goodbye

CrookedCucumber

meagain wrote:

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.

It's no blaming me because people are naturally tribal. It isn't my fault. I'm just pointing out something that seems to be reasonably obvious after you've hung around with people for a half-century or so. Probably not everybody is like that; many people are. Cyclists are no worse, I'm sure, than anybody else.

azzerb

I imagine the snobbery is the same in both camps, (running and cycling), but from my own experience runners seem more snobby.

When i was running, I'd wave to lots of other runners, people trying to lose weight, people trying to get faster. You can tell these were runners, yet i got a lot less waves back than when i'm on my bike from other cyclists.

Whenever I've been off the road fixing/adjusting something, I always get lots of shouts of "you ok mate?". Yet in a fell run a while back, I slipped and twisted my ankle, there were at least 10 people who saw me do it, guess how many stopped? Guess how many people asked how i was when hobbling back? It was certainly a low number (try <5% of the people, and 0 of the 10 who saw it happen).

So yeh, sure cycling is elitist, but so is running.

Anonymous

I dont understand why cycling is some odd sport and why everyone does not like it, I cant imagine not liking cycling, my life would be so much boring without cycling, I like to cycle as much as I can.

Brian B

I have a few good bikes and the odd really expensive bits of kit. Thats does not make me a snob - I work hard for my cash and have built up my wardrobe and bikes over the years and to be honest I dont have much of a social life because of the amount of time spent cycling and with family so feel entitiled to buy nice cycling related items.

I wave or chat to any cyclists that I meet when out training or at sportives, regardless of what bike they are riding.

giant_man

Nobody should worry about the comments on this forum, they're only people's opinions. I come on here because I love cycling simple as that, and it should be used as a very good reference for fettling, parts and reviews, which is exactly what it is.

I think anyone concerned with the snobbery and wind-ups shouldn't take it so seriously. Good luck mate.

FSR_XC

So yer off then?

What did you expect from a forum? You'll get people who spend more money than they need to ('cause they can) and others that 'soldier on' with old bikes, racers & commuters, people that want to learn about the sport & those who want to share knowledge, one's that know a lot & those that think they do and people that just want to wind others up.

Bye.



Strangely OP got what he wanted, with everyone posting on this thread.

Anonymous

This forum is quite good really. I also have a interest in computers, I build my own and post alot on a computer forum, well its really a general forum ran by a large online store, and I find that there is much more snobbery in computing and arguments and everything, its like a war zone on that forum, this forum is like heavan compared to it

Spinner28

bigjim wrote:

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

As a mountain biker & a roadie, it's true that mtb'ers are generally more friendly than many roadies & more likely to stop & help. I find with roadies the touring type people are quite friendly but the race type people tend to have cliques, & if you're not a part of it they'll ignore you. But as someone who's alway been bicyclical:-)(Both road & mtb) I've always had a saying when out on the road. Mtb'ers don't talk to roadies, roadies don't talk to mtb'ers & triathletes talk to nobody!!!!

wildmoustache

jed 1978 - LMAO at that!

I bid him farewell with my carbon fibre prosthetic hand clad in an assos summer mitt!

CrookedCucumber

Brian B wrote:

I have a few good bikes and the odd really expensive bits of kit. Thats does not make me a snob - I work hard for my cash and have built up my wardrobe and bikes over the years and to be honest I dont have much of a social life because of the amount of time spent cycling and with family so feel entitiled to buy nice cycling related items.

I can't imagine that anybody would complain about that. Good grief, if you can't spend your hard-earned cash on what you enjoy, what's life worth? You're a long time dead, after all.

Where I think problems start is when folks who are (a) very fortunate or (b) very commited to something (cycling, photography, fishing, whatever) give the impression that spending lots of money is the only way to demonstrate a real commitment. I doubt that anybody does this on purpose, with the possible exception of certain bike shops (and it's obvious why they might do it). The cycling press does it unintentionally, I think, because they get more money from companies advertising expensive stuff than companies advertising cheap stuff.

As I said, I meet very few people, here or in real life, who behave like this on purpose. But there are a few who do.

I think the `tribalism' is also a bit off-putting to some people. Road bikers and mountain bikers do appear quite often to be different tribes -- different equipment, different jargon, different clothes, perhaps even different age range. This doesn't both me because I don't consider myself a very tribal person. Or perhaps it's fairer to say that my tribe conists of, well, me, essentially

neeb

lilactime - I think you're just seeing things negatively because of the flak you got on that other thread about warning cars about speedcameras. To be honest, I thought some of the personal criticism you got there was a bit unnecessary, but when people have strong opinions about things they can react strongly to actions/opinions that conflict with theirs. I'm sure if you'd posted the same thread in a motoring forum you'd have been roundly congratulated (although not by me admittedly! ).

Stick around and don't take things too personally, maybe you'll change your mind about the snobbery thing..

DavidBelcher

Rich Hcp wrote:

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.

