davincirider

42 is the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. 41 I don't know. So I'll bite. What's 41?

santurce44

I've been riding for just about a year now and I do most of my riding in CP. I do understand that I'm still pretty new at this and still have a lot to learn, but now I'm wondering what sort of inexperienced things I might have been doing while riding in CP. Would any of you care to elaborate so that I (and others like me) can avoid some of the mistakes that you see a lot of the inexperienced riders making? Thanks.

Doohickie

Each forum has a number designation. 41 is Road Racing or whatever it's called.

guadzilla

Amazing how some people can make an entire soap opera simply out of a bike ride.

echappist

but hey, this form of entertainment is better than most crap on TV, and watching them bicker like kids over childish actions satisfies my daily dosage of schadenfreude

roccobike

+1, That's a pretty accurate description. I'm an old Fred. I only have black lycra shorts, no matching kits. I buy used jerseys with all kinds of logos, think nothing of wearing a mountain biking jersey on a road ride. Due to a neck injury, my stem is raised to where it is only a 1/2 inch below the saddle. I'm not really fast, but I can hold my own with most 18MPH moderatly hilly club rides and 19MPH mostly flat rides. I'll do my share of pulls. I'm not offended by elitists who drop me, as long as they're respectful. If not, I AM capable of riding solo at about 23 for a short period and can make life interesting for them (and have). There's nothing an elitist hates more than an old Fred pulling up behind them and saying "on your wheel".
And if you're a Poser, get ready to get dropped.
Otherwise, being an old Fred is fun.
BTW, as far as knowing bikes, I've done about 5 or 6 frame up builds and lost track of how many bikes I've repaired in my spare time, something like 100 or 200 (for beginner Freds and Doris's).

davincirider

So now it's okay, cool even to be a Fred, just not a poseur?

I am so confused...

stien

41 is the road cycling forum, 33 is the racing subforum.

roadiejorge 

Don't worry about the labels, just ride your bike how you see fit so long as you do so safely.

guadzilla

Far be it for me to argue... I am here, arent I?

guadzilla

Is it a coincidence that the number for the Road forum, 41, is slightly short of the answer to everything?

gitarzan

You got your Newbs, your Freds, your Clydes and Athenas, Poseurs, Elites, Hipsters, Ratrodders, Highbikers, Alts, John Galts, Commuters, Computerers, 50 plus, 60 plus, 70 plus, Fixies, Pixies, Mixtes, The Triaths, the Recumbents, the Redundants, the Tandems, Trackers, Downhill, Uphill, Folders, MX, BMX, Trail, On Trial, Vehicular, Randoneurs, Revenuers, Time Trialers. Big Smilers, Regular Bicyclists and then you got PCad. I think that's all Forrest.

rumrunn6

this morning I saw many more "commuters" out and about but so many didn't have helmets and were doing some really awkward things in traffic. I think the cagers have lots of fresh meat to contend with.

qqy

This is why you do training loops in Prospect Park instead.

I don't mind the other riders in CP, as 95% are well acclimatized to the chaos. It's the damn tourists, dogs, and children that run around unaware and unattended into the road that infuriate me. Too many near misses in certain sections (esp around Columbus Circle and the decent south of 100th).

Also, CP is more 'poseur' (IBs with chicken legs on $6000 bikes going 14mph) than 'fred' (non-spandex, fanny pack wearing guys with older steel bikes and helmets who can often surprise you).