Faux Pas Friday: Jersey-less

Equivalent to TLC's "What Not To Wear", the Cycle of Style will feature what is considered a faux pas in cycling fashion in the last Friday of every month every other Friday (updated 7/8/11).

It's summer time and it's hot, but that doesn't mean you can go jersey-less and bibs-only like this fool.

More new features to come! Stay tuned.

Sunglasses and Helmets Revisited

Pretend that you put on your stylin' helmet before putting on your stylin' sunglasses, but then you face a dilemma: Do you put the sunglasses under the helmet straps or over?


If you answered over, congratulations! You are one stylish cyclist. In fact, rule 12 of the OREC states that sunglasses should be "worn over helmet straps at all times". You will be hard-pressed to find a professional cyclist wearing his/her sunglasses under the helmet straps.

Geraint Thomas, British national champion. Sunglasses over the straps, of course.

Even when wearing an aero helmet, Vino puts his sunglasses over the straps and pulls them out to show everyone.

If you answered under, either you haven't seen the light or you might be a triathlete (not that there's anything wrong with that). But it just doesn't feel right wearing your sunglasses under the helmet straps. Triathletes do it because they need to get their helmets on and off in a hurry, but as cyclists, we want to be different from these people who swim before and run after they ride.

These triathletes crashed because they had their sunglasses under the straps,  not because of their lack of bike-handling skills. Or is it...

Whenever you don't need your sunglasses, tuck them in the vents of your helmets. Many companies design their helmets so that you can stow away your sunglasses in a convenient fashion (no pun intended), while still showing off what sunglasses you have.

Scarponi showing how it's done. 

If your sunglasses don't fit into the vents of your helmet, you can also put them on the back of your head right under the helmet. 


By the way, if you are a smartphone user, the Cycle of Style is now available in mobile version. The URL is the same as the web version. Now you can read up your favorite blog on the go!

Giro d'Italia 2011 Special

This year's Giro d'Italia was a memorable one, to say the least: from the tragic death of Wouter Weylandt, to the controversial sprints of stage 2 and 17. Alberto Contador showed his dominance when it comes to the hills; an excellent feat, but made for a rather dull Giro for us spectators, though this is a bike race, not Jersey Shore.

All that aside, we're going to take a look at who wore the Maglia Rosa (Pink Jersey) best, and who needs to do their homework.

Best Pink Jersey Wearer: Alberto Contador

Love him or hate him, he was the most stylish when it comes to wearing the leader's jersey. The pink helmet and sunglasses are neat, not to mention the pink Boa reels* on his shoes. Some people may argue that he would look better with a pair of pink shorts, but later on, he did get a pair of shorts with pink bands around the thighs and pink contrast stitching instead, which looked outstanding. 

Worst Pink Jersey Wearer: Mark Cavendish

Mark Cavendish has had better days, in terms of his season and style. The pink helmet doesn't exactly match the pink on the jersey, and the black shoes are shameful. Can we please go back to the white/green shoes? Those looked fantastic with his custom signature socks. 

*The pink Boa reels are available through Boa with a minimum of $10 donation, which goes to the Breast Cancer Network of Strength. If you have shoes with Boa lacing, you should get a set of those. Looking good and helping a good cause at the same time? A win-win situation in my book.

The West Coast Has The Sunshine And The Cyclists Get So Tanned

Summer is just around the corner; the weather is perfect almost everyday. To your arm warmers, knee/leg warmers, and cold-weather gloves: see you next winter! You're ready to hit the pool or the beach, but then you notice that your tan lines are getting more defined; on the arms, thighs and ankles, maybe even around your eyes.

Do you, a) rock the tan lines with pride, or b) go to the nearest tanning salon to eliminate those tan lines? If you picked a), great job. According to OREC, "5. A prominent line where one’s kit ends and where one’s deep tan begins is essential to one's image. Artificial tanning is BANNED. The tan shall reflect the level of training commitment". If it means getting weird looks from people around you, so be it – they're just jealous. 

"Steve Morabito [...] displays the tan lines worn by most full-time pro cyclists." - Cyclingnews

Michael Barry's short tan. Feel free to say "GOD DAMN!"

Some cyclists roll up their sleeves to get rid of their tan lines, but that is like throwing away months of training. Contrary to popular belief, tan lines do make you faster!

Except for Mario Cipollini, he can do whatever he wants.

So keep the tan lines, because you'll miss them when winter comes around. It's a great pissing contest among your cycling buddies (besides who has the most expensive bike), and something cool to show off to your non-cycling friends.

p/s: check out this stylin' t-shirt, you should get one.

Least Stylish Pro Team

I couldn't think of a cheesy title from song lyrics, so instead I went straight to the point. The least stylish professional cycling team of this season is Ag2-r La Mondiale.

Their bikes and accessories are pretty good, but the kit has lots of room for improvement. The jersey is plain, which is okay, but the shorts are disastrous. The team itself has some solid riders, but wearing those brown shorts make them look like crap (no pun intended). 

I have nothing else to say, but if you ever design a kit, please don't use brown as a prominent color (or tan like Footon-Servetto from last year).

You're Beautiful, It's True

This entry is dedicated to the most stylish European professional cycling team of 2011: Liquigas-Cannondale.

The mismatching blue and lime green on the sleeves are a great modern touch, with a generous amount of white to balance the asymmetry. The choice of bikes, helmets, eyewear, and components are top-notch as well. Say what you will about Cannondale, but Lord Mario himself has approved of the brand. If you don't believe me, check this video out.

Let this be the perfect example of what a good looking team looks like.

We Like Sports And We Don't Care Who Knows

Sports fans love to show support for their favorite teams through merchandise, such as bumper stickers on their cars, posters in their rooms, wearing team jerseys in public, etc. Fans of cycling are no different; we show the world how much we love the sport through wearing pro team jerseys, simply because they look so pro.

Big fan of Tyler Farrar? Nothing like a Garmin-Slipstream kit to show that!

Some people say that "if you don't ride for that team, don't wear that jersey". Well guess what, it's cool to wear jerseys of teams that you don't ride for, especially pro team jerseys. It's even better if you race in them because your rivals might think you're actually a pro rider in the Cat 5 crit. When you attack, they know there's no way they're going to reel you back in. Just watch their pain faces through your helmet mirror and laugh.

Cervelo TestTeam kit while riding a Cervelo. So PRO!

You'll never be a world champion like Paolo Bettini, but that doesn't stop you from looking like him.

Last tip: when it's cold outside, it's fine to cover up your pro team jersey with a neon jacket. Better stay warm than freeze out there.