Forum Dictionary

[DismalScientist]

Both Salmon and Retrogrouchery originate from BikeSnobNYC.

The only acceptable attire for a retrogrouch is an old Bell helmet with a helmet-mounted mirror. The only acceptable mount is made of steel with either downtube or bar-end shifters. Some retrogrouches have yet to accept that these shifters can have an SIS feature.

[krazygl00]

@DismalScientist 41539 wrote:

Both Salmon and Retrogrouchery originate from BikeSnobNYC.

This is true. I think with proper attribution they should be allowed into the Forum Dictionary. I went back and editted the entry for Salmon.

[Arlingtonrider]

I think one can be a disco stu without blasting a bazillion lumens in peoples’ eyes. I consider myself one (disco queen) when I use my disco spoke lights, safety vest, seatpost light, rear helmet light etc. How about a “retina killer”?

[rcannon100]

Ah but “Disco Stu” is such a perfect reference. It’s not really so much a reference to disco as it is to someone who is cluelessly out of touch (reference episodes where Disco Stu had dead goldfish in his shoes) – and the whole concept that “Disco Stu” came about because Homer tried to spell “Disco Stud” on his jacket but ran out of space. “Disco Stu” is a marvelous culture reference simultaneously to glittering light as well as being clueless.

Your disco queen still stands strong without the deviation into the cluelessness.

[Arlingtonrider]

LOL, it has its own elements of cluelessness. But I appreciate your explanation about why disco stu fits so well. .

[FFX_Hinterlands]

Grasshoppers – those who ride with low seats, noted by their knees poking out to the side (grasshopper roadies are the rarest of these)

What about “Gutter Bunny?”

Is there a term to describe those who transport their high-end carbon bike via car 2 miles to the W&OD on weekends when temps are over 65 degrees?

There’s also a group of lycra-roadie types that only wear cycling shorts and therefore do not ride in temps below 60 degrees (may be a subset of the above). (this isn’t bashing.. I’m pretty sure this group exists)

[mstone]

What do we call those who constantly complain about other people’s lights? “Mole people”? “Illumigrouches”? “Those Who Must Not Be Seen”?

[rcannon100]

@mstone 41548 wrote:

What do we call those who constantly complain about other people’s lights? “Mole people”? “Illumigrouches”? “Those Who Must Not Be Seen”?

How about “Those people who care about safety and dont wish to crash.”

If your fellow riders consistent make a point about your conduct and behavior, and you continue to ignore it – that’s a problem. That’s the callous conduct of car drivers we discuss who think they own the world. Your conduct on the trails impacts other people — sometimes severely. I know personally I have listened to these comments and modified my behavior. I want you to be safe on the trail. mstone, do you want me to be safe on the trail?

[Subby]

@mstone 41548 wrote:

What do we call those who constantly complain about other people’s lights? “Mole people”? “Illumigrouches”? “Those Who Must Not Be Seen”?

Heh I ran across an illumigrouch last night. I could barely see them because they were covering their light from like 1000 feet away. Then I was thinking, wow why doesn’t that bike have a light? Bluemont junction be PITCH BLACK. Oh wait – they are covering their light. SHI I BETTER COVER MINE! WAIT HOW DO I COVER MY HELMET LIGHT WHICH I AM USING TO SEE THAT THEY ARE IN FACT COVERING THEIR LIGHT?

“You are blinding me with your light!!!!!!”

Too late.

[baiskeli]

@FFX_Hinterlands 41546 wrote:

Is there a term to describe those who transport their high-end carbon bike via car 2 miles to the W&OD on weekends when temps are over 65 degrees?

Buyathletes?

There’s also a group of lycra-roadie types that only wear cycling shorts and therefore do not ride in temps below 60 degrees (may be a subset of the above). (this isn’t bashing.. I’m pretty sure this group exists)

Sunsuckers?

[baiskeli]

@DismalScientist 41539 wrote:

Both Salmon and Retrogrouchery originate from BikeSnobNYC.

Reminds me – the Snob also gave us “shoaling” which means shoving up to the front of an intersection at a red light instead of staying in single file.

Don’t shoal.

[mstone]

@rcannon100 41550 wrote:

How about “Those people who care about safety and dont wish to crash.”

If your fellow riders consistent make a point about your conduct and behavior, and you continue to ignore it – that’s a problem. That’s the callous conduct of car drivers we discuss who think they own the world. Your conduct on the trails impacts other people — sometimes severely. I know personally I have listened to these comments and modified my behavior. I want you to be safe on the trail. mstone, do you want me to be safe on the trail?

Thanks for the ad hominem. As a matter of fact, I don’t get complaints.

I want everyone to be safe on the trails. I see a lot of people with insufficient illumination. I’ve never had issues with people blinding me. I suppose I just never encounter those people, but given the constant complaining that seems statistically interesting at the least. Maybe it’s a real problem, maybe people like to complain. Maybe I have some unusual ability to not stare at a light. I really don’t know. I do worry that people are getting overly paranoid about being too bright on the trails, whereas from where I’m sitting I don’t know how you avoid ninja joggers in the deep dark depths of western fairfax and loudon with a see-me lamp. And I cringe at some of the invisible bikers I see on the roads. Overall, I think the cycling community is more likely to err on the side of invisibility than overillumination, and I’d love to see everyone get brighter.

If we were talking about an occasional PSA about being aware of your surroundings, that would be one thing. (And perfectly reasonable.) But the daily complaining is, well, illumigrouchy.

[jnva]

It cracks me up that you guys are arguing about being safe on the trails. Lighten up you are riding a bike after all.

[baiskeli]

@jnva 41611 wrote:

It cracks me up that you guys are arguing about being safe on the trails. Lighten up you are riding a bike after all.

“Lighten up.” Well, yeah, that’s the point of having a light.

[fuzzy]

@baiskeli 41662 wrote:

“Lighten up.” Well, yeah, that’s the point of having a light.

All this reading about lights and being blinded by the light…. I started thinking about the song, so how about calling them Manfred Manns…. ( no I have never ridden on a trial in pitch black, I’m still a bike noob )

[Author]

Posts