New commuter bike dilemma

[huskerdont]

@hozn 145296 wrote:

triathletes (though maybe they, like Iowa, are only ever on the receiving end of ridicule), etc.

A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run. –Rule 42

Although I’ve done far more of them than bike races alone, it’s still as funny as when I first read it.

[Judd]

@hozn 145296 wrote:

Ha, yeah, good question. I guess cycling kit is really anything that is cycling-specific, though it typically refers to road cycling. I don’t think mountain bikers get “kitted up”, though there is definitely mountain biking clothing. It doesn’t need to have sponsors, no; that’s only if it’s a team (or sponsored club) kit, typically — e.g. a few common ones around here are NCVC, District Taco, Veloworks/Spokes, etc. Kit typically refers to shorts and jersey, though I think it can still be “kit” generally speaking if they don’t match (aren’t same brand / same design / same club, etc.).

In my mind, when the shorts and jersey matche it then becomes “fully kitted out.”

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[hozn]

@Judd 145310 wrote:

In my mind, when the shorts and jersey matche it then becomes “fully kitted out.”

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Yes, that sounds right! I would only add that in my mind wearing a jersey with non-lycra shorts (e.g. MTB shorts) is not wearing a “kit”; just a jersey. So a kit needs to be both road cycling shorts + jersey, but filly kitted out implies matchy-matchy bibs and jersey (and maybe matching socks??)

[Steve O]

@hozn 145311 wrote:

Yes, that sounds right!… So a kit needs to be both road cycling shorts + jersey, but filly kitted out implies matchy-matchy bibs and jersey (and maybe matching socks??)

Or whole hog with matching cap, too.

[trailrunner]

Matching socks are definitely required to be a true kit.

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[Tania]

@hozn 145296 wrote:

I don’t think mountain bikers get “kitted up”

…er, when was the last time you went mountain biking? They’re just as bad as roadies now. Especially at races.

(And yes, the kettle and I have met although for the record I only wear a kit when I race or at centuries)

[hozn]

@Tania 145320 wrote:

…er, when was the last time you went mountain biking? They’re just as bad as roadies now. Especially at races.

(And yes, the kettle and I have met although for the record I only wear a kit when I race or at centuries)

Yeah, sorry, what I meant to say was “I don’t think putting on mountain-biking clothing is considered getting ‘kitted up’.” But yeah lots of people get kitted up to ride their mountain bikes (myself included, definitely if it’s a race and more often than not if it’s just a ride). Lycra shorts, while more vulnerable to getting torn if I wipe out, are also a lot less hot than MTB shorts and deal better with sweat — so that’s nice in the summer. Baggy MTB shorts are nice for casual rides, though, when using pockets is helpful or when interacting more extensively with normally-dressed humans. I try to limit any off-bike lycra.

[streetsmarts]

@hozn 145296 wrote:

Ha, yeah, good question. I guess cycling kit is really anything that is cycling-specific, though it typically refers to road cycling. I don’t think mountain bikers get “kitted up”, though there is definitely mountain biking clothing. It doesn’t need to have sponsors, no; that’s only if it’s a team (or sponsored club) kit, typically — e.g. a few common ones around here are NCVC, District Taco, Veloworks/Spokes, etc. Kit typically refers to shorts and jersey, though I think it can still be “kit” generally speaking if they don’t match (aren’t same brand / same design / same club, etc.).

You probably should start by reading these: http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

Those are written for road cyclists primarily, and while they’re a bit tongue-in-cheek, for the most part they do actually describe just exactly how one is measured when you roll up to the espresso ride, etc. You’ll see a lot of references to those rules on the boards (especially #5). I’m sure similar sets of rules can be (and have been) written for mountain bikers, urban/hipster/fixie culture, sandal-wearing commuters, triathletes (though maybe they, like Iowa, are only ever on the receiving end of ridicule), etc.

Thanks. And those rules crack me up!

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[Judd]

@hozn 145327 wrote:

Baggy MTB shorts are nice for casual rides, though, when using pockets is helpful or when interacting more extensively with normally-dressed humans. I try to limit any off-bike lycra.

I’m the same, especially when commuting so that my coworkers don’t have to bear witness to parts of me that they may not want to see. My bike friends have to suffer seeing me in the bibs and using less imagination.

[streetsmarts]

I swore i wouldnt wear bike shorts but got some and theyre comfy. We shall see. All that expensive stuff – not for me. Andrea said she got a cool jersey on ebay for $5. Right up my alley!

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[TwoWheelsDC]

@hozn 145311 wrote:

(and maybe matching socks??)

“The socks maketh the kit.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

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