A rather funny story that is still making me laugh after a week...

I am a complete and utter newb to road cycling having recently switched over from years of recreational mountain biking.

Because I am a techno-geek and love the high end of most interests I have, I bought as my first road bike a Trek 5200... I figure that I can't do much better equipment wise and this coupled with the expense just may provide that little extra to get out and ride the damn thing!

At any rate, despite the recent conversion to road, The wife and I have still very much enjoyed watching and following the Tour de France for the last several years. To me, it is a very beautiful sport and event. I particularly like the complex strategies and counterstrategies involved in the controlled melee of wheels.

But to the story...

After buying the bike in USPostal colors (only because my mountain bikes have always been either black or dark grey and I was ready for a change) I was severly worried about being labelled a "poseur" especially since this is my first road bike.

My wife was so amused at my dilemna that she went out and bought me USPostal cycling shorts and Team Jersey! (not cheap I found out) My comment was "Christ! why didn't you just get me the yellow jersey as well!" to which she responded "They were out of it" *laughing*

So now... I have flatly refused to wear the jersey while riding (I wear a bland beige colored no name jersey), but still wear the shorts...

So there I was huffing along on a minor incline about 8 miles from home and all of a sudden I hear this incessant honking behind me and yelling...

I'm riding in the center of the street along the double yellow getting ready for a left turn up the hill and I look back and there is a Volkswagen Golf with two young women in front and two men in back and they pull up next to me shouting and cheering and honking and the guy in the back rolls down his window and holds out a water bottle!

I was laughing hard about this time, and I reach out and take the bottle, but I'll be damned if I'll drink from it not knowing who these people are and so I just squirt a little out on my leg to make sure its really something drinkable and just squirt it over the back of my neck...

Thru my laughter I said "Team orders?" and the women in the passenger front seat yells "Attack attack!"

Other drivers are slowing down and glancing over at this rather ridiculous scene, but I still laughing I veered left as they went on straight, and they all gave me a collective wave as we separated...

I finished up my ride and when I got home I told the wife all about it and chastised me for not wearing the full get up

Maybe next time In the end, I had a fleeting taste of virtual glory, and I scored a free water bottle too!

Have a good one!

Feanor

Cool story, Feanor... and now I know what to do with my spare water bottles.

Feanor,

That's the best laugh I've had in a few days. I know exactly how you feel having just about done the same thing. I reneged on a Trek TdeF special US Postal decor bike, bought a flash black Gitane mach 1800 (got a great deal incl. pedals, shoes etc.).

I'm not brave or rich enough to buy the gear. But it's amazing how the serious riders acknowledge you on the bike track when you're on a "real" RB.

Can't wait to hear what happens when you go out in the full USP gear. Go to the TdeF web site and get yourself a yellow jersey (MJ to the geeks).

Spider

Great story Feanor!

And Spider 1977, MJ to the geeks? Doesn't it go a bit far to call all French people geeks? ;-)

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Thanks all I think I'll remember that event forever, even perhaps if the near impossible happens and I compete to a level where support vehicles actually appear when I raise my hand! *laughing*

Oh, and Tboss, I think Spider only meant that it is MJ to the geeks; meaning people that are SO into cycling, the mindset, the jargon, the politics, the hardware, that they have to call it the ultra proper "MJ" instead of just the "Yellow Jersey" I don't think it was a disparagement of the French, just a disparagement to the group of people (not just French) who HAVE to call it "Le Maillot Jaune"

Take care all!

Feanor

Look at it this way - if you had been riding in CSC colors, they'd have knocked you off the bike, broken your collarbone, and then told you to attack.

Sorry if I did offend anyone. I was referring to geeks as techno geeks. An ailment from which I suffer quite badly in sport. Hence the demise of my golf game. I had massive withdrawal when I stopped buying golf magazines, but strangely enough my game improved.

Feanor, I have passed your story around to a few cycling friends and they've all had a good belly laugh. I can't wait to hear the next installment. Have you been brave enough to put on the full USP clobber yet?

Ola Spider, well you didn't offend me, I was just checking. I must say I like the people who get so caught up with the Tour that they use all these "gimmick" words.

I guess it's a bit Geeky too to call the Tour de France, La Grande Boucle? or Le Centenaire?

Brrr... I DO feel geeky now... I'll crawl back under my stone...ehm... on my bike :-D

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lol, a good story. It's so nice to see stories of how motorists have a little fun with bikers rather than take out their frustrations on us. Better to share a little laugh than to trade blood.

gee, you're lucky, the only bottle Ive had handed to me on the road was a glass coke bottle thrown out the window at 100km/ph hitting me on the head!! HEY, but thats AUSSIE drivers for you (most are pigs)!!

Great one!

The best? offer I ever got was during a steep climb on a long-distance race in Norway. There were lots of people watching the race all along the road, clapping and cheering. One lot were having a party in front of a house. They must have had too many hot-dogs for the barbeque so they were busy handing out dogs to passing cyclists and offering a shot of vodka as well.

Didn't take up the offer at the time, but it sure beats a bottle to the head! I hope your head is still intact Nicko71?