What makes a bike poser?

First.Aspect

joe_totale-2 said:

I agree with you Chaz. I'd also say though there's a different kind of poser who feels that you have to somehow 'earn' the right to ride a fancy bike, for example you need to be riding 20mph average solo rides before you are allowed to buy the fancy S Works bike.

They don't believe that you're free to spend your money on what makes you happy.

Completely agree.

There is a certain type of person at a group ride who does a possible fairly, shall we say, "modest" job and who seems to have colossal amounts of free time to ride and race. This person is a bit sneery about most things, particularly kit choices and bike set up (favourites include tyre pressure, saddle position, and more traditionally brake lever position) and seems to be a font of all cycling knowledge, including aerodynamics, materials science, engineering and physiology.

At the cafe stop this person will utterly fail to listen to the guy sat next to them who designs space ships for a living, or something like that, because they haven't got time to ride as much or, vitally, as fast.

Sometimes this person posts on Bikeradar.

amrushton

I think I've ridden with him, sat on his wheel or he's sat on mine until he goes past me on the brow of a hill. Had one guy who timed us all if got to the summit first to gauge how he was going. You may be shocked to learn he was a hedge fund manager.

DeVlaeminck

Surprised it takes years to consider yourself a cyclist these days. If you started say 20+ years ago before the boom it seemed everyone else had been riding since their teens, grew up racing town centre crits (before Sunday opening) and knew everyone else locally. It's so much more welcoming for beginners these days - although the local rides seem a lot more sensible and not so much fun.

ibr17xvii

MattFalle said:

Rapha or equiv - La Passione, Dopey Millar, etc or local bike club "race team" clothes but its not really a race team as you don't get selected, you just pay the extra tenner for the clothes from the below

Buys off the shelf top of the range bike with di2 from shop that also sells coffee and a lifestyle and pays full whack for a "pro bike fit"

Takes it all too seriously, never smiles and only ever rides with people in their "race team"

Has never fought for hours with a stupid front mech to make it work. Or adjusted anything or would even begin to understand how to

Patronises you about bikes

Is generally slow but thinks they are fast

Whilst a lot of this is a massive generalisation it’s also mostly true IME.

Especially the doesn’t smile but & takes it all too seriously bit.

Lighten up. Enjoy riding your bike. It’s what it’s all about.

veronese68

Saw a guy today on several grands worth of shiny carbon bike clad head to toe in Rapha. The cheap plastic pedals and expensive trainers looked a little odd I must confess. But I don't think I'd call him a poser as he managed to look awful, just looked really uncomfortable on the bike. Very much all the gear and no idea.

tetley10

Started in the 2012 boom and have made some shocking errors since, baggy MTB shorts whilst on the road bike, electric blue bib shorts, ski socks and ill fitting (baggy) knee warmers to name a few. I like to think I have seen the light and I am now a fully fledged poser who loves riding a bike.

johngti

tetley10 said:

Started in the 2012 boom and have made some shocking errors since, baggy MTB shorts whilst on the road bike, electric blue bib shorts, ski socks and ill fitting (baggy) knee warmers to name a few. I like to think I have seen the light and I am now a fully fledged poser who loves riding a bike.

Loved every minute of those early days though!

orraloon

D'ye reckon I could be a poseur in my Altura gear on my Boardman graveller? 😉

Actually, given the state of my climbing today (too much sitting on my arris this past month) more like a wheezy wobbly old git on a bike.

darkhairedlord

If you're on this forum then you're a poseur

wayneabs

joe_totale-2 said:

I agree with you Chaz. I'd also say though there's a different kind of poser who feels that you have to somehow 'earn' the right to ride a fancy bike, for example you need to be riding 20mph average solo rides before you are allowed to buy the fancy S Works bike.

They don't believe that you're free to spend your money on what makes you happy.

I agree with that sentiment, if you have the money and enjoy riding bikes why would you not spend it on a decent bike?

