ollyisk

This is a hard question to answer to someone we've never met.

It all depends on you, your work demeanor, the political climate in your office, how well you know this guy, your previous interactions with him, and what type of office you work in.

There are way too many variables to tell you how you should react.

Flying off the handle and insulting his physical appearance may cost you your job depending on how the guy reacts to your insults, or how serious your job handles personal attacks/insults. Someone sending a picture of a wooden bike with a LOL to you and your coworkers isn't even insulting, I would probably laugh myself, or at least pretend to think it's funny. Certainly nothing worth losing a job over.

Ignoring him would probably be your best course of action, or a simple smile and nod. Who cares about a picture of a wooden bike?

If you work in a small office with a bunch of guys who aren't so PC that they can handle real talk and it's really getting under your skin, tell him to fugg off and leave it at that.

truman

I always just tell "that guy": "You should try it - it makes beer (or doughnuts, or chicken-fried steak) taste 10 times better."

If he doesn't get it after that, I like to move well inside his personal space and stand there smiling warmly at him, but not saying a word. After a bit, he can't wait to leave the room.

PurpleFender

Dunno man. Don't you think you're maybe putting your feelings out there to get hurt? It seems pretty lame of a joke. Water off a duck's back and keep on truckin. Nobody can make you feel bad unless you let them. Just blow it off, seriously.

colleen c

Seem like this guy has you marked as a target regardless of what you doing, commuting or not. People like this will continue on doing what they are doing because they are rewarding themselves with a sense of power trip. If you react to him, he will redeem that as a weakness on your part. If you ignore him, he will see that as a open season for more insult. This individual will most likely not stop. He will tease you about your helmet, seat or even do things like hanging pratical jokes article on your bike. You will only take so much before you might do something irrational back to him.

Company prefer if employee can work thing out within the private party line. They rather not have not have to deal with internal investigation and definately not dealing with things that becomes public.

That picture he sent you is just more icing on the cake for you to prove his bad behavoir towards you. I bet you anything, he live in fear of what you might one day do with evidence like that picture. Your best option is politely ask him to stop it now or you will report him. To show how serious you are about this, take a copy of that picture and show it to his coworker who does get along with him. Tell his closest peers what action you are willing to take. This jerk will talk to his friend and hear your threat from their words. Hopefully then he gets the message.

Take my words on this. I was part of an internal investigation and it is no fun when you sit in front of a board and spilling your guts out when thing has escalated to a higher level. Irony has it's way, and the offending party and I work along side in peace and harmony today. Good luck.

Wanderer

I think that I would let him know:

If that is the bike that he is still riding - he's a little bit below the learning curve.

He really should consider uprading, if he is really serious about improving his (ahem) health........

Sadly, it won't make him any taller!

rhm

Right, because it would be completely different if it came from a cyclist.

I've been known to carry a double bass (AKA bass fiddle, bull fiddle, standup bass &c) through the streets, and I am always amazed how many people come up to me with a joke about a double bass. And it's usually one of the two or three I've heard a hundred times, but not always. But they always bring to mind the same thing, which is that while a man carrying a double bass through the streets may be a funny sight, jokes about it usually aren't.

It's teasing, made in hopes of getting some reaction out of the person teased. And the best reaction is the least memorable one, whatever that may be.

duckweed

Agree with colleen c. He sounds like an office bully and the better action is to ask him politely to stop doing whatever he is doing and keep a record of it in case he refuses to stop and you need to escalate it. Keep your professionalism and keep your cool, he is the person that's got some issues, not you.

destikon

I get hassled at my job all the time from warehouse guys. I laugh with them rather than getting upset. If you get upset than they win.

Artkansas 

The key question here is where is Napolean on the org chart with respect to you. If he's above you, then there is a problem. If he is a gate-keeper for resources that you need and cannot get elsewhere, there is a problem.

Otherwise, I'd blow him off, laugh with the joke. Actually it looks like a fairly clever home built scoot trike. I'd praise it's design, 3 wheels for no balancing problems, recycled materials, does he know where it is? or did he find it on the internet?

It's almost a compliment to you that he is jealous enough to spend the time searching to find that image. Maybe he needs a Road 1 course from secret santa this christmas.

This could be made to work for you.

Seattle Forrest

Living well is the best revenge. Sounds like you can expect to outlive this coworker by about 15 years; that should be enough.

ItsJustMe

+1. If you feel spiteful and want to do something that will be a comfort to you without getting you in trouble, print out a copy of the email, and keep it in a drawer. Tell yourself that you're going to send it to the guy after his first heart attack.

gna

"Bet you wish you played the flute."

Though leaving my last gig, a young woman said laciviously, "That's a big bass you've got. Congratulations!"

Boy, did I laugh.

rhm

Ja, that would've had me too. I guess it's the difference between teasing and flirting that gets me: I prefer flirting!

no motor?

If you're living the healthy lifestyle I guess you are you can just pat your (lack of) gut and say "I know what happens when you don't" when people give you grief about riding. I usually mention the price of gas after that and people usually are thinking it's not such a bad idea anymore.

Booger1

Don't you have something better to worry about? You need thicker skin.....

robtown

A coworker asked me how I was this morning. After I said "fine, and you?" he replied "ok until I saw you in spandex". I stopped by his office later with a solution. I'll ring a bell when I come into the office as a signal for him to close his eyes. I suggested that I should get a bell ASAP and we should practice several times a day.

destikon

Make him feel like a sucker for spending $200/month on gas (or whatever) by sporting this on your bag, courtesy of zeropergallon.com

mondaycurse

OP, I think I know the "type." They're too stupid to accept defeat, so you might as well not take any argument seriously. He's probably getting the exact response he wants.

CliftonGK1

Photoshop an Aerospoke and a bunch of Cervelo or Pinarello logos on it, print it out, hang it on your office door.

Stray8

Aw, just shoot him...

xray1978

Yup. who cares what Fatty McGee says.

ortcutt

Seems to me you shouldn't count on being able to shame the guy into his senses. I doubt whether boasting about the benefits of cycling will have the least effect. Remember George Hanson's immortal words about closed-minded hillbillies in Easy Rider:

"They're not scared of you. They're scared of what you represent to 'em."

ahsposo 

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The FB

jeffpoulin

Be friendly to him and compliment him on something. That should make him think twice. If he does it again, compliment him again on something. If he still does it after that, he's an irreformable jerk, so you'll have to confront him and turn it into a disciplinary issue.

destikon

Pork Chop