Someone should start a RBW-rider fashion plate collection. I'm about to comment on bike clothing/fashion, and that makes me chuckle because my 22-year-old daughter often jokes about"Dad fashions" -- I still have baggy pleated khakis from the late 1980s or early '90s. OTOH, one of my daughter's currently fashionable pair of shoes is a pair of Addias Sambas.
I use my bike for getting to places and I don't like a baggy, untucked appearance, so I've worked out cycling-comfortable clothing that is sufficiently dignified for the mature rider (few things more contemptible than old people in 20-something deshabille). Warm weather: I found trim but non-constricting, straight-bottom "bush" shirts made from synthetic wicking fabric and rear ventilation mesh and flap that does not easily wrinkle on remainder at Kohl's (also available elsewhere) in white taterstall-type check and pretty sky blue, and bought half a dozen. For church I pair these with 1 of 2 pairs of very light REI nylon pants in sage or sand with snaps for rolling up the legs to either knicker- or [long] shorts-lengths -- or, on sub-70* mornings, before 40* temp rise, tucking into socks. I bought a pair of Specialized black canvas flat-bottomed SPD cycling shoes that forgo any technical or roadie appearance -- one day hope God willing to replace these with better-looking leather Dromartis -- that let me stand during 2-hour Slavic Orthodox liturgies without undue foot pain. I wear lightweight black PI mid-calf socks, very amusingly labled "R" and "L." Winter is easy. I have 8 or so dress-quality Merino wool pullovers, crew or faux-turtleneck or full turtleneck in heather browns, heather olives, dark reds, heather grays, and black -- all from Goodwill. Over these I wear a dark-sky-blue Leatt cycling jacket, light shell with light lining, to which which I had armpit zippers added -- the best upper-body clothing modification I've had done, and really useful on 20*F mornings when you ride back at 50+*. If it's cold enough outbound I'll add a charcoal Ibex mid-weight stretch wool vest with zip-up crew neck to which I had added a snap-fasten neck cinch. I pair these with either a pair of dark gray heather Osloh jeans (much modified to make them fit, g-dammit, because the were cut for 2016 hipster style and not cycling comfort; and I had tailor remove the stupidly useless "chain pad" on inside right bottom leg and some of the pocket complications while adding Velcro closure to the stupidly shallow and unprotected right hip key pocket); or with black syntho Endura cycling pants, also heavily modified from the original hipster waist, with legs pegged and ankle zippers added; or -- the acme of cycling fashion -- a pair of medium gray Nordstrom men's dress flannels tailored into cycling knickers with wind-blocking lining sewn into the front and matchin-color outer wear lining sewn into the seat. Summer, dress or casual, I wear one of a much worn collection of stylish retro cycling caps that Nashbar was blowing out -- all teams *at least* 50 years defunct (latest? Mercier/BP? I've got a Legnano and 2 Moltenis), this collection augmented by a few remaining custom caps in old-fashioned fabrics and a recent collection of Rivendell cycling caps in various colors. In winter I have a well-used Walz wool cap with earflaps, a PI synthetic ditto, and various knit and padded headgear for even colder weather. Plush-lined leather surplus German polizei gauntlets from wonderful government surplus remainderer and cold weather sporting gear purveyor Verusteleka with a variety of wool and silk and nylon over- and under-layers. Winter is wool and wool wicks, insulates when wet, and never stinks. The big defect of otherwise wonderfully Synthetic jerseys and shirt for hot weather riding is the stink. Tips for minimizing this: first, start clean. Secondly, as long as your wear has been riding and not standing around socially, upon return home rinse top -- knit jersey, woven bus shirt -- in 1 gallon of water, lightly press out water, and hang-drip-dry. I can get 8 hours out of a cycling top that without this would stink after a half-hour ride. I tried 1 or 2 very nice Pendleton shirts, but the cut made them bind and the collars chafed. I'd like to find trim -- no g-damned flapping! (but not binding in shoulders and armpits) -- bush shirts with ventilation flap in pure cotton, rayon, or linen; anyone have suggestions? On Sun, Sep 10, 2023 at 1:08 PM Brian Turner <brokeb...@gmail.com> wrote: > While I don’t consider myself the most stylish of dressers, what I wear > daily is also what works for me well on the bike. I have never liked the > idea of bike-specific clothing, so I’ve gravitated towards daily wear that > also functions perfectly while riding. My bike friends have noted that I > almost always wear some sort of button-up shirt, so I guess that is my > “style”, for lack of a better word. In the summer, I prefer long-sleeve, > roomy shirts that are lightweight and allow for venting or flapping in the > breeze. My current favorite summer shirts are somewhat technical fabric (I > think), and are various levels of UPF for that important sun protection. I > have probably five shirts made by Howler Brothers, and specifically their > “Matagorda” shirt. It’s kinda like those fishing shirts you see men wearing > but a bit more stylish and without those beachy pastel colors. I find them > ultra comfortable on hot days, and your body stays cooler with less exposed > skin. For footwear, my summer choice is either Vans or Five Ten for that > good grip on flat pedals. I haven’t really arrived at a preferred pair of > shorts… usually whatever works fine for me. > > For Fall and Winter, I’m either wearing my Kitsbow Icon or my Pendleton > Canyon shirts (both are the same weight Pendleton wool). The Kitsbow is > pricey and technical and you can no longer buy them unfortunately. I like > the fit, but the Pendleton Canyon is more relaxed and casual (think > old-school cowboy wear). Pair either of these shirts with a wool t-shirt or > long-sleeve base layer and you are all set for cool weather riding. All of > my pants are typically slim-cut, so I never have any issues with the cuff > getting caught up in the drivetrain. My favorite riding pants are from when > Levis used to make a line of “bike commuter” pants. They’re like heavy > duty, gusseted-crotch chinos with a combination of cotton and spandex for a > bit of stretch. I have two pair, but unfortunately they no longer make > them… but they’re amazing. I also prefer to bike in Blundstone boots during > the colder months of the year. They are actually quite nice for pedaling. > > I should also note that I never wear chamois or bibs, ever. I sweat too > much, and the thought of sitting on a wet sponge causing all that nasty > friction kinda grosses me out. Just wool boxers, whatever pants I’m > wearing, and a leather saddle. That combo has always treated my right, even > on 100 mi rides. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfguW_5hyMshYPZaAmSsfHr0Wu_D5Jv0Ye5DvvNB6erfA8g%40mail.gmail.com.
