Faux Pas Friday: Bib Straps, Again

Why is it that people have such a hard time wearing bib shorts correctly?

On The Whistle...

Rolling up to the start line, know that there are many photographers taking pictures. You want to look cool, calm, and collected, right? But how do you do that? It's not as simple as putting on a poker face or looking mean, it has to do with your body language too. Compare these two pictures and tell me the difference:

In the top picture, the riders have their arms on the tops of their handlebars, look relaxed while cracking a joke with each other. In the bottom picture, these riders look nervous, tense, with their hands already grabbing the brakes; obviously before the start of a Cat 5 crit (also note the poor choice of sunglasses, crooked helmets, etc.). The riders in the top picture certainly look more ready to win a race. Remember these things at your next race.

Faux Pas Friday: Dirty Jersey-less

Riding bibs only and jersey-less is a faux pas, but this guy gets kudos for going jersey-less in the SSCXWC '11 in San Francisco.

Eurobeats and The Art of Descending

Eurobeats
Ever wondered what songs your favorite pros are pumping in their earphones when they are warming up for a time trial or a 'cross race on the trainer? You can bet they are listening to some good Eurobeats, more commonly known as trance or progressive house.

J-Pow rocking out.

Recommended beats: Clinton Sparks and VeloBeats.

The Art of Descending
So you think climbing is hard? Wait 'til you come down. It is intimidating to come down a hill on a pair of tires that are no more than an inch wide, but once you get the hang of it, descending is one of the most enjoyable parts of riding. Here are some good (and stylish) positions to get into while descending (especially for photo opportunities):

Low in the front, high in the back, and hands on the tops to decrease frontal area.

Essentially the same as above, but sitting on the top tube to put more weight in the front and close the chest area even more.

Long and low and in the drops whilst turning.

These are precarious positions to be in and only do it if you're comfortable! Style is important but safety always comes first.

Faux Pas Friday: Double FPF

Sorry about the unannounced 2-week hiatus, I've been busy with school and cycling obligations. To make up for it, there will be two FPFs for the today, all for the price of one! BUT WAIT, there's more! There will be two style tips next Friday. It's like Christmas but on Thanksgiving.

That right there, is a broken broomstick used as a pair of handlebars. Fixie kids these days.

This ecstatic-looking dame here is wearing a jersey with her bib shorts, but the bib straps are over the jersey; faux pas to the max.

It's Just A Flesh Wound

No one likes crashing, but unfortunately that's part of the sport we love so dearly. Nothing screams badass more than rejoining the race with a battered kit and a bit of road rash, provided that you aren't suffering from any broken bones or head injuries. If it's the latter case, it's safer to get medical attention, recover, and come back to fight another day. (Warning: some blood in the pictures)

Jolien D'Hoore.

Ted King, ouch.

Angelo Furlan.

Big Jens.

I realize this post does not include any style tips, but to celebrate the tough men and women out who inspire us with their courage, perseverance, and determination. If you have more, post them in comment section, but please not too much blood or gore!

Be safe out there!

Faux Pas Friday: Jersey-less Revisited Revisited

Cold enough for leg warmers but not a jersey? Gross! Helmet's all crooked too.

To Shave Or Not To Shave, That Is Not A Question

Probably one of the most debated subject of all time in modern cycling is the benefits of having shaved legs. If you didn't know many serious cyclists (female and male) shave their legs, surprise! I could go on for paragraphs why cyclists shave their legs, but here's a list of some popular arguments:

Those legs be gleaming.

1) It's more aerodynamic
- Personally, I do not buy this argument that having shaved legs is more aerodynamic. The real world difference is negligible and there are better things to improve on such as positioning that betters aerodynamics.
2) It makes it easier for post-race massages
- Seriously, who can afford a personal masseuse after every race? Unless you are a professional rider, this excuse is not valid.

3) It's easier to clean up road rash after a crash
- This argument is more subjective, but it certainly is nice not to have leg hairs more than an inch long stuck to you bandages when you want to remove them. Pro-tip: get Tegaderm to treat road rash.
4) It's a cycling tradition 
- Perhaps the most compelling reason, having shaved legs as a cyclist proves that you are dedicated to the sport. Lycra makes one's body look smooth; by having hairy legs, they mess with the lines. Also, your leg muscles look more impressive with shaved legs.

Which side looks better? Obviously, the bare side.

Many athletes in other sports shaved their legs, and sometimes more, such as swimmers, bodybuilders, etc. What separates us cyclists from them are shaved legs + tan lines. Grab a razor and have at it.

Faux Pas Friday: Kinky Bike

Forward facing seatpost and abnormally low stem. Seems kinky, but eww. All the geometry is wrong.

Podium Shoes

So you won a race, hopefully in style; the next task to accept your prize in style. Here are some tips for podium footwear:

Trainers are cool, especially if they are sponsor correct. These are the feet of a Radioshack rider, thus the black, red, white and yellow shoes. Inappropriate sock length, though.

+1 If your podium shoes are the same as your cycling shoes, but with a rubber sole.

Avoid wearing your cycling shoes on the podium; only do so if you don't have time to change before getting on the podium. Though wearing cycling shoes is not as bad as wearing socks and sandals...

Faux Pas Friday: "Track Ready"

Gotta be aero, but still retain a comfortable riding position. Best coffee shop bike ever...

Two-Face Bikes

This is Two-Face. Two-Face is a villain from Batman and he is hideous.

This is Radioshack's team bike in the 2010 season. The mismatching wheels are trying to match gray-to-black fade paintjob on the frame, which makes the bike look like Two-Face, ergo hideous. If they had put a black front wheel, it would look better.

