Anyone else similar to me?

[PaulSB]

Hardly. I try to make eye contact. They are doing nothing but looking at the bike coming toward: and past them.

Doesn’t takes genius to work out what their focus is on……

Really? I can't believe this is a common experience. I'd struggle to know the colour of bike a rider from the opposite direction was riding.

 

[PaulSB]

There seems to be one clear theme emerging regarding clubbies. They are an extremely devisive bunch, very marmite like.

Untrue. The theme that has emerged is many cyclists on CC like to ride solo and enjoy the freedom of choice that offers. Sounds good to me. I exercise my freedom of choice. My choices happen to be different.

I've been in three clubs, my current one for +/-12 years. I have my criticisms of the club, some quite deep. I've made many friends, some very close and supportive of one and other. I was introduced to gravel riding which I love. I've learned stuff, shared stuff with others, been given free practical help......I could go on.

In retirement three of us have become close friends riding together. For two of the group our wives are very reassured we're riding with others. We're gone all day, the least we can do is provide them with a little assurance.

We meet people. Wave, smile, chat. Enjoy great cafes, coffee, sausage rolls and cake. Put the world to rights.

Occasionally we acknowledge another rider, always solo, who ignores us. Who cares? There are miserable people in every walk of life. We don't though consider solo riders "devisive" just that we pass some miserable old buggers. (That's a joke)

Sometimes we amble, sometimes we train, intervals, sprints, climbing. ALL of the time we have a bucket load of fun and laughs.

Just like everyone else I do what I want to do, when I want to........it just happens that what I want to do generally involves other people.

One doesn't have to be alone to be happy and content. That's just a preference. We all have them.

 

[sevenfourate]

Really? I can't believe this is a common experience. I'd struggle to know the colour of bike a rider from the opposite direction was riding.

Well; my psychiatrist says i absolutely didn't imagine this

I can't argue if it's common or not. And i'm not sure what the relavance of frequency is. But if you don't think bike / cycling snobbery exists on numerous levels; you must have lead a sheltered cycling life.

To be fair my standard weapon of choice is mostly my affore-mentioned Halfords / Carrera. And its a flat-bar'd Town-bike / hybrid. So be definition i'm not one of the seemingly 90%+ of semi-serious cyclist upwards [Where i am at least] riding a drop bar'd Gravel bike of some description. So maybe i shun equipment convention on a more than one level ?

Perhaps its someone coming toward them on a cheap / heavy flat-bar'd hybrid and clearly putting in a fair effort - that 'gives me away' at first glance ? Or perhaps the 'issues' are with the [same ?] people i often see - whilst i'm out on different bikes. There's certainly one guy who i often see leaving the estate where i live - as i'm coming back in from my rides (Not sure if he recognises me as me or not ?) who has basically pretty much ignored me every single time when i've been Carrera hybrid mounted. But then actively greets me when i'm on my Gravel bike in 'Lycra'. I haven't changed. So i can only presume from that his indifference is to my chosen steed and clobber........

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Never done club rides but I suspect they would not be for me. On my rides I go at the speed I want at any particular time (varies each ride and each part of each ride), I can avoid potholes without having another rider alongside, I can stop if I see something interesting, etc. Many of the aspects I enjoy on rides would just not happen on a club ride.

 

[fossyant]

Some folk are miserable buggers, that's that. I'll wave to anyone on a bike ! Been in two clubs, one was for many many years and still keep in touch with them, although we all live in different places now. The other club wasn't going very long but they were a social lot. I'm very tempted to joint our local club in the next village. They do a bit of everything, unlike my club in the 80's-90's - we were primarily all racing, so summer club runs would be few and far apart.

If you aren't the sort of person who likes mixing and chatting, then a club probably isn't the place for you.

There is a lot to be gained from a club, or even a bunch of like minded mates !. Motivation is another. Not so great weather, you might sack it off if riding solo. If you've agreed to meet up, then there is a motivational factor in not letting others down. You never regret it, you'll regret not going out.

 

[PaulSB]

Well; my psychiatrist says i absolutely didn't imagine this

I can't argue if it's common or not. And i'm not sure what the relavance of frequency is. But if you don't think bike / cycling snobbery exists on numerous levels; you must have lead a sheltered cycling life.

