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

chuckp says:

Dec 4 2015 at 9:19 am

@Teocalli

Quite. In response to the “who cares” the answer is “we care”. I could not care less about the opinion of the passing driver as long as a) he sees me and b) he misses me. Mainly coz once one did neither………….

Sometimes for (a) to happen, you have to make a choice between "aesthetically pleasing" and "being seen." Hence, neon yellow is often part of my cycling attire if I know I'm going to out in conditions that lend themselves to being less seen than otherwise, e.g., this time of year for those of us in the northern hemisphere. And why even in daylight I turn on my really annoyingly bright Bontrager Flare R blinky light that can be seen from forever away. It's actually so bright during the day that I had to turn it down to the night setting on one ride because my wife couldn't stand it riding behind me.
Teocalli says:

Dec 4 2015 at 9:28 am

@chuckp

Well I was not in a YJA but as one of my (non cycling) colleagues said after the incident (and after I had recovered) - holy f*&^ how could he not have seen you, you look like Joseph in the multi colour dream coat. It was quite few years ago now.

I tend to eschew fluro but do try to avoid black - though my best rain jacket is black but only because I was given it as part of a corporate package from an event last year.
chuckp says:

Dec 4 2015 at 9:39 am

@Teocalli

@chuckp

Well I was not in a YJA but as one of my (non cycling) colleagues said after the incident (and after I had recovered) – holy f*&^ how could he not have seen you, you look like Joseph in the multi colour dream coat. It was quite few years ago now.

I tend to eschew fluro but do try to avoid black – though my best rain jacket is black but only because I was given it as part of a corporate package from an event last year.

How's this for flouro?
Teocalli says:

Dec 4 2015 at 9:41 am

@chuckp

Sorry can't see any floor there........
Teocalli says:

Dec 4 2015 at 9:42 am

@Teocalli

@chuckp

Sorry can’t see any floor there……..

Damn auto correct - "Can't see any fluro there" obviously.......
chuckp says:

Dec 4 2015 at 9:48 am

@Teocalli

@Teocalli

@chuckp

Sorry can’t see any floor there……..

Damn auto correct – “Can’t see any fluro there” obviously…….

Blinded by the light, eh?
Chipomarc says:

Dec 4 2015 at 9:52 am

@chuckp

@Teocalli

@chuckp

Well I was not in a YJA but as one of my (non cycling) colleagues said after the incident (and after I had recovered) – holy f*&^ how could he not have seen you, you look like Joseph in the multi colour dream coat. It was quite few years ago now.

I tend to eschew fluro but do try to avoid black – though my best rain jacket is black but only because I was given it as part of a corporate package from an event last year.

How’s this for flouro?

Well done indeed, and nice to see that she hasn't spoiled her legs by riding a bike too much.
Ron says:

Dec 4 2015 at 11:13 am

chuckp - Allow me to clarify. I'm thrilled to see all types of folks out on bikes. I choose to not drive, so I ride a bike everywhere. I ride to work sometimes in a t-shirt and shorts with sneakers. Today I rode in full kit. I also am involved in a local cycling advocacy group. I live in one of the fastest growing areas in the U.S., so bike infrastructure is at the point where we better get it in place now, or it's never.

I don't look down on anyone on a bike, though I do find it hard to not pass judgment on those who have a nice bike and let it get dirty and squeaky. But, that's just because I grew up with an engineer/handy-man of all sorts father who taught me to properly care for your tools.

My main point was that I personally care how I look and feel when on/off the bike. I take pride in that. And it would be nice if more people took pride in themselves. I really can't believe how many people I see going around town in pajamas or sweat pants and then the folks in slippers! It's pathetic.

I spend a considerable amount of time trying to get new folks out cycling, as an alternative to using cars. I'm thrilled to see more and more cyclists. But, I won't hear it that I shouldn't care how I look. Looking good and feeling good are both things I like to do!
chuckp says:

Dec 5 2015 at 1:09 pm

@Ron

chuckp – Allow me to clarify. I’m thrilled to see all types of folks out on bikes. I choose to not drive, so I ride a bike everywhere. I ride to work sometimes in a t-shirt and shorts with sneakers. Today I rode in full kit. I also am involved in a local cycling advocacy group. I live in one of the fastest growing areas in the U.S., so bike infrastructure is at the point where we better get it in place now, or it’s never.

I don’t look down on anyone on a bike, though I do find it hard to not pass judgment on those who have a nice bike and let it get dirty and squeaky. But, that’s just because I grew up with an engineer/handy-man of all sorts father who taught me to properly care for your tools.

My main point was that I personally care how I look and feel when on/off the bike. I take pride in that. And it would be nice if more people took pride in themselves. I really can’t believe how many people I see going around town in pajamas or sweat pants and then the folks in slippers! It’s pathetic.

I spend a considerable amount of time trying to get new folks out cycling, as an alternative to using cars. I’m thrilled to see more and more cyclists. But, I won’t hear it that I shouldn’t care how I look. Looking good and feeling good are both things I like to do!

I'm with you about wanting to look good on the bike. Ditto about bicycle care/maintenance. And like you, I marvel at people who don't seem to care (or know) about either. But I try not to pass judgment on folks and try not to be all high and mighty/superior if they don't ride/dress as I do. That was mostly my point. Not saying that you should not want to look good. You should! And looking good is in the eye of the beholder. I have a soft spot for what many of my Velominati brethren would consider ugly, e.g., I love the 90s Mapei kit and the Carrera faux denim cycling shorts. But I also love the classic stuff that we all revere. The riders I will pass judgment on, however, are the poseurs, i.e., those who spend a ton of $$$ on their bikes and kit but who just putz around (same true when I used to ride sportbikes) or just ride to the coffee shop. Not that they have to be racers or the fastest in the bunch, but they can't be total wannabees or quitters.
girl says:

Dec 6 2015 at 4:23 pm

@Chipomarc

'Legs spoiled by cycling'- that's the comment you make to a cycling community? Not only sexist but lacking all logic, for surely cycling shaped legs would be appreciated.

Hopefully you have good form on a bike sir, as you are lacking form in other areas.