Originally Posted by
randya
I was with you up until the last paragraph. IMO the commuters and the utility cycling crowd probably feel even more self-important than the club riders do, based on my experiences in Portland. In fact, the commuters and utility cyclists here often deride the club dooshes for using the most expensive equipment available, and for being weekend warriors and car-top cyclists, in order to give themselves a one-up on the club dooshes in saving-the-world self-importance.
Originally Posted by
randya
no doubt the demographic of the commuter and utility cyclists is different wherever DX-MAN lives, when compared to Portland, which is full of true believers. the 'living car free' folks are the absolute worst.
Yup, Portland is different from wherever I live (NE Indiana); there is no opportunity for the cycling sub-group to develop any sense of entitlement (IMO) here because cyclists here are such a small and ill-treated group. Thus, there is no hubris; it's a lot of necessity for a lot of people, especially in the immigrant population. It's a necessity for life. THAT would be the reason, most likely, that Portland is different. The disenfranchised are the ones who cycle for utility here.
I seem to be an exception; I'm not reduced to cycling for utility, i chose it. I do it to enhance my life, not to make statements about saving the world -- in fact, one of my favorite quotes is: "EARTH FIRST! We'll ride the other planets later!" So I won't fit in very well in Portland -- no agenda.