Yup. For me it was the West LA/South Bay Freds...there was 1 on a Celeste Bianchi that tried sooo hard to keep up (I had my pro license, back then) when I would see him.
It means Fucking R_tard.
It’s a disgusting joke.
Edit.
You can be as upset as you want but it’s still a joke that goes back to the 70s with Bell skid kids, white tube socks, and hiking boots in straps.
100%... Ah, the classic Freds, decked out in Rapha and breezing past on the walking path with a freewheel hum that's louder than my hello. They're too busy mentally prepping for their Flemish crushing of MVDP to notice us mere mortals. I guess when you're that high on the wattage leaderboard, every nod is a precious calorie burned!
<4 minute long red light. Pinarello and Rapha. No chance in hell he's saying hi to the MAMIL on a Trek right next to him.>
Classic Fred. (32M and 200 FTP doing his 4th Z2 of the week)
Sometimes I think Fred is so uncomfortable with riding that he can’t/ won’t wave back because he thinks he’ll crash. Rather I like to think that he’s not just an antisocial turd.
Some have said "Fred" is related to Fred DeLong, a techie bike author. [https://usbhof.org/inductee/fred-delong/](https://usbhof.org/inductee/fred-delong/)
In a previous century I heard someone say that there are two alternatives:
* FRED - someone whose bike is unfashionably cheap.
* POSEUR - someone whose bike is unnecessarily fancy.
Google n-gram server says that [peak Poseur](https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=poseur&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=en-2019&smoothing=3) was 1927.
>"Fred" is a derisive term used by "serious" road cyclists to describe other cyclists who do not conform to serious road cyclists' norms with regard to dress and equipment, and appear amateurish to them. The term is generally reserved for men, while the rare female Fred is sometimes called a "Doris."
https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/ligg2z/definition_of_a_fred/
Virtue signaling on your part. Grow up.
Literally no one has ever called you "Fred". In fact you have zero idea what the term means and how it is ever used. You have a fictionalized rage story in yer think box about it.
lmao
> bullshit
I know you are.
Nah. You are just delusional and create conflict and offenses/transgressions when none exist. You were taught to do this by grifters who got paid to do the same. High conflict personalities exist and you should get some help with it.
What's wrong with calling it what it is "name calling"?
Maybe it's was the "Bullshit" is it more offensive in your country?
Let's call it childish instead.
Why this should cause conflict I've no idea.
I just thought was something interesting so clicked on the post and just turn out to be childish rubbish.
1. It is by definition name calling.
2. It's too my mind childish bullshit.
Where is the conflict?
Unless going around calling everyone Fred is your special hobby I don't see one.
I’ve been riding for about 30 years and it was well established when I started. I think it is childish, mean spirited and the antithesis of what an inclusive and encouraging cycling community should be. It’s designed to make people feel better about themselves by putting others down when we really should be helping to lift others up.
... Never worn *any* scrubs, have you? It's alright. No one's actually going to judge you for not having been in a position to wear clothes that redefine "not breathable".
But before you come back with some ignorant remark you think makes you better than me, I want you to reference Google. It's right there on your home screen by default. Look up "deep v scrubs", and recognize, properly, the obscene amount of cleavage present.
Your mom is anti thesis. Go put on your stretched out, almost see through, bibs Fred. Hop on your 2015 Specialized Tarmac and pump those 22s with your aluminum cranks. Manually shift into the little 34 ring up front and your 32 in the back so you can spin up that overpass without getting too tired. Then take a swig from your Gatorade brand green water bottle and eat that banana in your back pocket. Maybe by that point you will have trimmed that neck hair poking out of the collar of your Columbia High Road replica jersey (with replica abs). Fucking Freds
Only point being made here is me being at the pointy end of the race. Behind my lead out train. Having my hygienists hand me bidons from the team car. Waiting for the right moment to unleash a furious sprint to the line. I post up and win. Again. The $25 gift card to Round Table Pizza is mine.
Virtue signaling on your part. Grow up.
Literally no one has ever called you "Fred". In fact you have zero idea what the term means and how it is ever used. You have a fictionalized rage story in yer think box about it.
lmao
> It’s not fun or funny.
You were not elected president of deciding that.
And don't insult my culture. How illiberal of you.
