Cycle Snobbery .

[661-Pete]

Everyone looks down on recumbents!

Yet somehow they look down on everyone else...

Joking!

Definitely time for the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mURhNIjc-Kw

[Vorpal]

I've had some good-natured teasing from my clubmates about my grubby, tired-looking hybrid; and about doing club runs a couple of times on tyres I fitted on it for off-road riding. But when Mr. V came out on a couple of short family rides on his Apollo (uni/pub) bike, not a single person said a thing about his bike. Instead, they all said how glad they were to see him out, and they hoped he enjoyed his ride and things like that.

On the other hand, when I was looking for a cycling club, trying various clubs, and going on club runs with different groups, I came across a couple where I was offered 'advice' about my bike or gear that bordered on snobbery. I think if I had been a new cyclist, it might have been off-putting.

That's put me off even trying going out with my local club. Firstly I know I'm not yet up to the job of cycling the distances they do, but also I have no doubt I'd be the only one on a hybrid.

My clubmates teasing me... well, it was just that; teasing. I won't excuse those who weren't as friendly, but later in the process, I learned to call or email and ask fairly detailed questions before I went out on a ride. Frankly my clubmates would never say anything about a newcomer's choice of bike unless it was inappropriate. And the club run always went at the pace of the slowest. When people came along who weren't up to a longer distance, we often split into two groups; one group of the keenest cyclists, and one group on a shorter distance or family ride.

In any case, don't let what I say put you off going out with a local club. And if the first one doesn't suit you, try another. There's bound to be a group that you can enjoy riding with. (whatever you ride )

[661-Pete]

My clubmates teasing me... well, it was just that; teasing. I won't excuse those who weren't as friendly, but later in the process, I learned to call or email and ask fairly detailed questions before I went out on a ride. Frankly my clubmates would never say anything about a newcomer's choice of bike unless it was inappropriate. And the club run always went at the pace of the slowest. When people came along who weren't up to a longer distance, we often split into two groups; one group of the keenest cyclists, and one group on a shorter distance or family ride.

In any case, don't let what I say put you off going out with a local club. And if the first one doesn't suit you, try another. There's bound to be a group that you can enjoy riding with. (whatever you ride )

I presume you mean "unless [the bike] was inappropriate", not "unless [the thing said] was inappropriate".

I reckon I've had it with clubs, but never really belonged to one anyway (except as a student, I briefly rode with the Uni CC - on their slower runs). Anyway, my main trouble has been, not with clubs, but, I regret to say, with internet forums. Not this one, I hasten to add: although there is obviously a small group of 'regulars' who out-post everyone else , I don't see this one as at all cliquey. Long may things continue as such! Not so, alas!, the one I fled from, the one (which I'm not naming) which continued to pour abuse on me years after I'd left. I won't say anymore. If anyone thinks they have a way to dispel the blues, the 'black dog', which still overwhelms me when I think about those times - well I'm open to suggestions (via PM). Sorry if this is a bit personal.

[DaveP]

We have a tandem, which, to my surprise and satisfaction, seems to generate more smiles than anything else...
Otherwise I have an Audax bike and an mtb conversion. Whichever one I choose there are always a few riders on something else who wont respond to a greeting. Sometimes I wear (some) lycra. Never a helmet. Always mudguards. Sometimes panniers. I've considered most things in my inner and private attempts to work out why.
Truth is, think, that the world has changed. When I were a lad it was just manners to say Good Morning when you met someone walking down the lane. Now, that is a priviledge reserved for our acquaintances, and we teach our kids not to speak to strangers.
Am I a snob?
You bet!!!
I really enjoy feeling superior when I'm in the lbs and someone walks in with a really expensive wheel looking to have a puncture fixed

[mrjemm]

Everyone looks down on recumbents!

Yet somehow they look down on everyone else...

Joking!

Definitely time for the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mURhNIjc-Kw

Sadly no chance to view this (stuck on a tin bucket pootling through a nasty blow in the North Sea right now), but I will hazard a guess it's the sketch from... was it 'That Was The Week That Was'? Cleese at one end and Corbett at the other?

Or more 'bent specific?

...and we teach our kids not to speak to strangers.

Not sure if I can relate this to snobbery, or just openness, but it's something we noticed last year pedalling in the US, that kids would talk freely, politely, but in a friendly manner to us. But generally there was far more interested and pleasant curiosity in general, and less of the blunt judgement that is generally quite blatant in the UK.

