Cycling Snobs

[swee'pea99]

Have to say I've never encountered any of these problems - I suspect we Londoners are so uncommunicative that we don't get any opportunity to express (or be subjected to) snobbery. In any case, there's always one sure solution - go faster than them. It's really hard to look down on someone when you're looking at their bum. Works for me.

 

[Rob3rt]

Anyone read The Escape Artist by Matt Seaton, where he says that shaving your legs is like making the decision of declaring yourself a real cyclist. Maybe back then in his day (and some of you members in their 30's and 40's), that was the point in which elitism was established (those that shaved their legs were proper cyclists and those that didnt, werent) as opposed to todays more consumer driven society where the clothing and bike price is the point people think makes them a proper cyclist. Who actually cares who is a 'proper' cyclist?

If someone thinks they are better than you, good for them, let them get on with it, it makes them happy, something else makes you happy!

 

[BentMikey]

As far as I'm concerned you're a proper cyclist as soon as you cycle.

 

[joebingo]

As far as I'm concerned you're a proper cyclist as soon as you cycle on a bicycle which cost more than a harrier jump jet.

fixed.

 

[Davidc]

So its not implied in your statement

When challenged it often turns out that the perpetrators are the high cost bike, got all the gear, weekends in summer when it's not too hot and it's dry mob that were mentioned above.

Whatever.....it doesnt matter......you arent a proper cyclist anyway.

No. The logic of the original statement specifically precludes it. The meaning of the original statement is also precise and well defined.

A proper cyclist is anyone who rides a cycle. The terminology you're looking for is serious cyclist, conventionally used to describe those cyclists who train to a competitive level, and no I haven't been one of those for about 33 years.

 

[Debian]

Mountain Bikers are pretty bad as well, even my mate, he mentioned going to Morzine and I said I wouldnt mind going but he put me off by saying my bike wasnt up to it, I knew this being an old, rather knackered Carrerra from Halfords and I said my CTW was due up so I might buy a new MTB, apparently a thousand pounds isnt even entry level for Morzine, never mind all the rest of the kit, two grand minimum for a Downhill "Rig", its always a "Rig", never a bike and I wouldnt keep up and probably die anyway cos he is hardcore, yawn, its riding a pushbike down a hill, you go as fast as your equipment and bottle permit, you can still have fun without spending 5 grand on kit, honest.

Its just so complicated and so doesnt matter, just enjoy the ride

.

That's fine by me, I know i can ride, and that I ride what I'm comfortable with, in clothes I'm comfortable in and I didn't have to remortgage the house to afford it.

I LOVE these comments, they're so true!

My mate confessed to me also that he had a "Trail Name", i.e. something he liked to be called by his MTB buddies when doing some gnarly, sick, radical type shoot and getting some big air on the Singletrack, kind of forgivable for those in their teens early twenties but a little tragic when knocking 40 when you should know better

Also, there seems to be some kudos expected by the MTB fraternity when they break something, its like they are telling you how committed they are by the mess they make of their expensive gear, which always has a slightly rude sounding name like "Stiffee" or "Spunk", my neighbour does it, well into his forties and tells me how he has to replace almost his entire bike after each ride as he is so hardcore and the dust mixed with chain lube is like "Grinding paste", actually he says each "Season" he replaces his drivetrain at £500 and expects me to be impressed, I just say there is no season and I like to make mine last indefinitely with careful maintenance and mechanical sympathy.

This applies to other areas as well. One that springs to mind is the 4x4 fraternity of which I'm part, although much less so these days. I used to go competition trialling and still have one of the vehicles.

Anyway - look on any 4x4 forum and there'll be loads of people saying they broke this, that or the other expensive bit of their modified 4x4, or that they got so stuck it took 4 hours and two winch vehicles to get them unstuck. Same principle - you weren't doing it properly unless you broke something!

Well I never subscribed to that view either. If I broke something I either wasn't driving properly or I hadn't maintained something properly. If I got stuck then I wasn't driving or anticipating properly. If I broke nothing and didn't get stuck I was very pleased with myself, however there were always the tits who would say I wasn't trying hard enough!

