Commuting - Where are you on the geekiness scale?

We bike-commuters are often a sorry looking lot. What do you think you look like when you do your commuting thing?

I'm a real embarassment to my kids when I get all geared up and leave from my daughter's high school. Actually, this has become the talk of the school ("Is that your dad with that bike?").

But I have seen commuters that put me to shame.

So I settled on "Pretty danged geeky".

I don't know if it's partially because I'm a girl, or because I'm vain, but I won't buy anything that isn't flattering on me. I know that in general bike clothes is a little on the ridiculous side, but I'm pretty particular about what I buy so I don't look totally out there. Does that make any sense? :confused:

i don't know - that's a hard one. i am a die-hard cyclist and commuter and have been for a long time, so it is hard to guess what others think. my viewpoint is so skewed i really have no idea.

i mean i know that most think i am really weird for cycling every day, especially in "bad weather". as i arrived today 2 coworkers asked "pretty wet, huh?" i think meaning that they thought i had made a mistake riding in the rain.

anyhow, i wear baggy shorts over my tights so i think that helps reduce the geek factor, but then in winter when i wear my neoprene overshoes and have a light strapped to my helmet, i'm sure that looks a little unusual and dorky to many --- my new roommate told me the other day as i came home from work that i look like a cyborg but she meant it as "cool and tough and techno science fiction cool"... but i'm sure others think of it as just plain weird.

i also think that i look pretty athletic and i've played soccer and squash with most of my coworkers (i'm in Europe so these are normal "office" sports - akin to tennis and football in the US i guess) and they know that i am fit and strong and athletic.

i also think that i look pretty good in my tight cycling jerseys, and with my super toned legs from all my cycling, but again my viewpoint is way too skewed to be of any real value!

i think most think i'm weird - now if that's a funky, "what a freak" weird or a respectful, "i wish i were as tough and disciplined as that", i don't know. probably a mix.

WHO CARES WHAT THEY THINK EVERYONE AT BIKES FORUMS ARE CYCLING GODS.They only wish they could do the same.

What really counts is the determined way we ride our bikes every day!
Thats cool enough :D

Originally posted by toolfreak
What really counts is the determined way we ride our bikes every day!
Thats cool enough :D
I agree. Who the hell cares what we look like? Anonymity is a great benefit of cycling to work. Runners at one time looked horribly odd, too ... now they're mainstream.

I'm only getting at what others may think of your "get up" -- not that it matters. I've seen some pretty lively get ups before. I wonder how you rank?

Subtile geekness, ever seen a carpenter in working outfit on a bike? :D

Looking through my rose coloured biking glasses, I selected middle of the road, slight geekiness. My bike looks geeky with fenders and panniers, my helmet and helmet mirror look geeky, but the rest of me looks not too bad. I bought a Lous Garneau Spotlite jacket to wear biking because it kinda looks normalish. I wear ordinary track pants, ordinary running shoes/hiking shoes, ordinary-ish gloves. Hopefully I look sort of ordinary to passersby. (I don't really care if I don't!)

I think a cyclist in reasonably good shape, dressed in cycling-specific clothing appropriate for the weather conditions, on a well-maintained bike that's properly equipped for the task at hand, is about as cool-looking a human being as you're likely to find.

I didn't check "veritable god," but I would have if I had more hair. :D

RichC

Not sure where I should post my answer, but I have very little cycle-specific clothing.

I use platform pedals -- on my commuter because they are the only ones that fit, and on my new touring bike because I like them -- with clips and straps.

6 months per year, I ride with dress shoes and use the cycling shoes (SPD-compatible that look decent) only when I expect to ride long distances. Add rubbers in rain or snow and sometimes winter boots when it's really cold.

My only 3 other cycling-specific pieces of equipment are cycling gloves in summer (and cross-country gloves in winter), a helmet, and safety glasses on occasion. I could add my rain pants and jacket that are more appropriate for cycling or walking than for commuting by bus or car.

Cycling shorts? Never. Why should I try to solve a problem I never had? I prefer normal "civilian" trousers... or maybe shorts if temperature is above 35 C.

Cycling jersey? Neither. I prefer a baggy shirt or t-shirt., but if the temperature is below 15 C, I will wear anything, including a dress suit. Oh!, I once did a 3-hour job interview, only to realise after that I had my trousers clips all the time during the interview! Believe it or not, the boss was NOT a cyclist and I got the job anyway.

Regards.

In a black vest with enough pockets to hold all the tools I need for on-the-road repairs, black turtleneck, black cut-off gloves, black semi-beggy pants and, in stron cold, black skimask, I look kinda like some spec-op grunt. Phear me. :D

P.S. For all those safety-nuts: I use flashing leds and reflective tapes, so I do not ask to be hit by motorists.
:p

Originally posted by nathank
my viewpoint is so skewed i really have no idea.



