Oh man. The sights I have been seeing lately. I guess cycling is going through some fashion evolution in recent years. Its not good. The funky glasses. The mix of neon colors. Helmets...thats a whole topic unto itself. Socks...oh my.

And as I type, some mish mash multi colored clad cyclist just rode by me. Yikes.

My wife said to me long ago, before we were married...upon getting ready to go out on a date..."Go look at yourself in the mirror. If you saw that person walking toward you, what would you think"? Wow. Changed my clothes and changed the whole way I thought about dressing. Might be time for cycling to take another look in the mirror!

DA. And I don't mean Dura-Ace.

Even blue hair and hipster fake nerd glasses/beard and so on is infinitely better than a bunch of spandex.

Yeah, 'cause cyclists used to dress good.

I once cared how other people looked, until they started caring how I look.

I should go out and blackmail the population: Give me money or I'll wear some lycra....

Dude. It's a bike ride, not a fashion show to impress others with your taste in clothes. Wear what you're comfortable with. If other people don't like what you're wearing, that's their problem, not yours.

You should yell at them while you're at it. Or just don't wave!

You know, when I was 22 it didn't matter what I wore, I looked ok. I could even wear a pair of Speedo swim trunks and not offend. Many years later, I can only look ok if I am careful about the attire. Something about expando-gut, drooping muscles, and sagging tuchus. So I would argue that clothing aesthetics are highly relative.

When we go on rides together, the wife makes me wear looser MTB shorts. When I ride on my own, I say the heck with it and become an COMIL. (Clueless Old Man in Spandex).

LOL.
I wish I gave a damn what others thought I looked.
Actually, no - I'm content not giving a damn.

Funny, never once when I've been out riding has anyone scoffed at what I was wearing.

Even since about 8th grade I don't give a F*ck about what others think of me or how I dress. See also about 30 rock songs on the subject. Mt bike shorts work well on the commute, bikepacking or mt biking. Lots of neon green and yellow on the commute. Don't blend in, be visible. And no one really cares.

Actually yes. There was a dress code in the USCF days. As a racing cyclist you were representing the sport. Clean bike, neat appearance, white socks. I still think in those terms today. On and off the bike. Heck I'm a painting contractor. Clean white clothes, button down collar, and a clean shave is my daily look. If you want to dress like a clown...join the circus.

Purely to horrify the OP (hopefully.)

^^ The socks are fine. Sugar skulls are a Mexican tradition around the Catholic solemnity of All Souls Day. Amen.

The shoes however, are pretty bad and will earn you at least a thousand years in Purgatory unless you repent now.


-Tim-

I don't know, the 80's were a little extreme.

Speaking of the 80's, did you guys hear that ABBA is back together?

If the leg hair scares ya, be thankful for the bib and jersey-- that hair keeps going and going.

I love my purple shoes. Thankfully, most people didn't-- so the "normal" colors of the Code Techlace are still priced at a point I would never pay. I talked myself into these. They are obscenely comfortable.

Your buddy in the pink spandex bodysuit, no less.

I love these fashion (unfashion?) threads. Thanks everyone for driving away the Monday blues.

Those are some awesome socks.

They're still alive?