I don't know about the media, but the general public do differentiate between types of cyclists. For example when I was out in a vehicle at work with a colleague, he was giving a right slagging off to any riders he spotted whose manner of cycling wasn't to his liking. When I commented to him that I'm a cyclist too, he said "you're OK you just ride like a normal person, it's all those idiots with the lycra gear and the bright coloured helmets that I can't stand" So yes, in the eyes of many there is a big difference between someone who "just rides a bike" and a "cyclist"
