Actually I am appalled at the prejudices I have encountered since starting to ride again. We have been in several LBS and ran into some of the snobbiest folks in town. I tell them I have a hybrid = they frown. They take one look at my overweight body and refuse to offer assistance. I have to ask for assistance. I tell them that I am training for the MS150 and they look at me in total disbelief. We found a wonderful LBS near our home and it is owned and operated by a single fella and he is awesome and not judgmental at all. We helped him deliver a trike to a senior citizen and saw firsthand his compassionate and caring manner in making sure that the old fella could not only ride his trike, but made sure it was adjusted properly for him and offered to come back out to his house to adjust it if needed. Every “newbie” question that I have asked him has been answered in a professional, courteous manner and he has been very supportive of our efforts to train for the MS150. I cannot stress enough the importance of being supportive of people no matter how they dress or outfit their bikes or even set high goals for themselves. The person is more important than whether they can afford an expensive bike/gear and to encourage them to ride should be the main goal. The elite groups I have encountered remind me of the snobs I went to high school with - I personally do not want to relive those miserable times. So I guess you could call me and my husband “Freds”. We cannot afford to get fancy cycling jerseys, so we ride with Walmart sports tees = same fabric, just not cut for cycling and with no rear pockets. I ordered a budget-priced pair of Cannondale cycling shorts from this forum. Meanwhile, I ride in capris with regular socks and New Balance running shoes. Having a mirror has been a vital part of our commuting - my DH has the end of bar variety and I have the one that attaches to your glasses. We are training with full panniers, but they too have been very helpful to stow our gear and carry our support water, etc. We were in a state park yesterday and thankful that we had panniers to carry rain ponchos and extra water (needed both) plus dry tshirts - got caught in a thunderstorm. I know that this is lengthy, but reading about labels got my dander up - blame my Scotch-Irish temper. Do not listen to anyone else’s labels - ride for the sheer joy of it, not for who has the latest and greatest equipment.