goodbye

lilactime

ive been running for 20 years , only took up cycling when i got injured . can i say that all the time that i was running i have never come across as much snobbery as ive found on this forum , from pics of bikes that cost more than my beloved motorbike , to the clothes you wear ( see aldi , lidl threads ) . ok ive posted some wind up threads because i had nothing better to do , but nor have you or you wouldnt be reading this ? before i go sincere apologies to mr sienchotic for the comment i made , heat of moment . over the hills and far away .
/

jellybellywmb

farewell, now where did i leave my £3000 bike maybe i should ask jeeves.

ChrisLS

...strange, can't say I have encountered much snobbery...wind ups, yes...

...some people spend loads, some don't...get over it...it's not the bike and kit anyway, it's the rider that counts...and my legs and lungs are so much better than your pathetic efforts... so there...

CrookedCucumber

If you post wind-up comments, you've got to expect wound up responses. If you don't want to flush, don't yank the chain.

You're right about the snobbery though, although I think it's really elitism more than snobbery. But it's less evident on this forum than it is in many bike clubs, for example.

musto_skiff

Fair enough, I am a newbie and have found this forum most helpful.

I am sure I have posted a few dumb questions and asked things that people have answered many times before but I have still found I get a good answer.

babyshambles

Tell you what, there is a lot more snobbery in Tennis than cycling. It's the cr@p players who talk about all the brand new gear they have... but they cant hit a ball !!!

bobpzero

theres only a few but the majority of people here are extremely helpful. basically its insanely hard not to react to the few. so self control people learn it live it

Denny69

musto_skiff wrote:

Fair enough, I am a newbie and have found this forum most helpful.

I am sure I have posted a few dumb questions and asked things that people have answered many times before but I have still found I get a good answer.

That's how you gain knowledge

I'm sure we're all guilty of asking a dumbass question or one that's been answered hundreds of times already!!

Cajun

Fair thee well...and the best of luck to you. I haven't found any snobbery here; just bikers who are trying to improve their knowledge of training methods, maintenance, etc. As for the clothing; that goes along with the sport...just as an expensive pair of runners' shoes is more beneficial to a runner than a cheap pair. Trust me, I don't think any cyclist enjoys having to pay big bucks for shoes, jersies, bikes, groups, etc... I certainly don't. Hopefully one day you'll 'miss' the sport of cycling and return to the Forum; maybe as a Biathelete?...

bigjim

It's true the way people boast about their "what bike" budget is off putting for some. But bless them they are providing all those "as new" bargains on e-bay for rest of us. It also exists in the m/bike community. But I do find that when you are out and about on a pushbike there is not the same comradery as in the M/Bike community. On Saturday afternoon I was stuck at the side of the road trying to figure out how to cope with two instant punctures. I was passed by a few racing cyclists. Not one of them stopped or acknowledged me. All I needed was a another tube or patch and I would have been away. Instead I had to ring my wife for a lift. This has never ever happened to me when I am on my motorbike. Other bikers always stop to help. Shame.

Jim

Rich Hcp

They come they go. Give wind ups, expect to take some back.

That's life

I've found this helpful for both roadie and MTB advice

Traditionally runners hate cyclists, something to do with having mechanical assistance, some never get over it.

Anonymous

I'm pretty sure the reason there is more snobbery in cycling is due to the fact there is more to cycling, more things you buy and more things you need.

st68

there are snobs in all walks of life it up to you whether you rise to it :?

CrookedCucumber

willhub wrote:

I'm pretty sure the reason there is more snobbery in cycling is due to the fact there is more to cycling, more things you buy and more things you need.

Yes, I suspect you're right. It seems to be the same in all pastimes where large amounts of money can be spent: photography, archery, rock climbing, diving, flying, and so on.

Actually, I don't think it's snobbery as such: it's not that people who spend lots of money actually look down on people who don't. It's more that people who spend lots of money find it difficult to accept that people who choose not to are serious about the business of cycling (or whatever).

jed1978

no one else just want to tell him to fuck off?

great when people generalise so well.

we are all snobs?

could hardly believe it as my monacle fell into my earl grey splashing young sabu, my boy-servant!

what a twat!

top_bhoy

bigjim wrote:

On Saturday afternoon I was stuck at the side of the road trying to figure out how to cope with two instant punctures. I was passed by a few racing cyclists. Not one of them stopped or acknowledged me. All I needed was a another tube or patch and I would have been away. Instead I had to ring my wife for a lift. This has never ever happened to me when I am on my motorbike. Other bikers always stop to help. Shame.
Jim

Few things strike me and it snothing to do with snobbery or elitism and everything to do with incompetence and wanting to shift blame:

1) You went out on your own unprepared - thats no-one elses fault but your own so why blame others for your basic schoolboy errors?

2) Did you draw anyones attention to the fact that you were silly enough to leave all your puncture equipment elsewhere or simply stand at the side of the road looking sheepish by your basic schoolboy errors? Again blame shifting on your part.

I would stop if I saw a cyclist by the side of the road and they had drawn my attention to themselves that they were in trouble, even if it was their problem stupidity which caused it. After all you cannot tell when you mayneed asistance at some point in time. If they didn't draw attention, I'd assume they had everything under control and all was well. After all, theres only one person needed to repair a puncture.

meagain

I've found much less snobbery, elitism, call it what you will, on here than on the road! My most often used bike is a 100 quid DIY converted fixed: I don't take exception to the "what bike for a million quid" posters - altho' it does amuse me! If don't know enough to know what they want at that price....then almost certainly wasting their money! Anyway I've had lots of expensive bikes and learned the hard way that for me they make no difference to pleasure levels!

