It's funny how much "nice" or "sucky" can vary from place to place. I live in a rural community where you just don't see bicycles. The attitude out here, largely, is that a bicycle is a childrens toy that they use until they gets a drivers license. The only other people you see on bicycles are dudes on old childrens mountain bikes chugging around town because they got too many DWI's and lost their licenses.

So yesterday, I made two stops. One after just a couple of miles because, uh, I had to make a 'deposit' at a gas station (Hey I didn't have to go when I left). The second time I pulled into another gas stations parking lot to get at my second water bottle; which I just can't ever seem to get at when riding. So I pulled off for a second to have a drink. Both times I gathered crowds. On my little $600 hybrid, people actually walked up in amazement at the clipless pedals, my fluorescent jersey; and the fact that I was wearing a helmet (One guy actually mentioned 'that's how you know he's serious'). Very.. odd.. to say the least. Leaving 'stop two' I actually overhead a guy talking to his friend saying "Check it out dude, his feet like snap into the pedals. I guess it's so he doesn't fall off". I mean when I say bikes are foreign out here, they are foreign.

But I bet if I was in some wealthy fitness-centric suburb I'd be as shunned as the drunks on the mountain bikes. While everyone tools around on their carbon road bikes.