Doesn't mean you have to ride like a pro, I just purchased an over priced Cervelo but I absolutely love it and I'm sure it will bring me hours of fun

Can I ride at 20mph average - sadly not...

sumws

I’m a shit cyclist. Happy to admit I like tinkering in the man cave more than riding but last year I had a ‘road to Damascus’ moment
I realised that if all your gear is the same colour (or at least fits the same colour palette) then you actually go faster
If you look at the pro teams ALL their gear is colour matched so it is DEFINITELY true.
I have spent the last year or two buying cheap sunglasses and clothes that match and I look like an absolute bell end as I go up local climbs slower than toddlers on tricycles while looking like a UCI rider
The point is that I like it and I don’t give a shit. Being 57 also helps with not giving a shit, people are so much more worried in their youth.
I did absolutely love overtaking the morbidly obese man in full sky kit on a dogma in the ride London 100 a few years back though

sumws

I’m new to this forum. I didn’t realise you can’t say shit

mrb123

sumws said:

I’m new to this forum. I didn’t realise you can’t say censored

You can say censored, just not censored...

sumws

.

shirley_basso

sumws said:

I did absolutely love overtaking the morbidly obese man in full sky kit on a dogma in the ride London 100 a few years back though

Bit childish, don't you think?

He's as much of a poser as you confess to be, but at least he's also out there getting it done.

First.Aspect

shirley_basso said:

sumws said:

I did absolutely love overtaking the morbidly obese man in full sky kit on a dogma in the ride London 100 a few years back though

Bit childish, don't you think?

He's as much of a poser as you confess to be, but at least he's also out there getting it done.

You have 4007 posts here and only now realising it is all a bit childish?

elbowloh

shirley_basso said:

sumws said:

I did absolutely love overtaking the morbidly obese man in full sky kit on a dogma in the ride London 100 a few years back though

Bit childish, don't you think?

He's as much of a poser as you confess to be, but at least he's also out there getting it done.

I think it was a bit tongue in cheek, especially when he starts out his post about how shoite he is as a cyclist and how matching kit obviously makes you faster.

shirley_basso

First.Aspect said:

shirley_basso said:

sumws said:

I did absolutely love overtaking the morbidly obese man in full sky kit on a dogma in the ride London 100 a few years back though

Bit childish, don't you think?

He's as much of a poser as you confess to be, but at least he's also out there getting it done.

You have 4007 posts here and only now realising it is all a bit childish?

Sh!t i forgot to make a thread marking #4000.

sumws

shirley_basso - I am being tongue in cheek. I am a shit cyclist and I know I am being a poser but I don't care, much as the large man in the sky gear didnt care. It made me chuckle but good luck to him. If everyone was skinny and fast I would feel an even bigger tit.

By the way I absolutely LOVE your username

shirley_basso

Kudos awarded

tetley10

sumws said:

I’m a censored cyclist. Happy to admit I like tinkering in the man cave more than riding but last year I had a ‘road to Damascus’ moment
I realised that if all your gear is the same colour (or at least fits the same colour palette) then you actually go faster
If you look at the pro teams ALL their gear is colour matched so it is DEFINITELY true.
I have spent the last year or two buying cheap sunglasses and clothes that match and I look like an absolute bell end as I go up local climbs slower than toddlers on tricycles while looking like a UCI rider
The point is that I like it and I don’t give a censored . Being 57 also helps with not giving a censored , people are so much more worried in their youth.
I did absolutely love overtaking the morbidly obese man in full sky kit on a dogma in the ride London 100 a few years back though

Definite Poseur

rick_chasey

shirley_basso said:

I am a poser.

Expensive bike, expensive kit - rapidly waning fitness. Luckily i'm still thin.

Could have fooled me

sumws

are there any swear words you CAN say on this forum? Bollocks? for example?

First.Aspect

sumws said:

are there any swear words you CAN say on this forum? Bollocks? for example?

Yes you can say bollocks. But not dick.

MattFalle

First.Aspect said:

sumws said:

are there any swear words you CAN say on this forum? Bollocks? for example?

Yes you can say bollocks. But not censored .

well thatsshit isn't it.

pblakeney

It's not worth giving two shits about.

orraloon

Stop typing shite.

darrell1967

tetley10 said:

Started in the 2012 boom and have made some shocking errors since, baggy MTB shorts whilst on the road bike, electric blue bib shorts, ski socks and ill fitting (baggy) knee warmers to name a few. I like to think I have seen the light and I am now a fully fledged poser who loves riding a bike.

I wear ski socks but Ive got a decent reason for it though.

shirley_basso

darrell1967 said:

tetley10 said:

Started in the 2012 boom and have made some shocking errors since, baggy MTB shorts whilst on the road bike, electric blue bib shorts, ski socks and ill fitting (baggy) knee warmers to name a few. I like to think I have seen the light and I am now a fully fledged poser who loves riding a bike.

I wear ski socks but Ive got a decent reason for it though.

Skiing?

elbowloh

Don't a lot of people wear baggies to start with?

It's a big hurdle to get over to finally accept having a bulge on show and being branded a lycra lout.