Style Police?

852Kompol

Been in Road cycling for sometime and actually have some proper cycle wear now.
But there's the Problem- What to wear and how(as it what should not be worn together).
Go Full Euro- with White kit?
Full Velomanti- With Black kit?
Skinsuits/Aerosuit- Are they strictly for racing?
Aero-Overshoes- Do they make you look like a dumb dumb?
Or just simply roll in whatever takes your fancy?

I currently wear either skinsuits(for short rides) and bib/jersey (Mostly black w/ white or red panels) but I do have a Yellow Boardman skinsuit...

and recently being pointed out by a fellow friend saying my style is almost horrible.(the list is below, to save dignity, I shall not take a photo in such kit)
White POC octal AERO raceday helmet.(Crime 1 for a stupid looking lid)
White/Black Oakley Jawbreaker shades.(Crime 2 for not using POC eyewear with said helmet)
Black Castelli Prologo 4 Jersey with red trims.
Black Mavic helium Bib with white Panels.
Black/White Assos calf length socks
Black Bont Vapor+ shoes
Fluro Yellow Castelli nanocover Aero-over shoes(Crime 3, horrid colour co-ordination crime! I use them to keep my shoes and socks in slightly better condition)

bompington

Yes, absolutely.

Rigga

852Kompol wrote:

Been in Road cycling for sometime and actually have some proper cycle wear now.
But there's the Problem- What to wear and how(as it what should not be worn together).
Go Full Euro- with White kit?
Full Velomanti- With Black kit?
Skinsuits/Aerosuit- Are they strictly for racing?
Aero-Overshoes- Do they make you look like a dumb dumb?
Or just simply roll in whatever takes your fancy?

I currently wear either skinsuits(for short rides) and bib/jersey (Mostly black w/ white or red panels) but I do have a Yellow Boardman skinsuit...

and recently being pointed out by a fellow friend saying my style is almost horrible.(the list is below, to save dignity, I shall not take a photo in such kit)
White POC octal AERO raceday helmet.(Crime 1 for a stupid looking lid)
White/Black Oakley Jawbreaker shades.(Crime 2 for not using POC eyewear with said helmet)
Black Castelli Prologo 4 Jersey with red trims.
Black Mavic helium Bib with white Panels.
Black/White Assos calf length socks
Black Bont Vapor+ shoes
Fluro Yellow Castelli nanocover Aero-over shoes(Crime 3, horrid colour co-ordination crime! I use them to keep my shoes and socks in slightly better condition)

Get a grip man and just ride your bike!

Anonymous

It only matters if you are the kind of person who cares about that sort of thing. I like to think I look acceptable but my other cycling mates still laugh at me.

At the end of the day, you are (likely to be) a middle aged man with a bit of a paunch in what constitutes wresting gear in some countries.

Dwell on this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygeWsoYYMuQ

whoof

Wear whatever you want, including nothing but I would save that for World Naked Bike Ride Day.

Out of interest you say you are currently wearing a skinsuit, and nothing else? It's early February last week it was just above 0 when I went out. And what do you do with money, keys, food, waterproof/gillet.. with no pockets. I don't think I can recall anyone riding in a skinsuit who wasn't in a timetrial or crit.

This is nothing to do with style just practical. It colder in the winter than the summer and carrying stuff in pockets is handy, skinsuit are also more hassle if you stop for a pee.

milemuncher1

Wear whatever doesn't leave you walking like John Wayne, after a ride. I often get kit snobs telling me what I should and shouldn't wear (normally with an adenoidal twang). My cycling clobber doesn't always look 'conventional', but it keeps me comfy / warm / dry / cool / not sweaty, so there. I also wear one of 2 full aero 'track' lids, that leaves the kit knobbers practically incandescent with rage.

