[jdietrich]

In cultures where the car is a status symbol, cycling is bimodally distributed by income - people who can't afford a car, and people who very definitely can afford a very nice car. For everyone in the middle, cycling is a status threat unless it's congruent with their identity as e.g. an athlete, an environmentalist or a bohemian.

Successful cycling cultures elevate the status of cycling, but they also denigrate the status of the car; people in these cultures are slightly embarrassed when they drive, because cars are recognised as being somewhat antisocial.