OldsCOOL

So last week I'm downtown listening to street music and riding around town with the Colnago. This guy strolls up behind me, puts his hand on my shiny Cinelli (he didnt even say it properly) bars and starts with, "I got this beat". He starts rattling with his pedigree of racing accomplishments circa 1975. As he walks around the bike he tells me about his Paramount. Ok, decent bike but quite an argument saying it has my '77 Super "beat". He then nitpicks at every little thing he could think of. I remain silent. Nary a word. He then gives me the wrench "tip of the century". He spies the Campy BB and says "I hope you didnt remove the bearings". Huh?? He says the bearings wear into the cups a certain way and removing them will put them into a new break-in process thus ruining the entire BB. Pfffft. I told him not servicing the 38yr old BB would do the same.

After getting treated like I'm a complete dufus/noob I asked him "do you ride??". Nope, had a bad wipeout and wrecked his hip. Right. Of course. Fully expected that. He is about 65 and looks like riding wouldnt hurt him a bit. So he then shows me a fresh scar on his hand saying it was from a stick that impaled his hand....during....a....MTB ride.

Why does this bike incite such criticism? I dont get it. Are some people...strangers...this weird that they feel better doing such even when revealing their ignorance??

RobbieTunes

Otherwise, ignore him. If you'd been toting a rifle he'd had told you about being a sniper in the 'Nam.
If you'd been wearing a Go Bo jersey, he'd have told you about being a placekicker for the Spartans.
If you'd been wearing an Eastern Mich hockey jersey, he'd have told you about fighting Gordie Howe.

OldsCOOL

gugie 

Some people are jackwagons. You had the unfortunate experience of running into one. Online, these people are called trolls.

Heck, we have them here from time to time.

SJX426 

Jealousy. Some need to feel validated and superior.

rhm

Sheesh, you didn't know that thing about Campy BB's?

himespau 

That'd do it. That or he was your wife's father.

SJX426 

I was the victim of getting a flat tire on my Jeep yesterday. I pulled over into a parking lot to change the tire. Some nice person came over and asked if they could help. I said "No thanks, I got this" They then proceeded to tell me all they knew about flats, repairs, assessment of damage, what to do about it, etc.

It was hot and I just wanted to get it over with. I thanked him for the offer of help. As I was putting the tire on, he proceeded to tell me how to do it. I looked at him and said. "Thanks, I know how to do this, I have changed hundreds of tires over my life time including fixing 14 flats in 2 weeks in India including breaking the bead with a jack and repairing the tire. I really do know how to do this properly."

The advice is free but at some point it is a distraction and irritation. Perhaps when he brought up the BB issue, you could have said, "lets test this out" and left him behind. I tolerate the behavior out of curiosity more often than not. Once the interest is gone, so am I.

KonAaron Snake 

If you rode a De Rosa this sort of thing wouldn't happen

carbomb

HAH! I do enjoy a good crazy guy monologue from time to time if for no other reason than the pleasure of knowing I am not this person. Though, the whole touching the bike without asking thing... not cool! I have also, apparently, been ruining my bottom brackets this entire time.

Bikegeek1968

Last week I was riding my Vitus back from work in my jeans and a button down. I was messing around with this prototype slotted cleat when some guy rides up and starts criticizing my pedaling style. My seat is too high, my toes were pointed down, I have 40 years of riding experience. I have ridden 7 centuries this year, blah, blah, blah. I hold my tongue, and deflect the conversation by asking about the Richard Sachs he was riding. He starts in by saying it is a piece of ****, there were mistakes made in every process of the build, his next frame will be built by master builder (insert random name here) and so on. Fortunately our paths diverged at the next light.

But man, I really want to go find this guy and punch him in the face.

CV-6 

Empty cans make the most noise.

EastCoastDHer

Every now and the some people just need a good, strong cup of "Shut The **** Up!"

Every trade and craft has its "know-it-alls". Almost every day I deal with some carpenter who knows all about doors. Except they still need my help because they're in a jamb.
Pro athletes are no exception. Back in 2006 Aaron Gwin was at Mt Snow watching the race and overheard my buddy and I speculating amongst ourselves, apparently he knew more than I did so he piped up "You seem like you know alot?", "No, *******, I'm just having an educated guess with my friend here, the funny part is I don't recall you ever being part of it. I suggest you walk down to the parking lot, find your car and leave unless you'd like an escort?".

3alarmer 

...I got my first PX-10 by taking it from a North Vietnamese infiltrator on the Ho Chi Minh trail in '69. He had it loaded down with four 30 kilo sacks of rice, so could not move all that quickly. I popped him at a thousand yards with a standard issue M40, then moved out and claimed my prize. It had been modified a little bit for use on the trail and heavy loads, but that's another story.

OldsCOOL

He says he wants to meet me at the same corner (our little town has just SO many, you know) next friday since he so enjoyed talking vintage bikes. I think I'll be ready with my Cannondale Criterium and haul him out of town on the fog line just to shut him up.

3alarmer 

...there's also the "hand matched" bearings business with these.

3alarmer 

...life is too short.

72Paramount

I have a neighbor who is 72 and in no shape to ride. Every time he sees me riding he try's to stop me to get a look at what I'm riding. Whether I'm on my Masi Gran Crit, My Raleigh pro, or any other in My steed, they are never as good as the yellow Paramount he once owned. He goes into a rediculous story of how Schwinn acquired the finest Italian artisan frame builders and brought them to U.S. soil to build the frames, and that nothing compared to his Paramount. It gets old hearing him ramble on about the little cycling knowledge He thinks he has, but I give him a break as he is old, widowed, and lonely.

OldsCOOL

Which is what I strive to do with anyone no matter what their fancy is. That is the proper thing to do.

SJX426 

Did it look something like this?

[IMG]WP_20150816_004[1], on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]WP_20150816_005[1], on Flickr[/IMG]

OldsCOOL

Do you have an extra set, just in case?

OldsCOOL

Steel is real!

himespau 

Wood is good?

3alarmer 

...I suppose the next thing you'll tell me is it was not a PX-10 ?

3alarmer 

...in all seriousness, what they accomplished with those low tech products of French colonialism was nothing short of miraculous. I stand in awe.