zerogravitas
Retro Guru
Interesting thread.
I think some of your points have been well answered, sportives in particular seem an over-saturated market these days. I did several going back a few years but haven't done them for a while. The cost is generally too high for what I get out of them, good as it is to have an event to train for. Some of the smaller/cheaper ones are still great steps into longer road riding if you are not with a club and want to discover new routes with some support and fellow riders.
If you are a young rider with a limited budget, saving that £30-40 for components, kit, cake or coffee would definitely be my priority!
Getting young people into road riding is definitely an issue; I ride with a town club here in Oxfordshire and we are currently working to get young blood in. The demographics are definitely a little top heavy!
Young people have a lot of options in how to spend their leisure time of course, so we have to compete with a myriad of other activities; marketing the sport is vital for this. I know Mtb is definitely perceived as a cooler thing to be involved with; hopefully the gravel boom feeds back into road and helps us out. Price of kit is an issue too, with entry level/enthusiast bike costs spiralling ever higher it makes road riding into ever more of a middle class cliquey thing. I couldn't afford any new gear not that long ago though and the second hand market is amazing for finding deals and fuelled my love for vintage bikes. Not everyone is up for a bargain hunt though so this is a definite barrier to entry. Disc brakes and electronic everything, whilst I am not against them, are definitely not a win if they are driving costs of lower/mid range bikes way up.
General roadie culture, in my area at least is friendly, my steel bikes get a lot of love when I'm out on them, and I will always give a nod or a wave to any cyclist as long as I'm not swerving round a pothole!
I think the GCN/press marketing churn, product hype stuff is easy to get caught up in but most people are way more down to earth and are not going to bat an eyelid at your 2008 105 bike (or whatever)! The hardcore racers I know around here are more impressed by ones pace and roadcraft than whether you have the latest Dura-ace.
Pigman has it spot on. Ride good roads with a good crew (or solo!), be friendly and just have fun. Riding bikes of whatever brand, age, or style is amazing and we need more cyclists of all types out there for the future.
Mtn bike trails are just down the road with plenty of gravel options. Don't cry for me, I'm doing just fine. I also grew tired of being called a shouty white male. 
