treebound 

There are thousands of people in the U.S. who are just one or two missed paychecks from being where Fred is.

My current temp job is ending soon, I've been purging stuff, now thinking about rounding up the camping gear, just a week or two ago I picked up a set of panniers at a thrift shop. The old saying "there but for the grace of ..." has a ring of truth to it.

More power to Fred, may he find a fresh sandwich wrapped and ready and waiting for him because someone didn't want onions on it.

Touring is a state of mind, not defined by distance nor borders crossed.

Fat tabby

You guys disgust me! Especially Raybo with his Victorian "Deserving poor" B.S.

"No home, so not a proper tourist. God, would you look at his bike! He's go a flat! What a fool!"

I see the same in the "Living Car Free" section. There's a strong vibe that you can only really be car free if you are rich enough to pay for one. Just not having a car because you can't afford it is just being poor.

I hear a lot about how friendly the "Touring" section is, the roadies are mean and elitist, but at least they respect their professionals.

sam21fire

"He takes meticulous care of his dog and bike. He does contracting work and takes more pride in his work than most contractors. If it's not done to perfection, he's not satisfied. Incredible eye for detail. He only charges $10 an hour. He's painted three houses on my block and did a better job than any paint company would've done. He's happy and prefers to live the way he does. He's honest and reliable. He keeps in touch with clients with his cell phone and an internet ready tablet. He's complained of the behavior of other homeless people he's come in contact with who live to get drunk or high - he avoids associating with such and finds places to camp where he's alone.

I'm not sure what he's whole story is. He doesn't beg, he doesn't drink or take drugs. He's living the way he wants and is happy with his life.

I couldn't do it myself. I have a family and a house payment to make. In some ways his life makes sense. It makes sense to him."

If someone's life makes sense to them and they're not an intentional burden on society how can anyone criticize their choices? There are parts to this man's life that make a whole lot more sense than some parts of mine. Different does not equal wrong.

peddlenow

Someone who packs all their crap on a bike and rides around is on a bike tour. If he/she spends a bunch of money, then that person isn't frugal, if he/she spends very little money, that person isn't frugal. It doesn't matter how much money you have, how many miles you put in a day, how many of your tires contain air, or, like sparky said, how many houses you have to return to when you're done.

Good job guy in picture.

raybo

Thanks for making the "Touring" section all that more friendly. If it makes you feel any better, your post disgusts me. I guess that makes us even, somehow.

My post said nothing about the "deserving poor" and was an attempt to point out that "homeless" is not synonymous with drug addict or mental illness. If this disgusts you, then I suggest you spend some time helping the homeless. Who knows, it might expand your horizons.

indyfabz

If you met the walking equivalent of this guy, with all his possessions in a backpack, would you consider him to be on a backpacking trip?

indyfabz

I don't think what this guy is doing falls into the common undertstanding or useage of the term "bike touring." In the end, I don't think it matters what you call it. It's the substance of the undertaking that should be the focus.

Fat tabby

When you spout that kind of Neo-Liberal clap trap. I hear this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFNs2mOkKzc

Just the sort of mindset that believes that universal health care is a dangerous threat to liberty. People only deserve kindness if they conform certain nice ideals?

Cyclebum

You have stated, without reservation, what some on here were, no doubt, thinking about Fred's lifestyle. Your point about 'car free' is pretty much spot on. You badly misinterpreted Raybo's post.

No argument from me that Fred is not a cycle tourist in the purist sense. A real cycle tourist would spend several thousand dollars preparing for a week, a month, a year away from HOME, and not give the cost much thought. And we'd respect him/her for being 'professional.'

Fred deserves our respect too. For doing the same on a shoe string. And doing it superbly. That flat, which I suppose you've never had, was fixed soon after the picture was made.

valygrl

I didn't say there is anything wrong with what he's doing.

I personally have spent time without a permanent address. SOme of that time I was travelling by bike, some if it I was travelling by and living in a van. I was doing temp jobs for part of it too, and crashing at my sister's place while I worked. At no time would anyone consider me "homeless," though I didn't have a job or an address.

But to call this guy a "frugal tourist" is a misnomer (and the OP confirmed that a few posts into this thread.) He's a homeless dude on a bike. Let's not pretend we don't know the difference.

Fat tabby

@Cyclebum

Fred rides around with his possessions strapped to his bike for a living. That strikes me as the very definition of a professional. I'd bet he has forgotten more about staying comfy living from a bike than you or I will ever know.

You may respect them, but I'd call someone who "would spend several thousand dollars preparing for a week, a month, a year away from HOME, and not give the cost much thought." a wasteful ****nut. If that's a real cycle tourist, I've been doing it wrong for twenty years.

Caretaker

Fred's a professional. Loaded cycle tourists are amateurs and the ones with SAG support are cheaters.

