RT

I am a contractor at a large computer firm, and am buried deep in the bowels of a data center. After working nights for three and a half years, I am all the more invisible, but now on days (the 'new' guy even after 10 months). While on break around lunchtime, I see on a daily basis a small (3-6) group or roadies heading out for a lunch ride, and tracked them down in e-mail asking if they wouldn't terribly mind another rider in their motley crew. No response after two weeks (it is a large campus).

Whenever I stop by their cube/office, no one is home, so I sent off another e-mail. The reply finally came back, letting me know in very certain terms that they don't really plan the rides, and are ROAD (capital letters, and highlighted in yellow) riders.

This was a brush off.

I have seen them every single day this month taking off at about the same time - unorganized my ass. Now, I know for a fact that I would win any mileage challenge in this entire building as every person I've seen who rides brings their bike atop their car. They know who I am (commuter guy, and on a road bike), so I am left wondering am I just a victim of roadie snobbery, or is there something else I am overlooking? Is it that I am a wild card? Do they think I am one of the Mole People? I'm no pro, but I do know how to ride a bike well. Do I just tag them when they leave and join their little club, or do I just let it go? I have no acceptance issues, just wouldn't mind having someone other than myself for a pace car.

Anyone else had trouble integrating into a group like this? How did you solve it?

Brian Ratliff

Sounds like a tight knit group. There are open club rides and there are rides where it's just a group of friends who agree to ride at a certain time. This appears to be the latter. Has nothing to do with "road snobbery" (where does this even come from?). It's a group of friends who ride together and don't wish to have another person they don't know tagging along.

The real question, and I mean this in the most sincere way, is where does your sense of entitlement come from? Just because you ride bikes and they ride bikes doesn't mean there is automatically a common ground for friendship. If the arrogance in your post (...unorganized my ass ... I would win any mileage challenge ... brings their bike atop their car...) was conveyed in the emails and conversations you had with them, it might be no wonder you earned the brushoff.

DC_United_Fan

Sound like a bunch of dicks, or CAT 3 racers...either way, same-same. I say change into your kit 15 minutes before they leave for their lunch ride and jump into the paceline as it leaves the parking lot. They will either ride you off their wheels, or you'll hang and maybe even drop their butts.

Fortune Favors The Bold!

datlas 

If they are that jerky to you, you probably don't want to ride with them anyway.

See if there is a local club that is more open about their rides.

RT

From the word ROAD in ROAD bikes being CAPS and highlighted in yellow. It did not go unnoticed.

It just strikes me as odd that grown-ups would close off what appears to be a harmless activity. I know I try to spread the cycling gospel when and wherever I can.

I am part of a Meetup for group rides on weekends, but like the chance to get out at lunch during the week.

hao

Ride out at the same time as they do and drop their asses.

Brian Ratliff

Not everyone is like this, you know. Most people bike because they love to bike and don't really give a sht about what other people do or don't do with their free time. So you got the brushoff. You came at them pretty strong. What did you expect? Best thing you could've done is just gone out on your own bike, on your own ride, at lunchtime and meet them on the road. While they might be a bunch of asses, it is more likely they are pretty nice people once you get to know them.

PhotoJoe 

What if you go out on your own ride, but try to time your return to correspond with theirs. May give you a chance to show them that you're a nice guy and would be a decent addition to their click.

RT

The content of my request was telling them who I was (nights guy now on days) plus "So and so let me know you guys ride at lunch. I would like to join your ride sometime. Please let me know." After two weeks and no reply, I followed up by forwarding the same. If this is coming on strong, you're right, I don't need to pursue it. We work at the same place, just not directly with one another. If they had said that they prefer to ride alone and been straight, it would not have been an issue. I only want to ride at lunch, so I guess it will be alone. I am not judging them, but wondering if anyone else has experienced the same.

Mike F

+1. Then e-mail them back and say for a bunch of ROAD bikers they SUCK (or something to the equivalent), as a taste of their own e-mail etiquette. If they dont want to ride with you, thats cool but they dont have to be dorks about it either. My reaction, of course, is purely motivated by spite and my disdain for unwarranted condescension.

Seattle Forrest

Sounds like they probably know each other pretty well, and have some history together. Probably just a group of friends who like riding together.

droped

This. You mentioned that you are a contractor, so it could be a matter of a contractor vs employees of the firm. I've seen snobbery in those cases at times, which obviously has nothing to do with cycling.

I would try sending them a friendly email that mentioned something on the lines of "no problem. keep riding" type of mentality. Next, stake out their route (it will probably be very consistent since it is a quick lunch trip). Once you have their route dialed in, with the times they will swing by, get out there yourself at about the 3/4 mark of their ride, but make sure you are fully warmed up.

The next part is obvious. Tail them for a bit. Then drope the hamer and crush their souls on the way back to work.

datlas 

Don't forget to give them "the look."

celticfrost

And is your road bike laden w/ panniers, fenders, flat bars, lights, etc? They seem to have the idea that you're not a "roadie".

RT

Aw hellz no. Not even a saddlebag. Bib and jersey, never matching. It would be more accurate to say that instead of a commute, it is my daily ride, I just happen to ride to work.

celticfrost

Does it have drop bars?

RT

I occasionally ride the FB roadie, but that's when the other bikes are in a state of repair or rebuild.

Doohickie

That's a recipe to earn a Dooshbag of the Year award.

merlinextraligh

If you had Di2 on your bike, they'd probably let you ride with the group.

Doohickie

"Hey! I noticed I go out to lunch the same time you do! Can I come eat lunch with you guys?" This is equivalent to what you are trying to do. Not every group of cyclists is a club looking to expand their membership. They may be a group of friends that have been riding together for 10 years and talk about their families and personal lives along the way. How arrogant of you to assume you can just be one of the group without knowing anything about the group dynamics!

celticfrost

Sorry, But what the heck is an "FB" roadie? If they're an organized unit when they ride and they see a "commuter guy" on flat bars, bullhorns or some other non drop bar bike, then that may be a partial explanation.

Either way, their response did seem pretty rude.

DC_United_Fan

I win that award every year, and for doing stuff far more dooshy than giving a bunch of uptight snobs a taste of their own...get real dude.

pallen

I don't think noticing that others are riding, introducing yourself and asking about riding along is "coming at them pretty strong". Its just being friendly and social.

I wouldn't be that offended by a brush-off either. They probably don't want to get hung up wasting time waiting for someone from another department to meet up with them and dealing with someone new. Maybe they just aren't very social people. Maybe you need to prove you are worthy by walking around the office in team kit and cycling shoes for a few weeks...

tagaproject6

You seem to forget the author.









I kid, I kid!

celticfrost

Whoah -- wait a sec. Looks like I'll have to answer my own question. From another thread: