i'd like to take it one step further than acknowledging a "classic" frame.
i live in los angeles, a city dominated by the automobile.
i have spent time volunteering in the bicycle community, and am proud
to say that i have helped a number of friends make the switch from car
to bike... even though i still own a car for work purposes. :(
much to my joy, in recent years the bicycle population (while still dwarfed by that of cars) has swelled in numbers. bikes new and old are
everywhere, from high performance racers, to kids on fixies, to recreational weekend riders, to the utilitarian commuters, and of course those with a special eye for the recycling and restoration of classic frames.
i happen to cross the lines, in that i own and ride all of the afore mentioned. call me a bike whore... i'm ok with it. lol
when i see someone who is on a bike, no matter the type, and i know they are proud of it, i make special effort to acknowledge them and their bike. even if it's a frame or type of bike i'm not particularly
fond of.
marcus, pay this gentleman's inability to reciprocate the courtesy you
extended no mind. But rather, take pride in the fact that you were able to make his day a little better, and the cycling community as a whole. you were his support group. we are yours.
cheers! jaik freeman los angeles, ca.
\u201cEvery time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the
future of the human race.\u201d H. G. Wells
On Mar 23, 2009, at 8:54 AM, marcus.e.helman@gm.com wrote:
> I went out Sunday with some teammates for the Make-A-Wish ride. As is
> usual in such a case, mine was the oldest bike, the only steel bike,
> the
> only european bike, the bike with the fewest speeds, the only bike
> with
> sew-ups, the only bike with toeclips. You get the idea.
>
> This was the first long ride of the year. It had been billed as a
> 30-35
> miler, but we rode 47 according to my friend's computer. It was
> nice in
> the sun, but when the sun went behind a cloud, and the wind picked
> up as
> it is wont to do here in Michigan, it felt pretty chilly.
>
> I was pleased to be neither the oldest, nor the slowest rider. I was
> riding my 1974 Italian Masi Gran Criterium, and it felt great.
> Psychological or not, I like Italian bikes. I don't claim to be a
> particularly skilled rider, but I felt like I was descending better
> than
> my teammates, not, I think, due to higher overall mass; what I gave
> away
> in bike weight I made back in rider weight. I was also able to climb
> better. Yes we do have hills in Michigan. Some of it was
> shifting. My
> teammates often seemed to select a too-low gear on the hills, making
> it
> easy to pass. I led as much as I could, and was thanked for it.
> Certainly
> a boost to the ego.
>
> At one point the front group stopped to let the others catch up, and
> while
> were standing there a man rode up in the opposite direction on an
> Assenmacher. He stopped, and we talked for a minute. I said nice
> bike,
> and he said thanks, it's an old one. He said that it was getting
> hard to
> find parts for it. For evidence he pointed to the Weinmann hood on a
> Campy lever that was held together by masking tape. I suggested he
> look
> into the CR list. He said thanks and rode off. No mention of my
> bike,
> which to me would have been the obvious and courteous thing since we
> were
> discussing old bikes. Maybe he was anti-Masi. I am told such
> people do
> exist. The other thing that struck me is that the people with whom
> I rode
> were not particularly interested in bikes the way we are. No
> discussion
> of new parts or brands, or of plans for upgrades. Maybe it was just
> that
> day. Maybe no one had a new bike, or plans for a new bike, but the
> lack
> of bike discussion was noticeable. Perhaps bikes are becoming
> generic,
> and thus not very interesting in and of themselves.
>
>
> Best regards,
> Marcus Helman
> Detroit, MI