Cyclebum

@Fat tabby

Man, I'm having a hard time understanding where you're coming from. Maybe I badly interpreted your first post. IDK. I was being a bit facetious about the 'professional' tourist. Maybe you were too about the being homeless on a bicycle lifestyle.

@valygrl

You too are spot on. Fred's a homeless dude on a bicycle. And, in his own way, a lot more than that if we care to notice. 'Course that's true of everybody we meet.

Fat tabby

@Cyclebum

What's getting me is the tacit acceptance from a lot of people on this board of the idea that you need a certain amount of assets behind you to be a proper person. "Is he a tourist like us? Or just a homeless dude?"

That, and the idea of "Good" and "Bad" poverty.

shelbyfv

I don't think that understanding the difference between a bike tourist and a "homeless dude on a bike" is the same as making judgements about them.

zeppinger

Most of my tours have been done between jobs and homes. My most recent was a 5 month ride across China, Tibet, Nepal, and India last summer. Now I am back and working as an English teacher in South Korea but am getting ready for my next ride after just 5 months of work. I will likely be riding for another five months. During my tours I have no home address, no "assets", and just the money in my bank account which is usually pretty much all gone by the end of my trips.

So, during my cycling am I "a homeless dude on a bike?" I would guess that most of you would say no. Is that because I have earning potential when I get off the bike? Or is it because my trips generally end when I do run out of money? Obviously what we are talking about is not actually homelessness but something different and I am curious to flush out where the line is.

mtnbud

If someone's life makes sense to them and they're not an intentional burden on society how can anyone criticize their choices? There are parts to this man's life that make a whole lot more sense than some parts of mine. Different does not equal wrong.[/QUOTE]

You got me there. I hope you don't think I'm judging him or criticizing him for his choices. I didn't mean to come off that way. As I said, he's happy and as you said he's not being a burden to society. I admire him.

raybo

Fat tabby,

You've been a member of bikeforums all of two and a half months and already you feel comfortable enough to call us names, make prejoritive judgements, and lecture us on right, wrong, and political outlook. You even have the audacity to complain about the tone of the discussion here, while doing so.

If you don't like the opinions expressed here, how about adding some of your own without the epithets, assuming you can express your views without them. If not, please leave and go elsewhere. We don't really need your type here.

It looks like your profile page has it right.

Fat tabby

You claim to have spent time working with the homeless, but are still willing to judge their worth by the problems they have? By the choices they have made?

What annoys me is the way it's so often dressed up with a caring "They're not all bad!" It's the patronising attitude that you get to decide. "Oh he doesn't drink." "He gets no government help." (As if that is something we should be proud of.)

I'm sure Fred's a fascinating man, he should be celebrated as such. Arguing whether he's a tourist or homeless, or saying "Well yes he is homeless, but he's better than those other homeless people" does no one any credit.

SparkyGA

I understand you completely, as I am the same way (minus a complete bicycle at the moment, I choose to live out of a tiny 20 litre backpack instead).

Fred seems make a good living off what he does and appears skills akin to ourselves. I don't consider him to be a "homeless bum" at all. He's simply a man on a journey, and only he knows where it will take him.

rogerstg

That's why I am thankful for the ignore feature, it keeps the place civilized and free of trolls for me. Bye bye Fat Tabby...

Jamoni

Nice trainwreck.
I think the distinction in everybody's head about who is touring and who is homeless is pretty clear:
If you are on vacation, it's touring.
If living off of a bike is your way of life, you are homeless.
I think all the panty twisting is hilarious.
That said, if it weren't for the fact that it's hard to get laid without a home, I'd be Fred.

raybo

Where in anything I've posted have I made a judgement about anyone's worth (except yours)?

What annoys me about you is that you are so convinced of the rightness of your views that you make no attempt to understand those of anyone else. You simply attack as "patronizing" any one who doesn't agree with you 100%. Yet, you present your own "enlightened" opinions as based in some kind of higher insight, which, apparently, can only be expressed by calling other people names, fabricating their motivations, and making things up to bolster your arguments.

in all honesty, you seem to be the only one comparing one homeless person to another.

What does no one any credit is to burst into a conversation spewing invective at one and all and then complaining that no one sees your point (whatever that is).

SparkyGA

I like this! The coolest girls don't care if you have a home or not though (love my girl to death and her tolerating my lifestyle choices)

Fat tabby

I realise that you intended this to be a positive comment on Fred. But even if it was unintentional, you can see how it might carry a subtext of "Not like those other bums."

Perhaps I'm being unfair on you, but you've worked with disadvantaged people. Volunteered no less, you must have thought about these things.

The only homeless person I have mentioned Fred, comparison takes two.

The only person I have called a name was a rhetorical device of a tourist who spends thousands on his tours, and is unconcerned by the expense. You're right, imaginary cyclists have feelings too. If I upset him, I apologise.