Originally Posted by cyclezealot
I really don't think so called elite cyclists have or should have superior feelings of someone in jeans on a utility bike or should someone resent 'elite' riders doing a century and 16,000 of climbing in a day. They just have different requirements and needs. Seems we have beat this thread to death.
You are correct so-called (or self assumed) elite cyclists should not have superior feelings of someone in jeans on a utility bike; you are incorrect about the existance and prevalence of those smug feelings among these certain elitist jack donkey types. Read the H-Head's post, or any of John Forester' psycho babble analysis of cyclists who don't meet the approved "Competent Vehicular Cyclist" profile.
No one resents 'elite' riders doing a century and 16,000 of climbing in a day; many just do not want that "elite" to be the sole image of adult cycling (or cyclists) impressed on the public by the bicycling merchandisers/media outlets.
IMO, bicycling advocates' political influence is seriously weakened when discussing advocacy issues with descision makers, if/when bicycling is seen/believed by the public as the province of elite cyclists in training mode, wacky counterculture freaks, or dead-enders.
If you think this issue has been flogged enough I am sure there are lots of threads (and more to come) to partake in about how many VC angels can dance on a painted stripe, what the code # is for the width of the paint and how to define VC angels. Go for it.