I’m with you. I saw a guy with a St. Louis baseball cap on and he didn’t look like a pro player, I also saw a guy witha Rams football jersey on !!!Whats the deal WHO do they think they are (fans)?
Heck the next thing you kow little kids will be wearing postal jerseys to school wanting to be the next lance Armstrong.
We bikers need to keep up the " don’t wear pro stuff unless your a pro " mentality before this sport gets popular. If that happens then the next thing you know everyone will be riding bikes and they will be building bike lanes all over the place. ; ]
Ahhh, I think I understand now. I just ride my bike. Alone. As fast as I can, for as long as I can. As a bicyclist, both road and mountain, my only rules for what the people I occasionally ride with can wear is, “Whatever you want, but you’re going to get dirty. And if you don’t wear a helmet and gloves, I’m going to call you a fraggin’ moron and leave you in the parking lot.”
So I don’t know nothin’ 'bout those bicycle races, or none of that other stuff you’re talking about.
As for tri clubs, around here they all advertise like crazy then tell you that they’re closed and complain about having to buy 125 wetsuits for the members, and what a hassle it is, etc, so I don’t know anything about that either.
You’re giving me a lot of insight into the way this whole thing works, and I appreciate it.
One final question: Performance Bike has the USPS tires on sale for half price. Am I allowed to ride with them, or is that a faux pas either on the grounds that 1) I’m not on the USPS team, or 2) they’re made in France? 
Have you ever been to a pick up out door basketball game everyone has on their favorite teams stuff. And the pros show up in some places to play also. Same with sandlot football , flag football, team stuff is worn . It’s no different.
But in cycling “your a poser”???
I was completely unaware of the unwritten rules of roadies … and not that I care, because I don’t care what a roadie thinks. I actually wish there were fewer roadies around - I’m convinced that they are at least partially responsible for what appears to be increasing animosity between cars and bikes on the roads of the SF Bay Area. Roadies ride around in large packs, taking up more than their share of the road and piss off those in cars which doesn’t help those of us that believe there needs to be a mutual respect and share the road attitude between the both because when it comes down to it, a car is going to win pver a bike any.
Anyway, who cares about someone wearing a team jersey? Occasionally, we’ll see the USPS team (usually the B team) riding the roads around here, and (to my knowledge) I’d never confuse some guy on his weekend ride for one of the professionals. It’s just a guy who likes cycling. Who cares?
I actually liked the silver/grey kit.
Maybe it was the shock of the quick change, but they were striking. Of the teams that do have silver/grey, they are pleasent to the eye.
Maybe not as bold or intimidating as the Blue Train or Posties, or Boys in Blue, and not as easy to spot in the crowd.
You brought up a very good point about the racing. I think all of us would look askance at anyone actually racing in one of these kits in anything but maybe a citizens race. Thankfully racers usually have some sort of club/team kit of their own to race in. But hey, I tend to look at how a guy or gal rides, not how they’re dressed. I once got smoked by a guy in cutoff shorts, white t-shirt and a ratty old pair of diadora cleats while I was sporting my nice new wool kit with new fangled LOOK pedals and shoes. Was I a poser? Hell no, I just enjoyed riding bikes and having nice gear to do it with. And I’ve never made the mistake of judging someone’s riding ability by their appearance again.
A couple points.
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I don’t necessarily look down on people wearing team jerseys or bibs or whatever. I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable (read-fast enough) to get away with that stuff, but who am I to tell someone else they can’t buy it. It is available for sale after all. However, I’ve been to plenty of races with people riding the fully tricked out USPS Trek bikes or full ONCE colors, and I’m pretty sure none of the pros on those teams are doing any of the races I’m entered in.
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There is a big difference between wearing a Chicago Bears T-shirt when I play flag football and wearing an official jersey, pads, pants, and helmet. I have a couple USPS t-shirts, no problem there. When I see a guy walking around the field in one of those official jerseys, we give him grief unless he throws like Favre or Montana. Also owning the same model or type of gear as the pros is completely different than owning gear with the pros name, and team, and sponsors plastered all over it.
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Cycling is different than other sports. When Kobe hits the playground to play a little ball, there are guys out there who actually can beat him to the hole once in awhile. I haven’t heard of any amateur riders who could smoke Lance on a training ride.
Obviously some people are buying this stuff. My buddies and I were going to pick up a King of the Mountains jersey to give to whichever of us hit the hills strongest in our training rides. You get to wear it for a week or so until we hit the hills again. Sort of a way to keep us motivated.
We decided we would look like dorks in a red and white polka dot jersey huffing and puffing our way up a fairly minor hill, (by pro standards). Nike didn’t get our money on that one.
The last part of your post makes me sad. I think that is a great idea. You and your group have a little fun, get some great motivation, and no one gets hurt. And so what if your idea of king of the mountains is the guy who does a half mile 4% hill fastest, instead of L’Alp D’Huez? It gets you pushing harder, and that’s all that really matters.
If I saw a group of guys climbing a hill and one of them had the polka dot jersey, I would guess exactly what you said you were planning. A cynical person might think you’re a loser, or a poser, but who cares about them? We should be able to spend a lot more time having fun on our bikes, and a lot less time worrying about what other people think. I get a lot of crap from people because my road bike has aero bars on it, and I really don’t know why. (Uh, sorry I can’t afford a Kestrel Talon SL this year!)
It’s almost as if we try so hard to differentiate ourselves from little kids and casual riders that we made up all these stupid rules so everyone knows that we are ‘serious’ riders.
How about this? But a nice solid jersey from Performance(they’re cheap, comfy, and durable), in a color that everyone agrees to(I like the RED one), and designate that to be your king of the mountains jersey. Then you won’t be condemned to cycling hell, and you can still have a carrot to get you up those hills.
