Rober

Well, I'll grant you that I do enjoy making up stories about people I don't know and have never even seen. But you're way off on the furniture - I have a house full of it! So far you're batting 500.

stringbreaker

What year is the Specialized? I have a 2006 of the same model except mine doesn't have the curved top tube its straight. Its got the rack and bag with the panniers that fold down from the sides and lights lots of lights even the valve stems have blinkies on them. Is that Fred? Oh yeah and my puke green vest with the red blinking led's now thats gotta be worth a few Fred points

howsteepisit

I seem to fit the bill, plus it sounds French in honor of the TDF!! Froseur and proud of it!

RonH

The only thing on my bike that "matches" are the stainless steel bottle cages (ti bottle cages are too expensive.).
My gloves are are blue, yellow bar tape, red/silver helmet (with mirror), black Sidis, black bibs, and fluorescent yellow jersey.

Kotts

Didn't mean to Hijack the thread, but I heard a new term recently: "Fred Astaire" - Someone who looks like a Fred, but doesn't ride like one.

SaiKaiTai

I'd be really interested inn the answer to this one

The Weak Link

Riding a Lemond is like driving one of the older Volvos: it says you ain't cheap but you value unostentatious quality

solveg

I'm just sayin': the claim that we're all snooty and judgemental doesn't stand up when we're not the ones writing about other bikes....

Widsith

Hey, that's me! The only reason I don't feel comfortable with the "Fred" label is because I'm not (yet) good enough to drop anyone.

The Weak Link

Huh?

bab2000

2007, wife has the woman's version. Ours are Crossroad Sports, with 700 rims. The Expedition are fitted with 26" rims, (listed in your signature.)

Rides nice, tires "38c" are versatile on a wide variety of road type surfaces. Adding the Brooks improved comfort greatly.

We use for exploring new trails in different communities, (that was the plan before she when down for surgery), and our casual rides together, have a nice 9 mile loop we do in the evening together.

solveg

Well, I mean, there's irony there! I don't know of any Riv owners talking about how other riders are judgmental, even though Rober wrote, a LeMond rider was judging the riv owners. Irony, I tell ya!

And I have to say, my lawn is the worst in the neighborhood, and my clothes are always wrinkled. And I own no arts and crafts furniture.

PirateJim

Okay... I gave myself a "Yes" vote since I might as well be lumped into this category too without fighting it.

A while ago I posted a pic of my bike and was fairly quickly labeled OCP because of the red SpeedPlays attached to the red bike. I didn't know what OCP meant at the time and it took a while to decide I wasn't too hurt. I even grinned about it when screwing down some red bottle cages to hold my new red Camelback bottles.

And I've given up and admitted to myself that I will forever be a Fred by the rules (lack of rules?) that seem to be applied over on the Road forum. It's cool, I'm okay. I already knew that shorts, sneakers and a tee shirt with non-bike related pictures, etc. while riding my old Navigator was pretty Fredish. But apparently any use of safety equipment (helmet seemingly excluded, but that has probably only been acceptable since Lance started wearing 'em...) makes you a Fred. Mirrors are FRED!!! Hi-vis colors seem to be FRED!!!! (Sorta reminds me of the movie Twister…”I always wanted to get hit by a car, you know, just to see what it’s like…”) Now it seems a saddle bag that will hold more than one spare tube (light weight, of course) and two Co2 cartridges is FRED!!!

So... I must fit the bill. If I get into enough pigeon holes I'll rule the world! Oh… I also still have the Dork Disk on my rear wheel and don’t plan to remove it! Bwaaa Hahahahaha.

Digital Gee

Get this man a therapist. Quick.

The Weak Link

Well fine. I don't make my bed, either, and I yell at my daughter is she forgets to make hers.

And I've been tempted to break yard gnomes, even though I never have.

Let's just get it all of our collective chests.

Whew. Now back to the issue, if there is one. I make no judgements. That's not true, but that's what everyone who claims to be nonjudgmental says. I make simple observations, that my neighbor is a Fred and I'm a froseur. His yard looks like you could use it for a putting green. They might open mine up to oil exloration someday soon.

stringbreaker

Oh yeah mine is the Expedition same color though my bad. I like mine just fine as a commuter and when I take off the slicks and replace them with the stock units its pretty good on unpaved but not really bad trails.I've had it for three summers now and it works just a nicely as it did when new. I put Amadillos on it for commuting and it made a nice difference in the ride. Oh is this Fredly enough?

Rober

I'll buy that. Suddenly I feel the need for a gray ponytail

SaiKaiTai

OK, got that one covered, too

Oh, and, while I don't drive a Volvo, Mrs S does... guilt by association?

To the OP, could I be? Sure, sure I could.
Sometimes my gloves don't match my jersey (they do match my bikes) and I wear a mirror on my glasses

BluesDawg

I understand that is one of the popular definitions of "Fred", but I have never accepted that one. I heard about Freds long before I read internet forums, and a Fred has always been someone who was totally clueless about his lack of style in clothing, equipment or technique. Not that he doesn't care, just that he doesn't know. And being able or not to blow someone away is not part of definition.

A "poseur" is someone who has all the right gear and clothing, but not the chops.

"Froseur" sounds like a new brand of TV dinner.

BluesDawg

Obviously you are a man of discerning taste. Stainless steel cages are strong, light, attractive, reasonably priced and they don't put black marks on your water bottles. I don't understand why the aluminum ones still exist.

stapfam

Don't know about the Colour but there is definitely a rule against Schwinn's- Unless they are at least 10 years old.

BluesDawg

I don't see anything wrong with the bikes Schwinn sells in bike shops today.

solveg

Wow! That Madison has a flat top tube! How cool is that!

cranky old dude

I believe I'm closer to a FRED than anything else, not that I really care.
My main ride, an '88 Trek 820 is pretty much the laughing stock of the
bike rack at work. It's the oldest, the dirtiest, and the most loaded-up
with doo-dads at the bike rack. Front to rear, chopped-up steel fender off of
a 50's or 60's beast (self customized to fit around the cantilever brakes),
Vista green Blinkie, Blackburn battery operated headlight (double "A's"),
Bar ends, Avocet computer (older than dirt), Mirrcycle mirror, four feet
of teflon coated chain with padlock wrapped around the seat post, U-lock
secured to seat tube, blackburn bottle cage secured to the downtube,
very old rack with metal milk-crate attached, red Vista blinkie, two red
Planet bike superflash lights mounted to a home made mount and the
mate to the front fender also custom fitted. So much crap on this bike
that the kickstand barely holds it up. Oh, I almost forgot about the three
spoke mounted reflectors on each wheel. Two wheel sets, summer tires and studded
winter tires.

I generally ride dressed in denim cut-offs and a sleevles "T" with short
white socks and comfortable sneakers. Also adorned in fingerless gloves,
a "Dew rag" under my helmet and a safety vest and clip-on side shields for my
sun glasses. I don't care that it looks stupid 'cause it serves its purpose...gets
me back and forth to work with the least amount of fuss. I'm not a true Fred in
that I'm not made of steel and I doubt I could drop Roadies at the drop of a hat.

As you might imagine, I'm not big into sub-sets....I figure folks are either
cyclists or they're not.

This pic of "The Beast" hasn't got the Mirror on it yet and the headlight and
planet bikes are charging indoors.

Catweazle

cranky old dude I reckon that bike is AWESOME!

But hey? That's one helluva lot of security provisions for a bike people are gonna be too embarrassed to try to steal!