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| This is a racer, now just add a rack on the back. |
I found myself in bicycle shop looking in the clothing section. Usually not my area of the store, but something caused a momentary lapse in my memory that somehow I was standing there looking into a rack of spandex like wedgey wear instead of where I last remember looking at the new Treks. So I continued to stare at the rack wondering. Why? If you are some sort of competitive athlete looking to shave seconds off of a ride, sure, but why would a person that casually rides wear something like this. I have seen them out on the roads and sidewalks about my travels. At the college towns, a student putting pants on over a pair of these shorts by the bike rack before heading to class. Do these uncomfortable and awkward garments serve some sort of mental function for those wearing them? Does it make one feel authentic?
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| The real batman, really... |
I know not the answers to these questions. All I know is that when I ride, I wear what I have on. If I plan a ride as an excursion, or as part of a group event, I dress normal. By normal I mean that I do not have a special wardrobe that is appointed for two wheel travel. No locker in my garage for my batsuit to ride my batbicycle. I get the concept of the jersey though. It has a design function other than performance, with water bottle pockets, advertising for events, or bragging rights for participating in one. Cycling events have the unique fashion of jerseys for the more involved rides. Okay. That does not diminish the rides that hand out t-shirts though. I like the t-shirts. More my style. Besides, the jerseys are typically not given for participation but sold at a not so easy to swallow price to just have a souvenir. Some rides however give them out, but the entry fee has it built in to pay for it. All part of the culture though. Not necessarily the fashion directive for the majority of cyclists. I wouldn't buy a jersey off the rack just to have one to wear while riding.
Trends, fashion, whats in, whats not. Who cares. Wear what is comfortable. If you needed that barbed wire tattoo around your arm, a Chinese word that likely means something other than you thought when you got it, or any other "trend" of style then you may want to get a pair of those spray on shorts. Match it with that copy jersey of the latest tour duh french contender and ride off like all the other "unique" "individualists" out there. I have a lot of respect for the guy dressed like he is going to work rather than racing ghosts on the bike paths.
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| Notice the handy Pockets. |
My own style as it were is settled in with comfort and utility. Cargo shorts on the warmer days because I like pockets, and tend to fill them with stuff. A habit fostered in having four kids to pack for. Shirts are usually just t shirts since I like the simplicity, they are cheap, countless designs, and are not bulky. It is easy to pack a spare t shirt in a bag on the bike in case of a dribbled ice cream cone or chili dog accident. For those cooler days, I do have an athletic type jacket. It is water resistant, so any unexpected rain is not a day breaker. Shoes, those depend on what bike I am riding. The cruiser, the classic canvass lace ups, the tourist, mountain bike, or varsity, my Reebok's. No clips or special shoes for any of the bikes I own. Not that those do not have a purpose, just not a need for me.
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| No tights? No Jersey's? Shame... |
Mainly my complaint rests in parts of culture that base themselves in judgement as to how a group should look. Some immediately think cyclist=spandex and sperm helmet. The other option is to look like the "trendy" folks and fashion oddities that prevail from euro magazines. On a positive note, there are yet no Lady Ga Ga meat suits being spotted on bike trails. Instead of looking to Europe, we should take a cue from our past. To see this, look at the Cycling culture before the 70's. It was like we treat our car, dress for the destination not the ride. The Chinese still have a sense of our former American cycling culture. While a few of their bigger cities show some strange trends, it is not as common as, well, being common.
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| A Chinese bike shop |
The rack soon became a light to a trendy moth that came in during my pondering. His multi-thousand dollar carbon ultra bike strapped to his mini suv, and the livestrong name plastered on his "outfit". He proceeded to nab up a jersey and some socks. His bill was more than mine for 6 tires, a pump, a seat, and a chain tool. A few of the BMX kids chuckled at the guy and did nearly the same thing only in a different category of trend. They like baggier plaid stuff.
My conclusion to this all is simple. Everyone fits into some area of trends in some way. We label them all in some fashion by fashion. Each one labeling is labeled by those whom they have labeled. Imagine how streamlined and simple a bike shop visit would be without all the clutter of fashion. Check the pic of a Chinese bike shop. Efficient is the only word...
