Cycling snobbery!

[Flinders]

Men forget about it,

I'm in my mid 20's, done the carbon bike thing, local team kit the works. Hated the feel of carbon, didn't like the reception of the club and the design of the kit anymore.

Went to a lovely steel frame and all plain black kit, don't really go out with the guys much now as feel uncomfortable. The last time I did (and probably the last time) the welcoming was not great, the look of horror when the carbon had disappeared and I was sporting the steeley was uncanny.

Snobbery was maximum, 1/4 the way through a club run, I snook to the back and took a sneeky left turn and enjoyed the rest of my ride and rides there after. The moral of the story is even your comrades can turn on you due to a bike type...

That's sad. Is there no other local club?
I cycle alone, I just prefer it that way, and have rarely had anyone not return a greeting. Even then, I bear in mind that someone in training for racing might be concentrating and not have seen me, whereas that's a lot less likely with a fellow slow-coach (though I wear Lycra for comfort). I always return a greeting if I see one, though once I missed one until it was too late. (other things were going on on the road).
I've exchanged greetings with a whole cycling group on one occasion, and was therefore able to warn them about a foul and slurry-puddled stretch of road ahead of them (they were strangers round here, on my map that stretch is marked out as 'the sh**ty road').
What goes around comes around.

[Flinders]

I think some of the young men on road bikes going very fast just get into the 'zone'.

When out in the Cheshire lanes I very often come across some of the pros Geraint Thomas,Ed Clancey,etc,quite a few of the pro ladies and the para Olympic riders too.
These folks are out training and they're fast,25mph+ fast,they always speak and wave whether I'm solo or we're on the tandem.
I passed a Sky rider coming the other way on Tuesday,he waaas flying,but still nodded and said how do to an old fart on a touring bike.
It's the recognition of another cyclist whatever they're age or bike/attire or ability and it's the wannabies who are so far up their own bottom brackets who don't IME.

Whatever they may just be having a bad day, I know I go cycling when I am feeling down about something.

The wannabies are always having a bad day

We were stopped at the side of the road on Wednesday whilst I rubbed a smear of vaseline on squeaky cleat,when a young chap on Specialized CF race bike all ripped up in black and red and as fit as,stopped and asked if we were OK,nice chap .
There was a time when out down the lanes,every cyclist 'let on' whatever they were riding,times change..........

That's nice. In most professions, the real top pros are friendly, as they have nothing to prove, it's the wannabes who 'are on thier dignity' all the time.
Someone once stopped to check I was okay, and I've done the same for other people. Why not? One chap, part of a group out together, was stopped with a p*ncture outside our house (we're a bit rural here so no shops/facilities for miles). Mr Ortho saw him while walking back from the allotment and offered the use of a high pressure pump. The bloke was astounded at his luck!
The world would be a much nicer place if we all looked out for each other. It costs nowt and makes a big difference to both the helped and the helper's happiness.

[teebee1986]

Men forget about it,

I'm in my mid 20's, done the carbon bike thing, local team kit the works. Hated the feel of carbon, didn't like the reception of the club and the design of the kit anymore.

Went to a lovely steel frame and all plain black kit, don't really go out with the guys much now as feel uncomfortable. The last time I did (and probably the last time) the welcoming was not great, the look of horror when the carbon had disappeared and I was sporting the steeley was uncanny.

Snobbery was maximum, 1/4 the way through a club run, I snook to the back and took a sneeky left turn and enjoyed the rest of my ride and rides there after. The moral of the story is even your comrades can turn on you due to a bike type...

That's sad. Is there no other local club?
I cycle alone, I just prefer it that way, and have rarely had anyone not return a greeting. Even then, I bear in mind that someone in training for racing might be concentrating and not have seen me, whereas that's a lot less likely with a fellow slow-coach (though I wear Lycra for comfort). I always return a greeting if I see one, though once I missed one until it was too late. (other things were going on on the road).
I've exchanged greetings with a whole cycling group on one occasion, and was therefore able to warn them about a foul and slurry-puddled stretch of road ahead of them (they were strangers round here, on my map that stretch is marked out as 'the sh**ty road').
What goes around comes around.

There's another 3 if you travel far enough, that being said previously I cycled alone, it is far better I must admit. I think that's the way forward.

I like your theory about a cyclist in training however, never thought of that.

[Ben@Forest]

I like your theory about a cyclist in training however, never thought of that.

I don't think it's a theory - it's quite easy to have your head down or there to have been a few cars passing obscuring your vision to the right or a few potholes demanding your attention before realising another cyclist is past you. It happens to everyone and statements like 'I wave to everyone..' should be qualified with '...that I see'. The point being you can't know if you missed an oncoming cyclist.

What I think is ruder is those that overtake you without even the merest hint of acknowledgment, this is rare but it happened to me on Sunday. I was so surprised I rather sardonically called a cheery 'Morning!' after him. What was better though was that, like a good many overtakees who have seen you as a target and upped their speed, once past they have to drop down to a more sedate pace and I'm often up their chuff without increasing my pace at all. So 500 yards later I was sitting nicely behind him.

I have to say I have been guilty of this but nowadays take more notice of how the bloke/bike looks and how he is riding before committing to an overtake. Sometimes of course I do the social thing and ride alongside them for a while!

[teebee1986]

True again, that's happened to me a lot the overtaking scenario, even better to play with your food, hang on the wheel, do a cough / something like that, see if they speed up, hang until burned out, overtake again especially hills. Its a dog eat dog world cycling alone, but I tend to get a bit tactful on the 80 - 100 milers taking an easy pace.

Only applies to the ignorant of course

[661-Pete]

Another thing to add - although I say this with considerable trepidation. One of the persons who behaved in a most unpleasant manner towards me, is fairly well-known in the cycling scene. He organises group rides on a big scale. And he's a member of this forum I believe. If that individual recognises himself from this post, feel free to answer me.