Dirtgrinder! My man! I always swore you would never catch a thread of Tommy Hilfiger or any other designer brand on this overweight body. I mean, $65 for a plain blue oxford cloth shirt? Give me a break! However, this past January or so my wife found a pair of Hilfiger corduroys slacks on the season end odds and ends clearance rack for 8 bucks. Couldn't pass that up!
My normal cycling attire consists of baggy nylon shorts with a plain red or yellow Coolmax Alta T-shirt. I really like the Coolmax Alta fabric and I got these from sierratradingpost.com or campmor.com on clearance for about $8.95 vs $24.95 from bike catalogs. I do have a couple of inexpensive, plain Coolmax cycling jerseys and one pair of shorts. I have never worn them, but I will if I will be riding with a group where I think it is appropriate. I certainly not going to wear all the gear for daily commuting.
I don't have anything against cyclists who wear all the kit all the time, but, just from a practical standpoint if nothing else, why do it. A lot of that stuff is EXPENSIVE. Why wear it out or risk damaging it by riding in it every day? My longest ride so far has been just over 23 miles. I was perfectly comfortable without padded cycling shorts. I am sure that the benefits of the padding kick in on the long hard training rides that racers do regularly
Hey, maybe it's like the Smothers Brothers version of "The Streets of Laredo" where they say:
I can see by your outfit, that you are a cowboy;
You can see by my outfit, I'm a cowboy, too.
You can see by our outfits that we are both cowboys.
Get yourself an outfit and be a cowboy, too.
If I join one of the local racing clubs and do some racing, I will wear the team jersey, etc., with pride when it is appropriate. Otherwise, I will be my usual "cheapest thing that is comfortable" self. I would rather spend money on goodies for my bike.
