Hipster crosses the line
 

WTF... I don't do alleycat so I don't have spoke cards, I got a spoke card for cmwc but didn't race so I don't put that on my bike. Why are hipsters putting spoke cards on their bikes? I saw a nice sweet fixie the other day locked up and went to check out the spoke cards on it, and they turned out to be random images, not for alleycats or races, but just crap that looked "rebelious" like stupid 'underground art' and $h*t like that. I think they've taken this thing to a whole different level. Its great that people are riding a bike, whatever reason its for, they are riding and thats the important thing, but now its really becoming fashion thing and it's disgusting. I guess i'm over reacting...just bored at work and felt like ranting.

I'm not going to get upset about it though I like the idea of earning spoke cards.

This might turn into another "it's your ride -- do with it what you want" personal freedom thread (go 'merica!). That's good and all, but to me, it's a matter of taste and a small bit of respect.

Last time I checked, I didn't need permission to ride my bike, to ride any certain kind of bike, or to decorate my bike based on whatever struck my fancy. It appears that I may have been mistaken.

Yeah, you don't need permission to ride your bike or to decorate it, but like adamkell said, it's more about respect and earning your spokecards and not imitating just cuz it might make you more legit. I'm not a messenger and don't really have the desire to be, but I have enought respect for them and people that do alleycats that I won't be a poser and put fake spoke cards on my bike that i didn't earn just so I can look more like someone that did earn it. oh well I guess imitation is the biggest form of flattery.

i don't race and wouldn't put random **** in my spokes, except that a friend made a memorial spoke card for a girl who died a couple months ago.. so that's the only thing i have.

at this point i think i'd do just about anything to seem LESS "legit" to people like you.

stop making my bike into some sociocultural statement about bicycle culture at large, because i hate bicycle culture at large.

gilby is right. looks like we were all mistaken.

The DCC has spokecards that we didn't earn because we made them, well, because we're a crew of riders. However, all other spke cards adorned of DCC member's rides are all earned.

While you can do what you want with your ride, that is a bit disrespectful.

Whatever....

Terrorist bombings only fuel more terrorist bombings.

I think there is enough animosity, theres no need to go kicking sh1t up. Be careful what you wish for.

group e-hug

what the hell, its a card in spokes, get over it

if you and your alleycat buddies feel oh so disrespected by it than thats kinda too bad, are you going to start feeling disrespected by people who dont ride fixed gears now? or how about people who roll a pant leg or, god forbid, both? how dare they, right? how dare they try to make fashion of your life!

its just a bike, its just a card, get over it. dont worry so much about what other people do to their bikes

So what? If you want, the way you get them to remove them is to sweat them about it. Go up to them and say, "Hey, I dont' recognize that race card. What race was that? Do you race at all?" "Oh. Let me be kind and explain race cards to you..."

Honestly, they probably don't know and just think that it's bike art.




Next you can go after the kids with the stickers on their hondas and find out if they are really sponsored by "Flowmaster".

slow day at the toll booth?

I remember back in the day, when kids put all sort of things in their wheels, baseball cards, fluorescent spoke coverings, pictures, etc.

So, who is imitating who?

There is contradiction here. You put him/her down for random images; then you imply they didn't earn them. How does someone earn random images?

When I see a bike with spoke cards, I always assume they are reliving their youth by decorating their bikes with faux baseball cards.

I just don't see the reason to be elitist about it. Face it: fixed gear on the street just isn't an underground thing anymore. I say that's all the better reason to make the bike your own.

I've done a couple alleycats, but the only spoke card I have on my bike is the "Y" card from a deck of children's alphabet cards--it has a picture of yarn on it. Matches my crocheted top tube protector. And in brakes and a bell, and I guess you could say I'm making a mockery of the fixed gear purist. Oh well :c)

why the F**K does it matter if I decided to put a "non-legit" spokecard in my spokes? i mean come on! go practice pedaling in circles backwards and spend less time getting huffy about kids putting stuff in their spokes.

here here!

http://www.dbccollectibles.com/images/pm4001668.jpg

thank you

ps when they start making up fake race cards, THEN complain about it

pps lol teadoggg said "huffy"

the boy shants has a sweet spokecard he made featuring none other than the burger king himself in a come hither pose. That is hilarious. So stick whatever you want in your spokes.

http://nooooooooooooooo.ytmnd.com/

ditto that. don't make up fake race cards, but feel free to put other stuff in there.

everyone knows shants is a hardcore poser =)

i had a real baseball card in my spokes for a while, but then again my bike is orange and blue and has pedro martinez's number on the back of the seat tube. i guess that makes me a poser cuz in real life i'm not actually a major league pitcher.

ok, guys. I didn't want to do this, but this thread is about to reach two pages and I can't allow the confusion to go on any further.

Allowed:
Race memorabilia
Cyclist memorials
Riding crew cards.

Disallowed:
Everything else.

If you fail to abide by these clear instructions, you will be found, removed from your bike and forced to watch while your rear wheel is torn down and rebuilt with radial spokes. If you don't like it, move to Canada.

what if my rear wheels is already laced with radial spokes? on the drive side?