Originally Posted by Hickabod
And of course the main turn off was their attitudes. I realize that I live in a bass-akwards part of the country, but do most road-cyclist have this kind of chip on their shoulder? (I call them road-cyclist because they didn't seem to be commuters.) Why don't I see more of these people riding their bikes in town during the week? I'm out on my bike all hours of the day and night. You'd think I'd run into them more often. I guess it was just a let-down. I was expecting a warm welcome; what a fool I used to be.
Yes . . . my experience exactly. You have to realize that to these type of folks, the bicycle is a recreational toy. They might as well be riding a motorcycle, jet-ski, snowmobile, etc. Very concerned about appearance, having the right clothes, etc. I despise them too.
These clubs can be very klan-like in the worst sense of the word. The oldest club in the St Louis region denied membership to a black cyclist as recently as the 1970's. Becoming a member required sponsorship and some sort of vote. The second oldest club owes its beginning as a protest to the racist policy. Very ugly. Today, though not overtly racist, the same sort of cloistered elitist mentality prevails. Sad.