I hope I'm not opening a can of worms with this post, but I've just been thinking about these things recently and I want to get some other people's opinions and outlooks. I am fairly new to this forum (just over a month or so), but one thing I'm becoming more aware of is the what one might call the subculture of the cycling community. Whether it's the clothIng "tight shorts and jerseys," the lingo ("cagers", "fixies",) etc., or just the general outlook on life, it seems like cyclists have a definite subculture that distinguishes them from the rest of society.
In some cases it almost seems to be an "us vs. them" mentality of "us vs. the cagers," where cars are the enemy and bicycles are the ultimate liberation from them.

I myself feel like I'm not too deep into the cycling subculture, and while I like riding bikes and working on them, none of my friends are into bikes and that's fine and dandy with me. I only own one pair of cycling shorts, which I've only worn once. I don't wear a Livestrong arm band or watch bicycle races on TV. Even though I don't like driving a car much anymore, and prefer to ride my bicycle, I have nothing against personally owned automobiles per se. Cycling is simply one part of my life, and there are other aspects that I feel are much more important, such as my relationship with God, loving and helping others, etc. My closest friends are usually the people who share my core values and my outlook on life, even if they aren't into my hobby.

I guess I view myself as a human being who happens to use a bicycle as his primary mode of transportation at the time. And that is really how I would like other people on the road and in the community to look at me, not as one of "those cyclists," but just as a regular guy who happens to ride a bike.

What views do you all have of the cyclist subculture? Do you feel that we are a group that is truly different from those around us (e.g. motorists, and the like)? Are there certain elements of the cycling subculture that you don't necessarily buy into? In what ways is that subculture helpful/unhelpful? Again, I am not looking for the objective, end-all answer to this question, but just for your own personal opinions on the topic. I know that many people may not agree with my outlook, which is fine. I just wanted to hear what you all think.

Thanks!