AK_jnr

Skinsuit is a massive no for me unless racing. I dont wear aero covers racing but obviously overshoes are fine, unless you are wearing shorts. Lol

Secteur

black, black, black and everything black (except the shoes which should be white, but with black over shoes)

DO NOT do any of that fluoro nonsense (way too 2012/2013 and just looks ridiculous)

Anonymous

Fluoro is back in.

852Kompol

whoof wrote:

Wear whatever you want, including nothing but I would save that for World Naked Bike Ride Day.

Out of interest you say you are currently wearing a skinsuit, and nothing else? It's early February last week it was just above 0 when I went out. And what do you do with money, keys, food, waterproof/gillet.. with no pockets. I don't think I can recall anyone riding in a skinsuit who wasn't in a timetrial or crit.

This is nothing to do with style just practical. It colder in the winter than the summer and carrying stuff in pockets is handy, skinsuit are also more hassle if you stop for a pee.

Being in the Far East(Hong Kong if you really want to know) We rarely get temperature lower than 5 degrees, which is fine for me if I had my arm warmers with me...1 of my skinsuit has 2 traditional pockets and the other had a zip safety pocket... normal only tools+tube+CO2, phone, keys, cash. arm warmers(only for the standard pocket one) so I rarely do anything above 50Km in the skinsuits...and No saddle bag as well(Monolink Saddles are the reason, I am not too much of a weight weenie)...

AK_jnr wrote:

I dont wear aero covers racing but obviously overshoes are fine, unless you are wearing shorts. Lol

Guess That's a 4th Crime then... I did ride a lot in Shorts with shoe covers.

simon_masterson

Some people will judge you for going out training/recreational riding in aero gear, but who cares?

keef66

You do know the Velominati thing is a joke rather than a byelaw?

Wear whatever you like as long as it's not a see-through skin-suit.

Second thoughts, since you're half a planet away, wear whatever you like.

rumbataz

It's cool to be a bloke with a belly in Lycra! It's the new in-thing for 2016.

jgsi

weird thread for this time of year... worrying about skinsuitedness in 3 deg and wet?
and anyone who mentions POC gear = well 'enough said.. even professional riders have turned down contracts when they heard they had to kitted out in the stuff.
My photo shows , I am the very epitome of co ordinated style, of course

ForumNewbie

Secteur wrote:

black, black, black and everything black (except the shoes which should be white, but with black over shoes)

DO NOT do any of that fluoro nonsense (way too 2012/2013 and just looks ridiculous)

But if fluoro helps get you seen at this time of year, that's what matters.

SFT

Never white shorts; especially in the rain.....

mummybear007

Crikey all sounds a bit... Well er.... Serious... lol As Rigga said just ride yer bike!!

DeVlaeminck

Nowt wrong with looking good on the bike so long as it doesn't become about taking the piss out of others. The OPs kit sounds pretty good to me, skinsuit for training sounds a bit over the top but more from a practicality angle.

My take is there are some things which do (imo) just look rubbish on a road bike but just as I don't spend an hour choosing my clothing to go to work or stress that my shoes don't match my strides if I'm shopping in Sainsbury's it shouldn't really matter if we don't reach the sartorial standards of Cippollini on every ride.

DavidJB

This post is everything that's wrong with cycling today.

pblakeney

He didn't care. Why should you?

bianchimoon

JGSI wrote:

weird thread for this time of year... worrying about skinsuitedness in 3 deg and wet?
and anyone who mentions POC gear = well 'enough said.. even professional riders have turned down contracts when they heard they had to kitted out in the stuff.
My photo shows , I am the very epitome of co ordinated style, of course

got to agree to the POC sentiments, style not top of the list (or anywhere downwards from there) when designing that gear, do they have a tie up with lego design department?

daniel_b

coriordan wrote:

Fluoro is back in.

