WTF is with the spandex?

In article ,
"Paul M. Hobson" wrote:

Ryan Cousineau wrote:
The truth is that you can just wear normal clothes. For the pants, I
bought a set of Daks wool dress pants from a thrift shop, then spent $25
having them hemmed up to breeches-length (more or less a plus-two cut)
with an elastic cuff. The result is a set of pants that looks
endearingly dandy and wears fairly well. I'm thinking of having some of
the leftover pant-cuff material stitched into the crotch area as a wear
pad.

Ryan! Brilliant! I know what I'm doing this weekend.
-paul

Photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcousin...n/photostream/

That doesn't show much detail, but if you're having a tailor or
alteration shop do the work, ask for them to cuff it about 4" below the
knee, and sew an elastic cuff ("blind" I think they call it) into the
hem. I got about a 3/4" elastic, which is nice. I would tend towards
going too long rather than too short: you want to be able to hide the
cuff by flipping it up inside the bottom of the pants and blousing the
pant leg over them.

For a more traditional technique, you could even go with a belted and
button-closed finish on the bottom. Carl Fogel will surely be able to
provide you with a few dozen pictures of period-correct breeches, which
were anything from fairly tight below-the-knee "breeks" to blousy
plus-fours. The plus-two seems to have been fairly common in practice,
too.

There are numerous retailers who will sell you a more or less
period-correct variant of a 3/4 knicker, in materials from synthetic to
wool (I'd avoid cotton, but it's probably less awful on the bottom half
of your body than the top, at least in the dry). There's also specialty
golf suppliers, though I have to say that if you're keen on socks like I
am, many of the common ones out there are cotton blends. If you're going
to go that route, just buy knee-highs in a pattern you like from a
women's hosiery retailer (...).

For real actual full-calf wool socks, plain ones are fairly common, but
argyle patterned ones are a specialty item. Pantherella (a famous
English sock-maker for men and women) does lovely ones, and Wood's of
Shropshire (woodsofshropshire.co.uk) was well priced and offered decent
global shipping.

A better recommendation would be to not care as much about socks as I
do. It's a weird avocation, and you'll have a hard time convincing
people you're stylish, not perverted. Just saying.

In short, the photo of Serse and Fausto Coppi's winter training ride
basically took up several months of my life as I figured out how to
reproduce their outfits. I've raced cyclocross in this gear, and I
looked good doing it. People still comment on my socks six months after
I last wore them in that race.

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

On May 6, 8:45*pm, Ryan Cousineau wrote:
Photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcousin...n/photostream/

Oh, wow.

I expect I'm going to be seeing someone dressed like this soon on my
commute. It'll be a nice contrast to the guy who wears snake-printed
lycra all year and the girl in the short pleated skirts over tights.

On 2009-05-04, Tom_Sherman wrote:

You can get wicking and breathable but normal looking "travel" clothing
and ride a recumbent while wearing such in comfort.

What's the point of looking normal if you're riding a recumbant?

(ducking and running) :-)

--

John )

In article
,
Brian Huntley wrote:

On May 6, 8:45*pm, Ryan Cousineau wrote:
Photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcousin...n/photostream/

Oh, wow.

I expect I'm going to be seeing someone dressed like this soon on my
commute. It'll be a nice contrast to the guy who wears snake-printed
lycra all year and the girl in the short pleated skirts over tights.

More information about the girl in the short pleated skirts over tights,
please.

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

John Thompson wrote:
On 2009-05-04, Tom_Sherman wrote:

You can get wicking and breathable but normal looking "travel" clothing
and ride a recumbent while wearing such in comfort.

What's the point of looking normal if you're riding a recumbant?

(ducking and running) :-)

What is a "recumbant" (sic)? A recumbent sold by the now defunct
"Recumbant (sic) Barn"?

--
Tom Sherman - 42.435731,-83.985007
LOCAL CACTUS EATS CYCLIST - datakoll

Pat wrote:
Peter Cole wrote:
::
:: Amen. Last year my wife was knocked down by some nimrod in full kit
:: -- on a rec path loaded with peds & women pushing strollers.

IIRC, Nimrod was an hunter. Did he put an arrow into her?



