Cycling seems to have become very "upper crust"

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Upper crust my arse. Just got misen a Raleigh Lizard for farve and twenty quid. Which I want to keep but OK, there is that upper crust element* who will probably give me £120 for it stripped, serviced and presented as "retro". (Not a rip-off in any way - £25 for the bike, a £90 value service and new cables, bearings and other sundries)

*You know them, they order "street food" from restaurants.

 

[booze and cake]

They've all come over from golf innit.

 

[S-Express]

Cor nowt gets passed you does it mate

Thanks mate!

 

[Bollo]

If this turns into another how-much-for-a-bike thread I swear I'm going to go absolutely &@£?ing mental.

Oh my God! I've become everything I ever hated!

You always were everything we ever hated, @Drago my old chum.

 

[classic33]

Upper crust my arse. Just got misen a Raleigh Lizard for farve and twenty quid. Which I want to keep but OK, there is that upper crust element* who will probably give me £120 for it stripped, serviced and presented as "retro". (Not a rip-off in any way - £25 for the bike, a £90 value service and new cables, bearings and other sundries)

*You know them, they order "street food" from restaurants.

Thi's droppin thi "S"s

 

[Markymark]

Cycling is for everyone. All you need is a £5k bike and grounds to ride it on.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Looking back, there's does appear to be some truth in the OP. When I first joined a cycling club in Birmingham in the early 80's most of the club folk worked in trades and factories, most cycled to work, most kept bikes and clothing going until it fell to pieces. Nowadays most club cyclists seem to do white collar jobs in offices, many are very highly paid, bikes and clothing are usually immaculate, replaced regularly rather than repaired. And then there's the whole obsession with coffee too. Back in the 80's we'd stop at a cafe for tea, nowadays it's all fancy coffees and odd little biscuits.

 

[Apollonius]

The world has moved on. Manual jobs are virtually extinct, and most employed people are reasonably affluent. Polarisation has created an underclass who are poor and an prosperous remainder. I know that sickness and family breakup leads to poverty, but if you are lucky enough to avoid these than you have some money to spend. There is also the phenomenon of the rich pensioner of the baby boomer generation who benefited from free higher education, excellent state healthcare and an amazing rise in property values. If you were lucky enough to be on the right side of all that, then you are very fortunate. And can ride a nice bike!

 

[Venod]

There is also the phenomenon of the rich pensioner of the baby boomer generation who benefited from free higher education, excellent state healthcare and an amazing rise in property values. If you were lucky enough to be on the right side of all that, then you are very fortunate. And can ride a nice bike!

This I have to agree with, as it applies to me, but I have been cycling a long time and have owned and ridden cheaper bikes and made my clothes last years (which I still do) but our club has members from all walks of life, there is no snobishness at all, but what is evident is that everybody rides decent bikes.

 

[Lee_M]

That`s how it appears to me

Doesn`t feel like I fit the criteria any more, almost as though I have to talk posh!

I`ve never been one for "keeping up with the Jones`s" or worrying about other people, but lately in various encounters I`ve noticed that the standard criteria is to be a private consultant, or doctor, or similar, live in a "rustic" residence with at least a double garage (or gararge, let`s get it right!!), a swimming pool, a minimum of 4 brand new cars, plenty of log burners, a coffee machine that cost more than my house did, a lifelong subscription to radio 4...etc etc etc, the list goes on

I, and my semi-detached WITH SINGLE gararge, tools based job, a liking for Lidl`s groceries, a 15 year old car, and a lacking of the cyclists accent (there is one, I know), seem to be feeling a little bit out of place

Maybe I should take up jigsaw puzzles, or get a flat cap and keep pigeons!

Seriously, the whole thing does seem to be getting rather "select", nowadays

Interesting perspective.
I would probably be considered successful and reasonably well off
Not upper crust though, my dad was a milkman and I come from a mining family.
Maybe you need to spend more time riding and less time categorising people :-)

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

....Back in the 80's we'd stop at a cafe for tea,

Back in the 80s that was posh. I had butties and a bottle of over-diluted C-Vit in a small toolbox with the puncture outfit and dumbell spanner, bungeed to my rear rack

 

[Brandane]

most employed people are reasonably affluent.

Your location is South Staffordshire, maybe that explains your perspective on that. Things are very different in other parts of the UK... Most of central Scotland, for starters.
As far as upper crust cycling is concerned - it is very much a minority sport in these parts. Most are put off by the prevailing wet and windy climate. It only appeals to a very limited amount of people but they come from all backgrounds. Quite a lot of golf club rejects have appeared in recent years, as with most parts of the country. They'll only stick around until the next fad appears, hopefully.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Interesting perspective.
I would probably be considered successful and reasonably well off
Not upper crust though, my dad was a milkman and I come from a mining family.
Maybe you need to spend more time riding and less time categorising people :-)

Says the man categorising himself as "successful" and "reasonably well off"

 

[Buck]

I can't agree. I'd say cycling is a "sport" that is classless. That doesn't mean you get people in the sport from different ends of the spectrum. Especially as there is no annual membership !

Remember the Olympics, Tour de France, Grand Depart and Tour de Yorkshire made cycling interesting and accessible to people of all walks of life. That can't be a bad thing.

Yes you stereotypically get the overweight 40 something who buys all the gear such as Rapha just because of the label then splashes out £10k on a bike but he still rides the same roads as the person who's had their bike for 10+ years, maintains it well, enjoys their rides for what they are and will still be doing it in 10 years whereas Rapha man will have sold his bike on at considerable loss and couldn't fit into his Lycra even with its elastic properties!

I can admire a nice bike like the next person but I don't judge a cyclist because he's on a new or old bike, wearing the latest gear, has a good job or has a small or large house. If he or she are good company then that trumps all others in my book.

The more people taking up cycling for the right reasons is all good and if Rapha man is selling his bike at a good price, you never know you might pick up a bargain

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Quite a lot of golf club rejects have appeared in recent years, as with most parts of the country. They'll only stick around until the next fad appears, hopefully.

Thankfully I have not encountered many, if any (I can't think of any) during club rides.