Originally Posted by pj7
We should all be sheepish about it
There's nothing wrong with pride, or bragging, well there is... but we are human after all. But alot of people, and I'm sure you'd agree if you have ever been in the roadie forum, feel that the name on the tube is more important than anything else, and shun anyone who doesn't have a bike that cost as much as their mortgage.
When someone asks what I ride I just say an old mountain bike frame converted to a commuter, does it really matter if it used to be a Raleigh MTB?
But hey, that's just my opinion on the subject. I don't own a Wal-Mart(esque) bike and likely never will, but if I run into someone on the street pedaling their RoadMaster around and bragging about how much they love it and that
to them it is as good as any expensive bike I'm not going to stop them and tell them how much better my Rainier is and how much I spent on it.
and i don't see anyone doing what you imply is being done.
now we all know there is a huge elitist element in cycling but even in the roadie forum i don't recall seeing anyone shunned for having a cheap bike... however i can recall numerous posts where the agreed points were along the lines of conditioning being the focus, not the bike.
where are these threads where this other thing has happened?
i find it is more likely that the owner of the cheap bike resents the owner of the expensive one... not necessarily in an envious way, although i am sure there are those that fit that bill, but more in a cultural way.
i might be wrong but i don't believe these roadie ostracizers exist... at least not in any significant way. there are certainly some blowhards in recreational cycling that love to spend money but not all that spend money are blowhards.