is there really a difference or is it just snobbery

passout

In my experience bike snobbery is fairly limited and doesn't effect the majority of cyclists. Most cyclists buy and ride the bikes that A) they like and can afford. Having said that there are definite cycling trends and fashions out there - often due to technological improvements but not always (eg single speeds).

There's nothing wrong with riding an unfashionable bike like Claud Butler - especially when they are perfectly good models like yours. At the cheaper end of the Claud Butler range though there are some 'MTBs' which really shouldn't be taken off road - CB is not alone in this of course. These are cheap 'leisure bikes' dressed up as MTBs and I feel it is these machines which put some cyclists off the better CB bikes.

Generally I think there is less snobbery amongst cyclists than most other groups. As for reverse snobbery I reckon that's more common amongst kids (under 18s) who feel the need to react against percieved peer pressure - when in actual fact most grown ups don't give a toss one way or the other. Patronising but true

Keep riding your CB and enjoy - most of us won't judge you!

Kiwi Kranker

passout wrote:

Generally I think there is less snobbery amongst cyclists than most other groups. As for reverse snobbery I reckon that's more common amongst kids (under 18s) who feel the need to react against percieved peer pressure - when in actual fact most grown ups don't give a toss one way or the other. Patronising but true

Would agree with you on this, funny thing was when I had my experience of 'reverse snobbery ' it was from a group of roughly early 30's guys.

Destroyed them on a downhill section so that was all that mattered in the end!