I definitely am not worthy of my bike (Kuota Kredo), but, hey, if I was stupid enough to pay for it, I guess I deserve it! And, I do get acknowledged by snooty racer guys as they pass me. I find this strange, because I had a Trek 5200 before, not exactly a Freda bike.
But, I do find myself dressing differently when I ride my hybrid. In fact, I have found it liberating to discover a new type of cycling apparel. I wear wool when it's cold and I have some new wicking tops that are not jerseys, but are kind of cool. I tend to wear a skort, knickers, board shorts, or mtb shorts when I ride this bike.
I always feel slightly inferior on my bike until I talk to my "regular" friends who think riding 5 miles is crazy.