DougJ

I lurk a number of different forums and I have noticed that a lot of people are concerned about looking "cool" while riding. I just don't understand that part of the sport/addiction/hobby at all. I would think that the effects of not carrying around a spare tire around your waist or at least working at removing one (my case), would be all the "cool" that is needed to worry.

I would think that possibly looking "uncool" for an hour or two a day while riding is greatly off-set by the "cool" fitter look that you are or will be displaying.

But then again, my concept of cool is probably a bit outdated.
Help me understand the "COOL" thing.
Thanks,,,,

bkaapcke

I ride a Sun EZ Sport recumbent which has a sort of 'chopper' look. I bought it because df bikes had become too painful to ride at all. On a ride once a guy really gave it to me for buying a bike for the cool look. He had no idea what I was talkking about when I mentioned df bike pain. (prostate, wrists, low back neck) Couldn't convince him comfort was the deal. Oh well...bk

DannoXYZ 

Well, unless you ride in your basement with boarded up windows, you're gonna be seen by other people. It's all about getting mates. However, people should be aware that what is perceived to be "cool" changes with time and the target audience.. It's not about what you think is cool, it's what they think is cool that's the deciding factor. And stuff that typically attracts the opposite sex will actually be a turn-off/competition to the same sex.

halfspeed

In other words, "chicks dig the lycra."

Retro Grouch 

I disagree strongly.

If you have the personal style to carry it off, whatever you think is cool really becomes cool. As long as you are chasing whatever some mysterious "they" thinks is cool, you'll never develope a style of your own and the best that you can hope for is mediocrity.

pharnabazos

cool

sam83

Dude, you're from Indiana. There's now way you could understand.

divineAndbright

Pfftttt huh!!?? Thats hillarious!! Ok.. so its probably true for the general population, but dont think its that way for everyone, I sure as hell ain't looking cool riding my bicycles, nor am I trying to "get mating partners", and if any of you are you probably should trade your bicycle in for a car, the ladies hate bicycles, they see it as a sign of poorness; girls only care about money really (well the ones that are seeking "mating partners" anyway, its security, always been that way always will. If you're a girl dont get all irate at me for saying that, but its true!

DannoXYZ 

Yeah, but unless you are shearing your own sheep, weaving your own fabric on a loom and sewing our own clothing, you're picking out clothing designed and made by someone else. It's their view of fashion (or lack thereof), that you're selecting. Well, this goes back to the tree-falling-in-the-forest idea. You've got all this stuff that you think is "cool", but no one ever sees it... is it "cool" then?

I've seen quite a few guys who don't give a ***** what others think. They sit around drinking beer, not shaving or taking care of their hair for months at a time. They never do laundry, because why should they conform to others' ideas of fashionable or neat right? They certianly don't care about clean trimmed nails and they slobber food all over their beards down onto their pot-bellies as they eat. Belching and farting while eating is certainly the norm. In their eyes, they are "perfect" and "cool" as they are, the heck with what other people think. They certainly aren't attracting anything above trailer-trash wh0res either...

BTW, we aren't solitary cavemen living our existences in solitude, we live in a society, a cohesive group with shared norms and values. The degree to which we've adapted and conformed to our society varies, but we've been shaped and formed more by our surrounding culture than we think. Just go travel abroad to someplace halfway across the world and you'll see how much your identity has been developed to fit in with your surroundings.

Heck, even with our European ancestry, you can spot the European tourists in town at a quick glance. American tourists stick out like sore thumbs everywhere in the world. Even the way you walk, has been shaped by society at large.

roadfix

Come visit the Southland and you'll get it.

bigskymacadam

Do you mean you have to be "fit" and not have love handles to look ultimately look cool?

At any rate, "Cool" is a state of mind.

It has absolutely nothing to do with looks, nor is this phenom cycling specific. Lurk other kinds of boards and you'll notice this transcends into other hobbies and sports as well. I know it might be really sophomoric, but it's been like this for a long, long time and most likely will continue in this manner.

No worries, you'll figure it out.

mayukawa

Riding in low 50F temperature is cool enough for me...

Tmax1

"One man's ceiling is another man's floor" - a qoute by some singer I once heard.

huhenio

<powow drums> divineAndbright spoke thruth </powow drums>

huhenio

<powow drums and string orchestra> bigskymacadam knows money can not buy "cool" </powow drums and string orchestra>

Evilbee

I look quite unfeasibly cool when I get to the top of a climb; sweating like a pig, gasping for breath and desperately trying to keep my breakfast down.

Knudsen

Goodun holmes.


Now didn't you listen when the kin folks said, "Sam (Jed), move away from there. Californy is the place you ought to be."




I say wear whatever makes you comfortable. In our nice cool Indiana spring weather, I've been going for 501's and a T-shirt with optional unmatching hooded sweatshirt. Last time I rode it was right after mowing 8" grass with the rear bag off and the rear bag door wired open, so it was 501's green from the knees down I'm afraid if I wear the leotards, spandex shirt and turd shaped helmet, someone will knock me off my bike with a baseball bat.

chipcom 

Agreed, it's like I taught my kids - don't try to be cool by following the herd - YOU define what is cool and let others follow you.

chromedome

You know what? In a concensus of one--me--I think I'm the coolest person that's ever lived, and everything I do is cooler than what you do, and all my stuff is cooler than your stuff, and my friends are cooler than your friends.

But if you try really, really hard, you could someday be in second place in the coolness race, right behind me.

stapfam

Cool is a perception. Not mine and if I don't care about it- Then I am cool.

Waxbytes

I was de-cooled years ago. I think to the 'cool' people I hover around about the "comic relief" level.
It's ok, I'd rather have fresh tires than the latest Oakleys.

mirona

Reverse elitism: Buy a recumbent and laugh at guys on $6000 of equipment who joun (?) a club and point their asses in the air.

Make fun of people who make fun of you by making fun of them. Sounds cool.

Banzai

Quit hanging out in the Road forum.

I think in Commuter land, "cool" takes so many shapes, that nearly everything is accepted as "cool", particularly the more unique and practical it is.

pharmboyrx

I can't afford Rx sunglasses, heck IDK if they can even make them in my Rx. (-7.5) in both eyes. Instead I wear sunglasses that fitover my normal glasses and they work just fine.

I was stopped at a light and another roadie on a way mroe expensive bike than mine stops next to me, takes one look at me, and says, "You know, real Rx glasses would look more streamlined and cooler." I just looked at him and said, "Dude, we're riding around on bikes in brightly colored spandex. If we're trying to look cool, we lost the battle."

He got a confused look on his face. I obviously made him uncomfortable because he ran the red to get away from me.

Function first, fashion later.

TomM

At one time in history, some people thought this was cool: