Mr. Underbridge

Roadies with shaved legs in spandex at 15 mph? I don't pass them. I coast behind them and ogle.

Oh, you meant *guys*? Ewww.

divergence

Probably for the best. They may not have what it takes; don't wanna give 'em false hope.

-=(8)=-

If you are cool enuff to be rolling on a Van-D straight 7, the journeyman
roadie isnt even the same stratosphere as you
He really should consider loosening his helmet straps...........

syn0n

I also enjoy this activity greatly, but I think it's even more insulting to be passed by a punk-looking teenager on a BMX. They sometimes seem irritated, too.

DataJunkie

It is the inevitable course any thread in this forum takes after mentioning the word roadie.

At this point I could really care less what anyone else thinks about how I dress, what I ride, or who I ride with. The anti roadie crowd has their own set of issues to deal with. IMHO

As long as it has 1 to 3 wheels it is cool with me.

DVC45

My thoughts too.

voileauciel

All of this highfalutin BS is exactly why I eschew any and all bicycling magazines, club rides and most roadies when I see them: I am not a racer, nor will I ever be; I don't need to be Armstrong or Coppi, I don't want a full carbon Trek Madone that requires me to take out a mortgage on what's left of my soul just to insure the bloody thing, and most unequivocally, I DO NOT, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, wish to be condescended to!

I see this balderdash all the time at the local cycling club: I show up, see someone new, all garbed up in their "team wear" though it's quite obvious that they're either so incredibly OCD that all they do is clean their bike, or they never actually ride it! Then, when I say, "Hey, how ya' doin? Nice bike!" their response is something akin to "Who are you, why are you looking at my precious toy, and why are you talking to me if you can't even dress up like a 'serious' roadie."

GRRRRRR!!! I'm getting so pissed right now!!! I AM SO SICK OF THIS ASININE, INSULTING AND MINDLESS RHETORIC that if I'm not "the EPITOME of perfection" in how I corner, how I pedal, or how I eat, that I'm not "fully experiencing" the pulchritudinous sensation of being Lance bloody Armstrong!

As far as I'm concerned, had I been in the OP's shoes, what that snooty little git said would have been an immediate call for me to lash out in ways I dare not describe...

Good day, ladies and gentlemen, I will now proceed to go and vomit until I pass out...

specq

Followed immediately by an over-the-shoulder "you are where I used to be!"

billew

My latest retort to these guys is "you must have left your cape in the phone booth super friend."

voileauciel

Such witty remarks are no longer good enough for me. I'm seriously thinking of carrying a broom handle with me and jamming it into their wheels when they get too cocky. Maybe then they'll learn some humility...

BCgoFHS

Ooo Mr. Internet tough guy, so scary.

bad_mojo

Hey, isn't that something that Italians racing in Indiana might do?

As a roadie and a commuter, I'm struggling with self-esteem issues as I read these posts. Each half of me wants to hate the other half. What am I to do?

barlows

I've got to admit, I also don't get the whole "hate the roadie" thing. Sure, what that guy said to the OP was a stupid comment, I totally agree with that.

But what is it about road bikes that make them such a bad thing? I'm actually asking this as a serious question. I'm a noob, so I don't really know the answer. I commute on a road bike. I bought it cause I thought it was cool, I can admit that. It doesn't make me think I'm better than anyone. But I also don't think I should have to apologize for commuting on a road bike either. So what gives?

Steve

BCgoFHS

Develop split personality disorder. I hear it's all the rage in France now.

BCgoFHS

Personal insecurities is a wonderful thing!

gbcb

I had my first group ride the other night. A roadie, a couple of mountain bikers, and me on my cross bike (with skinny tires). We all got along!

lil brown bat

I'm with BCgoFHS: I think it's insecurity/an inferiority complex. People who are like this will read all kinds of insults and personal attacks into someone else's choice of clothing. Therapy: stand in front of a mirror every day reciting, "IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT ME." Repeat until it sinks in.

Mr. Underbridge

You're right, there's nothing wrong with a road bike. Also, by 'roadies', this thread is referring to people riding $2000+ bikes. Even then, nothing wrong with that if it's something that you need, or just get a lot of enjoyment out of (and not at others' expense).

But to some, expensive bikes are just another status symbol. Think about the joker who buys the $75k sports car when the mid-life crisis clock went off, then acts like a condescending (wind) bag to anyone within shouting distance.

