What is happening to cycling? As if it was not bad enough that people make complete assumptions about a cyclists view on the world by the fact they are riding a bicycle, fashion is now throwing their hat into the ring. Designers like Ralph Lauren, Missoni, and Kate Spade are now entering with their own bicycle product lines, which include bikes.
Today's post is in response to a new fad among fashion designers and design houses that are using bicycles as their new doll to dress for the party. Get with it; this has been done for like forever by beer and liquor companies. It is a promotional gimmick that works for craft beer companies promoting themselves in a market of beer drinking cyclists by having a giveaway or raffle. For that purpose it works well. For someone like Ralph Lauren to plaster his "style" and name all over a Futuristic Hipster style bike to sell as an accessory, only takes branding to a level of absolute stupid. It is bad enough that there are bedazzled Gucci cell phones, stay away from bicycle design, it has enough problems already.
To be clearer on my point, fashion designers have long made specialty lines for cyclists to wear. Special buttoned coats, rain wear, hats, pants, etc... Which is fine. Express yourself however you like with what you wear. Other than hipster fashion, bicycle culture is open for any kinds of style people are willing to put on to go for a ride.
The defining problem here is that they are taking away from bike builders a small slice of identity. When I see a well made bike parked outside of the grocery store, I admire it, check the badge and see who built it. The art is in the way it was made, the craftsmanship. Color and fancy decals may add the dimension of relation to the brands team sports, or a continued theme in the brand, but not to define fashionable flash. Do we want bikes to be judged by their affiliation with a fashion designer? Cycling has enough status issues with brand and bike without throwing this dimension of fashion hell into it. Missoni threw a bike into Target stores with a sweater on them. In the name of all that is holy please stop.
Bicycles have a huge uphill battle to climb as a real alternative form of transportation. Besides the problems of having every estranged fringe group proclaiming the culture as their own voice, from Green save the Earth groups, to the Americans are too fat groups. Oh and hipsters. It is because of these groups that cycling is hated by so many through association. In reality cyclists are cyclists. They ride to either save themselves money, convenience, or to keep themselves in shape. My point, it is a personal thing. The majority of people I talk to say they assume I am a cyclist for some cause or political reason. Hell no. I am cheap. Riding my bike costs nothing. Does it save the Earth? No, it saves my butt from getting fatter. I enjoy the style, form and function of all kinds of bikes. I love to collect and ride them and enjoy fixing them. I like the designs of bikes because they are like art in such a limited form and still be functional. It isn't a statement of what I believe in, it is something I like to do. Unfortunately not everyone works that way. Those that have to tie and justify every facet of their being to something greater, just to feel special, have peed in our Kool-aid..
Since fashion wants to impose themselves on cyclists, for those that would buy and ride a "fashionable" bike, maybe cyclists should impose themselves on fashion by not giving a crap. When someone arrives on their Kate Spade Bike with their nose held high, and their Muppet like dog in a handbag, treat them the same as they look at you in your cargo shorts and t-shirt... Shake your head and walk away.
I suppose that this will be a more geographically isolated thing though. The fashion hot spots like Beverly Hills, and Slick, Oklahoma. Celebrities will jump on and make themselves appear to care about something while being seen on something they deem worthy of their self image. Let's hope it stays contained and remains only a trend for those that want to feel like a regular person, and still know deep down in their ego that they are better, since a label says so.
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