Cycling snobs

[Justinslow]

Got an Argos bike £400 in the sale, ebay kit, cheap shoes etc, only because I'm a tight wad and don't fancy being divorced............yet. Anyway, been doing some TT's lately up against some £6000 + bikes and other bikes vastly more expensive than mine, not one person has mentioned anything snobby about err.........well anything actually, they've all been top boys and girls.
Ride what you want, spend what you want, but don't take the mickey out of people with cheaper kit because they might actually be better than you!
And I don't know if it's called "inverted snobbery" but giant killing on cheaper bikes/kit is great fun and gives you a warm feeling of satisfaction particularly in TT races, that said I can't beat the guy on the £6000 bike.............yet.
I would say beating people on expensive kit doesn't give you the same feeling of satisfaction because it's supposed to be better/quicker, right?
I was only 12 seconds slower than my mate over 8 miles last night on a TT, he was on his £2000 Giant ultegra tcr, but the question is - would I have beaten him if I was on a similar bike? No idea, but I ride what I've got and it's great fun trying.

 

[John the Monkey]

Can you tell the difference by looking at their calf muscles?

I dunno, I've seen some pretty arrogantly turned ankles lately.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Snobs yea, can't say I know any round here, I ride a Viking that cost £300 in 2008, it was a 7sp triple, it currently sports a 105 10sp triple with Ultegra chain and 12-23 cassette, people tell me that compact doubles are the things to ride, but I differ in my opinion, I have got through two sets of wheels ect.... and set p.b.'s that match people on £3,000 bikes, although my overall avg speed never seems to better about 15.5mph, my bibs cost 20-30, however whilst I do a lot of mileage, I don't tend to do great distance work. So stuff em and just do it, I have only ever done over 100 miles in one day and it took me about 7hrs that was in 2013 a year after I started cycling.

 

[Cadire]

Huffing and puffing up a hill on the A414 yesterday on my Giant Hybrid, a chap with some very nice gear came up behind me, gave me a quick 'Good on you, keep going' and sped off into the distance. That's really my only interaction with another cyclist (apart from the occasional nod and smile) and hopefully is typical rather than not

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

\
Yet if you hadn't posted it here no one would know let alone say anything and personally I couldn't care less: you are just not that important whether in Lycra or Crimplene.

Eh?

 

[mick1836]

Flippin cycling snobs. It's like those who don't nod when I say hello. Why is that?

Bet are riding in 'Logo'd' jerseys?

 

[Mrs M]

I ventured out alone one day, it was a lovely day and ended up going a bit further than intended.
I was pooped and stopped for a rest.
A very nice young man in full kit on a beautiful bike stopped to ask if I was ok
This spurned me on after my rest as it was a nice thing to do.
Mr Pinarello and Miss Kuota don't even look my way
Never mind, there are some nice folks with expensive bikes and kit and some dweebs.

 

[User16625]

Is there a point when you've been cycling so long you become a cycling snob?. I ask this as I'm taking part in a charity ride ( about 100 miler) and I've already been told by other more experienced cyclists that "that carrera from halfords is rubbish, you'll need to spend a grand at least", " your average kph is too low, it needs to increase by 10", " what.......your bib shorts are from eBay......mine are castelli and cost a million pounds........" Etc. I'm not even that bad, I attack every climb even though my drive train is squeeking its head off.

Muhammad Ali used to say stupid things to his opponents to piss them off. Perhaps your experience was of similar tactics directed at you. They were trying to get you mad so that you would ride harder out of frustration to "show em how good you really are".

 

[Bianchi boy]

I have a fairly good and expensive bike with kit thanks to cycle to work. Problem is my body has a bit of catching up to get to the same level, I always wave or nod though and then curse when the ignoramus doesn't acknowledge..

I always wave/smile or say hello, up to a maximum of three times, if no response after that , then I just dont bother anymore

 

[Cadire]

I always smile, say hello, or nod. if I don't get a response, well that's not my problem... I'm out and about and happy

 

[Dogtrousers]

 

[russ.will]

When I was a motorbike rider, I always used to nod to the kids on their 50s and 125s and anybody else for that matter. At the weekends, all the fair weather Ducati/Harley riders were out and they'd ignore everyone. I was riding an Aprilia RSV Mille in a grands worth of Dainese two-piece, so it's not like I was exactly invisible.

Talking of fair weather; I didn't see many faces, friendly or otherwise on the Misguided Bus Route yesterday morning.....

Russell

 

[sevenfourate]

I've never been involved in a sport with so many snobs and ignorant knobs. That's wholly apparent in just a couple of months..........

 

[SeanM]

I think i've only said hello to one other cyclist, as he and his pals left me for dust. I am very much a noob when it comes to cycling though so i hope i haven't ignored anyone, i'd be mortified if someone thought i was being rude.

 

[Winnershsaint]

You will find its the guys with all the gear but no idea who are the worst the best way to deal with them is sit on their wheels and take them in a sprint, always satisfies me even at my age.

I'd be interested to know what the criteria for an 'all the gear but no idea' are. Is it someone who has splashed serious money on a light carbon bike which is more bike than they could ever do justice to? Is it what they are wearing? Is it because they fit the stereotypical 'Johnny Come Lately' MAMIL piggybacking on the cycling boom for no other reason than it has suddenly become fashionable to do so? Perhaps those that have the gear and all the idea are overprotective of their world that they've inhabited when cycling was less popular and are reluctant to let others in. Maybe those with all the gear and no idea are just crap riders.