It has not escaped my attention that as I’ve evolved away from my original profession as a software developer and moved towards systems and solutions architecture and management, that I have tended to focus more on the theoretical aspects that support its fundamental principles rather than on the discrete activities that drive its execution. Being further removed from the work, it appears, causes one to become more philosophical about the labor.

And so it is with Cycling; the shorter days of the winter months carry with them a certain introspection that we don’t encounter during the summer when we feast on The V on a regular basis. With this perspective, it is not a wonder that Looking Fantastic has been front of mind these past few weeks. After all, Looking Fantastic, as I already said last week, is all I have at times like these. If this is starting to feel repetitive to you, then I ask your forgiveness. But I write more for my own pleasure than I do for yours, so you’ll just have to put up with it. Or stop reading; that’s an option too.

The subject of Looking Fantastic brings up an important point: what is it that allows some people to always look amazing and others to always look crap? The secret lies in the fact that Style isn’t about what you wear, but about how you wear it. Fit, placement, and the choices of what bits to combine with others are key elements, but none of it will work without a healthy dose of attitude and certain je ne sais  quoi. Coppi, Bobet, Anquetil, Merckx, de Vlaeminck, Hinault, Fignon, Kelly, LeMond, Bugno, Cipollini, Millar. These are all riders who raced on teams with what is objectively ugly kit and turned them into icons of the sport.

Every day I get emails from readers who are seeking advice on what is and isn’t allowed in accordance with The Rules. What color socks are acceptable, how much yellow is needed before it becomes a YJA, are flashers allowed on a bike, are mud guards (fenders) acceptable – and what about race blades, does a rolled-up sock under the saddle make it an EPMS.  (Any, any, yes, yes, yes, and yes.)

But all these questions miss the point. The first order of business is to ride our bikes. Period. The second order of business is to come home safely from the ride, so we may repeat the pattern. We all live in different environments and have differing degrees of risk we are willing to accept as part of doing The Great Work. Based on those criteria, our job as Aesthetes is not to reject them, but through some alchemy make them Look Fantastic. A prime example being the question of sock color: white is both the most classic and the most distinguished – the obvious choice. But grimy socks are only beautiful if you’re coming home from a ride, not when you’re leaving for one. So if you can’t keep them clean, then make another choice. Style.

With these concepts held firmly in our minds, the following list serves only as example situations wherein Style is applied in order to accommodate specific choices required in order to feel comfortable riding in your environment and repeating the process.

  1. High visibility gear. Keep it classy; you don’t have to join the Light Brigade in order to be visible. A lot of black bad-weather kit like shoe covers and rain jerseys and jackets include reflective seams which are unobtrusive when a light isn’t shining on them. I’ve used black reflective tape to cover the crank arms, chain stays, and head tube of my Nine Bike to great success. It is nearly invisible in normal conditions, but lights up light a Christmas tree when a car’s headlights shine on it.
  2. Flasher lights. By all means, use them – especially in rain and in low-light conditions. Front and back. But that doesn’t mean you have to affix lights permanently; find small, elegant yet bright lights that give the viewer a seizure but still only attach to your frame by rubber band so they come on and off quickly and easily. And for Merckx’s sake, take them off before photographing your bike.
  3. Mud Guards. A perfect example of a clear contravention of the philosophical bylaws of Rule #9, yet not being strictly banned by The Rules. If you’re going to adorn your bike in fenders, do so tastefully and make sure they are mounted properly so as to be entirely silent. And if you use mudguards, note that they look much more stylish with low-hanging mudflaps. Visual counter-balance.
  4. Helmets. Don’t wear them without Sunnies. This is very often neglected, and it is very distressing. They add a lot of visual weight to your head, so you need to ease it back by wearing some sweet shades. If you’re riding in the rain or cold, add a cycling cap. And if you’re riding in the rain or cold and you can’t keep wearing your cool cat shades, then tuck them into your helmet’s vents. If they don’t fit in there, buy another helmet or other shades. Again: counter-balance.
  5. Tights. I understand it gets cold where you live. And yes, they look worse than knee warmers or knickers. All tights make even the most rad guns look amorphic, that’s the problem with them. So you have to introduce some visual aides to break up the monolith. Leg warmers are a start over tights, with the extra seams provided by the cuffs on the bibs. Contrasting sock color is another strong move. A seam below the knees is even better. And full tights with stirrups belong in ballet class, don’t try that at home, kids.
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.

View Comments

  • I'm currently meditating on sock colour. White shoes, always, and I usually wear white socks. But I've been given some nice socks which are red. I tend to wear kits with plenty of red in them, but I'm really not sure about the red socks.

    And I use a Yellow Gillet of Authority quite regularly but I'm not going to go on about it. When conditions require it, I'm quite happy with the appearance.

  • In the interests of riding all year on the wet coast, the winter bike now has fenders, better than a permanent racing stripe up my ass.Lights because at 5:30 am I not only want drivers to see me but I would like to see where I am going. Leg warmers and knickers so my knees don't bitch at me too much. I am contemplating full tights but haven't gone there yet, I guess it will depend on how much of a wimp I am as the weather gets colder.

  • Very interesting piece, Sir Frank - and for some reason it reminded me of something Bob Dylan wrote: "To live outside the law, you must be honest". One cannot always uphold what has been accepted as the standard, perhaps, but one can at least strive to maintain as high a personal standard as can be achieved - and that also applies while riding alone and in harsh conditions, of course.

  • Though The Rules can be tough to fathom for a neophyte, I find that there aren't any grey areas and they solve all questions that cross my mind. When I'm pulling out kit for the next morning's ride, if I'm debating on this or that, I just think about the Rules, and the problem is solved.

    Even on my daily commute to work, I make sure to look awesome. After a cold, wet, snowy winter here last year (unusual for these parts) I'm setting us a SS commuter this year. Cleaning your drivetrain daily on the commuter bike ain't no fun. Now I just have to try and fit fenders with very low tire clearance. I feel significant cursing come on...

    Though is is classic, I think white socks with black shoes looks baaaaad. I'll wear white with white or silver shoes, but my black cross shoes always get black socks. Plus, cx riding ain't good for light colored socks.

  • I still need a coffee this morning, but was "je ne saix quio" intentional?

    Je ne sais quoi. 

    S'il vous plait.  :)

  • Let me preface this post by stating I live in Southwest Arizona, the need for leg warmers is beyond rare. I just recently acquired a pair after not having them for years...

    So, how does one interface leg warmers with socks and make the whole package (Bibs, warmers, and socks) come together and look good?

  • What I find depressing is that the number of roadies with serious Rules violations are much greater than the number doing it right. Seems like we're lacking a middle ground. I either see local roadies who fancy themselves as PROs but are trying too hard and lack style, or folks who look like they just picked up everything they own at the local chain bike shop last weekend.

    Where are all the Casually Deliberate folks with both appreciation for fine bikes and some classiness?

  • @frank

    And don't forget the sweet shades, bulging neck artery, and the can of coke poking out of the back pocket

  • @Coach Props

    @frank

    And don’t forget the sweet shades, bulging neck artery, and the can of coke poking out of the back pocket

    Or the fact that the passenger has pulled in the rear view mirror so that it will not impede LeMan in any way. That's attention to detail.

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