Categories: IrreverenceKitMusings from the V-Bunker

The Punter

Socks over the booties? Please say it ain't so.

They say you can measure the quality of a man’s character by his ability to admit when he’s wrong. That in itself seems wrong, since it would obviously be better to be right in the first place, but I’m probably missing the point because I’m Dutch and everyone knows Dutch people are 97% more righter 84% of the time than the rest of the world.

I must confess to a certain hubris when it comes to kitting up for a ride; I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I’ve gotten accustomed to making good decisions about what to wear and how to wear it. But today I strayed from the path: my socks were carefully and deliberately pulled out over the tops of my overshoes. Not only is it the most concrete evidence that my socks are too long, it looked like I had two orange gaskets stuck to my ankles. Not to mention that this resulted in only a tiny amount of my shins being exposed between my knee warmers and socks.

Sometimes we must stray from the Path in order to understand where it lies; today I have wandered far indeed but have found my way back. Do not lose faith and always seek to return to the Path.

VLVV.

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

frank says:

Dec 2 2015 at 6:59 am

@RobSandy

@Velodeluded

@RobSandy

They are DeFeet Slipstreams, I own a natty pair in orange. Other than look pro and keep your feet slightly warmer than usual they are not waterproof/resistant. Hope this helps…

Ta. I’m getting a bit sick of drying my shoes inside and out after every single ride (if the roads are damp water ends up inside my shoes). Also, I’m a bit worried my shoes are starting to rot apart.

Forget the dream of dry shoes; never gonna happen.

Instead, pop down to the local store and pick up some shoe dryers. They have the shoes 99% dry overnight, and keep the funky smell out as well.
frank says:

Dec 2 2015 at 7:12 am

@Mike C

You want to make sure you let the magnums breathe for maximum V deployment.

http://www.velominati.com/look-pro/look-pro-flandrian-best/

@tessar

@frank

It doesn’t mean your socks were too long, it means you wore the wrong-length booties. DeFeet make the Slipstreams in 6″ too, to suit socks long enough for you & I.

Ugh. That sounds like doubling down on a losing hand.
Steampunk says:

Dec 2 2015 at 7:52 am

@frank

@Haldy

I’m going to say that if bare legs and overshoes is good enough for King Kelly, it’s good enough for the rest of us…as long as you can pedal your way up the Koppenberg…right @frank?

Abso-fucking-lutely.

Although no one pedals up that Koppenberg anymore since they repaved it…almost can’t call it the same climb! Still the nastiest, bumpiest, shittest hill in Belgium.

This from 1986? It looks to me that Bauer's got this one right. If you can bare your knees, why would you pamper your toes? It's not like you even need toes.
Steampunk says:

Dec 2 2015 at 7:55 am

Also on Dutchie rightitude: tulip-based economy and building a fucking country below sea-level.
Steampunk says:

Dec 2 2015 at 7:55 am

And orange: what the holy fuck??
RobSandy says:

Dec 2 2015 at 7:56 am

@Steampunk

@frank

@Haldy

I’m going to say that if bare legs and overshoes is good enough for King Kelly, it’s good enough for the rest of us…as long as you can pedal your way up the Koppenberg…right @frank?

Abso-fucking-lutely.

Although no one pedals up that Koppenberg anymore since they repaved it…almost can’t call it the same climb! Still the nastiest, bumpiest, shittest hill in Belgium.

This from 1986? It looks to me that Bauer’s got this one right. If you can bare your knees, why would you pamper your toes? It’s not like you even need toes.

On another note, check out Kelly's guns. Who has muscles like that in their shins? Fucking hell.
Steampunk says:

Dec 2 2015 at 8:01 am

@RobSandy

The booties only obscure some of that magnificence.

Here's a Graham Watson pic from a couple of seconds earlier. Smaller, but in colour:
frank says:

Dec 2 2015 at 8:08 am

@Steampunk

Also on Dutchie rightitude: tulip-based economy and building a fucking country below sea-level.

You've got to be pretty fucking right to pull that shit off, son.

@Steampunk

And orange: what the holy fuck??
Steampunk says:

Dec 2 2015 at 8:19 am

@frank

At least you're not wearing slippers over your shoes in this pic. Although: burnt orange burns my retinas.

Too: Big Bird's got bigger guns than that!
Matt says:

Dec 2 2015 at 8:26 am

It sounds like I'm in the minority here, but having my feet covered keeps me far warmer than having my legs covered. Arm warmers, a gilet, and booties have been sufficient in my experience. My knees and shins are probably the last thing to get cold.

I was originally unsure, but I think booties look fine sans knee warmers. Never without arm warmers though.