The bicycle, a new social marker of our lifestyles?

… or the problem posed differently: when a frame becomes a rolling CV! Because indeed, there was a time when riding simply meant… riding. Today, you can almost guess a cyclist’s tax bracket just by looking at their bike. Between the one who shows up with a brand new Canyon Ultimate CFR and the one who is still recycling their old 2008 aluminum bike, the social gap is displayed at the speed at which laps of Longchamp are strung together. Moreover, at the Longchamp Racecourse, there is now a kind of “unofficial parade”. The one on a Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 overtakes you at 45 km/h, Oakley Sutro glasses pushed up on their helmet, and you can almost smell the carbon straight out of the oven. And you, you know you’ll stay on their wheel for exactly… six seconds.

By Jeff Tatard – Photo: @jefftatard

But the funniest thing is that nobody finds it strange. The bike has become a rolling business card: “Hello, my name is Pierre, I have a Pinarello Dogma F, I’ve been Zwifting since 2020 and I never buy my tires on sale.”

Gear: passion, reason… and inflation

Let’s be honest: some prices are dizzying. And we’ve already talked about it, notably in the article “When a bike costs the price of a motorbike”…

A complete bike that exceeds the price of a small car? Normal. A pair of wheels costs more than a Parisian rent? Normal. A cassette at €450 or more? It’s almost become commonplace.

You just have to pass by a store distributing Rapha to realize that “chic cycling” is no longer a niche: it’s a lifestyle. You go in for a jersey, you come out with a price tag saltier than a romantic dinner… and yet you smile, because it’s beautiful, because it’s clean, because it’s tempting. And because let’s be honest, we’ve all given in before…

But behind this move upmarket lies a question: by constantly wanting to get closer to the pros (at least aesthetically), haven’t we lost sight of the reality of amateur cycling?
We see cyclists who produce 180 watts but display gear designed to accompany Pogacar’s 460 watts.
It’s a bit like buying a Michelin-starred chef’s knife… to cut imitation crab meat.

Longchamp, an open-air sociological laboratory

Having gone there from time to time with the 3bikes jersey, if there’s one place in France where cycling reveals our social behaviors, it’s indeed Longchamp.

At Longchamp, you judge at a glance: rim depth, tire condition, position on the bike, pedal stroke fluidity. And you recognize each other among “peers”. It’s human. It’s irrational. It’s also amusing (as long as you realize it).

The human behind the carbon

But to caricature would be unfair. There is a simple truth: despite the market’s madness, cycling remains a profoundly democratic practice.
There will always be that cyclist who rides on an old Alex Singer steel frame, but drops you while chatting as if they were reading their newspaper.
There will always be that beginner with flat pedals, but a determination that would make a triathlete pale.
And there will always be those cyclists who come “just to feel good”, far from comparisons and statistics.

In an era where we project a lot of identity onto objects, the bicycle has taken on a surprising symbolic place.
But you know what we think at 3bikes? It’s us who have changed, not it.

So, is the bike a social marker?

Yes… a little.
No… not really.
Or rather: only if we decide it is.

The bike asked nothing of anyone.
It’s our gaze that over-interprets, classifies, enjoys, or gets lost.

Ultimately, the bike can be everything: a marker, a refuge, a sport, a means of transport, a meditation, an escape.
But above all, it remains a formidable tool for putting everyone on the same footing: on a climb, whether you’re equipped with Shimano Dura Ace Di2 or an entry-level groupset, it’s always your legs that do the talking.

And no social marker escapes that.

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