Posted on 06/30/2014 8:38:03 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A new breed of cyclist is infecting our roads and destroying the inclusive nature of bike riding. Jamie Fewery introduces 'sportive snobbery'
It was inevitable that with the rapid growth in cycling, factions would emerge. Sub groups of cyclists who define themselves by how seriously they take the sport, their kit, their observance of cycling’s heritage; gangs and coteries who jostle to adopt the lifestyle to a greatest degree. Reach a critical mass of humans who enjoy a shared interest and lines will inevitably be drawn. The peloton rarely sticks together.
For the most part, this is fine. As with any pastime there will be those who are content with occasional participation and those who immediately look to emulate the pros. But there’s a downside as well: snobbery. The idea that some are not only better than others, but that those at the lower end of the commitment and ability scale shouldn’t really be there at all.
I’ve noticed it a few times in discussions about the professional side of cycling, where commentators have a disdain for the popularisation of their sport since Bradley Wiggins won the Tour in 2012. It's as they hold Wiggins personally accountable for allowing the ‘great unwashed’ in on the secret. Or in forums and articles, where self-defined guardians of recreational cycling denigrate those who have the gall to wear a yellow jersey, as if doing so aligns the amateur with Eddy Merckx. And then there's the articles about whether people should or shouldn't wear Lycra (I do, in case you’re wondering).
But cycling snobbery at its worst is on the road.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I *hope* she’s still on earth!
[that was really cryptic]
Yep. The only guys who can wear Speedos, are serious swimmers, who wear them for a reason. The less you've got on, the better you swim, so the desire and the need go together. But like I said, those guys are rare as hen's teeth, and the older the better, in form and physique. The "old" dudes, in their 50s, 60s and 70s, are seriously impressive.
You’ll never get through it.
Took me 3 hours but I done it.
Yeesh.
Weird show.
[I swear, if it turns out to be aliens, I will scream]
Thumbtacks. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
**********************
Chaff ejectors ,, fling string/yarn at/through their wheels as you pass..
Bookmark.
I would affix that giant knife on the rear of my vehicle. I hate tailgaters.
We blow by you on our Italian tackle, too, but you have to admit, a Duc's twin sounds beautiful doing it.
It’s so much fun to get real close as you pass!!
Oh, Thank you, thank you, thank you.
What a great way to start the day - with unrestrained laughter.
Yes and why do they insist on turning the roads that professional drivers need to make a living into their personal playground? Delivery truck drivers have a strict schedule they have to follow to make deliveries in hard-to-access mountain businesses and these pedal activists ride three abreast at barely jogging speed just to make the point that they pay for roads too.
I call them the “Gay Italian Bicyclists”. Riding all day in tights on hard saddles is one way to destroy your family jewels.
I would be happy if they followed the same rules of the road.
#1 Stay in your lane.
#2 No you have to stop at the red light, stop signs, and can’t “lane change” for the crosswalk to avoid the red light. (Almost hit one idiot that pulled that stunt while I was trying to make a right turn on red. Came speeding up from behind me)
Problem is that many roads are not designed for cycling and they put themselves and others in danger.
Bikes are for routes like the Cape Cod Bike Path, not narrow roads where they put everyone at risk.
Nope. I ride because I enjoy it. I still have my car and don’t give a flip what others do or drive.
Wow ... reading some of these comments makes me wonder which side has the most snobs.
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