Originally Posted by
OakLeaf
I think you only have to think about how it feels to be told "You look like you've been doing this for a while!" - to know that it's an insult to assume someone is a complete newbie.
Still, it does seem that at all levels and all types of cycling, there's a fairly strong snob factor. On the road, at least - I don't know for mountain biking, maybe the off-road crowd is different. Bicycle racing is like most forms of racing, just plain cut-throat, someone from another team won't say anything at all unless it's a subtle insult meant to psych you out. And whether you're a commuter, tourist, or participant in an organized ride, it's not unusual for another cyclist to sneer at you for SOMETHING, whether it's an article of clothing, a technique, your hair, whatever. :rolleyes:
The contrast with running is pretty stark, to me, and that's what's interesting. As a new runner I'm like Catrin as a new rider - I'm not insulted if someone assumes I'm a new runner, because I AM one - but one of the things that's so cool to me about foot races (mid-pack and slower, anyway) is how encouraging everyone is. If you saved too much at the start so that you zoom by somebody late in the race, they DO cheer you on. And etiquette seems to be if you hang around at the finish, you're supposed to cheer for those finishing behind you.
So I guess my take is kind of mixed. I do think it's an unequivocal insult to assume someone is doing something for the first time. Even if it IS their first time, they don't need to be reminded how woefully unprepared they appear to everyone else. But I don't think it's an insult to tell someone they're doing well in a NON-competitive setting, even if the person saying it happens to be faster. (If they were THAT much faster, they wouldn't even be in the same neighborhood to be able to say it, for one thing. ;))
