Elitism and Snobbery

[Supersuperleeds]

By the way @Chris Doyle it's white 3 inch length socks on Sunday .

I don't have any white socks so I'm out.

 

[Noodle Legs]

I don't have any white socks so I'm out.

Neither do I really @Supersuperleeds but I might hop on the Rapha website.....

 

[FishFright]

Nah, if I got any inkling it was a “thing” I’d have played along! I think they’re beginning to get a bit too anal with things to be honest- taking stuff far too seriously than it needs to be!! Ones who can get mardy if another cyclist overtakes them, that kind of thing and try to catch them back up, sitting there after a ride analysing that segment and trying to go back out and beat it and then it rubs off on the rest of the group. Just little red flags all over as I reflect back.

Audi and BMW drivers for a guess?

 

[Noodle Legs]

Audi and BMW drivers for a guess?

 

[Racing roadkill]

Yet you're calling every one in a club a knobber

Yes.

 

[Racing roadkill]

You dont have to be in a club to be a knobber.

Being in a club is great, if you want to polish your knobber skills.

 

[GaGa]

Ok, so I’m a recreational cyclist like I would imagine close to 100% of us are on here, and for a long time I’ve always ridden solo be it on trails or road. I cycle purely for enjoyment-it’s my escape from life’s ups and downs, if only for a short time.

Some lads at work who follow my strava and mates of theirs added me in to their group chat and invited me on a few weekly socials which I happily accepted (and still do). They’re a fantastic bunch of lads every single one of them. A little cliquey, maybe, but they’ve ridden together for a while so I don’t let that bother me.

But a couple of chaps in the group like to have the best of everything be it clothing or tech or whatever and it’s becoming like a “Keep Up With The Joneses” with all the others following suit and then they scoff and sneer at me because I don’t. They’re quite passive aggressive with it I find at times as well. The latest one is all matching Rapha clobber for next year’s trip to Spain, once I expressed doubt on this (for no other reason than cost as I have other bits to fork out for) it’s like I’ve been an afterthought in the group, feeling a little shut out.

The way I look at it is I enjoy riding my bike-pure and simple. Should it matter that I only wear certain branded attire or don’t have the latest gadget?

I really enjoy riding with these fellas as it’s benefited me no end and we have a good laugh but the elitism and snobbery is driving me crazy!

What experiences (if any) have you had with elitist snobs in cycling and how did you deal with it?

Love to hear the feedback.

You get this in everything in life. Have you got the latest mobile phone, the latest trainers, etc, etc. Ignore them, you are the true cyclist not them. You get this when you go to a caravan site sometimes. My oldest bike is 19 years old, I bought it new in 1999 and I wouldn't dream of getting rid of it, still ride it every week and I don't give a toss what the elite riders think of it. You stay true to yourself and the true spirit of cycling.

 

[Welsh wheels]

Train hard and on the next ride, beat them all up the hills wearing jeans and a hoodie.

 

[derrick]

Being in a club is great, if you want to polish your knobber skills.

Only if you get in with the wrong club. i have found there are more knobber riders who ride on there own,

 

[jefmcg]

Hmmm so I’m now thinking that I’ve been the attempted butt of a big prank which sadly for them has backfired. One of the chaps in question has text me privately today to say that they were gonna try and goad one of the other lads into shaving his legs for aerodynamic benefit, prior to going away and this has made me think that they were trying to get me to look like an “all the gear, no idea” kind of guy and spend ridiculous sums on needless things.... I think the silences on the group chat and apparent passive aggressiveness were all part of it. It’s all making sense now - prior to booking the trip there were no issues whatsoever and I thought it strange that the behaviour suddenly changed.

How stupid do I feel?

Think I owe the lads a beer.....

I do not understand male friendships

And speaking of that, I'm not quite sure I am following other parts of this thread: men join cycling clubs to learn how to polish their knobs?

 

[roadrash]

still sounds to me like they need to grow up, yeah lets get this chap to splash a couple of hundred pound on rapha so he thinks hes fitting in , wont that be a good laugh...…. nob eds

 

[Reynard]

Think I owe the lads a beer.....

Poured *over* their heads, not down their necks.

A certain amount of piss taking is acceptable e.g leg shaving, silly socks etc, but trying to part someone from substantial sums of money for a laugh isn't.

 

[derrick]

Poured *over* their heads, not down their necks.

A certain amount of piss taking is acceptable e.g leg shaving, silly socks etc, but trying to part someone from substantial sums of money for a laugh isn't.

Sounds like a load of dickheads,

 

[swansonj]

I do not understand male friendships

And speaking of that, I'm not quite sure I am following other parts of this thread: men join cycling clubs to learn how to polish their knobs?

Me neither.

 

[derrick]

It was only a couple of them doing it to be fair, and I can’t say with 100% certainty that they are ribbing me as this chap never said as much, but reading between the lines of the text I got earlier would suggest it is! I feel bad for bad mouthing them when I haven’t got all my facts straight but then I’m admittedly not the sharpest tool in the box either!
Assuming that what I have said is now correct in the eyes of some this might seem a step too far in terms of pranks and that’s fair enough but I’ve had a lot worse than that at work over the years.....

You might have had a lot worse, but that don't make it right, i hate farking bullies.