Categories: Accessories and GearKitLook Pro

The Tightness of Being

Diego Caccia demonstrates how to make tights work. Photo: Pedale.Forchetta

Sprezzatura. Leave it to the Italians to dedicate a word to trying to Look Fantastic without looking like you’re trying too hard. I’ve haven’t spent much time in Italy, but I automatically love a country where an entire nation holds aesthetics in the same high regard that I do. Not to mention their dedication to drinking espresso and wine. A bottle of wine at lunch? I can work with these people.

Sprezzatura for the Velominatus applies to every aspect of the sport; how we set up our bikes, our style and technique when riding, and how we select and wear our kit. Looking good in the summer isn’t very complicated; any fool can look good in short-sleeved kit adorned with tanned guns. Where things start getting tricky is when the cold and wet sets in and we need to add more kit to the equation. How does one control the chaos as leg warmers, long-sleeve jerseys, caps, gloves, rain jackets and overshoes are added to the mix?

The basic concepts have already been covered under the principles of wearing one’s Flandrian Best; always wear as little as possible, never wear an accoutrement below when a complimentary set is not worn above (i.e. no knee warmers without arm warmers), and never – under any circumstances – wear full-length leggings.

Which brings us to today’s lesson: how to wear full-length leggings and still look as Fantastic as possible. Sometimes it is simply too cold for three-quarters and there is no denying the Pro-ness of casually wandering about sipping a pre-ride espresso in sandals, full length leg warmers, and a long sleeve jersey – especially on a warm summer day. Sprezzatura is an art, and it should not be taken lightly.

The fundamental problem with leggings is that they make the guns amorphous; lots of fabric without any points of definition give the eyes nothing to focus on. If you have amazing calves (which I don’t) then you may be able to break up the monotony with your bodacious leg curves, but the rest of us are going to need some help.

Always go with leg warmers and not one-piece tights. The reason for this is simple: the legs of your shorts will provide the first visual delineation for the eyes to grab ahold of.
The leggings should also always have an elastic gripper around the ankle, not a stirrup. This is Cycling, not ballet. Better yet, the ankles should have a short zipper to ease pre-departure removal of said leggings and also to provide a little more delineation.
When it comes to materials, the more matte the better. In fact, I prefer wool. Thick materials are also handy, as they add some bulk and make the guns look less spindly. All good things.
Look for some leggings with good, thick seams. Again, this makes wool a strong candidate. Align the seams carefully to accentuate whatever curves your leggs can muster up, and make sure both legs are symmetrical. We are not savages.
Wear a contrasting color sock. White is preferable, of course, as demonstrated by Diego above but any color works so long as its not the same as the legging (which should obviously be black).

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

brett says:

Mar 24 2015 at 4:46 pm

@VeloSix

@piwakawaka

Socks should never go over tights. Thats the equivalent of tights over shorts.

that’s the truth…. like arm warmers over your sleeves…

A former Pro I used to work with (Matt Illingworth - Linda McCartney team) would wear his leg warmers over the shorts... looked like shit, but he insisted that was the way the Pros did it and as he is a big, angry Pom I'd not push the point too far...
brett says:

Mar 24 2015 at 4:49 pm

@Owen

So what’s the ruling on toe covers for those days when it’s too warm for shoe covers, but cold enough for knee warmers and wool socks? Those toesies aren’t going to stay warm on their own.

Just... no. Are your toes cold but heels/ankles warm? I don't think so. They are an abomination.
il muro di manayunk says:

Mar 24 2015 at 4:51 pm

I dunno. I have some Castelli Sorpasso bibtights that I think are very comfortable and don't look bad (for tights). I obviously prefer a regular kit with warmers when possible, but for long rides below 40 degrees the area between where the warmers end on my quads and where my jersey begins at the waist (read: crotch) just gets too cold.

Can anyone recommend a decent cool and cold weather bibshort?
brett says:

Mar 24 2015 at 5:01 pm

Just grabbed a pair of these to take to Belgium, they go over your socks, but I'd think you'd have to wear booties over them to keep the Looks Fantastic. They seem to fit pretty snug but not like socks.

On our 9 ride last weekend i found out that De Feet Slipstreams are great for cooler weather, but useless if it's pissing down.
DeKerr says:

Mar 24 2015 at 5:50 pm

@il muro di manayunk

... but for long rides below 40 degrees ...

Good god man!?! 40 degrees Celsius is where you start wearing warmers?!? That's still above normal body core temperature. What do you do when you get down to single digits? Or when water starts to freeze... at - you know - 0 degrees Celsius?
Owen says:

Mar 24 2015 at 5:51 pm

@brett

@Owen

So what’s the ruling on toe covers for those days when it’s too warm for shoe covers, but cold enough for knee warmers and wool socks? Those toesies aren’t going to stay warm on their own.

Just… no. Are your toes cold but heels/ankles warm? I don’t think so. They are an abomination.

Often times, yeah that's exactly what happens. My toes get unnaturally cold when logic says they shouldn't.

But I'll be duly chastened and not tell you about it next time.
il muro di manayunk says:

Mar 24 2015 at 5:58 pm

@DeKerr

Ha. Sorry, 40 fahrenheit (it's actually more like 38F or around 3.33C if we are being exact).
steelhead says:

Mar 24 2015 at 6:09 pm

Don,t know where you all are from but from the sound of most postings your living or a least riding in temps that are above freezing . Here in southern Ontario its just plain cold . Its full on bib tights with stirrups over bib shorts. A heavy high quality softshell jacket over some good base layers .topped off with a nice woolie skull cap ,wool socks and some 45NRTH Fasterkatt kicks to keep the feet warm in the -8 to -10 degree celcius windchills . Have not seen another rider in 3 weeks while out in these temps . Hell its gonna feel like summer up here when the temps finally get above freezing . Then I,ll get out the leg warmers and bask in the weather most have been calling cold .
frank says:

Mar 24 2015 at 6:43 pm

@VeloSix

okay, upon further investigation of the top photo, Diego clearly doesn’t have my kind of cold sensitive feet…. if the chap can go without shoe covers or wool socks, what’s the the need for leg warmers or tights?

The Euros love warming up in fulls. Sweating helps drain some of the retained water caused by cortisone.
Mikael Liddy says:

Mar 24 2015 at 7:06 pm

@brett

@VeloSix

@piwakawaka

Socks should never go over tights. Thats the equivalent of tights over shorts.

that’s the truth…. like arm warmers over your sleeves…

A former Pro I used to work with (Matt Illingworth – Linda McCartney team) would wear his leg warmers over the shorts… looked like shit, but he insisted that was the way the Pros did it and as he is a big, angry Pom I’d not push the point too far…

IAM Barbie went that way on the weekend...a perfect example of why Looking Pro and & Looking Fantastic are not always the same thing (still no gloves though).