Originally Posted by
StanSeven
I completely agree with this.
A lot of personal perspective depends on where you live and ride. In the DC area, the quicker groups of club rides are riders with high end bikes, aero wheels, power meters, expensive shoes, etc. People can't wait to get home and look at Strada.
But there are also commuters with $100 beaters, families strolling along with kids on training wheels on the Mt Vernon MUP, Mtn bikers exploring trails in the woods, and even some funny looking bikes called recumbents.
I also travel a good bit and ride wherever. It's pretty much like this everywhere I see - you can find it all.
The author basically says that corporations and marketing turn bicycle, the magical adventure machine, into a money sucking ego booster.