Cycling seems to have become very "upper crust"

[Tin Pot]

That`s how it appears to me

But not to most others.

Remember there is no such thing as a cyclist, there are only people who cycle. Bikes don't make someone different or special. It's just someone who owns a bike.

[quite]
I`ve never been one for "keeping up with the Jones`s" or worrying about other people,but ...[/QUOTE]
...but now you are

 

[Blue Hills]

In connection with your comment above, smokin jo, and your name, i used to lead lots of rides. I remember expressing surprise to a young female cyclist that she smoked. She looked at me as if I was spectacularly dim and said: " i don't cycle because it's healthy, I cycle because it's cool"

 

[Julia9054]

I don't think golf is posh like it used to be. Many clubs have dropped the whole membership thing and it's now pay to play and coaching to encourage young people. Golf clubs would die off otherwise. Golf is quite popular amongst teenagers these days - they are the future of the sport.
I have several friends who enjoy playing golf - all brass banders and none would be described as posh!

 

[screenman]

I enjoyed watching about 40 under sixteen year old kids with ages from 8 upwards racing and smiling yesterday, I do not think any of them were big earners though.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

One of the things that

I'd suggest that most of the new breed are into it because it is fashionable and will be gone when it no longer is. The demographic making up the "New golfer" side of cycling is exactly the same as that which fueled the motorcycle boom from the mid nineties and lasted for a decade before dying on it's arse. Thirty to sixty age group, affluent with high disposable incomes, a liking for the best performance bikes and matching kit, mostly without very much technical knowledge outside of what they read in the magazines.

You will know that a boom in cycling is genuine when you see far more people buying the sort of practical bikes club cyclists back in the day rode when they were not racing or training, ie mudguards, non race geometry and something other than a glorified fag packet strapped under the saddle for carrying capacity. To be a lifelong cyclist you need to enjoy riding a bike for the sheer pleasure of it, not just till the novelty of setting strava times wears off and you have run out of new kit to buy, or those you want to impress no longer do it.

One of the things that hacks me off most about the new breed is their reluctance to recognise and respect their elders and betters. They a buy a bike and fancy kit and within a few rides are pontificating on how the sport should change. They join a club and within weeks of joining are trying to change it. They join chat rooms and are immediately quoting 'rules' that they've read in a silly book or magazine that they think the rest of us should be following. Why can't they just keep quiet, learn the ropes from the rest of us, and only when they've stood the test of time, say 20 years, should they consider themselves qualified to start platforming their views on us.

 

[hoopdriver]

That's a bit harsh. And not very welcoming. Talk of respecting one's 'betters' smacks of something out of Dickens.

 

[Bollo]

One of the things that

One of the things that hacks me off most about the new breed is their reluctance to recognise and respect their elders and betters. They a buy a bike and fancy kit and within a few rides are pontificating on how the sport should change. They join a club and within weeks of joining are trying to change it. They join chat rooms and are immediately quoting 'rules' that they've read in a silly book or magazine that they think the rest of us should be following. Why can't they just keep quiet, learn the ropes from the rest of us, and only when they've stood the test of time, say 20 years, should they consider themselves qualified to start platforming their views on us.

 

[Slick]

Ever thought it may be because you're not?

After all, you're from north of the border...

Which just goes to prove he must be. It's just the natural order of thing's.

 

[Oxo]

Why can't they just keep quiet, learn the ropes from the rest of us,

Are you advocating that people should forget about getting into cycling and take up climbing or sailing instead.

 

[screenman]

One of the things that

One of the things that hacks me off most about the new breed is their reluctance to recognise and respect their elders and betters. They a buy a bike and fancy kit and within a few rides are pontificating on how the sport should change. They join a club and within weeks of joining are trying to change it. They join chat rooms and are immediately quoting 'rules' that they've read in a silly book or magazine that they think the rest of us should be following. Why can't they just keep quiet, learn the ropes from the rest of us, and only when they've stood the test of time, say 20 years, should they consider themselves qualified to start platforming their views on us.

And you started when? Things have not changed since solid tyres were the norm.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

I bought into this sport 35 years ago. I've lived and breathed it all this time. I quietly learned the ropes from my elders and betters in my first clubs. I still regard them as my elders and betters. The opinions of newcomers carry no weight. Chances are they will have moved on to something else in a few years.

 

[Slick]

Luddite.

 

[boydj]

The world has moved on. Manual jobs are virtually extinct, and most employed people are reasonably affluent. ................................!

Tell that to the guys and gals on minimum wage.

 

[Oxo]

I bought into this sport 35 years ago. I've lived and breathed it all this time. I quietly learned the ropes from my elders and betters in my first clubs. I still regard them as my elders and betters. The opinions of newcomers carry no weight. Chances are they will have moved on to something else in a few years.

With an attitude like that chances are they will have moved on to another club where they are made to feel welcome.

 

[bpsmith]

Some of the above comments are bonkers.

What I can't get my head around is why people have such ridiculous opinions on someone spending lots of money on a bike. I also can't quite work out the demographic of those that have such views.

Personally, I will likely never afford a £10k bike. Do I feel anything negative towards those that can? Clearly not. On that basis alone, my assumption can only be that the people with such views must be those that could afford to buy such a bike, but have chosen to use the cash in something else. Only to then be jealous of those who decided to buy said bike.

You can't have it all!

Another irony that I have noticed is that those, that pull a face at spending £10k on a bike, already have multiple bikes totalling more than that amount, and more, already...