I think the point is that there ARE posers out there. I go on a weekly club ride and I often get funny stares as I take down my "teal" (my wife says that's the color) '00 Trek 2000 w/ the hot pink labeling. This is fine since I myself kind of laughed a bit when I first got it off of eBay. On the other hand, on occassion I have overhead or witnessed action combined with stares that made it obvious some thought I was a newbie. At the end of an 18mph 40-mile ride when they were sucking wind on their $3,000 Colnago and I was feeling a pleasantly tired (for lack of a better word), but by no means exhausted, I knew who the poser was. It has nothing to do with your equipment or your fitness level. It has to do with your attitude level. If your attitude is the type that stands beside your $3,000 bike and thinks everyone looks at you in awe, and then on the ride you huff and puff the whole way, you're a poser. I don't ride as much as I'd like and, so far, only manage 2.5k miles a year. When I show up, I try to maintain a bit of humility (the bike helps a LOT ) since I know there are guys and gals there who regularly put in 5k or morewhich deserves a lot of respect IMHO. Some just can't seem to do that.

So yes, if you sink $3,000 into your bike, ride it 3 days during July, have only 200 miles on it, and then show up with a "Look at the guy on the old Trek. *snicker*", you're a poser and I will enjoy trashing you on the ride. I think that might be the point of many of the posts on this thread. That and there ARE serious cyclists who look down on others if they don't have the newest and best equipment. I see it regularly on my club ride. As long as they back the attitude up with good performance, s'ok by me