When I read that I immediately had visions of a service car complete with roof-rack full of spare wheels etc.....sadly a luxury I never have on my rides!

David

2Fast4Love

Jesus. Don't let the door hit you in the vagina on the way out.

Can't say I've ever experienced snobbish behaviour on here, the 1 time I thought I did, I realised before I had time to post a witty retort that I was the one being a fanny.

Maybe it's cos I am all about the purchase/use/wearing of semi-expensive bike gear despite having no real need for it.

Every time I've asked for advice on a mechanical issue, what to buy, whether my seat post is carbon ( :oops: ) I've been met with sound advice. If you ask which is the best product between Aldi & Lidl stuff then you've got to expect to be told that neither are top of the range ffs - thats not snobbishness.

Cajun

With the present & future price of petrol (gasoline in the US), I would expect a return visit from him, and many others in the near future, on recommendations of what bike to buy for under £500. 8) . Get ready guys & gals....the prices of your tyres & tubes will be increasing soon as your 'two wheeler' becomes more and more valuable.

Jez mon

Well i came to this forum when it was C+ and always received great advice. Everyone is always complaining of Snobbery these days, but i just can't see anything wrong with only acknowledging people who are riding bikes worth over £2000

neeb

Clearly one's groupset defines one's natural place in society and fraternizing excessively with those of vastly different groupsets is likely to lead to revolution and the collapse of civilisation as we know it. I have chorus on my bike so of course I will defer to noble record owners and look down my nose slightly at the centaur middle classes. Heaven forbid that I should ever have dealings with the mirage plebs or the xenon untouchables. With foreigners of Shimano or SRAM ilk it can be more difficult to ascertain one's relative status, but if in doubt one may always safely ignore someone who is not of Dura Ace or Red rank.

wildmoustache

I hear a chorus of dissapproval for this inverted full-force snobby fellow who left red-faced and has set a new record for nearly 105 responses in this thread - which is no mirage even when illuminated by bi-xenon headlights but does show some enduraace.

why did i type that??

DavidBelcher

wildmoustache wrote:

I hear a chorus of dissapproval for this inverted full-force snobby fellow who left red-faced and has set a new record for nearly 105 responses in this thread - which is no mirage even when illuminated by bi-xenon headlights but does show some enduraace.

why did i type that??

Dunno, just as long as you didn't overdo the typing and end up with sora fingers!

David

campagchris

I don't like these long goodbyes
au revoir

CHRISNOIR

Can't believe it - I turn my back for five minutes and we get a flouncer. I love reading a good flounce and we've not had a flouncer for ages - things must be picking up!

DavidBelcher

neeb wrote:

Clearly one's groupset defines one's natural place in society and fraternizing excessively with those of vastly different groupsets is likely to lead to revolution and the collapse of civilisation as we know it. I have chorus on my bike so of course I will defer to noble record owners and look down my nose slightly at the centaur middle classes.

Hmm...shades of the classic Frost Report sketch there. I've only got Mirage on my bike - "I know my place" as Ronnie C. would have put it

David

neeb

Hmm...shades of the classic Frost Report sketch there. I've only got Mirage on my bike - "I know my place" as Ronnie C. would have put it Wink

A little before my time (not by much though).

I can see a potential adaptation of the monty python yorkshiremen sketch though - "Brakes? Luxury! In my day we had to use our little fingers as brake pads, wore them down to stumps we did.... (etc etc..)"

gematkinson

snobbery hahaha u should spend a day over at bikeforums.net if its snobbery you thin k goes on here. friendly forum, get over it

STEFANOS4784

meagain wrote:

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.

Thats not fair it's not about that it could be about a) how much effort the person is putting in or b) if they're an ignorantsob or c)both, i was out in middle of no-where in cut off combats and an old t-shirt on my quite old road bike, saw three decked out roadies, waved and got a very friendly response, i choose not to wear all the pro looking gear as i feel like a n0b if some-one with jeans and a t-shirt takes over me, also if i'm smoking a fag probably looks a bit odd

Bugly

Goodbye good luck sorry your feelings were hurt but this is a forum, you get all sorts here some helpful some not, some knowledgable others not, like everything else in life.

Re snobbery yes it can be a pi$$ing contest - but if that offends skip the thread.

What gets me is the expectation some poster here have that all cyclists have to be chummy and wave and greet each other. Get over it some will others wont I really dont understand your expectations. If you want chums on bikes get your mates out of the pub and onto a saddle. Dont assume because you see a rider on a bike he or she will feel instant kinship to you. Their motives for riding are not yours.

Get over it and get onwith life

Nuggs

Well bye then. I'm not sure how we'll carry on without you. We'll muddle through it somehow.

Can someone please close this thread so we can go about rebuilding our shattered lives?

:roll:

toshmund

The ex used to always say "You know your problem? You always want the last word!"

Learning to not want that, is such a big big thing...

Doh.