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> on their $2,000+ Tour de France cosplay setups "Be kind. Don't be snarky. Have curious conversation; don't cross-examine. Please don't fulminate. Please don'

> on their $2,000+ Tour de France cosplay setups "Be kind. Don't be snarky. Have curious conversation; don't cross-examine. Please don't fulminate. Please don't sneer, including at the rest of the community. " Edit: BTW, as a road cyclist, my very first reaction was the same as yours: Since this was a survey it's tough to tease out the real reasons from the rationalizations. Speaking for myself, I'll freely admit that my reasons for violating road rules (which, for me, is limited to rolling through stop signs at empty intersections) are more about energy savings and speed rather than safety. But you can deliver that criticism without being cruelly mocking and dismissive of an activity you happen not to value.

avalys 6y ago
You’re right, that was a bit harsh I guess, but I’m just mirroring the attitude I perceive from the cycling community. I recently bought a road bike myself and found the entire sport obnoxiously pretentious, including the guy at the bike shop, who sneered at me because I didn’t know what a “fondo” was.
- CarelessExpert 6y ago
  > I recently bought a road bike myself and found the entire sport obnoxiously pretentious, including the guy at the bike shop, who sneered at me because I didn’t know what a “fondo” was. And that sucks, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. While I've met many lovely people in the cycling community, I've also run across similar attitudes, myself, from time to time. That's probably because the cycling community reflects people, and people are usually great and sometimes not so much. But ask yourself: is it good for you, personally, to return that sneering with sneering of your own? Does that make you feel better about yourself or the people around you? What do you gain by stereotyping a huge community based on the poor behaviour of a few individuals? My suggestion: Assuming you haven't been scared away from the hobby, leave an honest review of that bike shop owner (who legitimately sounds like an ass and isn't someone I'd want representing the cycling community), and then find a better shop. And if you want to join a cycling club, find one that aligns with your values and beliefs. Cycling clubs are just like people in that they're not all the same.

avalys 6y ago

You’re right, that was a bit harsh I guess, but I’m just mirroring the attitude I perceive from the cycling community. I recently bought a road bike myself and found the entire sport obnoxiously pretentious, including the guy at the bike shop, who sneered at me because I didn’t know what a “fondo” was.

CarelessExpert 6y ago
> I recently bought a road bike myself and found the entire sport obnoxiously pretentious, including the guy at the bike shop, who sneered at me because I didn’t know what a “fondo” was. And that sucks, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. While I've met many lovely people in the cycling community, I've also run across similar attitudes, myself, from time to time. That's probably because the cycling community reflects people, and people are usually great and sometimes not so much. But ask yourself: is it good for you, personally, to return that sneering with sneering of your own? Does that make you feel better about yourself or the people around you? What do you gain by stereotyping a huge community based on the poor behaviour of a few individuals? My suggestion: Assuming you haven't been scared away from the hobby, leave an honest review of that bike shop owner (who legitimately sounds like an ass and isn't someone I'd want representing the cycling community), and then find a better shop. And if you want to join a cycling club, find one that aligns with your values and beliefs. Cycling clubs are just like people in that they're not all the same.