Fred Season Comes early to soCal...

[DirtyWorks]

In the last 6 months I've had at least 5-6 people have a go at the 5600 series 105 on my training bike, a friend had someone rag out his TT bike - without realising it was an old team bike from his pro-conti days and another two friends upgraded to bikes that they weren't happy with long term just because of peer pressure in their riding groups, one of whom made a hefty loss on her new bike when she sold it simply because she wanted it gone.

IMO, this is definitely not new or unusual in Southern California for a long, long time. Nice people ride there too, but there's definitely an equipment culture that is pure B.S.

 

[Boeing]

There are more freds in the Como and Coffee rides here than Bicycle Club of Irvine. Its more about attitude. All these dude fronting and acting like their fitness is a skill set and reflects their social status are wack jobs living out of their cars.

I'm down with round old guy with a spendy light bike. Working hard to pay the mortgage and put kids through college and WTF let him get a nice bike training time is not within reach. On the other hand the dudes in 605 have some cash and some time to train and are legit peeps .

 

[hiero2]

...What's the etymology of "Fred"?

Not answering your question but...
In NorCal racing in the late 70s I never heard the term, but I was not really plugged in that much. I started hearing it in SoCal around early 80s. It was described to me a racer wannabe wearing the Bell helmet with the mirror and their name was always Fred. I believe Bell helmet and Fred went together then. About 5 years later we started calling the female cycling groupies Bettys.

I can corroborate hearing the derogatory term 'Fred' in the mid-eighties in SoCal.

Betty was actually from skate/surf culture. Depending on how you heard it used, it was either a girl that had some interest in a skater dude but not into skating herself, or a cute surfing girl. IMO, "Betty" very much predates "Fred."

I just recently got a shock when I made a comment about "Freds" to a friend of mine in VT (NE US so other countries don't have to check the map). He and his wife had never heard the term at all. They were mystified, and I thought it was in common usage.

I know I heard the term long before I lived in central coast CA. I thought it was derived from Fred Flintstone. I couldn't tell you where I first heard it. Or when.

Edit - except that I'm pretty sure I first heard it back in the 80's. More certain before the early 90's.

 

[42x16ss]

A few months ago a guy showed up on a bike with down tube lever shifters. We were admirative, especially when he more or less managed to keep up. He has now upgraded, not from any peer pressure but because he saw the interest in a more modern bike.

A friend of mine has a stunning early 80's De Rosa with Campag gruppo and downtube shifters, a beautiful bike. It gets very mixed receptions when it gets taken out on group rides. Not everyone gets why he rides it instead of his recent model Lapierre, especially the cafe/bunch only "racer" groups but those that do always comment! It shows the varied knowledge and appreciation of the history of our sport.

 

[sponsor]

... but there's definitely an equipment culture that is pure B.S.

No excuse for not being nice, but those 40ish riders are very well off and it is cheaper buying cycling stuff than most sports cars stuff. I think its a good thing.

 

[winkybiker]

No excuse for not being nice, but those 40ish riders are very well off and it is cheaper buying cycling stuff than most sports cars stuff. I think its a good thing.

As a 40+++ guy with a decent salary, a mortgage and a family, I concur with that comment. I have a spendy bike(s) but no sports car. My lovely wife allows me my extravagance partly due to the fact that my cycle-commuting saves us $$ on a second vehicle, but mostly because she knows I love my cycling. We went to the tour for our honeymoon, FFS!

Whilst some younger guys might mutter under their breaths that I'm not fast enough for my C50, I've done plenty of miles over the years. It's my main passion, and I don't feel at all that I somehow don't "deserve" a nice bike.

I'm in shape, tan lines are sharp, pins are shaved, sun-glass straps on the outside, and my stem is slammed. Am I a Fred?

 

[sponsor]

There are more freds in the Como and Coffee rides here than Bicycle Club of Irvine. ....

Any Fred can start any ride. Can any Fred finish any ride?
If some rides are finished, or other rides finished near the front - Bell helmet or not, you are not a Fred, or Betty.

 

[42x16ss]

As a 40+++ guy with a decent salary, a mortgage and a family, I concur with that comment. I have a spendy bike(s) but no sports car. My lovely wife allows me my extravagance partly due to the fact that my cycle-commuting saves us $$ on a second vehicle, but mostly because she knows I love my cycling. We went to the tour for our honeymoon, FFS!

Whilst some younger guys might mutter under their breaths that I'm not fast enough for my C50, I've done plenty of miles over the years. It's my main passion, and I don't feel at all that I somehow don't "deserve" a nice bike.

I'm in shape, tan lines are sharp, pins are shaved, sun-glass straps on the outside, and my stem is slammed. Am I a Fred?

