manwin

As a "seasoned" counselor but new biker, I can say that in general, human beings get snotty and elitist not from their high-end biker experiences, but from their insecurities.

RaleighSport

Does this same logic apply to your "rant" over in road? And welcome to Bike Forums.

manwin

Absolutely! I think the real definitive comes when it all degenerates to name-calling, so that people can let off some steam at a faceless entity. (ie, messageboard user) With all of your hard-earned experience, @RaleighSport, you could be really helpful and encouraging to some of us "newbies." ! You still use smiley faces....must not be one of those "elitists"!

RaleighSport

You haven't been here long, some of the biggest jerks use smiley faces.. and I'm probably still quite infamous among some users here. I do try and help out newbs as it were, but I can also be easily put off by a "newb" as well.. especially if they come in loaded with preconceived notions and expect to hear the choir here back up what they thought... another pet peeve of mine, is zombie threads! I almost always don't check the dates anymore on posts.. and when I realize I'm replying to a post like from 2002.. makes me unhappy. If you couldn't tell I'm giving you a tongue in cheek welcome with a grin, not a welcome to the party loser greeting.

Cyclosaurus

OP: If you actually didn't care you wouldn't bother to post.

People who complain about snobby roadies are insecure and whiny. They claim to Not Care At All but actually really crave the approval of said snobs, that's why they are complaining.

Also, there's the "I'm not a snob like them, I'm an Authentic Cyclist™" undercurrent which is just another form of snobbery posing as not-snobbery.

Get over your self-esteem issues.

manwin

It was not lost on me

practical

There are definitely bike snobs. And there are other kinds of snobs as well. And any of us can become judgmental. For many people, high school lasts a lifetime. Oh well...

Machka 

Hmmm ... methinks there are a number of trolls about.

Nermal

Machka, have you taken a look at your avatar lately?

Wait! I better add a smiley here.

cplager

He's really just talking about himself. When he's on a DF, he won't talk to his bent self.

Machka 

It's Taz!

Nermal

I knew that.

Machka 

Because I live in Tasmanian now.

t x

Today I was buying a hot dog and a guy in full kit and clipless shoes was polite to me. We exchanged pleasantries, complimented each others bikes and went on with our days. WTF!?

VACaver

Good lord...please tell me you're joking.

Cyclosaurus

Oh, how I wish I was.

Cyclosaurus

Well that seems like an exception to the rule that Everyone Knows that Roadies are Stuck-Up Jerks. It certainly couldn't be that people wearing kit are no more jerks than any other sample of the population. Your views are heretical to the I-hate-roadies-because-they-don't-want-to-be-my-best-friend crowd.

VACaver

So according to you, I'm insecure and whiny because I don't like snobs.

Uh, no.

Cyclosaurus

Actually, I never said that. Nice work making up things in your imagination. You may or may not be insecure, but you either lack reading comprehension or are prone to psychotic breaks.

What I *did* say, is that people who go around complaining about snobs are insecure. There's a distinction there that you seem to be missing. Or maybe not, perhaps you are one of those individuals who can't get over that some guys in spandex who you never met before don't want to be your friend. I don't like snobs much but it's not worth pointing out every time I encounter one and then maligning a whole group because of it. It's also ignorant prejudice to make up a generality about a group because of a couple of unpleasant interactions, or even better, because they don't happen wave at you on the MUP.

woodcraft

[QUOTE=Roopull;16975393]Ha! I think this is my favorite post on this forum.


I agree wholeheartedly with the OP. Those who disagree have probably removed all their reflectors, dork discs and front breaks while wearing $300 cycling specific glasses and would buy Jan Ulrich's urine if it was labeled as cologne and rub it into their saddle horns to impress their other prissy man panty wearing butt sniffing cyclists.

cafzali

There is some truth to the phenomenon he points out. Not saying this applies to anyone here, but have you ever noticed how there are those who, in theory, say they believe in "live and let live," yet they regularly point out lots of things about a particular person/people who bother them. If it truly didn't bother them, they'd let it just sail over their head and not let it occupy any time of their day.

To bring this back to cycling, the perceived "snobbery" probably has to do with the fact that, as a whole, road cycling attracts a demographic that tends to be "type A" and embodies a "work hard/play hard" mentality. Many of those kinds of folks will spend more time telling you how they're right or superior than actually proving it.

J.C. Koto

(...should probably get some marshmallows for this thread before someone throws more gas on the fire...)

VACaver

Actually, that is what you said.

I don't like bike snobs. I think they hurt the sport and alienate newcomers with their attitude. Several people have told me that they refuse to join a local bike club because of the bike snobs and I don't blame them a bit.

So, according to what you wrote, I just complained about snobs and am therefor insecure. In actuality, nothing could be further from the truth. If they want to demean others because of what they ride, that's their problem, not mine.

I'm done. Have a nice day.

I-Like-To-Bike

How does a cyclist actually prove that they are superior or more "right" than other cyclists? Just making an effort to do so marks such a cyclist as a clod IMO.

DBA

But I am superior.