Rule #28: “White is old school cool. Black is cool too, but were given a bad image by a Texan whose were too long. If you feel you must go colored, make sure they damn well match your kit.”
You bet white is old school and for good reason, it is the only color of cycling socks that is truly acceptable. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, what color did Merckx wear? What color did Jesus wear in his all-too-short cycling career, Kelly, Coppi, Rik Van Steenbergen, Rik Van Looy, I could go on and on. Not one of them have worn anything but white socks. Years back, black shorts were a regulation of the cyclist’s uniform. It may have not occurred to people to try other colors but black shorts were the only allowed color. Perhaps white socks fell under the same regulations; I’ll let @Oli answer that question. Black socks, god damn it people, are not cool, maybe on a mountain bike while getting wicked air, but not in the world of road riding.
I’m obviously outnumbered by the other Keepers here or the Rule would be three words, “Socks are white.” Every one of the Keeper’s executive board meetings seems to end with me drunkenly banging the table, paraphrasing Bones, “In the name of humanity, Jim, Rule #28 must be revised,” as I slowly slide off my chair and disappear under the table into a puddle of my own sick.
Only in the last fifteen years have the standards been lowered and now it’s a total confusion of bad taste. Again I implore the jury, have we no pride in our guns? A tanned, shaved, well-honed gun can only be properly punctuated by a white sock. Granted the sock pool has become so fouled it’s nearly impossible to even find all-white socks so I won’t be an absolutists (cognoscenti?) but please, mostly white. I won’t even argue length, I find tall socks (Wiggo tall) an abomination but I guess that shows how damn old I am.
Let’s reverse the trend. We have wasted too much energy worrying about podium caps when not many of us are on the podium yet each and every day we ride we make a decision about our socks. If you want to look Pro, get in the know, have a sack, don’t wear black. Write your local Keeper and make your position known.
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@wiscot
I'm going way off topic, but Gazza was part of a "talented" generation of British footballers"”Hoddle, Robson, Butcher, etc."”who were supposed to bring the World Cup "home." But never did, because they were never really that good. The Brits should have fielded a side of Vinnies and run roughshod over the world. The Irish did exactly that in 1990 and scared the bejayzus out of everyone. But they accepted that they were a lunchpail crew"”domestiques everyone. More than twenty years on, though, I still giggle uncontrollably at both those pics.
Back on message. Black.
@wiscot
And he started out at Wimbledon, which was a pretty merciless outfit in the late 1980s.
@Steampunk
Ahem, that would be "talented" English footballers. You know, the ones for whom winning the world cup is their right ever since 1966 and those "Johnny Foreigner" types just keep insisting on ignoring the script and beating them. At least when Scotland (occasionally) qualify, no-one takes their dreams of winning the cup seriously. Alas, England truly "expect" every man will do their duty and bring the cup "home." Frankly, a Frenchman will win the Tour before England next win the World Cup.
@Steampunk
@wiscot
Forget about the roundball game. This and this are what you need to get watching
@Marcus
Any eedjit can play with his hands. It takes a real man to play with his feet...
Cycling socks, no matter what colour, are dorky looking. And that is the cold hard truth. While totally dorky, they can be quite comfy. So I say go ahead, where whatever colour socks you like, this isn't the Milan runway ;)
@Steampunk
looks like Vinnie was using his hands to play with something. Find it more than a little amusing that you see a squirrel grip as being a sign of toughness??
@Steampunk
Queue Oli.
@paolo
That's what I'm sayin' hea'. It does matter.
Paulo, I'm going to let you and G'phant do all my arguments from here on out.
@Marko
cue?