Originally Posted by powpow

Interesting, and wrong, I think. I don't belong to a club or team, but nearly every club ride in the Bay Area welcomes new riders on their group rides (go check some websites, or better yet, go join a ride). I've ridden with several clubs and they are all quite welcoming. Even many racing teams allow experienced riders to latch on to their rides. I have to wonder how you came to this conclusion. Maybe you're bitter about some other aspect of road cycling..??