Man card question
 

A friend of mine just gave me a Raleigh Sport girls bike. I will post pictures after I get home from work. Is it bad taste for a man to ride it. Will I lose another corner on my MAN card. Either way it will be my winter project.

Are you planning to ride while wearing a skirt?

I think men are attuned to integrating, optomizing form and function, so it's a matter of what statement are you making. If it's about your cognitive disequilibrium: I say "rock on" you bad mofo! Stick it to the man! (whoops, that sounds a little Freudian)

To each his or her own, I wouldn't ride a womens frame bike but I've seen plenty of guys that do.

if it fits, ride it.

To that point, bear in mind that most womens frames are on the small side for a dude....unless you're a smaller dude.

"another corner" ? This implies one or more corners are already clipped off. :eek:

But some would say that clipping a corner leaves two corners in it's place.

As to "manliness", if an object defines one's manhood then there are greater issues to contend with beyond a step-thru bike frame.

Doesn't seem to bother this guy much:
http://hansib.files.wordpress.com/20...kespicture.jpg
imagelinked from http://hansib.files.wordpress.com/20...kespicture.jpg
found in the Celebrities on Bikes thread.

Mixte? I would totally ride it.

But if it's just a dropped top tube, no (though that has more to do with the structural compromises involved than any gender hangup...)

Doesn't seem to bother this guy much:
http://hansib.files.wordpress.com/20...kespicture.jpg

I DIDN"T KILL MY WIFE!!

http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/p...2048/Tommy.jpg

I DON't CARE

I wouldn't have an issue with s guy riding a step through frame. A lot of European step throughs where made in mens sizes. But you might lose a corner on your C&V mens card for riding Raliegh sport.

I wouldn't judge a guy for riding a step through frame or mixte, but probably wouldn't do it myself. First, I think the design, from an efficiency and weight stand point, is less ideal than a diamond frame. I don;t wear skirts, so there is no advantage for me. Second - I just think I'd look silly on one. When I see a dude on a step through I typically think it's either stolen or a hand-me-down/loaner and he doesn't want to buy his own bike.

There are some people on here who like step throughs/mixtes because they have physical problems getting over a diamond frame - and if it helps them ride, I'm all for it!

They used to make step througs in man sizes, up to 64 here in Holland. They were called priesterrijwielen, because they were made so that catholic clergy could ride bikes too in their long robes.
Our resident pastors here seem to like paramounts, though :thumb:

His manliness just went down 50 points. Not for riding a pink step-through frame, but for failing to fill the tires up to proper pressure.

You want a manly mixte? You got it:

http://www.kurtkaminer.com/BCA_MTB_3.jpg

http://www.kurtkaminer.com/BCA_MTB_5.jpg


Is that not enough? Let's put some big, honkin', manly dual-pivots on it:

http://www.kurtkaminer.com/tektro_c326_4_lg.jpg

-Kurt

I say as long as you don't mount a wicker basket, you're good.

Perhaps you missed this thread where the Raliegh Sports is well represented: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...glish-3-speeds...

Ride it, if you're worried add some racks and give it a nice utility look

You lost your mancard when you brought it up, so you have nothing to lose now.

with the christmas holiday approaching you could repurpose a wrapping paper tube as a top tube. Tape in place, paint to match....instant Mens bike.

Until he knocks it off the frame dismounting :lol:

-Kurt

real men dont care what others think of their bike.

Sounds like you must have lost a few "Totin' Chips" in Scouts to me. Only other plase I ever heard of losing a corner of a card. I know because I lost my card for felling a tree on my father's property at his say so. Scout Master said I needed to clear this with him first. My dad had a few things to say to the Scout Master, too.

Bill

My brother just told me to put a piece of pipe on it and spray it the same color. By the way that is a MANLY mixte Kurt.

Yes I was in scouting too, I guess thats where I picking it up.

Thanks, all, for an amusing thread. My very first bike as a kid was a hand-me-down from my mom, a girl's blue and silver Western Flyer with a tank and a torpedo headlamp with the red and green lenses. I hated that it was a girl's bike then, but boy, I'd sure ride it now.

I think the notion is silly that one's masculinity could be represented as something as limited and disposable as a "man card". Masculinity is a characteristic, not an id card.

A Real Man doesn't give a &%#*#!! what anyone thinks about his vehicle. That Raleigh Sports girl's bike, if it's your size, will be enhanced by the fact that you are riding it.

(Edit - I see jds beat me to it.)

+1

If you have to ask, it's already gone.

Do you stop and ask for directions, too?

No threat here, I used a women's frame Schwinn cruiser type to throw newspapers in the early 70's. Granted I was 6'-1" and 209 and a power lifter and an MX racer. No one said a word to me either ; )

I have been looking for a bike to do a few Tweed rides this coming year. This is the only vintage bike I have available right. My buddy said he has a lead on a Phillips 3 speed man's(hopefully) bike. If I get the Phillips I still will fix up the Raleigh and give it to my niece to ride. That should give me back my corner off my card.