Truthfully, bicycling attracts a lot of liberals, and liberals of the type that are intensely bigoted and rigid minded. Even if they are in the minority they will shout down anyone that does not conform to their prejudiced world view.
Note I did not say “anything”, but “anyone”. That is, any person who disagrees with them they will attack personally from that time forward. They cannot distinguish *an* argument from a person, and they will hate you thereafter.
Their world is divided into “us vs. them”, and the side of “us”, in their minds, must be “pure”, untrammeled with “them” ideas. Once contaminated with *anything* the “them” side says, they are damned, and are no longer part of “us”.
It is a really awful way to live.
Thanks so much to everybody that has responded with so much helpful advice. If I can figure out how to save this thread I will be able to use it the information in the future.
I love Thomas Sowell! I have read a lot of his writings and he is amazing and very intelligent.
When I retired in July of this year the company I retired from gave me a Trek bike for 36 years of service. It had been so long since I had time to ride that a lot had changed and bikes were different so I went there to learn. I don’t ride in a group and won’t. I’m purely a recreational rider and I do respect traffic, unlike some of them. I live in a rural area and only ride back roads by myself. I am very out of place in that forum but I see now what you mean by them being mostly liberals.
I will keep this information for future run-ins with them.