Hell no! You know what you've got, appreciate it and treat your C50 accordingly. I bet you also don't treat every ride as a flipping race.

Not like the freds you see in badly fitting team kit with the TCR Advanced SL/Spec S Works/Cervelo S5 with a road grime finish, riser stem and squeaky BB...

 

[sponsor]

Can someone please point me to the post where FRED is defined.

It helps with the arguments.

 

[chiocciolis_calves]

I wish that was the case here, everybody seems to ride only to try and drop each other

In the last 6 months I've had at least 5-6 people have a go at the 5600 series 105 on my training bike, a friend had someone rag out his TT bike - without realising it was an old team bike from his pro-conti days and another two friends upgraded to bikes that they weren't happy with long term just because of peer pressure in their riding groups, one of whom made a hefty loss on her new bike when she sold it simply because she wanted it gone.

I guess it comes with living in a city full of image conscious, middle aged riders, cashed up on mining and resources money.

One of the reasons I will always prefer the company of MTBers, who, almost uniformly, come off much nicer and down to earth when I encounter them. I don't think I've ever had an unreturned nod, hand wave or hello from a one of them, much less any snootiness over equipment. For what it's worth, obsession with cost of equipment has generally run in inverse proportion to ability, in my experience.

 

[Orvieto]

Re: Can someone please point me to the post where FRED is defined

It helps with the arguments.

A Fred used to be a term roadies used to describe non roadies that had the audacity to share the road with them. They might have ridden a hybrid or a recumbent. They might have had a mirror on their helmet. They might have had a Greatful Dead cycling jersey or a very bright, oversized windbreaker flapping in the wind. Occasionally they were very fit and it was embarrassing for a true roadie to be shown up by one.

On the the evidence of this thread, the term has evolved to mean a novice cyclist, who doesn't meet the fitness, riding capabilities, etiquette or fashion requirements of some self declared true cyclist.

In other words everybody is somebody else's Fred. If you lead a club ride, your Fred is the newbie who's still learning how to pace himself properly and is riding a grade of bike far beyond his abilities. If you are a serious Master's racer, your Fred is that self important leader of the club ride who turns up to your city crit then gets dropped. If you are a former pro, your Fred is that wannabe who wins the box of innertubes at the city crits.

So remember, every time you see a Fred, someone else sees the Fred in you.

 

[fatsprintking]

A Fred used to be a term roadies used to describe non roadies that had the audacity to share the road with them. They might have ridden a hybrid or a recumbent. They might have had a mirror on their helmet. They might have had a Greatful Dead cycling jersey or a very bright, oversized windbreaker flapping in the wind. Occasionally they were very fit and it was embarrassing for a true roadie to be shown up by one.

On the the evidence of this thread, the term has evolved to mean a novice cyclist, who doesn't meet the fitness, riding capabilities, etiquette or fashion requirements of some self declared true cyclist.

In other words everybody is somebody else's Fred. If you lead a club ride, your Fred is the newbie who's still learning how to pace himself properly and is riding a grade of bike far beyond his abilities. If you are a serious Master's racer, your Fred is that self important leader of the club ride who turns up to your city crit then gets dropped. If you are a former pro, your Fred is that wannabe who wins the box of innertubes at the city crits.

So remember, every time you see a Fred, someone else sees the Fred in you.

I pretty much agree with this. The term "Fred" is really just something that someone uses to describe someone that they believe they are superior to on the road. That's a very subjective point.

It is mixed in with a whole lot of subjective, bulls-it "rules", that it appears to me are about the mistaken belief that certain people hold the flame for some true essence of cycling vibe.

It is really just a way of developing a hierarchy in an increasingly egocentric world. It does lead to a lot of people waffling on about things that they clearly have no idea about in reality.

There are still plenty of people that actually know what they are doing that seek to help people develop knowledge and understanding about the sport in a low key and unpretentious way, but they do tend to get drowned out by loudmouth spanker types.

A Lot of people would benefit form just riding by themselves more often and actually just enjoying the pleasure of riding without the associated crap that seems to be a part of the politics of modern "bunches".

 

[Boeing]

there is always that one dude who has to point everything out in the road like he is helping. hand near the brakes toolbag!

 

[42x16ss]

there is always that one dude who has to point everything out in the road like he is helping. hand near the brakes toolbag!

And when there's something actually worth pointing out, they always go MIA...

 

[Boeing]

Bump. It's been a Fred Fondo this year here these first few days of spring. I almost dont even like riding a road bike here in SoCal now.

 

[nayr497]

Re:

No excuse for not being nice, but those 40ish riders are very well off and it is cheaper buying cycling stuff than most sports cars stuff. I think its a good thing.