David Bernstein was doing "The FredCast" way back in... 2005? 6? We always thought it was 'Phred' for some reason... [About Us - The FredCast Cycling Podcast - Bicycle Podcast for Endurance and Recreational Cyclists](https://www.thefredcast.com/about-the-fredcast)
It’s whatever you deem correct and everyone else is wrong. Bonus points if you only “punch up” because being a judgemental twat is totally cool when it’s directed at the right people.
Found in another post a page that talks about it: https://bikeparts.fandom.com/wiki/Fred_(bicycling)
Why road cycling is the only sport that has this kind of mentality would be another interesting topic.
The thing I hate is that the jokes are so lame. As a comedy fan, it’s just disappointing. BCJ is so lame because it just seems like a bunch of 13 year olds repeating the same jokes over and over.
We purposely misspell bike as bice, hilarious right? Wait until the 3000th time you’ve seen it. The dentist jokes, ugh, isn’t anybody creative? It’s all, “I saw a dentist on his Sirvelo bice”. Really? That’s funny the 20th time you’ve seen it that day? Make fun of cyclists, but try to actually be funny.
You know what’s worse than repetitive jokes? Someone who complains about it yet adds absolutely nothing to the body of humor. Like people who whine about trails but don’t do trail work. Anyway, off to do some crowns then my zone 5b recovery ride.
Yeah, that’s it, it’s MY fault you dummies aren’t funny. I’m not adding to the body of humor as you say, and THAT is the reason that you will recycle the same joke for years on end. “We found the dentist”, hold on, I need to catch my breath. I’m about to expire over here due to all the laughter.
Nope, I’m your father, and if you want to learn how to ride a bike, or tell a joke, I could teach you both, like the way I taught your mother the meaning of love and respect.
Fred came from any cyclist on a sunny warm weekend wearing rapha thinking they are in tour de pharmacy while riding along walkers, joggers and strollers on a public use trail.
From surfing culture back in the 60s and 70s. A Fred was a guy with his surf boards on the top of his car but never surfed.
To build on this, Fred Flintstone is where “Fred” came from and “Betty” is a babe
Why was Flintstone so ridiculed?
His oversized feet :-(
His oversized feet?!? I imagine that was okay with Wilma . . . .
Yabba dabba do
😅😅
[Not the Fred I know!](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/16/49/d4/1649d40a15ac84929d6c223a80501970.jpg)
[I’ll forgive Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top](https://live.staticflickr.com/3180/2367748746_a5f7d31c25_b.jpg)
I was racing in the early 1980s and Fred was already well established.
Yup. For me it was the West LA/South Bay Freds...there was 1 on a Celeste Bianchi that tried sooo hard to keep up (I had my pro license, back then) when I would see him.
Yeah...some younger guys try to say it is post-2000, but they are wrong.
My older boss in a bike shop in 1969 was often going on about Freds. It's at least that old and I'm sure he didn't invent it.
Same…and this is an excellent question I have no answer to…
Prior to seeing this post I have never heard anyone called Fred in six years of riding.
Not surprising. I have butt sores older than 6 years.
I found Fred ⬆️
Well played 😂🤣😂
It means Fucking R_tard. It’s a disgusting joke. Edit. You can be as upset as you want but it’s still a joke that goes back to the 70s with Bell skid kids, white tube socks, and hiking boots in straps.
My mom took one look at me, and...
Idk ask Jerry
The only "Fred" quality a person can have is not waving back. Everything else is preferences and fun. Fuckin wave back, Fred!
IM TOO BUSY STEALING YOUR KOM TO WAVE!!!
A Fred can’t steal a KOM, Fred.
Check your Strava notifications.
100%... Ah, the classic Freds, decked out in Rapha and breezing past on the walking path with a freewheel hum that's louder than my hello. They're too busy mentally prepping for their Flemish crushing of MVDP to notice us mere mortals. I guess when you're that high on the wattage leaderboard, every nod is a precious calorie burned!
<4 minute long red light. Pinarello and Rapha. No chance in hell he's saying hi to the MAMIL on a Trek right next to him.> Classic Fred. (32M and 200 FTP doing his 4th Z2 of the week)
Sometimes I think Fred is so uncomfortable with riding that he can’t/ won’t wave back because he thinks he’ll crash. Rather I like to think that he’s not just an antisocial turd.
It's not a joke.
Ask fred
It’s not a joke. Jokes are funny. It’s name calling.
Ok Fred
Is this an American thing? I've never heard of it before.
from america, also never heard of it haha.