[661-Pete]

Sadly no chance to view this (stuck on a tin bucket pootling through a nasty blow in the North Sea right now), but I will hazard a guess it's the sketch from... was it 'That Was The Week That Was'? Cleese at one end and Corbett at the other?

Yep. From The Frost Report IIRC - 1960s vintage pre-dates both Monty Python and The Two Ronnies.

[Sweep]

Yes I think there's cycle snobbery - almost inevitable, particularly in London, so popular and broad-based has cycling become.

It reflects society - it would be naive to think that cyclists inately have certain views on any issue.

I'd like to second 661-Pete's words on this place - it's very down to earth, lots of sensible advice and I can't really see any evidence of cliques playing power games/pushing personal agendas. I might be able to take a guess at 661-Pete's place (or maybe there are a few around ) - in that case one of the mods once spectacularly revealed themselves as probably the worst offender

Some folk do post a fair lot but I tend to find that that's because they know a lot and have a lot of valuable advice to offer.

keep pedding folks

[Merry_Wanderer]

Mrs M_W and I had a laugh when we were sat in our favourite post-ride cafe, Brompton's folded next to our table after a 25 mile ride. A couple in their 40's sat at the table behind us and younger son (about 7 I would say) asked Dad what these strange contraptions were. Dad responded with a patronising voice, THOSE are just SHOPPING bikes!

[Sweep]

I have a five-gear Brompton. Twas called a "toy" by someone. I suggested we went on a ride - we went along the coast, up and down, up and down, maybe about 50 miles. Oh how he suffered - later his wife accused me of trying to kill her husband

[meic]

It can be that enthusiasm is mistaken for snobbery, you make a judgement about peoples' motives behind a comment.
Your judgement is probably prejudiced by what you see about them at the time.

So if a guy says "Those old Raleigh's make wonderful shopping bikes" from the back of his £2,000 titanium toy, you could easily jump to the wrong conclusion. Especially if he was a bit insensitive with his enthusiasm for his new titanium toy earlier in the conversation.
Keeping in mind that his existing friends and family have already heard enough about his wonderful new mini-Vs, who else can he share his experience with than the people in the cycle club?

If somebody turns up at our cycle group with a lovely new bike, the general attitude is to gather around and admire it, even if deep down they would not have one themselves. Some may not be sensitive enough to not voice their reasons for not wanting the bike for themselves. If it is about the quality level of the components, then it may be called snobbery but what is it called if it is about a choice such as fixed gearing or a double crankset?

[661-Pete]

I think it's what other people say about your bike, rather than what they say about their own bike, that raises hackles in some. Certainly I don't have a problem if someone really wants to parade their own shiny new Colnago or whatever. My own mount (steel frame) sure has a battered look: discoloured, faded paint, covered in scratches and scuff marks, and generally shabby. I think that simply testifies to the fact that it's had a fair bit of use over the years!

[Vorpal]

But it is different to critique a clubmate's bike than a newcomer's. It may be reasonable to offer advice to someone who is obvious struggling with a heavy bike or knobbly tires, but the situation described in the OP was one in which newcomers felt as if they weren't entirely welcome because they rode the wrong bikes.

I don't think that sort of attitude is common, but it does occur.

As others have pointed out, though, it occurs in everything, and cyclists may be more down-to-earth than many other people or groups (until you give them a clubmates' shiny new carbon butterfly to critique )

[Merry_Wanderer]

As you said, it happens in all walks of life and I think Si referred to it in an earlier post as 'the human condition.' I do think it happens less in cycling than other activities though.

I used to belong to a local Mountaineering Club and can remember politely contradicting some long-standing members who would insist on giving new ones the 'benefit' of their wisdom, especially when it was in the form of 'you bought the wrong gear, you should have got x, y, z because your rucsack/rope/boots/jacket is out of date/the wrong colour/not a 'technical' fabric (delete as appropriate)...'.

[661-Pete]

It may be reasonable to offer advice to someone who is obvious struggling with a heavy bike or knobbly tires,

If I ever have occasion to join a group/club ride once more, I'd really love to turn up on one of these:

(but alas I probably wouldn't be able to get it moving )

[Mark1978]

The likes of this http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/ doesn't help. Although they are supposed to be tounge-in-cheek I'm sure some take them as bible like gospel!