Photos of the day: Knicker and Fender season.

Fausto had it right:  Still the undisputed king of training fashion.   
Brrrr...  Cold this morning wielersupporters.

Winter's finally knocking.   The kind of 'winter's knocking' day you pull those old wool knickers and socks out of mothballs.

Here's a photo gallery centered on two pieces of gear that used to mark the end of the go-fast season.  We're talking knickers (or 'plusses' for our UK friends).  And fenders.   They go together like moules and frites.

I'm still nostalgic for 'em, but not in the current urban-fixie-hipster wearing fashion.   No I'm thinking more like Les Issambres or Lago di Garda, circa 1957.   Back when off season training was by 'feel'.  Or as Luciano Pezzi advised, "Da novembre al dicembre, i chilometeri percorsi in bicicletta anche a scopo turistico e ricreativo"   Time to just ride the bike.

Knickers and Fenders.  At this time of year, back in the day, both provided a practical, and useful visual demarcation to tell the rest of the world that your intensity switch is flipped to 'off ', but your intention to keep putting in base miles is undeterred by the cold.   The beret?  Well, that was optional.

Old flemish adage:  "Ride into the cold, and you'll ride through the cold."  

Louison, ou Jacques:  'Qui est mas macho?'
Things I've heard from 'good' riders in knickers and fenders:

The 'Butcher of Bettembourg' awaits his rendezvous  
(Photo from Marcel Erzner, in "Charly Gaul, l'Ange de la Montagne
et son equipe", G. Zangerle, 1988) 
- "I'm on a training ride you knucklehead,  will ya stop half-wheeling me and chill, for chrissakes!" 


- "Hey, you riding on Thanksgiving morning?"


- "You go ahead and chase that mail truck...I'm good" 


- "Allora, dove il tuo caffe di ficidcia?"  (Where's that favorite coffee stop of yours again?)  


- "You wanna do another hour?"


- "C'mon jongen, finish yer trappisten and let's blow this clambake... it's going to be dark in a hour and I don't have lights on."


- "Whoa...I see you went with the argyle today, schweet"

Speaking of argyle, I'm kinda surprised that Jonathan Vaughters hasn't had Castelli equip his boys with knickers with argyle socks for training yet.   JV's a fashion victim - it would be an appropriate statement, don't you think?









Comments

  1. Just ride the bike - don't try to look cool or be a poser - that is the bottom line.

    ReplyDelete
  2. says the guy with a ferrari, which is nice btw

    ReplyDelete
  3. "you wanna do another hour"

    Hells yes I do!

    ReplyDelete
  4. One bottle should be plenty for a winter ride.

    ReplyDelete
  5. They recommend a U-Lock, it is a heavy duty lock that is nearly impossible to break through. It can't guarantee your bike won't be stolen but it will discourage thieves from trying.

    bike bell

    ReplyDelete

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