Originally posted by Rich Clark
I think a cyclist in reasonably good shape, dressed in cycling-specific clothing appropriate for the weather conditions, on a well-maintained bike that's properly equipped for the task at hand, is about as cool-looking a human being as you're likely to find.


Sorry, Rich, but these two statements are IMHO essentially the same thing. I don't have the faintest idea how others see me. If someone I don't know offers his / her opinion, I'll ask if they can hear the sound of me not caring.

I, too, left the "veritable god" option for more hairy bikers out there.:D

--J

Hmmm... I'm kind of with Christine, because I'm vain enough to want to look good. But in winter, I'd rather be warm. So I'm the one wearing the light snow-boarding trousers, tucked into football (soccer) socks, with spd shoes on the bottom and a couple of long-sleeve tshirts on top. Add all the reflective stuff and I do feel geeky. Warm and visible, but geeky.

On the other hand, when I'm out dancing and can keep going for much longer than the others, I feel vindicated! :D

Ellie

From a cyclist point of view I think I look pretty good. From a civilian perspective, well I get lot's of stares and and quick up and down inspections when I stop at the store clad in lycra.I've also had 12 year old girls point and laugh at me, as if it matters.....

I think I'm mid on the geek scale. Riding is cool, when you have the right equipment. However, my old 18 inch MTB is too big for me, thus I don't have the "cranked up seat cool look" going on. My helmet is a cheap Bell one that sits up high on my head, very geeky. My clothing isn't the greatest, my gloves are old driving gloves that are kinda ratty, my "jersey" is an old University of Michigan pull over, my pants are Zellers specials.

On the other hand, if I had a nice new helmet, wind breaker, gloves, and a 16 inch "crank the seat up" MTB I think I would peg the cool factor!

Originally posted by Andy Dreisch
We bike-commuters are often a sorry looking lot. What do you think you look like when you do your commuting thing?
I don't know about that, Andy...

Besides, I'd say it's how you look after you get off the bike that counts. ;)

Judging by that standard, I'd say we cyclists win hands down (or should I say, stomach, waist, butt and thighs down?)

:thumbup:

I voted in the middle.

In the spring/summer I would say I look good - I think :D
Lycra shorts, SPD shoes, T-shirt/Cycling Jersey, Sunglasses and a decent looking helmet.

This gets balanced out by pretty danged geeky look of autumn and winter.

The Bottom half is OK Shorts/tights/overshoes. But the reflective workmans jacket and tatty old raintop spoil the image up top.

You'll recognise me from my yellow and pink 'Hello Kitty' backpack (hey, it was the cheapest I could find).

PIP ! PIP ! Isn't it wonderfully tremendous to have CP/M-80 ?

I wear what's cool in the summer, what's warm in the winter, I have fenders, big ones that keep the spray off of me and my bike, I wear industrial safety glasses and an old outdated helmet. My lights are bright and my bags are large and usually full, I wear a full beard in the winter and a small thin one in the summer. I've been told the clothing in the summer is too girly for a man to wear, in the winter I'm often asked if I can move ok with all that clothes on. I'm asked if I own a car and if I lost my license, I've been asked if I could afford to ride the bus and if i want a job. I do what I do and wear what I wear and generally don't care what anyone thinks, one thing they can count on, I'm always out there doing it, hot, cold, wet and dry, most of the time I look out of place and I kind of like it, it gives people something to talk about that doesn't cause anyone any harm.

I put pretty dang cool but now that I think of it, I probably ought to have put pretty geeky.

Ah, whatever. All I know is that when I change out of my bike shorts, I put on the same size pants I wore in college. I doubt many of my car commuting colleagues can say the same. So, you're right, Pete!

:)

Originally posted by john999
You'll recognise me from my yellow and pink 'Hello Kitty' backpack (hey, it was the cheapest I could find).

PIP ! PIP ! Isn't it wonderfully tremendous to have CP/M-80 ? Try Goodwill, I got my last backpack there and it's still going two years and countless miles and trips later.

Recumbent I am. Geeky is my middle name. So what?

Originally posted by christine
I don't know if it's partially because I'm a girl, or because I'm vain, but I won't buy anything that isn't flattering on me. I know that in general bike clothes is a little on the ridiculous side, but I'm pretty particular about what I buy so I don't look totally out there. Does that make any sense? :confused:

To me it does. In my case, I try to look a little more conservative, which isn't too tough. I just don't care to look like a riding billboard for Pearl Izumi, or any other equivalent.

Ironically enough, I have a Pearl Izumi jacket with large reflective strips, which have the Pearl Izumi logo in the reflective strips. What can I say, it was cheap at Sierra Trading Post, and definitely makes me visible at night.

Well it's hard not to be geeky in a Bee-yellow jacket. Corny "aero" helmet. I wear makeup and as soon as I pull into work, unzip the jacket to a darker looking baselayer. The pants cover the geek-shoes and they only click slightly on the pavement.