To be fair my standard weapon of choice is mostly my affore-mentioned Halfords / Carrera. And its a flat-bar'd Town-bike / hybrid. So be definition i'm not one of the seemingly 90%+ of semi-serious cyclist upwards [Where i am at least] riding a drop bar'd Gravel bike of some description. So maybe i shun equipment convention on a more than one level ?

Perhaps its someone coming toward them on a cheap / heavy flat-bar'd hybrid and clearly putting in a fair effort - that 'gives me away' at first glance ? Or perhaps the 'issues' are with the [same ?] people i often see - whilst i'm out on different bikes. There's certainly one guy who i often see leaving the estate where i live - as i'm coming back in from my rides (Not sure if he recognises me as me or not ?) who has basically pretty much ignored me every single time when i've been Carrera hybrid mounted. But then actively greets me when i'm on my Gravel bike in 'Lycra'. I haven't changed. So i can only presume from that his indifference is to my chosen steed and clobber........

I can assure you I haven't led a sheltered life but equally I don't encounter the snobbery that many on here describe. I live in Lancashire and I do sometimes wonder if this is a geographic thing? I don't know.

I think there are different groups or sectors in cycling. For example group and solo riders, road, MTB, flat bar, commuter, gravel. I ride road and gravel. As a general rule I find roadies acknowledge each other, we're all doing the same thing and there's a common understanding. Very often we see groups of flat bar riders, they almost always wave and smile. They're a group, we're a group, we understand each other. Anyone we pass on our side of the road we say hello.

I could point to behaviour I encounter from MTBers, flat bar riders and, commuters, which I could use to stereotype each of these groups. I don't as I know the vast bulk are decent, ordinary people like me who don't deserve to be pigeon-holed because of the behaviour of a few.

Last night I watched a commuter in heavy Manchester traffic, 5.00pm, no lights, no helmet, dressed in black. He rode through four red lights in ¾ mile. My thoughts? W*****. and if you get hit? Don't whine. Is this typical of all commuters? No. It's typical of the ones drivers notice.

If I'm out walking a towpath or trail I'll encounter cyclists. The worse behaviour by far is from male flat bar riders. Approaching they continue at full speed expecting the pedestrians to move. From behind they offer no warning whatsoever. My reaction to both situations is to hold my ground, refuse to move and I look forward to the day one of them ends up in the canal.

Despite seeing numerous examples of this and other behaviour I don't characterise anyone based on his/her bike and clothing. To do so would make me judgemental and I'm not. All BMW drivers are d*******s? Of course not but lots of d*******s drive BMWs.

We all, I presume, are or have been cyclists. I find it genuinely disappointing there's a sizeable number on CC who find it appropriate to characterise any particular group. Interestingly it's almost always roadies who suffer and that tells me something.

 

[katiewlx]

its difficult to say if its geographic or not as I doubt many of us have ridden across all of the various parts of the UK enough to judge it.

all I know is my experiences as a cyclist tend towards it feeling like there absolutely is a form of snobbery or othering that I experience from some other cyclists out there, and it doesnt really matter whether Im on a road bike, or a commuter, on the road, on a trail wherever. I generally always wave or acknowledge other cyclists, maybe less so on a commute as it becomes dangerous to do that, but its well below a 50% return participation in that contact, and nearly 100% on me to initiate the contact first anyway.


also it doesnt half feel contradictory to say its not appropriate to characterise any particular group, and then do exactly that...😕

 

[Binky]

There is elitism/snobbery in pretty much every sport and definitely in cycling.
I subscribe to a couple of cyclists on YouTube and it's obvious some prioritise looks over function/comfort. Example having mudguards in winter is a no-no for some whereas wearing white socks over black leggins is de rigueur even though said white socks+no muguards mean they are a crappy grey within 10 mins of riding. Likewise wearing all black on a dull day and no lights seems to be the way also.

Anyway, it doesn't affect me. I ride wearing stuff I find comfortable which as a roadie does mean lycra etc. Regards giving a wave, I do that and of course some don't in return. That'll always be the case.

