Bike Snobs
 

Iwent to a Bicycle fare this weekend. It was great most of the day. There werefolks of all ages and all sorts of bikes there.

Roadies' Fixes' BMXs' Cruisers' Sting Rays' Customsand low-riders. All were welcomed and encouraged.

Ishowed up on a 1975 Masi Gran Crit. Like anyone who has a favoritetoy I was like a proud father. I was with a group of people withdifferent styles of bikes and we were all admiring each other’sToys. Several people had commented on how beautiful my bike was, comingfrom Low Rider/Cruiser guys I considered that hi praise since it wasn't reallythere kind of bike. I was digging and commenting on their stuff, SchwinnOrange Crates with Chromed Bat Holders and Low-rider stuff with justincredible fabrication.

Ididn't have the rims and wheels for my Gran Criterium so I took a pair ofmy PX-10. A Brand new set Normandy Luxe Competition Hubs and Mavic MonthleryRoute rims and Vitoria Corsa Skins. All Shinning like a jewel; 1 guy inthe crowd, straddling his Carbon Framed Colnago (It was nice too, and I wouldhave told him so if he would have been a little nicer) looks down at thewheels and says: "You Don't have the correct wheel set for thatbike" I know, I know, Campy hubs and Martano rims

Really!!!!

Rainon My Parade!!!

SoI responded: "I was wondering who would notice, they are off my PX-10,aren't they beautiful". A couple of dudes standing around add:"Yeah they are". And with that, the guy on the Colnago mumblessomething and rolls away. We all kind of looked at each other and shrugged ourshoulders.

Nowwho was right and who was wrong here. Are the Old School Schwinn and lowrider guys ignorant about what should be on the bike, probably so.

Wouldthey say something to a stranger about what was wrong with a 1968 Orange Krate.I don't know.

DoI get the whole Period correct numbers matching builds? Hell yes they taketime, patience and money and are a tribute to the designer/fabricator ofrecord.

Butwhen this one rider is out and about riding my bike and strikeup a conversation with stranger, I just want to celebrate the Joy ofseeing the world go by while on a bicycle and share the love of the Sport orhobby or activity whatever you want to call it. This isn't the first time I'vebeen scolded by someone about "Dura Ace on an Italian bike"while out riding by a complete stranger. Aghh.

It's a big world.
You only want a few friends.

Tell him you got a racing wheel change and had to take what they gave you.

Back in that same period I raced a Fujp/ My good wheels had the same hubs (Sanshin, excellent hubs), French spokes and Italian rims and tires. I never got a hard time about it. (Now there were plenty of snobs who sneered at my Japanese bike and derailleurs.)

Ben

Geez, my 1972 Gitane Tour de France would give that guy fits if he saw it, with the whole French/Italian/Japanese thing I have going on, hahaha.

But would I give a damn? Nah, not one iota. Hater's gotta hate, I guess.

I can't tell whether the comment was meant as criticism or just trying to be helpful by pointing out a fact. I get that it hurts either way.

BTW, I'm currently rebuilding a seventies Alan with Dura-Ace 7100 and a Sugino Mighty Competition crankset. Just because. :)

Did he just say it or was he toolish in his tone?

Because he, by your own admission, is correct. And it is a conversation starter. Instead of saying, nice bike, you can now talk about what was original, what was not, where do you find parts now versus back in the day, 3 cross versus 4 cross, etc.

I look at one of those crates, smile, say nice bike and move on because that is all I got. I don't know enough to ask a question.

I'm sorry you had to meet "that guy." Frankly, I get a little irritated with the snobbish nonsense about the "right" parts, as opposed to stuff that makes your bike work better. (There's a pretty interesting conversation about this very topic taking place on the CR list right now, btw.) BITD, there weren't any gruppos, and millions of bikes got built up with a range of components originating from a variety of places and companies. I remember a lot of people replacing fine looking race derailleurs with a fine functioning Suntour Cyclone. I remember when I got my Gazelle Champion Mondial AA Special frame and heard all about how it should be built up with "full Campy." Funny thing though. When I communicated with the folks at Gazelle, the guy who was sharing vintage info with me told me that a lot of racers used DuraAce. The point I'm making is that it's your bike. There will always be those guys out there who think they know more than you and are way more than willing to passively aggressively share that knowledge. But you are the one riding the bike.

And for what it's worth, there were a bunch of bikes I've used the "wrong" wheels on simply because I really like the look of HF hubs. I may burn in "bike correctness" h3ll, but I'm happy with my rides. :innocent:

Critics. The man was just trying to mask his insane, burning envy and covetousness with his knowledge of what is wrong, incorrect with the bike. Dufus.

