Hslater

Not to try to defend the kid who is beginning to hate everything track related, but I ran into a guy that made me see his point a little better than I did before(especially if the only fixed riders he ever sees act like this guy). Hopefully, I was just in a pissy mood after a long, hot ride and I misconstrued his tone, and hopefully he's on these boards and can set me right, but I have to admit my last 5 miles home were spent *****ing to myself about it.

I ride a definite poser-machine, surly with the cheap suzue hubs, MA3's, bullhorn's with a brake, brooks saddle. And I ride it a lot. 150 or more miles a week. I work in Dublin and live in Berkeley and usually ride either to or back from work(45-50 miles). Today I wussed out and BARTed over the hardest hills because it was stupid hot and I was tired. I got off at rockridge station in Oakland to ride the rest of the easy way home.

On college ave I spot a guy pretty far ahead of me that looks to be on a track bike. He's wearing one of the small size ortlieb bags. When I get close enough I can see his wheels, and they are what can only be described as the hippest wheels I've ever seen. Black deep v's, black phil's, black bladed spokes. I didn't see his bike too well but he had a nice track stem and deep drop bars with kierin grips in the drops - very pretty - though he was riding with his fingertips on the flat part of the bar to sit up high and comfy, which doesn't bother me, you know, be comfortable, whatever. What did bother me is that he was riding very slowly, weaving around the the entire lane, went through a red without so much as speeding up. Just sort of moseying along in what looked to be a gear way too big for moseying. And when I passed him, not very fast, maybe 19-21mph, he yells at me something like, "Get 'em! Go! Go!" all sarcastic-like. I looked back wanting to say something, and he was just moseying along holding up traffic, smiling. I figured I'd rather just get home after riding about 25 very hot and sunny miles with a full bag (I worked an overnight and had all my stuff, including shoes and clothes) and just rode on.

I don't know why this bothers me so much as it has. I think it must have to do with the breaking of what has usually felt like a fraternity (in the real sense, not the drunken college sense - though the drunken part still pertains, I suppose). I mean, something I've loved about bicycling, and fixed gear riding particularly, is the feeling that we're all in it together - that our bikes bring us together a priori. Maybe I've just been lucky and not run into any jerks, maybe today I just had too much sun, maybe I've just been thinking about hipsters and got a little touchy. Whatever, I'll still be on my bike 8 hours this weekend. Cheers.

DiSrUpToR

I read your post three times and I have yet to determine your point

Judah

Someone said something sarcastic to him and he's all emo about it now.

It doesn't matter, people are always gonna be jerks. The longer something is 'hip' the more jerky people come into it.

Also, to the OP, why do you care what someone obviously slower and lazier than you says? Keep riding, and be happy in the fact that *you* passed *him*.

drac_vamp

the point of a "rant" is that there is not a definite "point". just the letting off of some steam, and maybe a little post from someone else that says something to the effect of "i feel ya on that one." so you don't feel like no one feels you on that one.

boo to slow riders, boo to holier-than-thou rude riders that make you feel silly, boo to long hot days.

hooray to you for having a good attitude and riding a lot.

Judah

Yay for bikes!!!!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.............

Hslater

I'd like to nominate this as the standard response to any post that gets a little incoherent, a little wordy, and a little emo. Thanks

DiSrUpToR

Oh yeah.. that's right, this is a bike forum... for a while now, I thought this was a b!tch and moan forum.

TeleJohn

Needs a ....

jonb

one time i told a guy on a fixed gear, near ocean beach, that he had a nice bike, after having ridden with said guy for about 10 minutes. perhaps he misconstrued that as me being snotty. whatevs. maybe he was just joking.

Placid Casual

Correct. Now quit b!tching and moaning.

Also, I like bikes.

andylago

nobody forced me to read this post and consequently i am not b*tching about it. ...not that i would anyway. because if i don't want to read something then i just stop reading it. what else is there to talk about anyway? i seriously doubt this thread prevented any other theads (perhaps with "points") from happening. hslater i support your rant, and i appreciate rants in general. i think they're important.

carry on sir...

spud

where are the chick ones?

gutter hipster

The way I see it, riding a cheaper bike a lot seems less poser-ish than riding an expensive track bike badly.

SteveAZ

So what's the minimum speed I have to be doing to not be a "poser" Sadly I'll always be, but at least I'm getting stronger and smoother

Personally, I think he was fine until he opened his mouth that's when you want to smack somebody like that.

I hear ya though, I rode all over he!! today and by the end of it I was pretty wiped, may have even looked like a poser at some point, but tried like he!! to never let my speed drop below 20mph. Not easy with the wind and the fact that I've only got 130miles on this bike (my first fixed running 50x17) and a third of them were from today.

Forget the others, ride for you, and use them for inspiration nothing more.

dustinlikewhat

Yay School!
Yay Books!
Yay Me!

EnLaCalle

I'm not sure what's going on in that picture, dustin, but if you need to talk someone about it, i'm here for you.

kwhord

i had the "inverse" of that happen to me today on my way to work. (I was riding my road bike, please dont lynch me Fixers!)

I was riding along, minding my own business. A jock-rodie type on some very expensive cf bike w/ full kit, passed me very close with no warning. As he came by my side I gave a friendly wave and said hello. He snickerd, said "nice bike, ******" and proceeded to drop me. It almost ruined the rest of my commute, but I got some coffee and a motorist with a "share the road" liscence plate helped me merge for a left turn...very cool!

zip22

https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6717610

anarchocyclist

I believe the proper reply to that is, "Thanks, dood, your mom bought it for me."

Placid Casual

I believe that makes him a candidate for a stick-through-the-spokes greeting next time you encounter him. Or just a good swift sideways kick, if you can manage it while maintaining your balance.

spud

haha

kwhord

no need for that. his punishment is: he gets to be him for the rest of his life

0x4C

Hell yes.

evanyc

Originally Posted by kwhord
He snickerd, said "nice bike, ******" and proceeded to drop me.

I believe the proper reply to that is, "Thanks, dood, your mom bought it for me."

_________

Yeah, you folks need to hang out with middle schoolers in the Bronx more and realize it's all about the mom jokes... the other day i was riding and some neighborhood kid was like "hahaha, you ride a bike" and my response was "i also ride your mom!" the kids friends fell out laughing at him and the kid looked so bummed, it was awesome. teaching in the bronx allowed me to revive my long lost insult skills...

ostro

If we were to code your mom in a C++ function she would look like this: double mom (double fat){ mom(fat);return mom;};