Well I will come to Ted's defense a bit. My favorite term of distain is Yuppie rather than Boomer, but both refer to the same generation, namely my own. The point is that I, evidently Ted, and perhaps others here are annoyed by people who value image and appearances rather than substance. And I am annoyed that so many of my generation, which in the 60's made such a great show of commitment to peace and justice and equality, later in life came to place personal wealth and prestige above all else. Of course greed and self importance is as old as mankind, but our generation seems to have compounded it with hypocracy.
I find classic bike collecting for the most part remarkably free of pretense. Sure, we like to show our bikes, but I really believe it is mostly in the belief that others will find them interesting, rather than to somehow try to make ourselves more important. This spirit of camradarie and unpretentiousness I one of the things I enjoy most about events like Cirque and Larz.
I will agree, however, as someone else observed, that it is better for people to seek status via a $5000 19 lb bicycle than a $45,000 2 ton SUV.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Big Spring, TX
"Ted E. Baer" <wickedsky@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
Tom,
I was 10 years old when "JAWS" came out. My favorite scene in the film to this date is the part where the captain of the fishing boat slides down the deck of the sinking vessel and into the shark's mouth. Every time I watch that shark chomp on that guy and see him scream to death I start laughing so hard that my stomach hurts.
I was riding my bike around at about age 15 (1980) in the tattered JAWS shirt that I got when I was 12 in 1977--same year Star Wars came out.
I have a clear memory of Dorothy Hammill's haircut because when I was in 5th or 6th grade we had a gym teacher who had nice, flowing, seductive dark hair. Then one day she showed up with the Dorothy Hammill haircut (popular at the time as it was 1976) that basically made her look like a man. I wasn't the only kid in the class who was bad trippin' on her hair.
But since this is a vintage bicycle discussion list and not a Hollywood Movie Review list, or Vogue magazine discussion list, I suggest we move on.
I find it amazing that one can ride a "chocolate high" and write with complete and brutal honesty (the way I did yesterday) and receive such a silly backlash over the whole thing.
Ted does realize that the youngest Baby Boomers will be turning 42 THIS year. Ted will be turning 42 (for the record) NEXT year thereby putting him in the "Gen-X" group. Read about it on Wikipedia.
I personally prefer seeing the OLD, VINTAGE PHOTOS OF THE RACERS WEARING THE CINELLI "Hairnet Helmets." But shame on me for having an opinion.
Ted E. Baer
Palo Alto, CA
>
> I read with some confusion the recent contribution
> by Ted Baer regarding all that is wrong with things
> modern. Ted seems to have a clear memory of Dorthy
> Hamills wedge haircut that attracted so much
> attention in the 1976 Winter Games. He remembers
> fondly riding his bike in cutoffs and a tee-shirt
> promoting a blockbuster from the summer of 1975.
> Now, unless Ted was younger than 10 years old that
> summer, or was pushing 30, either of which is an odd
> proposition, he is himself a Baby Boomer. For
> whatever reason, Ted holds his own generation in
> contempt, and based on his sign-off he associates
> himself with the younger Generation X. It may be
> that Ted is, in fact, a member of Gen-X, and that he
> had his best rides during the summer of his eleventh
> year, or perhaps he bought the Jaws tee after it had
> become a vintage item. More likely Ted doesnt
> realize that its 2006 and the youngest Baby Boomers
> will be turning 42 this year. I think, and this is
> just a guess, that Ted
> was pointing at these Darth Vader (1977!) helmeted
> riders and saying, in effect, you whippersnappers
> with your fancy hats have it all wrong. Going out
> on a limb, Ill speculate that this list is made up
> almost entirely of Boomers, but I doubt most of you
> will agree with Teds dislike for modern helmets.
>
>
>
> This brings me to the follow-on points made by Rob
> Dayton and Gabriel Romeu. I largely agree with what
> both of these guys had to say, but I want to look at
> where the two apparently unrelated ideas that Rob
> and Gabriel set forth actually merge, at least in my
> mind. Rob said that he like riding with riders from
> the old school. Reading his specifics, I think Rob
> is saying that he prefers to ride with experienced,
> skilled cyclists. Gabriel points out how easily
> many of us pass judgment on others based on
> appearances. Gabriel was speaking generally, I
> think, but I also think the specific case of Teds
> judgment of those women was the subject at hand.
> Broadening this notion to how we, or at least I,
> perceive other riders, I have to confess that I do
> judge riders on their appearance all the time.
