Well, I did cancel my membership and mentioned why. The owner got right back to me and said she was furious. She said she would not tolerate that sort of attitude in her studio. She wanted names but I didn't know them. She said she had gotten many complaints about the cliques.
I'm sorry you had to drop a class that was benefitting you physically. The studio owner has to state her "philosophy"/values ..to new student/learning groups at beginning of a course. Hope you find something else..outside of cycling, which is always a good thing for cross-training.

In reading this whole thread, I feel like a 56-yr. girl baby: I've been protected/cushioned from all this sort of female fitness cliquish dynamics!

Mind you, the cycling world has its own cliques which I never paid much attention...which is why I continue cycle a lot on my own, with just my partner or a good friend occasionally. I think my cycling confidence would have been shattered a long time ago because I didn't have as powerful legs as others, fantastic lungpower, etc.

I am an outlier in many ways...I don't even get together with all-female friends for a girls' night out...'cause my best friends are scattered across Canada. So in exercise classes (only 3 I've taken in last 15 yrs.), I don't even socialize with hardly anyone. Just went there to learn and then leave.

Have I been bullied....yes, racial and ethnic. So we have our own thing...which we cannot change but reject those who are toxic.