 

[HJ]

I use my bike for commuting, going down the pub and everything in between. I've never given too much thought to the technical side of things or buying the 'appropriate gear'. I ride a GT zum hybrid which suits my needs and isn't too heavy. Even in cold windy weather I'll have my padded shorts on and a windbreaker of sorts (i'm anything but stylish). I'm in my early 40s and love my cycling mostly for the freedom involved but also for the obvious health benefits. If anything I feel fitter now than I did in my early 20s. I couldn't give 2 hoots as to how I may look or what make or style of bike I have.
Strangely in the past few weeks I have become aware of cycling snobbery. I stopped for some water from my rucksack (old and battered but waterproof) the other day before going up a rather steep gradient. About ten lycra clad Lance Armstrong wannabees pulled up next to me. Cue energy drinks and high protein bars being passed around etc. I got talking to them only to be almost disdainfully dismissed by these preposterous looking clones for not being a 'serious' cyclist and not having a 'proper' bike! I have to say I laughed at first but the crazy thing is that these guys really were so far up their own ar*es it struck me as quite unbelievable and certainly put me off joining a club as a friend had suggested.
I had another similar 'incident' only this morning but got talking to the guy. I politely explained to him that my bicycle is my principal mode of transport i.e. much more than a hobby and that I routinely do anything from 100-150 miles per week. The bike suits my needs and I'm not out to prove anything to anyone else on the road as regards having the best equipment and gear etc. plus at my age I'm not looking at entering the Tour de France anytime soon. The chap turned out to be ok despite the initial impression I had of him but did say he wouldn't be seen dead on anything but his high end road bike.
I'm curious as to whether anyone else on here has had similar experiences or indeed if there are cycling snobs about who might like to educate me. Now I can accept abuse from motorists but find the attitude of some cyclists to be, if anything, worse.

Club riders, scum of the earth, all the gear and no idea

 

[eldudino]

As far as I'm concerned you're a proper cyclist as soon as you cycle.

Unless it's on the pavement!

 

[slowmotion]

Well, I know where I am in the pecking order. I ride a hybrid, and everybody overtakes me. I hope that makes you all feel a whole lot better. {Sniff}

Bastards....

 

[jonny jeez]

When I was a small lad, my Dad brought home a works vehicle.

He was in some secret squirrel arm of the Met Police at the time (carried a firearm and such like).

The vehicle was an "old" ford transit with mis-matched wheels (front and back) rust, dents and dull grey (off white) paint job.

Inside (under the skin) the van was kitted out like a bond villans lair, with stainless steel sheeting (blast/bullet proof) tons of listening and snooping devices, cameras and and a small locked arsenal (empty at the time).

It was a whirr of beeping and blipping with subtle red lighting to adjust your night vision and hidden under the bonnet was a vamped up engine that could hurl the whole thing down the road quicker that the ford cosworth...alledgedly


I was amazed

and to this day remember the thrill of knowing what was really hidden under the fake exterior.

I dream one day of replicating this with Me & Chitty "scalping" a bunch of arrogant riders as they scoff at "that weekend warrior and his dusty old Mountain bike".....


one day


one day.....

 

[mcshroom]

Well at least I'm not alone then. 5 passed me yesterday (and there aren't many bikes on my commute). When I'm struggling up a hill and someone glides passed looking like they're hardly working it really knocks the motivation out of me for a bit.

Still, I haven't been passed by my jogger friend for a few months now

 

[BentMikey]

Unless it's on the pavement!

Err no, even then still a proper cyclist.

 

[dellzeqq]

I have been a member of 2 clubs over the last 5 years. I can honestly state that I have not come across kit snobbery to the extent implied here. Indeed, if you turn up in a new Rapha/Assos top you are more likely to be ribbed gently than if you turn up in a new Endura top. Newcomers are encouraged and assisted and nobody expects them to have the latest bike. I also know that most have an MTB / hybrid as their commuter / town bike and people generally acknowledge that some bikes are more suitable for some tasks.

I'd second that. I used to get a bit of a ribbing about my road bike from my CTC confreres, but that faded when they couldn't find anything to criticise - although they still take some pleasure at my obvious discomfiture off road.

I'm trying to think of occasions when I've been riding one kind of a bike and thought 'I woudn't have had that kind of reaction on the other bike'. I can recall when I first got the C40 (now cracked and retired) and riders on my commute would say nice things, but that's not a bad thing - it was simply because the Lovely Lucia was such an exquisite piece of work. I can, however, remember being asked to park the hybrid outside a famous London bike shop when I'd been greeted as 'sir' the previous week.s

And there was the incident that provoked such a big row on ACF. Our CTC group was overtaken by a rider in Pearsons strip and he didn't say hello. I chased him down and he blew up trying to chase me - which allowed the entire group (most over 60 years old) to catch up with him at the traffic lights. He wasn't happy.

 

[trustysteed]

Our CTC group was overtaken by a rider in Pearsons strip and he didn't say hello. I chased him down..

why?

 

[rh100]

The world is full of tw*ts

unfortunately some of them cycle as well

you can't assume lycra clad are all that way. I had a great day out last summer not long after starting on my halfords special - a whole group of lycra clad roadies went past - all saying a hello. Several others on the same day did the same.

fixing a puncture on a country lane a female roadie stopped and offered help.

I'll take each person as they come, regardless of what class of cyclist they appear to be. Ain't life too short for it?