I was at a neighborhood gathering last night and one of my neighbors who I only know casually came up and made a commnent I found hilarious. He said “I saw you out riding this weekend. I have such a hard time riding my bike but I notice you look very smooth and weren’t even working that hard. I think I’m going to get a bike like you so peddling is much easier. What kind of bike is that?”
He was dead serious and went on to say he knows it’s not that he’s not in shape because he rides his bike 2 times a week, sometimes as much as 5 miles.
The funniest thing is I ride a relatively cheap Giant OCR 3 that is 5 years old(I know, I’m trying to convince the wife I need a new one). I can’t imagine how much of a difference he’ll think my bike makes when I get a new and more expensive one.
What I found more interesting in your post is your need to justify to the group the fact that you ride an old OCR. Ride what-EVER bike you want and don’t mind the posers that hang out around here!
I was at a party a few weeks ago,and that morning I had done my last century ride before a race .
I had mentioned it in passing to someone at the party and they looked at me in disbelief and said " Are you OK ? "
I decided not to tell them that I actually even ran afterwards.
From now on when I’m out in public where the crowd is normal, I will no longer talk tri…it makes us sound like aliens.
I was in a shop yesterday…drugged out looking kid with a fat buddy and a girl with no less than 3 studs rods or hoops in her face (not counting her ears) goes to the owner - holds up a flier for the ABA Championships that will be here soon and proclaims…“I am going to win this, bitch…and when I do, I want you to sponsor me”. He then asks what bike he will need to get to win the race and “money dont matter shit”. Huh…shop employees tells him that if he wins that race he wont need to worry about a local shop sponsor…kid replys with “what the fuck that mean yo”…and left…
God, we need help if kids like this are going to be in charge some day.
If you were TRULY serious, you’d ride a vintage Pea Picker. Imagine rolling up to the transition area on one of those…with cutoff jeans and some Chuck Taylors…rack that bad boy up in the Elites area, if there is one…
I don’t know if that he reads ST.but at last years NYC triathlon, some guy did the race with his trick bike(like the kids use w/the pegs and all).
He did all 24 miles of that race on that bike.
I think it took him close to 3 hours to complete,but he did it.
Poor guy took so much ribbing at T1.
He got it done though.
If you’re reading this Good on you dude!
Simultaneously funny, sad and tragic. Rest assured there are good kids out there, although lately it seems as if fewer and fewer people have respect for anyone or anything beyond their own interests
I am serious. Not at like a major 1/2IM or anything. But I’d do a local sprint on one anytime. I think the Electra’s are cooler. But a REAL Pea Picker would be hard to beat…
I never rolled in Chuck T’s. My vintage sneaker of choice would have to be velcro 'Roos, which I did used to wear. And I never had cut-off jeans; my mom wouldn’t let me be that messy when I was little. I did used to have a lot of original Jams, though. This stuff is too hard to find now.
But I’d go pseudo-vintage any day… As soon as I can afford one of those Electra’s, I’ll get it. And I promise that I’ll do a race on it. And take pictures. I’ll wear my PT shirt too…
Been done at IMLP 2 years ago…he did the run in the Taylors too…he was sub 12 I think.
I didn’t know Schwinn Krates could pass inspection, with banana seats and apehangers and all.
I used to have that bike as well. I got more comments from non-bikers on how fast and cool it looked than I do on my present bike. I think that it’s the pseudo aero-tubing. If you want to continue to impress your neighbours, don’t upgrade the bike. The only comment on my new bike I’ve got from non-bikers is when I was carrying my bike over my shoulder up the stairs to my apt. One of my neighbours commented on how heavy the bike is and how it must be hard to carry. It almost broke my heart. I was very tempted to launch into a discussion about the benefits of space-age materials but decided just to chuckle and say “it’s okay” instead.
My new bike had got a few comments from fellow bike-riders so it’s not all bad.
