Bike Club Stratification (editorial)

Well, in the course of amicable discussion last night at club headquarters, a certain sentiment rose again, which has not gone unnoticed since our inaugural ride as a club in spring...

It seems some members believe that their commitment to the Club is, well, superior... with all the attitude and tone that goes with the air of superiority. It has to do with the amount some members ride versus the amount some members do not. Dont' get me wrong, I don't begrudge the "committed" riders their little trip down pious lane. In fact, I wish I was in a position to be part of the ueber-faction.

The only points I want to suggest are that, 1. just like the workers in the vineyard, we all do what we can with what we have, and 2. that I hope our communal memory can serve us to recall that the FGBC really didn't start off as a bike club anyway. Well, yes, a bike club, but not one that really rode bikes. One that talked about riding bikes. Without that time, we would not be where we are today. One ueber-member didn't even have a bike, and probably still wouldn't.

So, perhaps this is a natural evolution. Perhaps us lesser members will get a pink triangle painted on our foreheads. Perhaps the greater members will strike out on their own to become a legendary Canadian racing dynasty. But we'll remember the genesis, at least some of us will. And when the great dynasty crashes due to in-fighting, and who gets the interviews on TSN, there will still be a few little people who will sit at the Fox and Hound, happily BS'ing about riding bike, and happily drinking FGBC dark.