A Yup is a “Young Urban Professional”. Yuppies, as is their collective name, have a number of traits and habits that make them sort of special. One of the things they like to do, simply because they feel they should, is ride bicycles. Perhaps they have an inner Dutch person within them – Holland does know an inordinate amount of yuppies – or perhaps they simply feel it makes them look in touch with the common people (think David Cameron and Boris Johnson). Regardless, walk into a cycle shop and you will be surrounded by yuppies.
Naturally, yuppies also ride bicycles because they think they are saving the earth. Saving the earth is very hip and trendy. They honestly believe that if they are spotted cycling to work, random people will stop them to express their gratitude to them for saving the world, giving them a huge grin and a thumbs up. The yup will then ride home feeling very good about him or herself.
What Sort of Bikes to Yuppies Ride?
Yuppies make a point of not discriminating. Discriminating is very uncool and certainly not hip. So, they are happy with any type of bike. The younger yuppies, who are often also DINKs (Double Income No Kids) like to have bikes with fixed gears. You will see these bikes all over college and university towns. Don’t fool yourself into believing these yuppies are still at university, they have simply not left the area yet. Fixed gear bikes are great because they can be vintage, offering the yuppie a totally unique bike, but they can also be customised. Here, they yuppie will really be able to show their wealth because customisations can be seriously expensive. This way, one yup can judge another one on their income. Plus, it helps them to ascertain that they are still the coolest yup in town.
Naturally, yuppies also love mountain bikes. Mountain bikes let them be at one with nature and we should never forget that they are, after all, trying to save the planet. However, they also like road bikes, but only if they come with the customary spandex uniform. It is a yup’s excuse to wear very tight fitting clothing without feeling socially stigmatised. Amusingly, it is very rare for a yup to actually ride a road bike into work. This is a bike for spare time only. Many people believe that this is because they are unable to wear spandex when they go to work. However, this is the ultimate bike for social status, because it is also by far the most expensive, particularly with accessories. Spandex isn’t cheap you know!
The Gender Issue
Again, yuppies don’t discriminate and they also pride themselves on being metrosexual and fully emancipated. However, although any yup, male or female, can ride any bike they want, it seems that the European city bike is a firm favourite for women. Yup women have dreams about living in a rural country village in Europe and riding their bicycle to pick up groceries, cycling through old towns picking up French bread and vegetables along the way. Their dream is to wake up on the morning, ride to a little café in a small village and have their coffee before moving on to an older city. These bikes offer the female yuppies a little piece of this dream. Naturally, London or any other large city is nothing like one of the villages in this dream, but at least the bike will match. In summer, they will ride their bikes wearing long maxi dresses, just to complete the look.
Yup or not, you will not be able to go anywhere without good quality bike tyres. Best of all, these don’t actually have to cost an arm and a leg.