A few years back I was downtown for a music festival walking my newly restored '77 Colnago Super when a stranger walks up and begins to blather away at how his Schwinn Paramount is so much better. Seriously. I invited him out for a ride and out came the flood of excuses (I had a thread on this). Another Dufus. I live among Dufaii.

I must be getting senile, what with having turned 30 earlier this year, but I seem to have misplaced my 'Bicycle Rules and Conventions' book which lists out the correct number of lashes for putting French gear onto Italian bicycles. I believe it was 10 and with a Sedis chain.

Well, give him credit for knowing what hubs and wheels were originally on that particular bike - as opposed to more of us who know more-or-less if something is period-correct and if a group is complete/consistent.

He might be the kind of guy who just doesn't know how to point out stuff like that in the right way. I might have done the same thing - intended to be an interested and informed comment, but friendly. But it might come out informed but stuck up.

If he'd said "Hey, beautiful wheels! Did your bike come with them? I've seen also seen something very similar with XYZ hubs and rims, which are also very cool."

I thought your response was just perfect - it gave him a chance to engage in the minutia that he obviously knew and maybe overcome his first impression. But apparently it didn't work.

Oh, and by the way, where do you get off starting a thread without pictures of your bike? 8-)

There are restorations that harken back to the original and are museum pieces and then there are vintage bikes that get ridden and have had maintenance repairs or swaps. To me, a person chooses the wheels that he wants to ride, not what came on the bike originally. Same with saddles, bar tape, pedals, tires, etc.

Back when I rode vintage bikes before they were vintage, we swapped out parts frequently when new and better stuff came along. Now, to many, it's a sin if the parts aren't era specific. BS. Tell the guy to stuff it.

If it helps at all, it's nice to think that such encounters are typically so few and far between that when they do occur, they stick out and cause unusual anxiety and frustration for those on the receiving end. Such things happen from time to time! The world keeps spinning after that. :)

This. Haters gonna hate, who cares =)

OP,
I can't say if he was a snob or not because I was not there....personally I do not care what others may think about what I ride or how it is put together, as long as it is safe I enjoy it. If I like a person's ride I say so if I don't care for it I don't mention it...it is not for me to "Rain On Someone's Parade".
Take a look at the Gold Plated Varsity thread currently on the forum...
JM2C's, Ben, mismatched parts and happy. :thumb:

I would have countered with, "It's not vintage correct to use the word wheelset. They were simply called wheels during this period."

I guess in a way he's right, and perhaps he was just trying to be helpful in a antique restorer type way. More likely he was just one of those guys that are in every crowd.

Anyhow, people don't seem to understand that rims were consumables more or less like socks. I used to buy a stack of Fiammes at the start of the year and relace them on as necessary. Sure there were some garage queens and doctor/lawyer bikes that could conceivably still have the original rims. If the bike was used as intended, the you wouldn't expect the original rims to be there after a year or two. BTW I'm not sure Martano was the only rim that Masi spec'd. I seem to recall mine had Nisi rims originally. (??)

I think the space bar on your phone/computer is broken.

No, he was obviously typing in a frenzied rage at the indignity of the world! Every key stroke was a sigh of relief, tumbling onto the next until, at last, there were no empty spaces left, and the void was filled.

Most people who DO know you have the "wrong wheels" also suffer in their social skills. The intent may have still been proper but the delivery of course was lacking. Dont lets these sort of people make you crazy. Let them enjoy their own craziness.

-SP

.
...did you consider that maybe he was hitting on you ?

:lol: :thumb:

Mehhh....
There's nothing exactly correct when it comes to bikes as even the manufacturer will change equipment specs on a bike within a model year run, because of changing supply conditions. We all seen that fine print in most catalogues that say "Specifications subject to change without notice"......
As also noted, maybe the guy wasn't trying to be nasty, but just trying to start a conversation about your bike. His style might irk a few people, but I can see it as possibly a segue into something eventually constructive, through exchange of information between you two.

I tried to post the pics and got nowhere. Token errors and such. I responded to the Administrator but any help would be appreciated

It's life. There are rude, or obtuse, people everywhere.

Ignore them, enjoy your bike and move on.

You will be happier that way.

I considered that he may have just been socially challenged, Hence the "Yeah I know I was wondering.....arn't they beautiful." hoping to give him a chance to strike up a conversation. He was after all the lone other Road/Race bike in that particular crowd. I don't want to become what I disdain.

When you play with the big boys, you need the right shoes.

Forgiveness can be asked as Martano rims are scarce, but Campagnolo Record hubs… well.. they are expected.