snobs or not?

[SadieKate]

Remember: Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

[Geonz]

See the very lengthy previous discussions of the topic - and you were even there How human of us to keep wondering... what do they think of us???

[bcipam]

I have a really good friend who makes fun of folks out on comfort bikes riding along.

I have to remind him although he has 6 custom made bicycles, 3 Ti, and all the top notch equipment there is, he's sitting around with me and not riding so who is the poser????

Sometime people need to be brought down a notch, even best friends!

Never ever worry about what you look like and what equipment you have. If someone thumbs their nose at you, then they are the one with the problem. I fell sorry for them, they just don't get it. What matters is you are out riding. And yes they need to realize you are actually working harder then those guys and gals on lightweight, racing cycles with those skinny 21 tires. Brandi keep riding!

[Hammer]

One of the most recent discussions is here. http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...hlight=roadies

Of course, this in no way prevents more discussion of this same subject again and again and again . . . there is probably some social experiment that could be done to figure out why we expect waves when we're pedaling and not when we just have foot to the car pedal.

Now see, where I live... people on the highway do the index finger salute when they meet people... I don't do it ALL of the time, but it's pretty common practice. Not on the interstate though.

[Brandi]

Why is not waving at someone you pass on the trail considered snobbish?

Why isn't it just considered 'focused'?

Why should I feel compelled to 'act friendly' to people on a trail who I will never see again after those fleeting seconds in which we pass? To make me feel better? Or to make them feel better?

If I smile and wave at everyone on the trail I pass, my ride will be very happy. But very slooooooow.

K.

I am sorry if you feel i was talking to you. I don't expect EVERYONE to wave. But there is a road that I ride on that the same people pass me everyday. And not all of them are huffing and puffing and really focused. i respect the fact that there are real serious bikers out there I trained for a year for a serious mountain bike trip. But it is the one's who will look right at you and not say a word or raise a finger after I have climed out of my shell to say hi. I was just thinking it was because of the type of bike I have. Just wondering is all.

[Brandi]

Remember: Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

I know practice what I preach.
I like to ask these ? sometimes just to keep it interesting. I know a lot of us say go to this thread it has already been talked about. It is much more fun to talk about it now. And for anyone new.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Brandi, it more likely just due to the other people being in their own thought world, rather than them snubbing you because of what kind of bike you have.
Sometimes firends tell me they passed me in their cars and waved to me while I was on my bike, but that I ignored them. Never saw them or noticed them, that's all!
Today I was stopped at an intersection and a group of about 6 motercyclists passed in front of me. I looked at each one with a plain open friendly face. 4 did not acknowledge me- I think they did not notice me. The other two caught my eye and gave me the little nod of respect. Cool.

[velogirl]

I know practice what I preach.
I like to ask these ? sometimes just to keep it interesting. I know a lot of us say go to this thread it has already been talked about. It is much more fun to talk about it now. And for anyone new.

Brandi, I agree with you 100% and thought about commenting on this yesterday.

This is a forum. There are members coming and going all the time. Even if a topic has been discussed in the past, besides the few members who have consistently been here for years, it might be a new topic to a lot of the women.

One of the advantages to a forum (versus an email group) is that you can read what you want and ignore the rest. If someone brings up a topic that's already been discussed, rather than discouraging them from engaging in conversation by sending them to the "old topic," just ignore it. Or jump in and share your perspective. But we're doing a disservice to the members of the forum by shutting them down.

[Velobambina]

Brandi - You are a good soul. Try not to worry about people who aren't considerate enough to acknowledge you. I have that happen to me at least once during my daily ride (and I'm dressed in "roadie" gear, riding a road bike, and usually going at a good clip). I have learned just to ignore it and not take it personally. I grew up in Pittsburgh where saying "hi yinz" to everyone was just what folks did--a very friendly city. Even though I now live in the "snobby inside the beltway suburbs of DC," I will always remain a Pittsburgh girl who will keep saying hi, regardless. Keep smiling and enjoying your ride.

[Veronica]

Brandi, I agree with you 100% and thought about commenting on this yesterday.

This is a forum. There are members coming and going all the time. Even if a topic has been discussed in the past, besides the few members who have consistently been here for years, it might be a new topic to a lot of the women.

One of the advantages to a forum (versus an email group) is that you can read what you want and ignore the rest. If someone brings up a topic that's already been discussed, rather than discouraging them from engaging in conversation by sending them to the "old topic," just ignore it. Or jump in and share your perspective. But we're doing a disservice to the members of the forum by shutting them down.

I think sending them to the old topic lets them see the points of view that have already been discussed by the "squatters" here on TE. As someone who has been here forever it seems I actually worry that by posting my same feelings, experiences, views, etc. over and over and over again I am BORING to my faithful readers. As any of my coworkers will tell you, I generally have lots to say and can be counted on to say it. I just don't want to be that doddering old woman who repeats herself constantly, repeats herself...repeats...

V.

[SadieKate]

Thank you, Lorri. You just implied that all statements made before Brandi's post are of no value. Perhaps adding to a conversation found by using the search function would be a benefit to everyone. The new person gets the benefit of previous statements and can add new ideas, maybe even sparking new thoughts from previous posters who might otherwise ignore the thread.

Make what is old new again, but don't ignore it.

[jobob]

Hey, anyone use the Diva Cup?

ducking & running...

[velogirl]

Actually, I wasn't implying that at all. I never said to ignore previous posts. When I joined this forum I actually spent days reading old posts -- there's HUGE value there.

When someone refers someone to another post, I interpret that they're saying "we already talked about this and you can read it here, but don't start a new thread on it." I don't interpret it as supplementing the conversation, but rather as diverting and closing it. Perhaps that's because no one ever says "hey, this is an interesting conversation and you might find additional value here." They just refer to the other post with a short comment about how this has already been discussed (by them) and the url.

I guess that's one of the disadvantages of email and forums -- I apparently interpreted these diversions wrong all along as it would seem at least one other person did. Just as a couple of you apparently mis-interpreted my post.

[DDH]

As a fairly newbie, I have to make mention that I have seen the remark many times about something already being discussed. Now please don't bite my head off, and this may just be me being sensetive, but the way I have seen it put, it does tend to come off as shutting the person down and telling them to do a search first.
I have done searches for things before posting about them and I have to tell you, unless you know exactly what the wording is for a particular post you will spend half the day going through post to find what you are looking for.
Maybe I don't know how to do the search right or something but you could spend a lot of time searching for something when it is much easier to just ask again. Espcially when you are new. They have no idea what has or has not been talked about.

On the other side of it, I do like being directed to some of the other post when I don't know how to search or what to search for. I think it just needs to be maybe worded differently so the newbie's don't think "jeez, I guess I am pesky newbie who doesn't know anything".

Mind you not everyone would feel this way, but you have to remember you have all different personality types out there and being sensetive to others isn't a bad thing just in general.

[Veronica]

I tend to redirect when it's something specific, like Spinervals videos or Kurt Kinetic trainers. Things I think it should be easy to do a search on.

But even a word like snob in the search, not even doing an advanced search, brings up relevant past discussions to this thread.

Frankly I go through phases where I just don't respond to some "newbie" questions. It's not that I'm mean, don't care or don't want to help... but answering the same questions over and over becomes tiresome, especially when I know I've put the info out there before and that it's not that hard to find.

Again, I'm talking about specific types of things, that should be easy to search on.

It's never that I want to shut down a conversation. But my time is precious and posting the same things over and over is not always how I want to spend it. Heck I've just spent 13 minutes on this post. I know it's 13 because I'm baking cookies.

V.