And bikers ain't much different. Choosing as I do to ride a piddling 250 cruiser cuts me off from the cruiser/chop posers (and the real thing) and race bike reps riders!

MOST forummers are generally helpful. Just ignore the minority - I only visit Soapbox if I feel in an awkward mood.

Whatever, ride safe.

CrookedCucumber

Top_Bhoy wrote:

bigjim wrote:

On Saturday afternoon I was stuck at the side of the road trying to figure out how to cope with two instant punctures. I was passed by a few racing cyclists. Not one of them stopped or acknowledged me. All I needed was a another tube or patch and I would have been away. Instead I had to ring my wife for a lift. This has never ever happened to me when I am on my motorbike. Other bikers always stop to help. Shame.
Jim

Few things strike me and it snothing to do with snobbery or elitism and everything to do with incompetence and wanting to shift blame:

1) You went out on your own unprepared - thats no-one elses fault but your own so why blame others for your basic schoolboy errors?

To be fair, I suspect many cyclists won't be prepared to deal with two punctures in a short time. I mean, I carry a spare tube but on a short ride I wouldn't carry two.

What's more, the poster _was_ prepared: he was prepared to telephone his wife

I suspect that an attitude that leads one to classify only carrying one spare tube and a mobile phone as a `basic schoolboy error' is precisely the kind of elitism that the poster was complaining about.

babyshambles

Is this topic really worth the effort of responding.... if he thinks all cyclists are snobs etc then thats up to him and he must decide whether this is the sport for him. Perhaps he should just go to the amusement arcades.

meagain

"I suspect that an attitude that leads one to classify only carrying one spare tube and a mobile phone as a `basic schoolboy error' is precisely the kind of elitism that the poster was complaining about."

Fair point. "Superiority" rather than "elitism"?

meagain

"the sport"

Perhaps THAT is the clue? Never think of it as a sport - I don't do sport. I just ride a bicycle!

babyshambles

everything is a "sport" nowadays... wasnt tiddly winks in the olympics one year

I guess its a sport when you are training, a leisure when sight seeing, a commute when travelling to work and a bl00dy pain in the @rse when you get two punctures at once without spare tubes

CrookedCucumber

meagain wrote:

I've found much less snobbery, elitism, call it what you will, on here than on the road!

To be honest, I see very little of it anywhere. My experience is that most cyclists -- here and in person -- are unfailingly helpful and pleasant. No need to let an occasional snob spoil your pleasure.

Anonymous

I had a puncture once about 6 miles from home and 2 cyclists rode streight past me, maybe because I was in normal clothes? I had no inner tubes on me though, I just rang my dad up to pick me up. I notice that before I started wearing cycling shorts and all that, and still when I am in normal clothes, cyclists dont tend to wave at you or anything, but as soon as I get into me cycling gear most cyclists going by do wave at you, I find it strange tbh.

Smokin Joe

willhub wrote:

I had a puncture once about 6 miles from home and 2 cyclists rode streight past me, maybe because I was in normal clothes? I had no inner tubes on me though, I just rang my dad up to pick me up. I notice that before I started wearing cycling shorts and all that, and still when I am in normal clothes, cyclists dont tend to wave at you or anything, but as soon as I get into me cycling gear most cyclists going by do wave at you, I find it strange tbh.

Cyclists don't wave at people riding in street clothes because they would get a puzzled look in return in most cases. I aknowledge other cyclists because we share the same interest, not everyone who just happens to be on a bike is a cycling enthusiast.

babyshambles

i'm to busy consentrating on peddling to to wave and blow kisses at every cyclist I see :shock:

CrookedCucumber

willhub wrote:

I had a puncture once about 6 miles from home and 2 cyclists rode streight past me, maybe because I was in normal clothes? I had no inner tubes on me though, I just rang my dad up to pick me up. I notice that before I started wearing cycling shorts and all that, and still when I am in normal clothes, cyclists dont tend to wave at you or anything, but as soon as I get into me cycling gear most cyclists going by do wave at you, I find it strange tbh.

It doesn't seem to me to be strange that people feel a bond with other people who appear to share their own interests. Especially when they are rather odd interests, as cycling is to most people. If you're out in cycling gear you are identifiably part of that odd group of people called `people who cycle when they don't have to'. If you're in ordinary clothes, you could just be some fellow who's been forced onto his bike because his car has packed up. You're not necessarily in the same club.

meagain

"Cyclists don't wave at people riding in street clothes"

And nor will most RETURN a wave to such riders even if in middle of nowhere and clearly NOT just someone who has been forced on to his/her bike!

If want some harmless amusement, get a full suuser with slicks and ostentatiously wave at passing road club. They try so hard to look the other way rather than in any way acknowledge your existence that in grave danger of crashing. This works especially well if you are obviously older than they are!

"Old timer" on a trad fixed gets quite a different reaction....

CrookedCucumber

meagain wrote:

"Cyclists don't wave at people riding in street clothes"

And nor will most RETURN a wave to such riders even if in middle of nowhere and clearly NOT just someone who has been forced on to his/her bike!

As I said, people identify with other people who appear to be like themselves.

And now the headlines; bear observed defecating in woods. Pope still Catholic

meagain

Ah, now I get it! Only the clothes and the precise type of bike decide whether or not "alike". I shall ignore everyone from now.

cee

when i am walking along the street i dont wave at other pedestrians walking along the street.

Does that make me snobby? :P :shock: