Keep this on the massage table
We all know where I stand in the cycling sock department, white and not too tall, any color sock as long as it’s white. If you have diminished calves and need to somehow hide that by wearing too tall socks, that is sad but not a crime. I always thought I was less flexible on color than height. Today I’ve changed my mind.
I was in the car when I saw a cyclist in a long sleeve, all white Rock Racing kit. Rock Racing, interesting choice, not a team I would want make believe I rode for but it was tidy. This was matched with a white helmet and white shoes and for an elitist snob like myself it was all fine. It would have been all fine barring the white knee length compression stockings! I don’t even know what compression stockings are or what they supposedly do but for his sake they had better not be just white knee length cycling socks. He had better have a severe medical condition to justify that look.
Doctor: You have a condition known as “Catholic School Girl”. If you don’t wear white knee socks your legs will fall off or you will become wildly promiscuous, but in your case most likely the first.
How can one misstep so quickly change everything? I’ve seen other cyclist in high compression socks but matching them to an all white kit is somehow saying, yes, I still have it going on here, I look Pro. FFS, I now regret not turning the car around so I could have pulled along side and asked what he thought he was doing. Or at least taken a photo for this article. Or issued a V-ticket for visual effrontery. Or nudged him off the road into a ditch.
There ought to be a Rule! Rule #28 needs an addendum with this compression thing out there. Eddy had no idea this was coming. If the Velominati are to keep ahead of these trends we better get on this now, before it is too late.
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Holy shit, this thread is so full of win I don't know where to start!
@Gianni
I said I was saying so myself. I don't need the entire community disagreeing. And after last week's abdominal debacle (adominacle?) I won't be fanning that fire.
@frank
I'd say a gun. The crossbow at least gets points for novelty. Point made, though.
@Gianni
It's the diagnostic manual for Psychiatric illnesses, originally intended to be a pocket pamphlet, but now a thing thicker than a New York phone book. Now I a'int no Psychiatrist (due in part to my aversion to turtle necks) but I'm pretty sure all of those "personality disorders" can be streamlined to just "asshole" for adults and "brat" for kids.
@tessar
This is what a real Kenyan looks like
No socks in sight.
I happen to like black sox too. White and black. But that's not why I'm posting this am. Sorry if I'm hijacking a good thread.
The CIRC report. Is it even worth discussing? Does anyone really give a rat's a** about this? I was reading a Velosnooze article this am and they quoted one pro, "it was just all political bullshit, anyway". Amen to that. I can't help but think that "doping", "PEDs" or whatever we want to call it, is so much more prevalent in HS and college sports and BIG money football and baseball, etc that cycling is WAY overdoing the falling on the sword kinda sentiment.And this business now of thinking that maybe the athletes need to be available for testing in the wee hours? WTF... 24/7 365 if you wanna make a living in this sport. And for what?? For 99.9% of participants the financial part of the equation is not gonna have 'em retiring comfortably early. I swear, if the folks responsible for this part of the business would just quietly go about doing what they do, and getting better about it, progress will continue to be made and attn can be focused on the events, the competition and the cyclists. I don't know, maybe all this introspection and political BS is necessary part of getting better? But if so, let's say it WAS necessary and now it's time to move on... just a thought, cheers all.
@The Grande Fondue
Real runners wear splits.
At least distance runners. Just saying, Meb wore compression socks and looked fantastic doing so.
@wilburrox
The most interesting part of it for me was about the levels of doping at amateur and lower-pro status.
It's been my view for quite a while that this is now the major issue for cycling - a whole load of people are learning either that they can get away with it, or that it is the way to rise up the ranks. And it explains some of the riders who come up and then don't achieve, Tiernan-Locke for example.
On compression gear, one of the things I loved about doing the Sharjah tours and staying in a hotel with all the other teams was that you could walk around wearing compression tights under your casual shorts without feeling in the least bit out of place.
But strictly for recovery. While riding is Very Bad, verging on triathlonesque.
@ChrisO
Is there a -1 badge?
@Geoff Mochrie
If I HAD to wear them on medical advice, and HAD to wear them whilst riding, I would HAVE to wear them under biblongs, or 3/4 bib knicks and pretend they were leg warmers. No way on earth would I want my fellow Velominati knowing I had a weakness they could exploit...
Had an idea a few years ago to make a compression neck sleeve. Very tight and hard to put on but completely cured triathletitis.
That and the compression skullcap for finals week or chess tournaments.
The benefits of compression are limitless. Malnutrition, erectile disfunction, you name it!