You know, it's funny. I've ridden around on my campus on two different bikes. One is my mid-80's touring bike - pretty normal looking older road bike, aero levers, downtube shifters, rack on the back. Literally dozens and dozens of bikes like it, with the only real difference being that most of those other old bikes have the old-style levers, with the cables coming out the tops, and that I take really good care of my bike. So it's, if not anything that stands out or anything, just a pretty respectable ride. It doesn't get any attention.

The other bike is a black Austrian Sears three-speed bicycle. It has rusted-up spokes and rims, a rear fender that is clearly held onto the stays by duct tape, and a front mudflap fashioned out of part of a plastic water bottle and lots and lots of duct tape. It's pretty much a complete piece of crap. Theft proof.

On each of these bikes, I get the exact same amount of attention and interest: zero. But there are literally thousands of bicycles on my campus, so this is not too shocking.