Why Spandex is dangerous
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 06:00AM Wags comment that Minnesota has two good seasons: spring and autumn. And that on good years, they both fall on weekends. If so, this Memorial Day weekend was our spring and on Sunday the LWW and I and friends took advantage of the perfect weather to do a 25 mile bike loop through Minneapolis.
Note in the picture above that these riders LOOK like they know what they are doing. They're wearing helmets, bike shorts and jerseys, and exude an air of confidence.
Your humble narrator, however, took a different approach - street clothes including argyle socks and a Toad Suck, Arkansas baseball cap for head gear.
It's long been my theory that the better your sports gear, the higher the expectation of your sports performance. Somebody in Spandex just ought to perform better than somebody wearing a t-shirt and cotton shorts. Somebody with a $3000 bicycle should go faster and further than somebody with a $300 bicycle. Personally, I would prefer to look like a duffer and then surprise others with my ability than to look like a pro and then disappoint.
My experience has also been that the amount of money one invests in equipment for a new hobby or sport is in direct inverse proportion to length of interest one has in that hobby or sport. The more money that goes for equipment, the shorter one's love affair with the activity.
But maybe that's just me.
Reader Comments (3)
Not just you. Your theory sholud be taken into account universally since where I live, Spain, people behave in a similar way. I've spent most of my life cycling for a hobby without worrying about my appearance, and when any friend of mine tried to join they usually started almost disguised in trendy sport clothes.
I don't have to say that the longest one of then lasted with this interest was two months.
Ultimate Frisbee --
$60 pair of cleats. Shorts, t-shirt and a $10 frisbee.
Piece o' cake.
HI Damian,
Thanks for confirming my theory!
All the best,
Doug
Hi Chris,
I think you forgot "coordination." As the Mastecard people would say "priceless!"
Hope your year is coming to a smooth close and I get a chance to say hello at NECC!
All the best,
Doug