Dunno what to put?

Foxwoof

Ok so I've been riding for 2 months now on an old 1998 bike (upgraded fork to Rockshox Gold TK 30), while I save up for a decent bike (I hate my job) however I was doing some XC trails when I see a 3.5ft drop off with a decline so I had ago loved it so I keep doing it, but here comes some 16 yr old chavs telling me how shit my bike is & I'm fat ( I have a 24.1 BMI i'm stocky build) I wanted to knock the runts out but I'm not violent (unless you seriously piss me off), I'm very concious about what I ride. Should I keep riding and ignore what others think or wait till I get a new bike, I tried to educate them but you know what chavs are like, bear in mind I was beating some £1000 bikes and doing 3-4ft drops with ease, these are not "bike chavs" these are kids who know nothing about bikes or riding apart from a nice looking bike. I feel very self concious about riding the bike now, I dont like being judged because I ride an old bike.

paul.skibum

Foxwoof wrote:

Ok so I've been riding for 2 months now on an old 1998 bike (upgraded fork to Rockshox Gold TK 30), while I save up for a decent bike (I hate my job) however I was doing some XC trails when I see a 3.5ft drop off with a decline so I had ago loved it so I keep doing it, but here comes some 16 yr old chavs telling me how shoot my bike is & I'm fat ( I have a 24.1 BMI i'm stocky build) I wanted to knock the runts out but I'm not violent (unless you seriously wee-wee me off), I'm very concious about what I ride. Should I keep riding and ignore what others think or wait till I get a new bike, I tried to educate them but you know what chavs are like, bear in mind I was beating some £1000 bikes and doing 3-4ft drops with ease, these are not "bike chavs" these are kids who know nothing about bikes or riding apart from a nice looking bike. I feel very self concious about riding the bike now, I dont like being judged because I ride an old bike.

Sorry? how old are you?

Grow up and or grow a pair if the answer to the above question is over 14. Ride what you have as much as you can, when you have the money to buy a newer bike you will be all the better at riding and have more fun still.

The Rookie

If you don't care about the frame, just spray over it, I rode my Carrera for a long time, 2006 frame, but it was sprayed a modern looking colour, had decent components and people had no idea what it was, many were surprised when I told them it was an old Carrera (link in sig), though I'm guessing you have V-brakes which rather dates a frame.

Otherwise just let your riding do the talking after all if they are slagging off your bike and you are out riding them, just point out (politely, they hate polite) how much worse you would make them look if you had 'decent' bike.

veronese68

Ignore them as said above. My 16 year old son rides an old mountain bike with no names on it in unpainted aluminium. Until recently it had V brakes on it but has good, but old, components on it. It's quite light and he is strong. His mates hate the fact that he is way faster than them on what they consider to be a poor quality bike. He loves it because he knows it rides well and is a better bike than they realise because they are too stupid to see past names and flashy looking kit. You need to develop that kind of attitude and keep riding.

schmako

I ride my rubbish commuter and nobody says hello, ride my mtbs and most mtbers say hello (not getting into the roadies, no point in opening the can of worms there).

Anyway, as long as you have a good time who cares what anyone else says.

oodboo

Doesn't matter what you ride, just let your riding do the talking.