Originally Posted by Latitude65

I'm replying to your post because you did the best job of expressing what I see as a myopic world view that I would have thought would have been dispelled just by sheer life experience. The other two posts I read as challenging my integrity and honesty mixed with strong implications that somehow I was, as you say, "weird". I've been told there is such a thing as a "Road Bike Culture" and it isn't nice. These posts make me wonder if what I've been told is true.

What I would have expected if the folks here had been open and welcoming was some reminiscing about steel bikes and maybe some comparisons together with some supportive comments about now my experience horizons have been broadened. Something on the line of: "Glad you had the chance on the borrowed bike." Or, "I really like steel bikes, glad you had a chance to try one". I did not expect exclusionary comments challenging my integrity and sanity.

I don't have to understand that I'm a bit different. It is up to you to decide whether you are going to follow the age and cultural bias that we suffer from; or, to recognize that people are individuals that need to be encouraged in their explorations.