m_yates

This morning riding in I was riding with a lycra guy on a racing bike for several miles. I passed him, but he maintained chase and started a conversation. He complimented me on my riding strength and was impressed when I told him I ride for typically 80-100 miles a week. Then, he asks me "Is that your nicest bike?" I replied, "It is the only bike I own." I ride a $600 touring bike with fenders, rear rack, and panniers. Most normal people think I spent a lot of money on a nice bike. Lycra guy tells me that getting a nicer bike would give me a boost, and points out the very nice Felt he is riding. I just said "Yea, my bike is a little heavy." and shrugged it off.

I just don't get the roadie culture. I couldn't care less about grams and speed. Riding to work is fun and relaxing....and DON"T INSULT MY BIKE! Especially since I was doing a good job keeping up while carrying my lunch, a change of clothes, and a heavy U-lock.

bavarian3

Maybe he doesn't get the commuting culture?

I think that they are semi-pros with top-notch bikes. It's a style. It's a name brand. It sells and is loved.

uke

Have a look at the road cycling forum here. It's, hands down, the most assholish part of BF.

It's what you get when cyclists begin to equate the cost of their components with their abilities as riders.

markf

I don't think he meant to insult your bike, he was probably pretty impressed with the speed you were maintaining.

ok_commuter

you could have "accidentally" broken his carbon frame with your u-lock.

kila kila kila

So you people complain when roadies don't wave at you. Then you complain when they actually start conversations with you. Sounds like the guy was being friendly and talking about the only common factor he knew you two shared: bikes. He comes from an area where performance is the priority, you come from an area where functionality is priority. His comments reflected this.

My only advice if for you to lighten up* and stop being so defensive about your heavy-ass bike.



*Get it? Lighten up? It's a pun! Because your bike is heavy!

CastIron

Why are so many commuters so insecure?

lil brown bat

+100.

caloso

Here's an axiom I picked up in the Roadie Forum: HTFU.

Myqul

+1 to the power of lots

They were dissing recumbent not so long ago. A recumbent rider was trying to defend 'bents but things only got worse. I was only following the thread cuz i ride a bent too

They kinda remind me of fooballers/soccer players wives comparing handbags. As far as i'm concered, "Stop winging and ride what ya brung"

PaulH

He was giving you a compliment in his language. Based upon your performance, he probably assumed that you were a roadie on weekends. The expected response would have been, "Yes - I have a Felt also." Theb, you could have ridden along discussing gear ratios.

Paul

Nightshade

"elite roadies" are like any other jock head.....they get so "into" their sport they
forget the world around them. In their world only other jock head roadies exist!

Forget'em and ride on!

m_yates

This made me laugh. Maybe I am insecure and defensive.

By the way, it was a nice conversation for the most part (except for him poor mouthing my bike). He told me of a scenic training route he takes around a nearby lake that I may actually try and ride it using my heavy-ass bike.

CCrew

It's just because of the extra large "packages" we carry. You see, the roadies have none. It's a burden sometimes but we live with it...

littlewaywelt

They're gear heads by nature, and because they obsess over every detail on a bike, they think they know more than the average commuter when it comes to gear (and generally speaking, they probably do).

I don't see anything wrong with the roadie in this instance. He was trying to be helpful.

UmneyDurak

I would take it as a guy trying to make conversation and being friendly. Then again I don't have a low self esteem....

rabinabo

Yeah, I'm a commuter/roadie/fixed-gear-maniac, and he was probably just complimenting your great riding. Sure some roadies are all about the bike, but not all of us are that way. I started commuting on a hybrid, then changed to a touring bike. Now I commute on a fixed-gear and ride a carbon fiber bike on weekends. I certainly don't fit the stereotypes of any of those subcultures.

UmneyDurak

So as a roadie with a carbon bike, second set of carbon racing wheels, who commutes on fixed gear bike with panniers, how should I behave? I am so confused.

DataJunkie

OMG stop the presses! Another roadies are aholes thread in the commuting forum.

caloso

White belt and helmet mirror?

Hot Potato

It's not about the bike!

But even a slow to average rider like myself can feel the advantages of a quality road bike and clothing. Might I suggest you view this as a compliment to your riding strength, and not a put down of your bike? Mr. Roadie was thinking that if you had all the equipment advantages that he had, you would ...*ahem*... drop him like a hot potato.

Also, to someone who doesn't bike commute, finding the time and committment to ride a hundred miles a week shows dedication to the sport. He was surprised that someone with what he equates to road riding dedication has not invested in upgrades.

Like Bavarian3 said, he doesn't understand commuting culture.

tjspiel

Come on, admit it, you care about speed at least a little ;-)

Roadies just care about speed and grams more. Take his compliment and ignore the good natured but insensitive comment about your bike. If something like that happens again, tell the roadie that while a (insert brand of racing bike here) is indeed a very nice bike, you need one that can carry stuff.

caloso

Why are we assuming that Mr. Roadie was not also commuting? Not every commuter uses panniers.

Hot Potato

Good point. I am one of them! Shall we instead blame the lycra? (oooh nooo, another lycra bashing thread on the commuting forum???)

Crash716

Seriously....you guys never cease to amaze me....you get offended way too easily. I commute on my race bike as a means to get training in with a backpack on my 16 pound race bike for about 35-60 miles a day.

Does this mean i fall into the commuter group or the racer group? i don't judge a bike, i judge the rider and his ability to ride his bike, but that comes with the territory of racing bikes. You are consistantly comparing yourself to others on bikes and just because i might make a comment to some dude about how heavy his bike it doesn't mean i don't like them or hate that culture.

I am sure if anything the roadies ego was hurt a little by some dude on a commuter keeping up with him, he'll have to do a couple extra sets of intervals now. I hope you feel good about yourself.

It's really more inate than anything and doesn't intentionally come out to make some guy on a 30 pound commuter feel bad, trust me, most of us "elitist roadies" are just like you, we love our bikes and riding and riding with others.

As mentioned there is arrogance on all sides, we are different and speak different lingo but it's entirely useless to make slighted comments about a culture that some of you are just plain ingnorant about, just be glad it's another guy on a bike rather than some jack in a car trying to kill you