In reply to GrahamD:
> "Established in Cycling" - talk about cliquey ! Anyone out on their bike are 'in cycling', not just those that wear club colours.
You're right, of course, it is very cliquey indeed. But cliques exist everywhere and particularly so in sport.
Let me make another analogy. The yellow jersey (to use the obvious example) is more than just an item of clothing, it is an
award - rather like an olympic gold medal. To wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, just for one day, would likely be the career pinnacle for 99.99% of professional cyclists.
Practicalities aside, most people wouldn't go for a ride wearing a replica olympic gold medal hanging around their neck. And yet, to a fan of professional cycling, that's exactly what a replica yellow jersey looks like. It just makes no sense - why would you try to pretend that you are an olympic champion, when you're not?
As I said above, personally I'm not really that bothered if somebody wants to wear the yellow jersey on a saturday afternoon ride, live and let live and all that.
But I wouldn't even think about it pulling it over my own head, even to look at myself in the mirror. And not because I'm worried of what others would think, but because I don't think that I deserve such an accolade. If anybody thinks less of me because of this, that's their problem!