Originally Posted by
Cyclaholic
I've noticed that the more tereotypically 'utility' I look the friendlier the greeting I get, and when I'm on my flashy road bike I get completely snobbed off by them.
That's because of this:
Originally Posted by
Abneycat
My personal experience is that where I live, the roadies have done it to themselves when it comes to how they're treated by other cyclists. Perhaps not all of them, but so many roadies i've seen project that snobbishness about that its not surprising it gets reflected right back at them.
Majority of roadies I have ever met were snobs, weekend warriors with superiority complex, cagers-on-bikes, etc. and yes, that projects back at them. When I ride my commuter/utility bike and I see a roadie I just automatically assume he'd think low of me and I just don't bother greeting them.
EDIT: Oh, one more thing: IMHO most roadies are into cycling either as a recreational activity or a sport/exercise. I said "IMHO" and "most", I know there are roadies who are into other types of cycling as well. It hardly ever affects their lives in general (unless they're serious sportsmen). They don't commute by bike. They drive shopping. They ride indoor trainers in Winter or don't ride at all.
On the other hand, by definition, utility cycling becomes a part of your life, year round, it affects your life or is affected by your life. You don't have the time nor the need to change into fancy clothing to do a run to the supermarket or pick up your kid from school. So, when I come to think of it comparing roadies to utility cyclists is "apples to oranges" type of comparison. We're even further apart than the guys in the Ferrari and an old pickup truck.
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I like to project an image that says: "This is an un-cool, slow and heavy bike that will be useless to you and it belongs to a nutcase, STAY AWAY!"
On a serious note, I don't shun any type of clothing as long as it serves its purpose and doesn't have too many logos. I might wear cargo pants and wool sweater one day and a bike tights and a bike jersey the other. - it depends on the weather and type of ride/job/destination. I often mix all kinds of clothing: working, hiking, beach shorts, basketball tops, with more typical bike clothing that often results in really weird look but it's comfortable.
Adam