So as I've read through this thread I just haven't had the negative experiences that so many here have talked about. After 15 years of serious road cycling my negative experiences can be counted on one hand. For example last week I picked my daughter up at pre-school and my Orbea was on the roof rack. The dad parked next to me comented on how nice my bike was and he and I started up a conversation. I went riding with him and his wife last Friday morning and we are having dinner with them on this Friday.

I was ridding the loop around my neighborhood a few months ago and started talking with this guy and he invited me to come out and ride with him and his buddies. These guys have doing their Sat morning ride for years and now I'm part of it.

I say this because I'm one of those guys on the expensive bikes with the shaved legs/shorts/jersey/helmet et al. I always wave or offer help. The only times I may not wave is if I'm doing my Wed night TT or if I'm on the rivit on a climb. I don't always get a wave back but I assume that that person may be on their own training program, didn't see me or is just too tired. I don't think "what a jerk" cause I don't know how that person is feeling or what that person may be doing.

Also I don't look at someone with a high dollar bike and can't ride it as fast as I can as an a-hole. I just think good for you man if you want to spend 8k on a C-50 it's your money. After my bike accident in '93 (I was hit by a hit and run driver and nearly killed) I didn't ride for 2 years and went from 158# to 240#. When it finally got to be too much I bought another bike and started to ride again. I went out and bought 4k bike and I'm sure there were some people looked at this fat guy in spandex with shaved legs ploding along on his Tomissini and laughed. But within a year was 160# and fast again, so the next time you see someone like that don't be to quick to judge you have know idea where that persons been or where they are going.