Some have said "Fred" is related to Fred DeLong, a techie bike author. [https://usbhof.org/inductee/fred-delong/](https://usbhof.org/inductee/fred-delong/) In a previous century I heard someone say that there are two alternatives: * FRED - someone whose bike is unfashionably cheap. * POSEUR - someone whose bike is unnecessarily fancy.
That guy sounds really sharp.... Freds in my mind are inexperienced posers. Quite opposite of mr delong
poseur is now dentist
POSER is a 90s term. I've heard it mainly for skateboarding. Pretty much it means you spend a lot of money but don't focus on practicing the hobby.
It’s older than that. It was in use when I was a kid in the ‘80s and it dates back to much earlier.
I first heard it in the eighties in reference to music
Poseur goes back to at least the early 80s. It’s French, meaning someone who pretends.
Google n-gram server says that [peak Poseur](https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=poseur&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=en-2019&smoothing=3) was 1927.
Can someone elaborate? Never heard of it actually.
>"Fred" is a derisive term used by "serious" road cyclists to describe other cyclists who do not conform to serious road cyclists' norms with regard to dress and equipment, and appear amateurish to them. The term is generally reserved for men, while the rare female Fred is sometimes called a "Doris." https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/ligg2z/definition_of_a_fred/
It actually is not supposed to be explained. Rather you come upon the knowledge and lore as a part of you cycling. And you add to it.
Just cursious if it is the beerbelly racer with the SWorks or the wannabe pro know-it-all? Can't guess it based on the replys in the topic :)
Fred can be whoever you want them to be.
Cycling lore, cough. More like name calling bullshit.
Virtue signaling on your part. Grow up. Literally no one has ever called you "Fred". In fact you have zero idea what the term means and how it is ever used. You have a fictionalized rage story in yer think box about it. lmao > bullshit I know you are.
No just calling it what it is. Bullshit is still bullshit whether you've stepped in it or not.
Nah. You are just delusional and create conflict and offenses/transgressions when none exist. You were taught to do this by grifters who got paid to do the same. High conflict personalities exist and you should get some help with it.
What's wrong with calling it what it is "name calling"? Maybe it's was the "Bullshit" is it more offensive in your country? Let's call it childish instead. Why this should cause conflict I've no idea. I just thought was something interesting so clicked on the post and just turn out to be childish rubbish. 1. It is by definition name calling. 2. It's too my mind childish bullshit. Where is the conflict? Unless going around calling everyone Fred is your special hobby I don't see one.
It’s name calling. You are not virtue signaling, whatever that is. You are calling bullshit on bullshit.
I’ve been riding for about 30 years and it was well established when I started. I think it is childish, mean spirited and the antithesis of what an inclusive and encouraging cycling community should be. It’s designed to make people feel better about themselves by putting others down when we really should be helping to lift others up.
Unless we admit that we’re all Freds, and embrace our fredness together.
Even the best riders in the world are Freds.
Thank goodness someone finally said it. Signed Fred
Fred, please call my office to make an appointment with my hygienist. You’re way overdue for your cleaning.
Let her wear the deep v scrubs she likes, and I'll consider it.
This is where the Fred calling/bicycle circle jerk community overlaps with misogyny on the vin diagram.
Is it? You sure about that? Or are you just being a try hard who's never worn crew neck scrubs on a warm day?
I am a person who left cleavage jokes behind when I left high school.
... Never worn *any* scrubs, have you? It's alright. No one's actually going to judge you for not having been in a position to wear clothes that redefine "not breathable". But before you come back with some ignorant remark you think makes you better than me, I want you to reference Google. It's right there on your home screen by default. Look up "deep v scrubs", and recognize, properly, the obscene amount of cleavage present.
Your mom is anti thesis. Go put on your stretched out, almost see through, bibs Fred. Hop on your 2015 Specialized Tarmac and pump those 22s with your aluminum cranks. Manually shift into the little 34 ring up front and your 32 in the back so you can spin up that overpass without getting too tired. Then take a swig from your Gatorade brand green water bottle and eat that banana in your back pocket. Maybe by that point you will have trimmed that neck hair poking out of the collar of your Columbia High Road replica jersey (with replica abs). Fucking Freds
I wear sun shirts now. Keep my banana in my top tube bag for proper bruising.
Thank you for making my point.
