The toxicity of the “bro deal” and why it needs to end

Stop asking for a discount and jump in your BMW when you leave the shop.

Ah. Racers. We train hard. We race hard. We ask for deals harder. It comes with being on an amateur race team. Riding for our team is everything for us. It’s why we go to bed early on the weekend and wake up before dawn to join the local hammerfest during a pandemic.

We see the guy roll up on a Huffy to a group ride and we’re wondering why he’s there. We see a dude wearing a helmet from Walmart and we must drop him. There’s a point in our cycling lives where we develop an elitist attitude toward anyone who isn’t as posh as us.

I’m talking about a matching kit costing more than most people’s monthly groceries. Riding on a bike worth as much as, if not more, than a used car. Upgraded components saving us one gram of weight. Sunglasses costing as much as a kid’s bike. Cycling shoes that’d get you a couple of nights at the Bellagio in Vegas.

What I’m saying is: The majority of amateur bike racers have expendable income yet some still expect a “bro deal.”

How did “the bro deal” toxicity all start?

It wasn’t always like this. Bike shops extended deals to up-and-coming bike racers who’d sleep on a friend’s couch before a regional…