> Certainly, I try not to judge them as people, but I
> have no problem judging them as riders. Basically,
> I want to know who falls into that group that Rob
> praises. Does this mean
> that I automatically hold in contempt any rider who
> uses a modern helmet, wears sunglasses, or who uses
> actual cycling shoes? Of course not. And I
> certainly dont care whether some woman chooses to
> cut short her hair. As for Campy water bottles,
> those are now 20 year old bottles, so that would get
> my attention. But, the bottles arent my point. I
> can see from a hundred yards whether a rider has
> good position or technique. Whether he wears wool
> of Lycra, I can tell when a rider knows how to dress
> for the weather. He may eat bananas, but is more
> likely to eat a Power Bar (because they make
> sense!), but if he knows enough to eat throughout
> the ride, and can do it without falling to the
> pavement, hes probably my kind of rider. Frankly,
> the rider could be nowhere in my sight and I could
> look at his bike and tell you if he knows up from
> down. It has nothing to do with the vintage of what
> he uses. It has little to do with specific
> equipment choices. It has a lot to do
> with the position of the seat, bars, stem, and
> levers, and even how the bars are taped. Its
> whether he has what he needs to fix a flat, all
> tucked neatly away. There are lots of young guys
> who have been riding for just a few years who know
> whats what. They can ride well in a pace line, and
> drop by fat butt without breaking a sweat. They use
> the latest gear because thats all theyve ever
> known, and because it works much better than our
> beloved Super Record. There are older guys who have
> been riding forever who have simply kept with the
> times, and therefore use newest stuff too, they may
> be a little slower, but that doesnt take away from
> their class as riders. And yes, there are other
> experienced, skilled guys who happen to dig the old
> stuff, and use it because its fun and it works for
> them. Then there are all the other riders who are
> just a menace to the ride. They come in all
> varieties and wear everything from the latest Assos
> clothing to cutoffs, sneakers and
> tee shirts. So, if you are going to judge a rider
> by appearance, you need to exert a more discerning
> eye, and not just reject all that is new.
>
>
>
> Tom Dalton
>
> Bethlehem, PA, USA
>
>
>
>
>
> Teds Rant:
>
> > I was just downtown sitting outside eating a tub
> of
>
> > chocolate mousse frozen yogurt from a little place
>
> > next to Palo Alto Bicycles. Two snotty Baby
> Boomer
>
> > Generation women donning Darth Vader-esque helmets
>
> > (which when removed revealed Dorothy Hammill
> crops)
>
> > pulled up on their bicycles. They had modern day
>
> > (2006?) Merckx bicycles, wrap-around sun-glasses,
> the
>
> > Campagnolo aero water bottles (the ones that look
> like
>
> > telephones,) as well as all of the other poser
> bicycle
>
> > gear. When they dismounted, they sounded like a
>
> > couple of horses clomping about the sidewalk.
>
> > Point is: There is a major difference between the
>
> > vintage rider and the chartreuse green-clad, power
> bar
>
> > eating people on plastic bikes--the vintage rider
> was
>
> > "the real deal." I use to ride in my cut off
> jeans
>
> > and my old raggedy T-shirt with the big iron-on of
>
> > "JAWS" (the shark from the movie) on the back. I
>
> > always kept it un-tucked so when I went down hills
> it
>
> > filled up with air!
>
>
>
>
>
> Robs posting (abbreviated)
>
>
>
> BUT whatever bike I'm on I always prefer to ride
> with "old school"
>
> riders. The ones that know the combined effort of a
> pace line is faster when you stay consistent and
> together. The ones that know the difference between
> a training ride and a race. The ones that aren't
> threatened if somebody's a little stronger on a
> given day. The ones that are willing to drop back
> and spin to sheppard a struggling rider home. The
> ones that take the time to explain position,
> technique and etiquette. These are the riders I want
> to spend the day with.
>
>
>
> Rob Dayton
>
> Charlotte, NC
>
>
>
>
>
> Gabriels contribution:
>
>
>
> It is amazing to me on how much some people
> ascertain by the way others
>
> look, and how important it is to them on how they
> also are regarded by
>
> others with their attire. I guess it is the
> perpetual problem of the
>
> inadequacy and inaccuracy of stereotype.
>
>
>
> In the furniture world, there is so much that
> happens under the veneer
>
> that it is usually worth the effort of looking
> beyond...
>
>
>
> gabriel l romeu
>
>
>
>
>
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