As a 40+++ guy with a decent salary, a mortgage and a family, I concur with that comment. I have a spendy bike(s) but no sports car. My lovely wife allows me my extravagance partly due to the fact that my cycle-commuting saves us $$ on a second vehicle, but mostly because she knows I love my cycling. We went to the tour for our honeymoon, FFS!

Whilst some younger guys might mutter under their breaths that I'm not fast enough for my C50, I've done plenty of miles over the years. It's my main passion, and I don't feel at all that I somehow don't "deserve" a nice bike.

I'm in shape, tan lines are sharp, pins are shaved, sun-glass straps on the outside, and my stem is slammed. Am I a Fred?

If you are Canadian, I'd say no. Canadians are too down-to-earth and nice. Well, except those ice hockey players I was friends with in college, they were only nice off the ice...

 

[nayr497]

Re:

"It is really just a way of developing a hierarchy in an increasingly egocentric world. It does lead to a lot of people waffling on about things that they clearly have no idea about in reality."

Beyond the global obesity epidemic, I think egocentrism and selfishness are going to be serious problems plaguing humanity this century. As a cyclist, I can't help but think of how many motorists see no problem with ignoring my safety and life because they'd rather text than drive. Talk about selfish, piloting a deadly machine and doing it with only one hand and no eyes on the road

 

[winkybiker]

Re: Re:

No excuse for not being nice, but those 40ish riders are very well off and it is cheaper buying cycling stuff than most sports cars stuff. I think its a good thing.

As a 40+++ guy with a decent salary, a mortgage and a family, I concur with that comment. I have a spendy bike(s) but no sports car. My lovely wife allows me my extravagance partly due to the fact that my cycle-commuting saves us $$ on a second vehicle, but mostly because she knows I love my cycling. We went to the tour for our honeymoon, FFS!

Whilst some younger guys might mutter under their breaths that I'm not fast enough for my C50, I've done plenty of miles over the years. It's my main passion, and I don't feel at all that I somehow don't "deserve" a nice bike.

I'm in shape, tan lines are sharp, pins are shaved, sun-glass straps on the outside, and my stem is slammed. Am I a Fred?

If you are Canadian, I'd say no. Canadians are too down-to-earth and nice. Well, except those ice hockey players I was friends with in college, they were only nice off the ice...

Living in Canada, yes, but not yet a citizen. (and it's a C59, not a C50 as I mistakenly typed above)

 

[fatandfast]

having been riding in Mexico for a few weeks now I will never see another "fred" again in my life.
Mexicans understand the essence of bike riding. In true time machine fashion they can climb on a bike no matter how old and have a good time. They wear some of the funniest clothes I have ever and have fun doing it. They ride whatever, mtbikes,road bikes,hybrids,all together. Everybody rides together..entire families and have a good time.

There is a saying in surfing that has to do w essence of the sport..it has many versions..@a good surfer can rip on an ironing board.
A good cyclist is anybody that is out on their bike having a good time..I often forgot this in NYC and S.Cal where the bike and trappings are awful important to riders w little heart for the sport.
A side surfing note...stand up paddle boarding has blow up world wide..one reason..you can do it on the first day, you can succeed on your first outing.Young guns w epoxy clips that can tear the top off of most water look down on this new group.To tie this in with my anti-fred use theme..getting people outside,on a bike or in the water is fan-fu--ing-tastic. Any person young or old that can get out from behind a TV or kid off his/her XBOX is a world victory. I will read Hinault comments about Africans making progress toward racing results a lil' closer after seeing dirt poor people out riding w the biggest sh-t eatin' grin on their face..they get it.

 

[Boeing]

Can we call chicks Freds? Or is she a Wilma? Plenty of Wilmas out now. And they are mean

 

[Irondan]

This is all I'm going to think about now, while riding... Who's a Fred and not a Fred... Am I a Fred.... I wish that I could un-read this thread! lol

 

[Irondan]

Re:

This is all I'm going to think about now, while riding... Who's a Fred and not a Fred... Am I a Fred.... I wish that I could un-read this thread! lol

Whoever came up with this BS shot be flogged! My afternoon ride was spoiled yesterday because all I could think about was whether or not I look like a Fred... Ugh!

 

[nayr497]

I prefer the "rookie Fred" with the flipped up stem and Trek to the "racer Fred" who only wants to talk about watts and HR. One of them is having fun riding a bike, one of them is not.

 

[Irondan]

According to the very popular blog 'Bike Snob NYC', everyone but him is a 'Fred' so I guess none of this matters.

 

[42x16ss]

Close, according to BikeSnob everyone - including him - is a Fred. Or a poseur. Or whatever he feels like making fun of at the time. Try and remember that these are humour pieces, everyone gets flack from BikeSnob.