Originally posted by Revenig
why are most biking shoes and clothing black? I'm also running into this problem with bike gloves.
Practicality and fashion:
They're practical because they don't show the dirt and grime that you'll encounter if you do a lot of cycling. For example, if you ride in the rain you'll find that your shoes and socks will become black from all of the road grime that gets splashed onto your legs and feet from the front wheel. This quickly discolors leather and porus fabrics. As for the shorts, if you have to change a tire or grab your chain you can wipe your hands on black shorts and it's no big deal. Black shorts also don't become discolored from moisture/sweat. Take a look at someone with blue, red or green shorts on a hot day and you'll see some very interesting wet spots at their crotch, waist band and other places where moisture collects.
As for fashion, black goes with everything. But, beyond that up and to the last decade or so (I don't recall when the rules actually changed), the UCI mandated that riders participating in UCI sanctioned races (the Tour de France, Giro, etc...) wear black shorts. They were allowed to have light colored sponsor names on the outside of the legs and apparel manufacturer's logos but that was about it. So, if you wanted to look like a pro-racer you wore black shorts. Go to Europe with colored shorts and your appearance would scream "American tourist".
As for bike gloves, I'm not sure where you're shopping but I've never experienced a time when there weren't alternatives to black. In fact, the old guys and gals will recall when almost all the gloves had tan leather palms and natural colored cotton mesh backing that left nifty waffle tan marks on your hands in addition to the big old dark spot.