#1175 Cycling Fashion

I’m really impressed with everyday cyclists, except for one thing. I’ll get to that in a moment. I totally admire their commitment to getting out on the road come cold or high water.
Whether it’s raining or sweltering, snowing or blowing, hard-core bicyclists get out there. I’m amazed at how they dedicate themselves to their exercise no matter what.
And maybe it’s not just exercise. It’s highly likely most such cyclists are committed to lowering their carbon footprint as well. Some with carbon-based graphite cycle frames, but that’s okay. They’re burning far less fossil fuel than the rest of us, so no problem.
So since they have everything good going for them, social conscience, exercise ethic, and perseverance personality, I suppose it’s no surprise that one aspect of their character has to suffer along with their seat bone.
Yep, you guessed it, their fashion sense. What is it with some cyclists? I saw one the other day, dressed in tight leggings, a giant tent-like yellow tarp thing, a helmet, and a dental mirror.
I think it was the dental mirror that really scared me. Nothing more unsettling than seeing a guy driving down the road with a dental mirror attached to a helmet, looking for all the world like he has nothing better to do than careen along on a spindly and fragile bicycle, checking to see if he needs to floss.
Is that a poppy seed stuck in my teeth from when I carbed up with my morning muffin?
Add to this the tent-tarp thing itself. Perhaps it was meant to be a cyclist’s poncho. If so, it’s come along way for the dashing vaquero look of Pancho Villa. This yellow monstrosity looked billowing, voluminous, and distinctly northeastern.
Forget about Pancho Villa, he looked like Gordon of Gloucester. Hey Yankee flosser-checker, how about some fish sticks?
So maybe I was wrong after all. Maybe he wasn’t a dedicated cyclist. Maybe I was just witnessing a fun ride around the neighborhood from a visiting Cape Cod dentist...
America, ya gotta love it.