 

[esoxlucius]

My experience is that roadies will acknowledge other roadies, whether it be with a nod of the head, a hand off the hoods wave or a hands on the hoods gesture with the fingers outstretched.

If I choose to acknowledge another rider I'm a simple nod of head type of a guy, though sometimes I won't acknowledge another rider at all. Not because I'm an ignorant tosser, more along the lines of total concentration on the road.

Potholes, parked drivers opening doors on you, cars overtaking you, cars pulling out on you, the list goes on, are all factors in me choosing not to sabotage that concentration by waving to all and sundry on the road.

And for some strange reason, in my experience, mountain bikers will almost never acknowledge roadies. In between off roading they do use the roads quite a bit. They tend to ride in groups too and not once in all my years on the road have I had a mountain biker so much as smile at me!

Do others get that with mountain bikers?

 

[Binky]

My experience is that roadies will acknowledge other roadies, whether it be with a nod of the head, a hand off the hoods wave or a hands on the hoods gesture with the fingers outstretched.

If I choose to acknowledge another rider I'm a simple nod of head type of a guy, though sometimes I won't acknowledge another rider at all. Not because I'm an ignorant tosser, more along the lines of total concentration on the road.

Potholes, parked drivers opening doors on you, cars overtaking you, cars pulling out on you, the list goes on, are all factors in me choosing not to sabotage that concentration by waving to all and sundry on the road.

And for some strange reason, in my experience, mountain bikers will almost never acknowledge roadies. In between off roading they do use the roads quite a bit. They tend to ride in groups too and not once in all my years on the road have I had a mountain biker so much as smile at me!

Do others get that with mountain bikers?

Some MTBers will wave but usually only after I've instigated it. Some just ignore a wave but then some roadies will as well even though I am dressed identically and on a road bike. I'd say MTBers less likely to wave than roadies but that's just a very small sample I encounter so hardly definitive.
Agree as well sometimes another cyclist has waved at me but due to circumstances at time I've not waved back.

 

[Rusty Nails]

All cyclists are snobbish tossers.

In all my years as a pedestrian I never get a cyclist waving at me, whereas I, being a perfect gent, smile and wave to everyone who passes me, whether on bikes, horseback, scooters, in cars and of course all pedestrians.

I do get some funny looks back however.

 

[derrick]

Never realy enjoyed cafe stops, but i do enjoy a pub stop at the end of the ride.

 

[oxoman]

I've ridden solo first for a long time apart from the odd group ride / C2C with mates ive never bothered with a club as such. However I recently started riding with a group from my LBS on mainly gravel / social rides. It's not a club, it doesn't matter what you ride or look like. Somebody comes up with a route and you either ride or you don't, it will have the obligatory cafe stop in it somewhere and we all look out for each other and there's no average speed or trying to keep up with a chain gang.

 

[Happy_Days]

Throughout my twenties and thirties and into my forties, club cycling was my whole life. Which is why, in my sixties, I find it so disappointing that clubs have no place for the likes of me now.

That’s incredibly disappointing.

There is elitism/snobbery in pretty much every sport and definitely in cycling.
I subscribe to a couple of cyclists on YouTube and it's obvious some prioritise looks over function/comfort. Example having mudguards in winter is a no-no for some whereas wearing white socks over black leggins is de rigueur even though said white socks+no muguards mean they are a crappy grey within 10 mins of riding. Likewise wearing all black on a dull day and no lights seems to be the way also.

Unfortunately, elitism and snobbery are worse in cycling than any other sport I’ve experienced. I have no clue why.

While few sports escape fashion, it’s a bigger deal for some roadies than in many other sports. Perhaps it’s related to cycling’s culture of unwritten ‘rules’?

The current white-socks-over-tights trend makes no sense for winter—particularly if mudguards are considered unfashionable. Do these people genuinely ride for long in winter conditions?

 

[Binky]

All cyclists are snobbish tossers.

In all my years as a pedestrian I never get a cyclist waving at me, whereas I, being a perfect gent, smile and wave to everyone who passes me, whether on bikes, horseback, scooters, in cars and of course all pedestrians.

I do get some funny looks back however.

Ah but I do smile and wave and say hello to walkers, certainly on the small back roads where I often ride. And it's always reciprocated.