Fluoro has never been out ;-)

step83

I usually rock lots of bright orange (Mr Tango) over winter ive had a yellow fluro jacket too. Style police would have shot me by now.

thegreatdivide

JGSI wrote:

even professional riders have turned down contracts when they heard they had to kitted out in the stuff

Total nonsense.

bianchimoon

thegreatdivide wrote:

JGSI wrote:

even professional riders have turned down contracts when they heard they had to kitted out in the stuff

Total nonsense.

Not sure JGSI was being 100% serious

wolfsbane2k

Sod the style police, it's the weather/temperature police I worry about.

And as to the flouro police - stand out, it's safer. I've been laughed many times for commuting in fluro leg warmers with brown shorts & black overshoes, but since they are the bits that move the most, and it's movement that helps others identify you, I like to think it's added contrast

ryanshattered

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

Sod the style police, it's the weather/temperature police I worry about.

And as to the flouro police - stand out, it's safer. I've been laughed many times for commuting in fluro leg warmers with brown shorts & black overshoes, but since they are the bits that move the most, and it's movement that helps others identify you, I like to think it's added contrast

Nice bright lights, one flashing, one steady at each end, on night or day - far more effective for standing out imo.
I run a Moon Comet on the front of my helmet on 50 lumen flash and it is really good for getting drivers' attention at roundabouts, junctions etc yet not so bright that it blinds everybody.

I still have a fair bit of fluoro kit, but these days I'm more interested in ensuring plenty of reflectives and just getting brightish colours that I actually like aesthetically when shopping for new stuff.

navrig2

Who gives a toss?

SpeedyMcBride

First ever reply;

I don't care what others think, I just wear whatever will keep me cool/warm (couldnt afford a skinsuit....yet lol)
For the winter I wear a plain longsleeve Aultra jersey with castelli bigtights

Summer time?
I usually wear my Garmin Sharp, or Cannondale Garmin jersey.
Others may think wearing pro jerseys are stupid but that's they're opinion but for me, those pro jerseys add a bit of fun to rides; they're nicer looking; you can trust you're getting good quality; and I'm supporting my team and sport.

Someday I would like to get aero shoe covers too...but first I need winter ones lol! I've went through many winters of having wet, cold, numb feet

Overall, I'd say I'm more of a colour coordinated person, I'm the only person I should be judging anyway and I'm the only person that should be judging me

wolfsbane2k

ryanshattered wrote:

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

Sod the style police, it's the weather/temperature police I worry about.

And as to the flouro police - stand out, it's safer. I've been laughed many times for commuting in fluro leg warmers with brown shorts & black overshoes, but since they are the bits that move the most, and it's movement that helps others identify you, I like to think it's added contrast

Nice bright lights, one flashing, one steady at each end, on night or day - far more effective for standing out imo.
I run a Moon Comet on the front of my helmet on 50 lumen flash and it is really good for getting drivers' attention at roundabouts, junctions etc yet not so bright that it blinds everybody.

I still have a fair bit of fluoro kit, but these days I'm more interested in ensuring plenty of reflectives and just getting brightish colours that I actually like aesthetically when shopping for new stuff.

Oh, I'm light mad too . Cateye Nanoshot+ on hyperconstant, Aldi's moon comet knockoffs etc, +light on helmet too.
But what I'm finding as a driver looking for cyclists is the "spot" of the LED mean that distance is difficult to determine - and you can't see the rider behind them. Therefore 2 x legs in fluro (for daylight) with reflective points (for nighttime) spinning away is a lot better at allowing a driver to judge distance - from the 2x legs, you can determine width, which you can then correlate to a person, and therefore to a likely distance. And as you get closer, they get bigger - even better to allow judge of distance.
Edit: Most of my cycling is on very dark country lanes/B roads with undulations etc, and cars passing at 50-60mph every few minutes. So my rules don't necessarily apply to city cycling.

And since my default shops for cycling clothing are in the lidl/decathlon/aldi price range and I'm >XXL, aesthetics mean nothing, it's all about fit.

milemuncher1

Navrig2 wrote:

Who gives a toss?

Exactly