FCN Calculator

A vision ahead,
Carbon, lycra, hairlessness,
Please slow a little…

- guinea
Early SCR Haiku


Your Food Chain Number (FCN) determines where you are in the great SCR hierarchy. A higher FCN places you lower in the Food Chain, but gives you a lot of targets to aim for. A lower FCN and you’re swimming with the big fish, so watch your back!

Your starting point is determined by the type of bike you ride and the type of cyclist you are, but your attire, luggage and other factors can raise or lower your final FCN. Once you have calculated your FCN, it won’t change unless you change your bike, attire or accessories.

NB: Starting FCN 2-8 have pedal adjustments which are already accounted for in the calculator. This is simply because different pedal types are considered the norm for these starting points.

FCN Starting Points

  • 1. Scooters
  • 2. Roadies with shaved legs – like girls
  • 3. Proper rapid Single speed (real men, messengers, tarty shiny fixies)
  • 4. Roadies with hairy legs – like men
  • 5. Faux Single Speeds (fakengers, dirty/functional bikes, silly egg beater gear)
  • 6. Touring Bikes (Mud Guards)
  • 7. “Fast Hybrids”
  • 8. MTBs on Skinnies
  • 9. MTBs on Nobbies
  • 10. Bromptons / collapsing bikes
  • 11. MTB full sus on Nobbies
  • 12. Shoppers
  • 13. Shoppers with wicker baskets
  • 14. Electric bikes

Food Chain Adjusters

Clothing

  • None: +3
  • Non-Cycling: +2
  • Baggies: +1
  • Lycra: 0
  • Team Kit: -1
  • TDF Jersey: -2

Baggage

  • Panniers: +1
  • Back Pack/Courier: 0
  • Nothing: -1

Head Gear

  • Face-Mask: +1
  • Helmets/Nothing/Sunglasses: 0
  • Bike Caps /Wrap arounds: -1

Accessories

Select all that apply:

  • Herman’s Safety Wing (orange plastic lolly-pop): +2
  • Trailer: +2
  • Child Seat: +1 each – Number of

  • Beard: +1
  • Power meter: -1
  • Aerobars: -1

Pedals

Lower values for those starting on FCN 9-14 / Higher numbers for FCN 2-8 (see note at the top):

  • Flats: +1/+2
  • Toe Clips: 0/+1
  • Evidently Clipless/spds (cycling shoes): -1/0

 

Your FCN

Girl Roadie, shaved legs,
At lights she waits, poised, ready
Oh no! is a man!

- Dunston_checks_in,
A revision of an earlier Greg T work