Acromegaly: one of the most common side effects suffered by those using HGH is acromegaly. This is a condition that causes the connective and facial bone tissue to grow at an increased rate, causing a change in appearance. The brow bone and jaw often protrude significantly after using the human growth hormone. The hands and feet may also grow to an abnormally large size when this hormone is unnaturally introduced.

From: http://www.md-health.com/Growth-Hormone-Side-Effects.html

neilx said:

@Phillip - As anyone who has a weak chin or who's considered using Human Growth Hormone ("HGH") knows, HGH use promotes massing of the jaw and prominence of brow.  Also, abnormal growth of the hands and feet.  My suggestion is that perhaps the women in the study are reacting to the HGH-enhanced caveman-esque features of these top performing cyclists, rather some natural genetic "fly-ness."

Like this guy...  handsome man.  

Jules said:

Say what you will about the doper-or-not, this is an interesting interview if you want a view into the "Life"

http://competitorradio.competitor.com/2014/02/chris-horner-2/

WilliamDC said:

"Fred" is largely contextual, much like "Hipster."

After many years of careful study (thanks, NSF!) I've determined that a Fred is someone with similar trappings as yours, but whose comportment, accessorization, and affinities you deemed inferior to yours. Aspects of this are often purely arbitrary: the pie plate on the back of a new cassette smacks of Fredishness, though it is highly functional.  Similarly, the hi-vis yellow windbreaker from PerformanceBike.com (one of the finest and most ubiquitous items of cycling clothing) is deemed a core piece of the Fred uniform.  Stock is Fred.  Popular is Fred.  Retail is Fred. 

Aspiration also seems to play a major part in constituting "Fredishness" - when ones grasps for, covets, or charges to their AmEx the tokens of cyclists a level "higher" than yours.  To a cat4, Cat5's are Freds, to the feeble Cat3's who race with the 1's and 2's, the Cat4's are Freds, and to Jonathan Page, Dan Chabanov is a Fred.  Having a bike deemed "above your level" is Fred.  Spending $2k on carbon hoops when you've got a beer hoop around your middle is Fred.  Wearing a pro-team kit without having monthly wire transfers into your checking account from said team . . . you got it: FRED!

All of this is to say that being a Fred at one point or another is unavoidable.  I understand the state of Fredishness to be something of a Zen koan that forces us to hold opposing ideas in our mind at the same time: that we may look down on Freds, while knowing that we may be one.  The best reaction to the issue of Fred is to let your freak flag fly, keep it weird, and learn to dish it out as well as you take it.

If God is on our side, we'll all be riding when we're 80 and will be too oblivious to notice that we're wearing Knicks jerseys over our Lands End polartecs.

Brendan Rigby said:

Sad