Main Entry:
Nim·rod
Pronunciation:
\ˈnim-ˌräd\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Hebrew Nimr�dh
Date:
15th century

1: a descendant of Ham represented in Genesis as a mighty hunter and a
king of Shinar

2: (not capitalized) : hunter

3: (not capitalized slang) : idiot, jerk

On May 6, 10:31*pm, John Thompson wrote:
On 2009-05-04, Tom_Sherman wrote:

You can get wicking and breathable but normal looking "travel" clothing
and ride a recumbent while wearing such in comfort.

What's the point of looking normal if you're riding a recumbant?

(ducking and running) :-)

Improves your chances of staying off the psychiatric ward if you're in
an accident?

Come to think of it, Kirpatrick Macmillian's bicycle looked a bit
like a 'bent. I wonder what happened to him when he crashed since his
was the first reported bicyle crash in history.

John Kane Kingston ON Canada

On May 6, 9:31*pm, John Thompson wrote:
On 2009-05-04, Tom_Sherman wrote:

You can get wicking and breathable but normal looking "travel" clothing
and ride a recumbent while wearing such in comfort.

What's the point of looking normal if you're riding a recumbant?

(ducking and running) :-)

--

John )

I question the qualification: "what's the point of looking normal", is
quite enough to ponder in its unqualified form.
It's more than a little weird to be so preoccupied with looking
"normal". Why are you so afraid that people will see though your
facade and discover your true nature? You're sounding more than just
a little paranoid.

Once you get over this paranoia and let comfort and functionality
guide your wardrobe selection rather than enslaving yourself to some
fleeting notion of fashion I'm quite certain that you'll find the
stuff marketed as Performance Fishing Gear (PFG) to be the bee's knees
in outdoor comfort both on and off the bike. You can cover your
entire body in lightweight, quick drying fabric thus protecting
yourself from sun & wind and also secure your valuables in pockets
that zip or button closed. While hiking, rowing, or pedaling this
stuff is just the ticket... unless you're worried about dressing like
your grandfather did. But as previously covered, if you're that
worried about how you look you deserve to be uncomfortable.

DennisTheBald wrote:
On May 6, 9:31 pm, John Thompson wrote:
On 2009-05-04, Tom_Sherman wrote:

You can get wicking and breathable but normal looking "travel" clothing
and ride a recumbent while wearing such in comfort.
What's the point of looking normal if you're riding a recumbant?

(ducking and running) :-)

--

John )

I question the qualification: "what's the point of looking normal", is
quite enough to ponder in its unqualified form.
It's more than a little weird to be so preoccupied with looking
"normal". Why are you so afraid that people will see though your
facade and discover your true nature? You're sounding more than just
a little paranoid.

Once you get over this paranoia and let comfort and functionality
guide your wardrobe selection rather than enslaving yourself to some
fleeting notion of fashion I'm quite certain that you'll find the
stuff marketed as Performance Fishing Gear (PFG) to be the bee's knees
in outdoor comfort both on and off the bike. You can cover your
entire body in lightweight, quick drying fabric thus protecting
yourself from sun & wind and also secure your valuables in pockets
that zip or button closed. While hiking, rowing, or pedaling this
stuff is just the ticket... unless you're worried about dressing like
your grandfather did. But as previously covered, if you're that
worried about how you look you deserve to be uncomfortable.

I like the idea of secure pockets, sun protection and NOT wearing the
"clown suit". Does the Performance Fishing Gear [1] not bind and flap
excessively while riding a 'bent?

[1] This http://www.columbia.com/pfg/?

--
Tom Sherman - 42.435731,-83.985007
LOCAL CACTUS EATS CYCLIST - datakoll

On May 6, 8:45 pm, Ryan Cousineau wrote:
Photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcousin...n/photostream/

Brian Huntley wrote:
Oh, wow.

I expect I'm going to be seeing someone dressed like this soon on my
commute. It'll be a nice contrast to the guy who wears snake-printed
lycra all year and the girl in the short pleated skirts over tights.

Ryan Cousineau wrote:
More information about the girl in the short pleated skirts over tights,
please.


Seconded. Brian, please straighten your priorities.

--
Paul M. Hobson
..:change the f to ph to reply:.