This is an SE PK Ripper collaborated with The Hundreds. It's a 26" BMX cruiser with mismatching wheels and tires. Don't make me say it, all right I'll say it: it, too, looks hideous. Another fail is that the picture is of the bike's non-drive side.

Never intentionally mismatch wheel colors to match the frame colors or color scheme, it's ugly. Except for time trial bikes and track bikes, try not to mismatch wheels (unless the situation calls for it, e.g. flat during a race). When buying used bikes, a bike with mismatched wheels is also an indication that it may have been in a severe crash, needing a front wheel replacement.

Faux Pas Friday: Jersey-less Revisited

Too shy to wear bibs, but not shy enough to ride jersey/shirtless? Some things people do, I just don't get.

No Glove, Yes Love

As kinky as the title sounds, what we'll be talking about today is gloves for your hands. Riders wear gloves for a few reasons, including palm protection in the event of a crash, something to wipe off your nose with, for warmth in cold weather, etc. Some people may argue that gloves with padding are good for cushioning road vibration, but the best gloves are unpadded ones; there's a smaller chance of getting blisters on your hands and you get better road feedback from the handlebars. Here are some tips for gloves:

Gloves shall be half-finger in white or team colors.

Light full-finger gloves for colder weather, preferably white.

Racing gloveless is awesome.

Glovelessness also cool in time trials. Wear aero gloves if you have them.

Gloves are unnecessary for training rides as shown by HTC-Highroad.

Emily Batty is notorious for mountain biking gloveless. Badass.

Speaking of mountain biking, mountain bike gloves are not meant for road, so keep those off the road (pun intended). Sure, they work, but it's a faux pas to wear them; you get dropped faster in a paceline.

Faux Pas Friday: Comfort Time Trial Bike

This is a really sad looking Ridley Dean; comfort and aerodynamics do not go together.

Well That Socks...

In keeping with theme of footwear, we'll be highlighting on footwear. No, I do not have a fetish with feet, I just really like shoes and all things related to them. The topic this week is socks. They're a minor component in terms of cycling apparel, but they could define or erase the word "stylish". An ideal pair of socks would be high top socks that approach 2cm to the bulge of the calves; anything longer or shorter are frowned upon. (OREC #6) Here is a series of pictures for reference:

Appropriate pair of socks, demonstrated by David Millar.

These socks are way too short. (Tyler Farrar)

Black socks are ok if the shoes aren't black too. (Bradley Wiggins)

As mentioned two weeks ago, black shoes + black socks = no go. (Lance Armstrong)

Riding sockless is banned!

Sorry to bash on our multisport brethren, but socklessness is as shameful as riding jersey-less; it's simply unstylish.

Faux Pas Friday: Cotton Socks

In keeping with the topic on shoes, here are some cotton socks with cycling shoes. Those sexy* Shimanos, ruined!!

*Sexy because these shoes have been donned by some of the most legendary cyclocross and mountain bike riders.

OMG Shoes

I think you have too many shoes... except if they're cycling shoes. By now, you should know why white is the color of choice for many cycling items, including shoes. There's no denying that white shoes are stylish, period. You may see some bright yellow shoes in the peloton occasionally, which are pretty cool, but black shoes are a no-go*. For today's entry, we'll look at what's hot and what's not in a series of pictures:

Lance Armstrong, the only one wearing black shoes with black socks, when everyone else is wearing white shoes.

Armstrong (right) in black shoes again. Notice Levi Leipheimer (left) was in white shoes, until...

...the 2011 season, when Leipheimer (left) started wearing black shoes too. 

Mark Cavendish also used to wear white shoes.

But then he downgraded to black shoes ( though he still won, just not in style).

These yellow Mavics are pretty sweet too.

Stick with white to be safe, and stylish.

The lesson is to get white shoes. Studies have shown that people wearing white shoes tend to win more often because they look better. Looking good is the equivalent of winning; it's science.

*Look out for an entry regarding shoes for off-roading (mountain bike and cyclocross) in the near future, where black shoes might be acceptable!

Faux Pas Friday: Function vs. Fashion

Let's see, where to start. Stem is backwards, handlebars are reversed and upside down, shifters mounted the other way to accomodate the bars, aerobars are useless, t-shirt plus shorts, rear rack, helmet straps over hideous sunglasses, rear rack, etc. I could go on, but you get the point. I don't know why they didn't choose another picture to advertise their ride...

Tour de France 2011 Special

*Spoiler alert if you haven't watched stage 19*

In the Tour de France, the leader of the overall competition (also known as general classification, or GC) dons the yellow jersey, or "maillot jaune" in French. This jersey has been to known to give its wearer a pair of wings, which was proven true in this year's edition. It has been action-packed in every stage for three weeks; names were proven, revelations were made, but also, hearts were broken, tears and blood were shed. Nowadays, yellow jersey wearers are typically outfitted with distinct yellow equipments like bikes, helmets, bibs, etc. Below are some examples from this year:

Philippe Gilbert in yellow in the stage 2 TTT. The Belgian-colored sunglasses go well with the yellow skinsuit, and check out the matching yellow watch!

World champion and sprinter, Thor Hushovd, climbed alongside some of the best climbers to hold on to the maillot jaune for a week. Must be because of the matching hoods and bar tape.

Probably the most defiant yellow jersey wearer, Thomas Voeckler wouldn't go down without a fight, even though he says he doesn't expect to keep it until Paris. Great bib and sock lengths.

Unlike in the Giro d'Italia special, there was no worst or best yellow jersey wearer; all three of these riders have done the yellow proud and in style. Tomorrow, Andy Schleck will start in yellow in the Grenoble time trial. We'll find out if he will be able to keep yellow, and more importantly, if he will show up on a stylin' yellow Trek Speed Concept.

New Cycle of Style feature teaser, guess what that is.