Good entertainment for security guards who monitor those cameras!
:)

I look like a geek, but I also teach middle school kids, so everything is geeky. My usual get up for the winter is a baby blue giro eclipse helmet black balacava. red and black performance exhalt jacket. Green army pants with tights underneath. Fox gloves and my adidas spds. When I was a courier that was total dorkdum. In the late fall, early spring I used to rock army shorts with tights, a long sleeve jersey and a black vest. It sounds pretty normal for us, but when you are surrounded by suits all day, it is a bit strange.

My license plate says BIKEDORK

I am pretty sure that my mountain bike hates me because I put on a rack, some panniers, a mirror, a fender, a big light and some slicks.

I may look like a geek but at least it works for me and gets me to and from work.

Choices:

1) Horribly geeky, embarrasingly so
2) Pretty danged geeky, wouldn't want to be seen at work/school
3) Not so geeky, but with some subtle geekiness
4) Pretty danged cool looking, actually
5) A veritable god(dess) on wheels

I would say I fall into the "Pretty Danged Geeky" category, if it were not for the unlikely addition of the phrase, "wouldn't want to be seen at work/school."
Frankly, I think it's hip to be geeky.

In fact, I have prepared my very own "geekiness" list of geek-like things that make me proud to be who I am:

1) Rubber band. This is actually three rubber bands attached end-to-end, used as a means of keeping my glasses from falling down my nose when riding. After several attempts to use store-bought alternatives, I find these more effective, easier to use, more comfortable, cheaper and disposable.

2) Landscape lights. My 20W and 35W halogens landscape lights are fantastic headlamps. I've discussed these ad-geekeum in other threads.

3) Car horn. Again, a hands-down winner on the road and geek-of-the-month award nominee add-on.

4) Shifters borrowed from a 20 year-old Schwinn Super Sport. When my Trek's shifters malfunctioned, I couldn't afford new ones. They actually work fine.

5) Plastic bags. When it dips into the 20's, I fit plastic bags between two pairs of socks to keep my feet warmer. These are secret Dr. Geek items, since they aren't noticable on the outside.

6) $10 Chinese-made velcro strap sneakers. These grip well in my toe-clips (another geeky choice) and come off and on quickly when changing clothes at work.

7) $7 foot pump. This is cheap and easy to use. I've kept my tires full on it for years at home.

8) Bandana. I hope this looks geeky when I take my helmet off and not reminiscent of membership in a gang.

9) Backpack. Yes, after years of flirting with racks, I have yet to settle down with the right one. Geeky? Totally.

10) Natural peanut butter. This geek-paste I keep in my drawer at work along with... 11) ...dry milk. Together with bread and water, I can pack in almost 1,000 calories and over 40 grams of protein after the 14-mile morning commute. Geeky and nutty!

12) Biking to work. I don't think this is geeky and I'm sure you don't, but I bet a lot of my co-workers do!

:)

I chose "Pretty danged geeky"...

This really depends on the temperature, however. When it is SUB-ZERO I look like I'm still 300lbs...(is there a bike under that dude?)

When above 25F I wear some wind breaker pants and jacket over the cycling clothes. Also a couple of layers of cotton long sleve t-shirts.

If its above freezing I reduce the layers of t-shirts and wear a vented wind breaker. Oh, I loose the tights as well.

Geek. Heck yea.. but I stay warm!

Summer, I'm just another FAT guy in lycra. So of course I look like a GEEK! :)

Dress suit with Hermes tie, European city bike. I must look like a Dutch banker who got space warped across the Atlantic. I think this falls into the "so ungeeky that it actually is profoundly geeky" catagory. I'm clearly on one extreme or another of the scale; can't figure out which.

Paul

I wouldn't know where to categorize myself, but I can say I aspire to be as geeky as I can be. Though if spandex is geeky, I guess I'll never get there.

What is our working definition of geeky here anyway?

I think I looked pretty good this morning: french blue button down shirt, red tie, buff colored dress pants. Lost style points for the blinkies, backpack, and spd shoes. (When will Sidi come out with wingtips?)

The scale seems to equate geekiness with embarrassment. Where's the choice for "utterly geeky, but incapable of embarrassment"?

Year round, cotton sweat pants T-shirt (Summer) t-Shirt & Swetshirt (Winter) Hybrid MTB/Road with Panniers.

I went "subtle" because booties over my carnacs were subtler than the fellow I saw riding along with a pair of hip waders to keep his feet warm & dry. Don

ROTFLMAO!! :) Classic!

I can't commute but when I go out for long rides I wear those full-length black cycling short thingies and my BikeForums cycling top. I think I look quite cool but I do get some funny looks when I stop at shops and garages to buy food and stuff :).

i look pretty cool among other cyclists i think. my clothing is very basic solid colors and it almost all matches. according to my non-cycling friends, the only thing they consider geeky is the helmet. they know the reasons for wearing it of course, but it doesn't stop them from making a few jokes once in a while.