Is it awesome to wear matching jerseys and shorts? Yes, but it took me a long time and a trip to Italy to have this revelation. Is it a violation of The Rules (#14)? Perhaps.
I always had a drawer full of black bib shorts and a drawer of jerseys. It makes it easy to get dressed to ride, black goes with everything. Grab clean shorts, meditate over jersey selection and boom, suit up. I was never compelled to buy a professional team kit as I’ve never been a rabid fan of any team, any rider or any team kit. I may become Sean Yates in my Motorola jersey for a fleeting few seconds but that’s about as far as it went until I finally made it to Italy.
When driving around near Lucca I kept seeing older guys (my age) out on the road, a foot from the tractor trailers, unfazed, fit, wearing matching jerseys and bibs. I didn’t recognize the kits but these guys looked impossibly good and since I’m a devout Italophile, that’s all it took for me. If that’s how it’s done in Italy then I’m all in.
Luckily Cervelo rider Ted King (self-anointed King of Style) agrees with me.
Among a smattering of other worthy reasons, cycling rocks because you can experience exactly what we pros experience. You can ride the bikes we ride, wear the helmets we wear, pedal the roads on which we race… and you obviously have the opportunity to rock the clothes we wear. So why the crap not?
Moreover, if you’re going to piece together a bicycle outfit, instead of the ragtag/patchwork look, why not look good when doing so? We look good, so you sure as heck might as well hop on the bandwagon and look nearly as good as we do.
I had a run-in with the KoS about my issue with tall socks (and punctuation) but we have agreed to disagree about sock style. Ted’s website is worth a visit as he is a well spoken pro and he gets to hangout with Thor.
In truth I don’t really own (or wear) too many matching kits even now. I own two local club outfits and now four Euro-esque pairs, one set I really can’t wear much because I look too much like Cipo in his zebra Aqua Sapone days and it scares people. I bought an early (pre) Garmin-Slipstream set as I am a fan but never dared wear it when the team was in the same town for two weeks training. Everyone would be embarrassed if we intersected. But my wife and I are now killing it in our Heinrich and Henrietta Haussler Stylin’ All White Cervelo outfits*. In mine I am actually descending more boldly as I channel H.H. from the wet Stage 13 of the 2009 TdF. All is well unless Heinrich turns out to be last doper of many dopers from the doomed Gerolsteiner team.
So don’t be afraid as neighbors look askance and they pull their kids inside as you leave the house in your bright billboard of matching jersey and shorts advertising, say, an Italian cement company. Wear it loud and wear it proud knowing looking good on the bike is important and it’s the Italian way.
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Well said. Well said indeed. I'm also in violation of Rule 4 and Rule 3, but I wear my Dutch Championship jersey with pride. Sometimes Rules were just made to be broken.
It's interesting how proudly the Euro's wear their team kit. But here in the states, seeing some fat ass in his full USPS kit on a USPS team bike riding on the bike trail around Green Lake is just laughable. I think that's more the spirit of Rule 4.
Nice post John. One thing about Cipo in that zebra suit, there sure are enough pics of him wearing it in the lead. I myself have the most cobbled together kits to go with my hairy legs. Agreed that the CTT kits are among the coolest in the peloton.
But now I'm gonna hijack this post by asking the keeper's input on buying a used pair of 404's for $900. Frank knows the story as he is behind all this. They're last years, rentals from frank's lbs, great condition and would strengthen my rule following in terms of matching color scheme. Seems like a solid deal all around. I'd only get a 53 gram weight savings but I know there's way more to it than that. Any thoughts?
@frank
You are correct, Sir. Fat fucks in lycra are always bad, especially in a nice kit. And I've seen 'em. Looking good on the bike includes not being a wide body. There is a rule in there somewhere but I don't think we need to write it down. It's so implied.
I've had to print out the Rules so I can reference quickly. I carry them from room to room.
@Marko
Oh hell yes...404s, $900, do it. Are we talking clinchers or tubs? No matter. They look so F'ing good. Jump on the carbone wagon, they are good enough for Thor, that should be enough.
@john
Excellent work. I have laminated a copy myself, and mounted it on the shop wall. We need to make one that folds up into jersey-pocket size.
@Marko
I will be consulting with Marko over the phone tomorrow, so lets get our advice together here so we have a full picture for Marko to mull.
First off, lets assume that, unless my detailed inspection tomorrow or Monday proves otherwise, thanks to the gang of first-rate mechs at Speedy Reedy the wheels are in excellent condition. Saul and Garek are the only two mortals I let service my bike, and those two have solved every problem I've ever thrown at them.
With that assumption, I agree with John that, while a lotachedda, $900 is a really good price to snab a pair of 404's. They are clinchers, which in my experience, is the way to go for non-racing cyclists. Hell, even racing cyclists, provided they are not getting the gear for free. Maintenance is so much easier, and weight/ride quality advantages are minimal these days. As a second set, sure, I'd love a pair of tubs, but for a daily use set, forget it. Not worth the hassle.
Second, yeah, the weight thing is secondary, I would say. Lighter wheels than Zipp exist for sure. Like 303's and 202's. The Zipps have great rotational weight, and while I don't know what wheels you have currently, the difference between my Ksyriums and Zipps is hugely noticeable.
Next is the amazing ride quality. The deep rims give the wheel lots of stability and the things just carve like skis on corduroy. Also, while stiff, they are still compliant and are really comfortable while incredibly fast accelerators.
The "sweet spot" is amazing on the 404's. The rims are shaped like a plane's wing, so you get a Bernoulli effect on them. At certain speeds and wind conditions, the wheels have negative lift and accelerate. You'll be riding along and all of a sudden you don't have to pedal anymore. Incredible feeling.
Lastly, they look fuckin' sweet and sounds even sweeter. Even just rolling, it sounds like a jet. Climb out of the saddle next to a concrete wall and you will get serious carbone. At one point I had to retrain myself not to climb with my head off to one side because I was trying to listen to how sweet my wheels sound.
Further thoughts?
@frank
No need for tubulars, unromantic, expensive, messy, really messy to patch. Love the 404 clinchers with the Aluminum braking surface (cork, who wants it?) and I agree that the aero effect will trump any weight issue. I have some vintage Campy Vento wheels on my steel bike. The wheels are not light but the aero profile more than covers any weight issue, especially once they are up to speed, it's all haul ass.
Marko, we will need photos once wheels and bike have co-mingled.
...do it...
@Marko
I have to post a comment to about Cipo in the Zebra kit. The year Acqua e Sapone debuted the Zebra kit - a humorous reference to Cipo's nickname, the Lion King, and the fact that he would be chasing his Zebra lead-out train to the finish line - was his best season ever, 2002 (the photo in this post is from the 2002 Gent-Wevelgem, I believe, which he won). He won MSR, Gent (bridging solo to a breakaway, no less), countless stages in the Giro, at least one but possibly two jerseys in that same Giro, stages in the Vuelta, and the World Championships.
Unbelievable. It is possibly the ugliest kit on the planet, and somehow - between his immense personality, his style on and off the bike, and his results, it transformed into one of the coolest kits ever.
Only the Lion King could pull that off.
@frank
And this is precisely why I'm sticking with my understated raggamuffin kits, because I ain't got the Cipo Chops. Heck, I feel bad enough having labeled the Lion King the Rainbow Turd.
@John. Zipps purchased and on the way. Thanks for the nudge.
Updated pics to follow in the coming weeks.
@frank
You were right that this was the ugliest kit on the planet. And that is where you should have ended, it was never a cool kit. No matter what (drugs) Cipo did that kit was fucking hideous.