Do I look like a cyclist in this?
As I only started riding to work at the tail end of summer I’ve had to start thinking about cold weather clothing almost immediately.
As noted previously I own some tops and have bought some shorts.
I’ve also since bought 3/4 length shorts which cover the knees (strangely enough I don’t seem to mind my calves getting cold) - these have been very good since the mornings started to get really chilly.
Since getting and wearing all this gear, I’d had this growing feeling that I’d been unable to put into words - then I was chatting about keeping warm when cycling in winter to a friend recently who said something like “You can keep warm but you have to dress a lot dorkier”.
That was it, I was dressing like a dork!
Now I’m certainly not part of the day-glow lycra crowd, but I still look unmistakably like a cyclist (and not just because I’m on a bike!).
Even if I remove my helmet and sunglasses and stand away from my bike I still look like a cyclist.
And so, I also look just that little bit silly.
Now it’s OK to look like a bit silly when I am on or near my bike. But as soon as I am away from my bike I really start to stand out like a sore thumb.
I tend to want to change clothes at that point, so I usually do.
The thing is, realising this has been a revelation.
I used to worry about combining certain items of clothing (all in the name of keeping warm of course) and ask my girlfriend “Do I look OK in this?”.
Now, I no longer worry, I just ask “Do I look like a cyclist in this?” and as long as the answer is “Yes”, I’m set.
