I've pretty much decided I come from a different time and ride ethic. In my youth it was all about emulating the euopean riders. The books and magazine articles supported the euro style. Cycle clothing was all european made and had a look to it. Training and riding style all influenced by the europeans. It's a style and ethic that was ingrained in me at an early age. I would say in general my riding buddies and I were all on the same page. Riding for fun and sport and never dropping anyone on a ride. We rode as a group and were friendly yet competitive. I can't find a group that has that cohesiveness today. I have ridden with many groups and just don't fit in. Even when someone has a mechanical problem or flat, they are left to fend for themselves. And a serious lack of fun. We used to mess around giving each other hand slings, holding on to a guys saddle (without him knowing it) going up hill, Sprint for road signs at speed and in slow-motion. Today i run into guys all riding too fast, as they are "in training", monitoring their heart rate, watts, cadence, avg. speed, ....wha?

But hey, riding solo is fun too. And its a lot safer. I've seen too many crashes this past summer in group rides.