Velominati 2026: style rules of cycling

6 April 2026
TAGS | Group Riding · Cycling Culture

Oh, The Rules — tongue-in-cheek, somewhat outdated, but still iconic. It’s time to highlight the most relevant of them. No jokes.

Rule #35 // No visors on the road. Road helmets can be worn on mountain bikes, but never the other way around.

Sidenote: the visor on an MTB helmet is designed to deflect branches flying into your face. Not only is it unnecessary on the road, but it also obscures your view in a low road/gravel riding position. And, to put it mildly, it looks out of place with drop handlebars.
Rule #62 // You shall not ride with earphones.

One thing is that you might not hear the car, and that it distracts you from being in a moment. But in a group ride, not only is it impolite to cover your ears and ask again when spoken to, but you might also miss an important heads-up call and create a dangerous situation.

By the way, it seems that the fashion for riding with earphones — like everything else in cycling — is inspired by mimicking pro sports. There, the sports director broadcasts tactics to the athletes through the earpiece. That’s different. And in general, you have to be careful when mimicking :)

Rule #7 // Sleeveless jerseys are under no circumstances to be employed.

Rule #27 // Shorts and socks should be like Goldilocks. Not too long and not too short. No socks is a no-no, as are those ankle-length ones.
In the photo on the left, some little-known cyclist shocks the crowd by breaking two golden rules of road racing. He’s a champion, so he can be forgiven for having a little fun. By the way: here’s what else champions are allowed to do that the rest of us aren’t.

Rule #16 // Respect the jersey. Championship and race leader jerseys must only be worn if you’ve won the championship or led the race.
Rule #17 // Team kit is for members of the team.

Wearing a professional team’s kit is a dubious idea. And a kit with championship stripes (like the UCI rainbow or the colors of the national flag) also violates the previous rule.
Rule #82 // It is important to note that while one can wear arm warmers without wearing knee or leg warmers, one cannot wear knee or leg warmers without wearing arm warmers (or a long sleeve jersey).

Why? Let’s answer with a quote from Rule #37 (which is also relevant — but let’s leave it out of this post, for the initiated, so to speak): “This is for various reasons that may or may not matter; it’s just the way it is.”
By the way, there are also the DBB rules — it’s also useful to read.
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