Why does everyone assume I'm a cycle... Jerk?

[fossyant]

Used to have a problem when I worked at a construction company - but goes with the territory.

Where I am now folk are used to me wandering in, in the 'kit', but can't say I've had anything less than positive - a few - 'oh you look very fit' (as in healthy). One other cyclist - 'oh that top will fit me' - Me 'it's only a cheap Aldi winter softshell you know'.

Was sat in a meeting last week, in shirt/tie etc, with my bottle of water on the table, and pannier/helmet in the corner of the room.

A visitor came in, and said 'oh is THAT your bike outside' - bearing in mind it's in a cycle rack at the front door with loads of other bikes. I said - "ah the red shiny one, yes" !

Out on the streets, then yes the usual stuff.

 

[Mad at urage]

As the others have said, ignore it - the negatives are just the usual no-lifes who can only follow a crowd. It does get quite funny to be repeatedly called "sonny" by a policeman (probably mid-twenties) - given all the grey in my beard!

 

[HLaB]

I feel like everyone assumes I'm a douche because I commute on a bike & i use/wear cyclist gear everyday weather I'm cycling or not. (i.e. Using a chrome bag or sporting a shirt w/ cycling affiliation.) Does anyone else get that & how do you deal with it?

Cheer up Rtvolk; its not everyone and those that do so are not worth worrying about its their problem.

 

[phaedrus]

I don't wear "cycling" clothing for my commute, I just wear clothing - the same as if I was walking. On my road bike I do wear cycle-specific clothing, because I'm going a lot further and a lot faster than when I'm commuting. I have never had any kind of negative comment made to me, and I'm neither young nor slim. On the contrary, colleagues who have found out that I commute by bike have been very positive and I suspect in some cases a tiny bit jealous.

 

[Bikeabit]

A few quotes on non-conformity:

The man who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been. Alan Ashley-Pitt

Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary. Sir Cecil Beaton

Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion. Charles Kuralt

 

[Flying_Monkey]

On the other hand: "We are all conformists of some conformity or other" (Gramsci)

 

[snorri]

I feel like everyone assumes I'm a douche because I commute on a bike & i use/wear cyclist gear everyday weather I'm cycling or not. (i.e. Using a chrome bag or sporting a shirt w/ cycling affiliation.) Does anyone else get that & how do you deal with it?

I'm surprised that you are surprised, if your dress code whilst at work is different from your colleagues, you will get comments. It's nothing to do with cycling, you would get similar comments if you wore golfing gear or tennis gear or sailing gear...etc etc.

 

[cyberknight]

My normal response is ..

"Least i don't use the fat lane ..."

Confuses them every time

Its their loss ,like everyone has said its easier to poke fun at something outside the norm rather than broadening their horizons, so just ignore it and move on.

 

[just jim]

On the other hand: "We are all conformists of some conformity or other" (Gramsci)

"So you want,
To be free.
To live your life."(Adamski)