You see tons of people at races the like the Tour where people are showing their support by wearing USPS jerseys on the side of the road. Nobody thinks that’s lame, and that’s more comparable to your NFL example.<<
Yes, and at most finishing stages there was a booth selling every team’s full kit. Well, except they were out of CSC and Vini Caleroldi, the two I wanted. And people were buying all the teams, and then wearing them…ON THEIR BIKES! In fact, the F.de Jeux team had it’s own booth and were doing very brisk sales.
That said, I think that the “unwritten rules of proper roadie behavior” are way too complicated, and somewhat paradoxical, particularly when contrasted against the fundamental marketing strategy of bike gear companies(sell what the famous people use). How about: I like the team, I wear the shirt, I ride my bike? No posing, no pretense, I’m just a guy on a bike who likes a team.<<
AMEN!! All this roadie this and roadie that rules and crap is definitely turning me off from joining a team. That and (at least around here) the massive time commitment.
AMEN!! All this roadie this and roadie that rules and crap is definitely turning me off from joining a team. That and (at least around here) the massive time commitment.
Oh my… it’s you who’s making this into a big deal. Is there a general feeling among roadies that wearing pro-team clothes is a bit lame? Sure. But it’s nowhere near as big a deal as you’re making it out to be. You (and a few others) are the ones getting all upset by this. If you’re really that worried about what some roadies think, then it’s you with the bigger problem. Stop worrying so much about what other people think of your clothes. If you want to wear a USPS jersey, do it! I promise you’ll never be pushed in a ditch for wearing it. Relax.
I agree wholeheartedly. This is not a big deal. We don’t have roving gangs of cyclist beating down anyone in a pro jersey. We just make a little fun and then go back to concentrating on hauling our butts around the roads. And the reason we decided against the red and white polka dots isn’t because of other cyclists,…it’s because of the chicks. Cyclists have enough trouble impressing the ladies here in the US without running around in polka dots. Ahhhhh, to be a cyclist in Europe.
Pal, you totally missed my point. Or perhaps I didn’t state it so well.
I wear whatever I damned well please. My roommate is a roadie. I KNOW all about the team this and team that and you have to do x number of races if you want to be on their team. Yada, yada, yada. It has NOTHING to do with what clothes you can and can’t wear. The team that asked me to join them had the same requirements. They are all nice gals, but it doesn’t fit with my INDIVIDUAL spirit (or with Ironman training). I’m definitely not a team player.
And, ask anyone who knows me…I’m uber relaxed.
Pal, you totally missed my point… …but it doesn’t fit with my INDIVIDUAL spirit…
Individual spirit? Sorry, I don’t see it that way. You not only appear to care greatly about what roadies think of you, but you’re now also bent out of shape at my comments towards you. The “individual spirits” I know simply don’t care so much about what other people think.
“We don’t have roving gangs of cyclist beating down anyone in a pro jersey.”
What are you talking about?? Just yesterday I worked a guy over with a frame pump and a spare tube after I noticed his USPS team issue socks. If you ask me, that pompous SOB was just begging for a beat down.
No, I really don’t care what the roadies (or you) think or not think of me. And I’m not bent, just clarifying. But whatever.
I believe I said: All this roadie this and roadie that rules and crap is definitely turning me off from joining a team. That and (at least around here) the massive time commitment.
To be more explicit–and I believe I’ve covered this before in a prior thread–it’s the you must do this training on this day at this time, show up at no less than x races and y other team things, etc. etc. etc. And, I just can’t see myself working for someone else to win. But, that’s my issue and why I do triathlon.
…show up at no less than x races and y other team things…
I don’t understand how that’s a “roadie thing.” That happens in any sport. You don’t think PNF has to show up to a certain number of races due to sponsorship requirements? Trust me; they don’t give her a paycheck to sit at home and watch TV.
You don’t think PNF has to show up to a certain number of races due to sponsorship requirements? Trust me; they don’t give her a paycheck to sit at home and watch TV.<<
I’m sorry, you’ve lost me. What the hell does PNF have to do with this? She’s a PRO. This is her JOB. I do this for fun. Pay me and I’ll do this full time and show up at as many races as you want.
Time to do some actual work.
Senator, I am not now and never have been a roadie…
… but I’m still going to laugh my butt off at anyone wearing full team apparel whether they are riding or not. I am also going to laugh at anyone wearing a full St. Louis Cardinals uni playing softball. A USPS, Bulls, Cards or Packers jersey OR cap OR whatever with your normal gear I can understand but a full team kit just looks silly. Hell, I think the pros look silly in that gear but they can get away with it because they’re pros.
I freely admit that they are probably a much better rider/ball player than I, but I reserve the right to laugh anyway.
I think it has something to do with how much team gear you’re wearing. Wearing a jersey or shorts seems to be different than wearing the whole team kit w/ matching helmet and bike. I think that is when people are sometimes mean.
I’ve been doing the roadie ride at the Rose Bowl w/ a couple hunded riders and it seems every 3nd or 4th rider has on some team gear(to which they are not a member). Usually a jersey or pair of shorts.
It’s funny that the people who seem to look down on it aren’t the ones who actually belong to the teams. I bet Lance wouldn’t make fun of someone he saw riding in a USPS team kit, but a roadie from a local club team probably would.
- Cycling is different than other sports. When Kobe hits the playground to play a little ball, there are guys out there who actually can beat him to the hole once in awhile. I haven’t heard of any amateur riders who could smoke Lance on a training ride. Not an equivalent. I’m sure there are riders out there that could beat Lance in a sprint every now and then. While some baller might beat Kobe to the hole every now and then, he is not going to beat him in a full game of one-on one.