Advice required - how not to look a prat on a bike?

[ededwards]

Ever been concerned that you are 'over biked', that is your bike is better than you are?

I'm concerned that I'll be overtaken by young lads with fake Burberry caps and shellsuit tracksuit bottoms on Halfords specials who look on me like I've all the gear and no idea (ok, all the gear from 15 years ago but still no idea). Why I care about this I have no clue but any suggestons of how to avoid this would be useful

 

[Lysander]

Hmmmm....................my advice would be to resort to heavy drinking, and keep all those bad feelings wrapped up in a tight knot in your chest.

 

[orange71]

on your Wobble form I wouldn't worry about anybody overtaking you. Go ride that Merlin!!

 

[Pickle]

on your Wobble form I wouldn't worry about anybody overtaking you.

I can second that :roll:

I thought my fitness was ok, and then I met you..... :shock:

 

[longendale]

I third that..you rode well at the wobble. I thought i was fit, ok, fitter and them i saw you off in the distance...tour of flanders will be interesting!

longy

 

[ededwards]

Thanks for the kind words guys, I think I'll definitely investigate the hard liquor option.

I think my original post was less about fitness and being 'overbiked' - ed mentions the Merlin above and I'm vain enough to be concerned that others will look at me and think 1) jeyboy; and/or 2) rich prat when i like to think I'm neither.

I think what I'm trying inarticulately to get at is whether it really matters to ride a bike that is much better than you are in a sort of 'there are only so many great bikes in the world and should a great one be wasted on you' way.

I feel I am making precious little sense (to myself or others) so will have some hard liquor, possibly a cigar, and return later with increased clarity.

 

[orange71]

to be honest, I don't think many people will be that discerning to recognise what sort of bike you are on anyway, so I wouldn't worry. They probably would if it was the latest full suss with all the bling, but 10/15 year old hard tails they won't know!

 

[longendale]

you mean like my Scott Spark...!!

 

[jango]

Hey Ed, have a cigar and a whiskey...chill and don't worry about being over RetroBiked. I'm always last up the hills....just think how slow I'd be on a crap bike :roll:

Kev...off to refill my glass.

 

[Corduroyboy]

I think what I'm trying inarticulately to get at is whether it really matters to ride a bike that is much better than you are in a sort of 'there are only so many great bikes in the world and should a great one be wasted on you' way.

Do you mean to say that in some way you might be undeserving of the bike? I reckon that might be true if you were a 'rich prat' who never used it for the purpose it was designed for. To me the bottom line is that you have paid for the bike, which unless you are rich (not necessarily a prat!) you will have had to work for. So you should feel as though you have 'earned' the bike and are therefore deserving of it. And since you obviously ride (and well if other posts are anything to go by) then that marks you out as a (retro)biker, hence not a prat!
QED - case closed!