If I could sum it up - or try - expensive road bikes are kind of like unleashed dogs. Nothing inherently wrong with the dog - it's the annoying owner I can't stand.

Sammyboy

I hate people that look down on me for no reason, but it doesn't seem to happen bike-wise. I see roadies, and they either ignore/don't notice me (fine with me - they're involved in something focussed), or they nod, say hello, ask questions about whatever bike I'm riding. I've never had any snark, except for here on bikeforums! Indeed, in a curious incident on the day before the Tour Prologue in London, Alberto Contador walked into the room where I was training local government employees, lost on his way to a publicity photoshoot. He speaks so little English that I can't be sure, but I didn't get the impression that he was looking down on me for the fact that I was wearing cords and a button down shirt, and only riding a chair. Perhaps things would've been different if he'd seen me arrive on my battered Raleigh 20.....

ax0n

Don't feel bad, I'd have done the same. Some flippant remark would have escaped, then when I got to work and my heart rate dropped, I'd be thinking to myself that I stooped pretty low back there.

Anyhow, congrats on your mileage. I surprised myself with how many miles I've managed to squeeze in this year, but I still try to remain humble about it. There are people that just did the Paris-Brest-Paris 1200k brevet successfully who logged almost 750 miles in one event under the 90-hour time limit. That's 100 more miles than I've ever logged in a month, crammed into the span of less than 4 days. That alone should keep even some of the most hardcore roadies you encounter from bragging too much.

I agree, though. He was trying to encourage you, and he probably felt sorry for your "inferior" bicycle. Truth be known, my mountain bike-turned hybrid is pretty much the same speed as my road bike when I commute on it. 14 miles each way with a workbound average speed of about 19 MPH when I push either one of them pretty hard.

Take comfort in the fact that the engine is the one component that makes the most difference on a bike. Smile and wave to the elitist roadies, and know that there's a good chance you're putting more miles on than most of the ones you encounter who may ride more in a sitting than you, but only one or two days per week.

ax0n

I commute on a road bike, too. But it's been commuter-ized and most roadies look at it like it's some kind of cut-up contraption. Truth be told it's a purpose-built commuter bicycle complete with too many lights (2 fore, 2 aft), too many bottle cages (2), a rack (for the panniers when I'm commuting) and double-sided mountain bike clipless pedals, because I don't need the ground clearance for the extra 8-degrees of lean for those high speed canyon curves.

I also don't like the whole "hate the roadie" thing, however they are often elitist pricks that need to be put in place. That usually means keeping up with (on a stagger, no wheelsucking!) or dropping them on whatever contraption I happen to be riding. If they can keep up with me or pass me, they're obviously in better shape than I'm in (round is a shape, right?) and I'm in no position to teach them anything.

I hate the attitude instead of hating the person. Fortunately, I've learned to just brush it off.

Honestly, I think some COMMUTERS are just as elitist as the roadies that they piss and moan about. "*I* use my bicycle for transportation, not just as a weekend toy!"

If everyone would just get over themselves (including motorists), the world would be a better place.

Maybe I should stencil this onto the fronts and backs of my t-shirts:
YOU ARE NOT A BIG DEAL.
GET OVER IT.

truman

QFT

u1st

Wow!

I was with you for the first part of the first paragraph, but then you had to go all "Travis Bickle" on us and now I'm a little scared.

If people really are comfortable with who they are and what they're riding or wearing, it shouldn't matter what another rider says. If it really does bother you(general), it probably means you have some latent self-esteem issues.

- just relax -

There's always going to be someone:
Who is faster. Or slower.
Whose bike is more expensive. Or less.
Who rides for fun. Or out of necessity.
etc., etc., and everything in between.

What's really funny is the folks who get so wrapped up in their 'anti-roadiness', that they become as insufferable as the riders they claim to despise. Hearing how someone 'blew by some roadies', while riding their Schwinn Collegiate and wearing wooden clogs and a hair shirt, is about as ridiculous as listening to a roadie explain why his carbon fiber bike is laterally stiff, yet vertically compliant.

voileauciel

Well, I am Italian, and I do occasionally ride to Indiana...so, yes, yes we do.

I had a really bad falling out with the group the other day, of a lot of ridiculous ****. I'm just through with poseurs...

I-Like-To-Bike

Not me. I'd prefer to continue at my normal pace and take a long drink from the cold beverage in my hand; or maybe dismount and pick up a discarded deposit soda pop can. Either way I don't care what the few roadies I see when commuting, say or do.