Thanks, John, Sometimes we take these things too seriously. Bob Freitas knows exactly what I mean, and has fun with it, too. Don't let the girls see that tongue in your cheek, though, they might think something else.
By keeping the old classic bikes alive, we also have to keep the old vernacular alive and not let it get lost. While we can still remember how things were described in the old days keeps our efforts in context.
How we describe, talk about, refer to items, discuss our hobby is also keeping the flame. These terms will go into the archive as sort of a dictionary/encyclopedic form for posterity.
I'm going to list a few terms that only took me about 10 minutes to mark down and see how you do: What does it mean to be saddle tight, sitting on, hanging on, thundering, jamming, on relief, gloving the wheel, bandaging your wheels, ankling vs pedalling, shook off, have snap, to jump, have a double kick, drop your cork? What is a wireless pickup, snap link, brass plug, jamming tool, rubberband shooter, team race, a wheel, a machine and why? What does "rub" mean? What did the old timers call their bicycle shoes? What's daylight? What's throw your wheel, get pipped? What does "up in the clouds" mean?
I think we see where I'm headed. It has nothing to do with being a snob, but we do have the obligation to preserve the proprieties. What good does it do to have the prettiest classic vintage machine and not know how to talk about it and the riders who suffered and gloried on them in proper terms. Then we are indeed only commodity brokers, and that would be very sad, indeed.
You want to call yours a fixie, go for it, sounds modern day drug related to me. I'd rather call mine a track bike or fixed gear trainer or winter bike.
Ted Ernst
Palos Verdes Estates, CA
> Tom Sanders wrote:
>
>> Ted,
>> With all due respect, I fail to see where someone should be censored for
>> using a term different from that which you use. I also fail to see how
>> not
>> using vintage terms dilutes our passion. Perhaps it dilutes yours, I
>> feel
>> it does no harm to mine. Fact is, if someone feels comfortable using a
>> reasonably correct term that we all know and share the meaning of, it
>> hurts
>> no one.
>
> [...]
>
> Maybe I missed something, but I took Ted's comments as "tongue in cheek."
>
> --
>
> -John Thompson (john@os2.dhs.org)
> Appleton WI USA