or two above where he really stands) and acts aloof on account of being all tricked out with the latest equipment. Don't know to this day if I was informed correctly about that, but that's where I've always believed the term originated - although I tend to think of it as "wannabe" and I consider myself a Fred even though my equipment is low-tech, simply because I'm not all that fast. I have gone from lousy duffer speed to much faster duffer speed, but in my mind, I'm still solidly entrenched among the Freds. "Goat" could mean a mountain goat (super climber) or it could stand for Greatest Of All Time - e.g., Eddy Merckx is the GOAT.

Silvercivic27

The goat:

rebel1916

Hey now, I wasn't critical of the look.
And I've been dropped by freds, but never a fred in sandals.

Machka 

What you're describing is a poseur ... someone who poses, a wannabe.


A Fred, like others have mentioned here, is the person who rides an older steel bicycle with a rack and maybe a set of small, well-used panniers, wearing normal non-cycling-specific clothes which could include the black socks and sandals combination, but who enjoys him/herself immensely, and can, on occasion amaze you with speed or distance or both. Your Fred is probably also well-travelled and might regale you with tales of cycling through South America, up and over the Himalayans, or across Australia.

rooftest

This is a Goat:

stilltooslow

Good call! That's a beauty, but the '67 is my personal favorite.

WhyFi

No, you're wrong, just like the people that you're citing. Yes, language is a fluid thing, subject to change, but using the term "Fred," in place of "poseur," with anyone that's cycled around the block a few times will get you some odd looks.

Cat4Lifer

GOAT: Kobe

Mondo734

G.O.A.T. Greatest of all time
GOAT=Jordan

richfell

I have always heard the term goat in reference to climbing. People always seem to call anyone that climbs faster then themselves a "goat" (or "mountain goat").

ultraman6970

Well I rode with a Fred yesterday and the old man was maybe on crack or something else...

40 y/o raleigh retrofitted shimano ultegra 10 speed, chainring grease in those white fruit of loom long socks, helmet anywhere but where it should be, not one but two rear mirrors in the handlebars that obviously he was not looking at all, TdF commercial name tag thingy over the fruit of loom socks, rear paniers, under wear under the lycra shorts (he said was the 1st time using that), old 1st gen look pedals but he was using white tennis, he was proud of spending like 150 bucks in those armadillo 32s armadillos with maybe 50 psi on them, 2 white shirts under the tour of whatever benefit ride shirt.

He said he raced when he was young and that the bike was his 1st road bike but amazingly enough my 4 year old have more handling skills than this guy, in a matter of fact he almost went off the road twice trying to get the bottle off the cage to drink, then he decided that was better to stop for 10 or 15 minutes probably because he got scared.

The front and rear lights were off or he forgot to turn them on, super small carbon fiber air pump in the down tube and to finish he was not able to shift too good because he did not know how the shifters worked even thought he had the equipment installed over a year ago, the other problem every time he was shifting he was losing control of the bike.

The description looks familiar?