The Rules, of course, are a sort of reference guide for those of us who may need a little bit of help making sure we act and look Fantastic at all times, whether on or near the bike. However much they are steeped in the history of our sport, they are by their very nature incomplete and always evolving, subject to the continuous development of the sport. They are also greatly influenced by the little things the Pros do, mostly because they invariably look better than any of us and, due to the immense number of hours they spend on the bicycle, have figured a thing or two out that we can learn from without having to interrupt our beer drinking or stop critiquing them from the comfort of our sofas.
However influential the Pros may be in determining The Rules, their actions are still subject to Good Taste, and should they violate that ever-important element, their actions will never find their way into the cannon. Conversely, they may also – through the sheer volume of the V they are able to channel – transcend The Rules and venture into Velomitopia despite any garish choice of aesthetics they may choose. Il Pirata’s bandana comes to mind, as does Gilbert’s up-flipped cap; if we are to try such things ourselves, we would be damned to an eternity of indoor windtrainer intervals.
Which brings me to the subject of the Carrera Jeans bibshorts. Taken out of context, these are perhaps the worst idea anyone has ever had since putting an ejector seat in a helicopter with no detachable rotors. But put in the context of Il Diablo and his 232 km escape to Sestriere, those fake denim bibs are, in my mind, some of the coolest bits of cycling kit ever created. Rule Violation? Absolutely. Looked all kinds of Awesome on Chiappucci? Fuck yeah. Horrible helmet notwithstanding.
You just won’t be seeing me sporting a pair, is all.
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I hear Rock Racing will make a kit using Rock and Republic jeans
ok ladies, go ahead and drink the purple kool-aid, but I am not....pass it on down the line and pass an espresso please, I'm donning my Castelli's and heading out to race
Its a dark secret, but I am going to tell you one, even PRO's make mistakes. Its the unwritten Rule. There are not many mistakes, but it happens and denim kits are the equivalent of JimJones dose of cyanide laced kool-aid...a big mistake
Oh, you don't think, go ahead mary, put'm on, go down to your Thursday night world championship crit/race/ride and see what your buddies say....go ahead.
I just can't believe it has generated so many 'cool' comments or 'yeah, I'd like some cause I ride steel too'.
I'm w/jeff on this one, somethings are best handled w/a turn of the head for a moment til it passes like when your buddy who slept with the ugly girl at the bar the night before, turn your head, give him some dignity for a moment, he'll realize what he did and shake her off.
Thats what we should do to the denim kit
You notice who's conspicuously missing from this discussion? Mr. Frank. Like one of those guys who gets folks all riled up at a bar or dinner party, then stealths off into a corner and watches the mayhem slowly unfold.
@Marcello
Yeesh. Looks like a skinny Bjarne Riis.
Coincidence is a funny thing. As if anyone reading this site was contemplating buying a pair of vile "denim"-look shorts, I have a suggestion that will help you look shit for less. And let's face it, if you're going to deliberately look like shit, there's no point spending $$$$ doing so. This morning I was at a popular high-volume mass market retailer. In the clearance section were "denim"-look leggings. Printed on seams, pockets and all. $4.50. They were in the knicker-style mode, but with fall just around the corner they could be just right if you are so inclined. Just sayin' . . . .
OK people. FOCUS now...!
There's a grand tour on you know. Lets not let this herring suck up all the oxygen.
Its a mountain stage and Saussler's in the break goddamit!
wiscot - I've seen some curvy well-built gals in those faux denim tights/leggings. Dual thumbs up from me. Now, if we can just get the muffin-topped tubbies to quite wearing leggings in public...
Alright, back on topic. How many of you had ever heard of Elia Viviani before yesterday? He's news to me.
@eightzero
By the way, this article in NO WAY sanctions the purchasing of this item. See the below for any questions.
@Ron
I'm looking at you.
@Jeff in PetroMetro
I'm surprised you have to ask. Hill Repeats. Preferably 25 reps of Haleakala.
@Abdu
Chiappucci, in spite of my inability to spell his name without looking it up, was also one of my childhood heros, starting with his rockin' shades in '91 and being solidified by the break I mentioned in the article, up to Sestriere. I hated him in 1990, though, probably because he wasn't wearing the blue jeans.
Assuming you're only talking about doing the build on the bike, that era of Dura-Ace (with DT shifters, not STI) was the only incarnation of Shimano that rivals Campa for beauty. Those brake levers were a work of art. Absolutely top shelf. Just don't put the DT shifters on SIS and attach them to a Cannonwhale's massive down tube; each click from a shift might as well have been a gun going off, signaling that you were shifting. CLICK!!
But the shape of those brake levers, with the metal trim on along the hoods, and the single-pivot brakeset...be still my beating heart. I'll look forward to seeing pictures of your rebuild on The Bikes.