In my opinion one of the great things about cycling is that there is no shortage of etiquette that has never been written down but is simply passed on through the generations. Some of it explicitly through direction and conversation, often times through observation from watching the guy on the ride that kicks your butt weekly. A, "Man, if he's that fast, I gotta do what he's doing," sort of thing.
I really enjoy all the aspects of cycling that make it a great club once you know how to act, but sort of keeps out the riff raff until they figure it out. Why do cyclist shave their legs? You want to know the truth? Because all the other fast guys do it and I(us) want to emulate that. I have a friend who says when he goes on group rides he tries to follow the fittest looking guy with hairy legs. Why? Because in his opinion that guys not likely to get dropped, because he looks fit, but if he does, he'll have a partner also getting shot out the back. My friend does not shave his legs. Shaving your legs is just one example of the unspoken rules of cycling that if nothing else, lets everyone around you in the group that you've committed to this masochistic sport. I'm leery of guys on rides with hairy legs. I try not to follow them or get stuck close to them when the pace starts to lift. Why? They haven't committed. They're ability to handle their bike at 28+ mph with handlebars 6 inches from mine is questionable. At the same time, I'd expect a pro would have the same concerns about riding next to me. That's just how it works.
Recently, and by recently I mean over the last 4-6 months I've noticed a growing trend that is both comical and really weird amongst people on bikes and that's the use of aerodynamic gear for everyday riding purposes. I can't tell if it's the same guy or multiple guys, but I've seen an aero TT helmet bobbing up and down the Mount Vernon Trail as I commute to and from work a bunch. The guy wearing the aero helmet isn't on a TT bike either, which makes it more odd. Some people probably wouldn't even notice. In fact, most people probably don't notice, but I do, and that guy should really get a regular helmet. But hey, at least he's wearing a helmet.
This morning, it was really windy. Not like coastal Belgium windy (not that I've ever experienced coastal Belgium wind) but none the less, windy, which is exactly why I shouldn't have been surprised to roll up on a guy from one of the local teams on his TT bike with full race wheels, disc in the back, deep section up front. He sort of caught me snickering at his disc wheel as we were stopped at the same light. But, I mean, what do you expect? You're riding at least $3gs worth of carbon wheels around on a Tuesday morning training ride? Of course I'm going to laugh at you. Isn't training supposed to be harder than races? That's why pros train on 32 spoke box section wheels, not Zip 808s.
Your equipment should have a purpose, and all of it shouldn't be for training and racing. If it's going to be, there's a level of equipment that meets that criteria. If you have to ask what it is, you should look around more at the guys that are faster than you on your local ride, you'll start to notice.
Age has almost nothing to do with this learning curve. Guys who got into the sport really young will know way more than guys who suddenly decided their disposable income should buy a $4,000 bike with a 45 degree rise stem. But, there's hope for everyone, that's the great thing about cycling. While you might not get welcomed to your first few group rides with hugs, just stick it out, and eventually, you'll either learn what you need to know, or prove that you already know it, and somebody will say hello, and at that time, you'll know you're in. When I lived in Richmond it took making it to the end of the Tuesday night ride three times before people in the parking lot started saying hello. In California, it took months before I was able to make it over the climb with the fast guys and then eventually win a few uphill sprints before I started getting welcomed into the ride. But I like that aspect. Once I made it in I felt like I'd earned it. The people there trusted me and that felt good. Riding bikes is dangerous. You can't just open your doors to anyone with a pair of lycra shorts. If you do that, you become another sport that happens to use a bike.
The guy with the aero helmet is clearly has a lot to learn and the guy with the disc on a Tuesday morning thinks he's the best in town. Both need to pay a bit more attention, but they'll figure it out. Hopefully I will too.
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