Another woman and I once showed up for a ride wearing the same jersey, but rather than laughing about being at a party in the same dress, I was given a hard time for looking
so together while she claimed she looked disheveled. I was wearing socks that matched the jersey, my helmet and shoes were the same color.
It started way back in my racing days when my jersey matched the shorts, which matched the socks and gloves. Through the kit we wore, we advertised and represented our shop, our sponsors and our team. For all of them, we had to look good. Since it was the only cycling gear in my drawer, I could reach in knowing that whatever came up in my hand went with anything else that might surface.
I've slowly shaken off many of my racing habits, but the old mantra sticks:
you've gotta look good. It's like dressing the part in the corporate world: if you want to move up, wear the suit.
So for me the suit, or matching "kit," is still a must. It's a bit more complicated now, though. My helmet and shades and shoes are a neutral silver, but I can't just grab things from the drawer and come up with a sure match.
I've got red and neon and leopard-print jerseys, and I have cow socks and paisley socks and some with flames; and the brown puppy socks just don't go with the orange sleeveless.
I'm working hard to keep the hyperventilating to a minimum.
- OB
count to ten....
We got out for a nice, long ride outta town on Friday: sixty-some-odd miles into and out of the Minnesota River Valley, across farm fields, wasn't too toasty, plenty-o-green countryside...coffee/lunch stop...good company. What a day.