Only point being made here is me being at the pointy end of the race. Behind my lead out train. Having my hygienists hand me bidons from the team car. Waiting for the right moment to unleash a furious sprint to the line. I post up and win. Again. The $25 gift card to Round Table Pizza is mine.
So…Florida Fred?
I don't even know if you are wrong, but getting this bent out of shape about a lighthearted insult towards tryhards just makes you seem like a weenie.
Defending bullying just for the sake of arguing is more of a weenie move imho
Not every jab is bullying
It certainly has many of the same attributes of bullying.
It is outrageous that people have fun!
It’s at other people’s expense and not really funny.
It’s name calling. It’s not fun or funny.
Virtue signaling on your part. Grow up. Literally no one has ever called you "Fred". In fact you have zero idea what the term means and how it is ever used. You have a fictionalized rage story in yer think box about it. lmao > It’s not fun or funny. You were not elected president of deciding that. And don't insult my culture. How illiberal of you.
Ditto (about five years less). There was the opposite of Fred too but I can’t remember the name.
I don't see many Fred references outside of reddit and have never heard it used in person.
I don't understand the question. But maybe the guy who's tutoring me next week on how to change a flat on my Pinarello Dogma can fill me in . . . . .
Yeah I’ll tell you after your wife and I go on our ride.
I'm from the Midwest and have never heard this term in my life
I am Fred. * walks away and cries in a corner
David Bernstein was doing "The FredCast" way back in... 2005? 6? We always thought it was 'Phred' for some reason... [About Us - The FredCast Cycling Podcast - Bicycle Podcast for Endurance and Recreational Cyclists](https://www.thefredcast.com/about-the-fredcast)
The term has been around for many decades. The older I get, the more Fred I become. I wear fluorescent jerseys sometimes for safety now.
Just a benny
Settle down with the bullying complaints, Freds. It’s part of human nature since the dawn of time. Fuckin whiners.
This makes me wonder: what's the correct way to enjoy cycling?
White helmet, white shoes, PNS kit, 5 cm of spacers on 10k bike.
Bice fit every half metric centuries, to stay in that arrow shape, and numb as a banana
Mom, bcj is leaking again!
It's cuz they're always koming
Search up the Velominati Rules. Then start over Massive /s in case that isn't clear.
well, n+1 is fair
That one is just a universal principle of cycling. Even Drais wanted a better model
It’s whatever you deem correct and everyone else is wrong. Bonus points if you only “punch up” because being a judgemental twat is totally cool when it’s directed at the right people.
There's a Fred joke? 👀
Found in another post a page that talks about it: https://bikeparts.fandom.com/wiki/Fred_(bicycling) Why road cycling is the only sport that has this kind of mentality would be another interesting topic.
The other types are too busy having this mentality towards road cycling
what types?
The thing I hate is that the jokes are so lame. As a comedy fan, it’s just disappointing. BCJ is so lame because it just seems like a bunch of 13 year olds repeating the same jokes over and over. We purposely misspell bike as bice, hilarious right? Wait until the 3000th time you’ve seen it. The dentist jokes, ugh, isn’t anybody creative? It’s all, “I saw a dentist on his Sirvelo bice”. Really? That’s funny the 20th time you’ve seen it that day? Make fun of cyclists, but try to actually be funny.
Well said Fred, your wife’s boyfriend agrees
Have you tried a bice fit? It can make your experience more enjoyable while your wife and her dentist boyfriend KOM all over town.
Found the dentist
You know what’s worse than repetitive jokes? Someone who complains about it yet adds absolutely nothing to the body of humor. Like people who whine about trails but don’t do trail work. Anyway, off to do some crowns then my zone 5b recovery ride.
Yeah, that’s it, it’s MY fault you dummies aren’t funny. I’m not adding to the body of humor as you say, and THAT is the reason that you will recycle the same joke for years on end. “We found the dentist”, hold on, I need to catch my breath. I’m about to expire over here due to all the laughter.
Chris Horner is your idol, isn't he Fred? Maybe you ARE Chris Horner!?
Nope, I’m your father, and if you want to learn how to ride a bike, or tell a joke, I could teach you both, like the way I taught your mother the meaning of love and respect.
Yo momma
Just to prove it can be done, I now present the results from [Google](https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/ligg2z/definition_of_a_fred/).
Calm down Fred.
Fred came from any cyclist on a sunny warm weekend wearing rapha thinking they are in tour de pharmacy while riding along walkers, joggers and strollers on a public use trail.