A lot of the criticism here is just internet douchbaggery. Can't worry about it. It would be fun, if you aren't too sensitive, to post your own picture on the road cycling forum and ask people to criticize your appearance...
But if you were to meet every user of BF, you'd see all kind of different people with different styles and approached to cycling.

Exactly! I've met atleast a couple hundred riders through various forums. I can say the "posters" ( I won't call them riders) that sit back and criticize other members are the posters that won't come out for a ride/forum ride. Yeah, they know it all, they've done it all, bigger tougher hotter steeper rides with their million dollar bikes but will they come out for a simple ride? Nope!

Bad thing once you expose them, they do whatever they can on the forums to make you look bad, out of insecurity is my guess. Not unless you really believe 80 degrees is too hot for a ride and 70 degrees is too cold.

As far as those that do show up, yeah, lots of styles and plenty of strong riders no matter how they dress or ride. I've had guys on touring bikes, racks, bells kick the snot out of me on rides and others that looked like Lance turn back cause the ride was too tough.

Fred makes not one bit of difference, as mentioned, it's all internet d'baggery.

Ride like the honey badger. It don't care. It don't give a shirt.

Love, Randall.

Yeah. That. If you really wanna be a snob, go hang out in the roadie forum and don't ever wave or acknowledge other cyclists in any way.

I wave to you all the time, don't I ?...btw, how's the new bike?

elitist roadies will always stick their nose up to anyone who does not look like an aspiring tour pro, hell I have heard of people scoffing because another rider had the wrong color socks.

It is best to avoid these types. The quickest way to explain "fred" generally you can look at fred being a synonym to practical (ie: lights, fenders, handlebar bag, racks, reflective bits, etc"

About the only thing I have a hard time not laughing at (at least in my head) is when a guy shows up to a cat 5 race on $6,000 of bike or with the latest $2000 carbon wonder wheels, dish wheels, etc, it just screams too much time spent looking at bike parts and not enough time riding.

In bicycling like any field, there'll be some people that'll push boundaries, introduce new things, influence that field as well as being part of it. That takes insight, imagination, determination and a willingness to question conventional wisdom. Don't know if in the bicycling industry if they'll all be 'Freds', but there's no way any of them will be people hung up on any stereotypical image of what a bike or biking should be.

Yeah I came here mostly because I knew I'd be criticized less for asking a question like this here.



I think some of you are taking my question a bit too seriously. I'm not really worried about my appearance or anything, I just got the impression that a lot of cyclists (the 41ers mostly) seem to have set rules on how everything should look and be. Obviously I was wrong because a bunch of you replied with very nice, helpful posts I agree that "just ride" is the best advice.

We need a honey badger jersey.

Newbie question - why is the road bike forum called the 41?

Because the URL for that subforum is: https://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl...1-Road-Cycling

[hover over it]

Because they're too stuck up over there to just say the Road Bike forum; they insist on calling it by its forum number, The 41™.

Embrace your Fredness. I am such a Fred that I have become a Frederick.

You too? I'm a "Frederick F."

Naaahhhh. She's just priming you up to ask for something :-)

Naaahhhh. She's just priming you up to ask for something :-)

a1penguin, you're probably right, she's got something up her sleeve.

I embrace Fred. I've owned lots of bicycles over the years from Western Auto tanks to Schwinn Varsity to a vintage Raleigh to a Nishiki road bikd with a 52/50 front ring (do the math - not much range) to my lovely Colnago Master framed Campy groupo beauty built for me while I was stationed in Italy. I have loved 'em all. I now ride a Schwinn 7-speed beach cruiser I got from my brother's apartment after he passed away last month. You know, it rides just fine back and forth to work. I put a seat post rack and bag on it and love my commute. I've worn spandex and bike jerseys and I now wear Haggar slacks and a red helmet on my commute. As Woody says in the movie "Wild Hogs": "Just ride, man! Ride!" I admisre the Freds around here - most are working minimum wage jobs and making do with their Walmart bikes...more power to 'em.

Maybe the easiest way to answer is to ask, how do you become a Fred?

Answer: go to the road cycling forum, ask how you can keep from being a Fred, and try to follow all the "advice."

Going for a ride tomorrow, on my touring bike with racks and fenders, dressed for the cold, and the senso light will probably come on as I roll through the shadows. I'll probably do double the distance of the non-Freds in town who even make it out to their bikes tomorrow...

Most roadies who own more than one bike, are part-time Freds...

PS.

I hear that Freds now want to be treated like human beings and first class citizens...Hah!

They even want the right to marry! I'll tell ya..I just don't know what this country is coming to...We're just swirling down the drain!

A true Fred accepts who and what they are. Not suffering delusions of grandeur. Do not fear bringing out your inner Fred.

Get a sex change operation. But then you'd be a Freida.

It's true. And the funny thing is the farther up the USAC categories you go, the freddishness you find: frame pumps, fenders, zipties, tire liners, and duct tape. Not to mention bike commuting and cookies as riding fuel. It's just a function of the mileage necessary to be competitive.

You know what? I'm probably more Fred than non-Fred but... I really don't care. I am what I am and that's all that I am. (Where have I heard that before?)

Don't worry about what people think about you. Ride and have fun. If your really worried about what people think don't worry about what your wearing or riding. Train your butt off and get faster, people can't judge people they can't catch. Also nothing would tick off a "hater" more than getting passed or dropped by a guy who they deem a fred.

Ride, Ride...Ride.

Awesome quote