A New Look and a New LOOK

Last Saturday was a Red Letter Day on Brumby Road. First I sported a new fashion look on the Club ride, then got a new version of my LOOK back after an OCS component update.

First the fashion faux pax: when I got to the ride start in Valley Springs I put on my jersey, but I was having trouble with the zipper. The little tab at the bottom had kind of worn away, so the jersey kept opening up from the bottom. The sides of the jersey were flapping in the wind, especially going down hill.

The flapping was irritating. And I was worried that my phone and wallet might fall out of the back pockets. So I had to take desperate measures.

I wear bib shorts, and the shoulder straps are supposed to be worn under the jersey. But I pulled the straps up and over the top of the jersey and tucked the bottom under the bibs, creating the ‘walnut farmer’ cyclist look.

Of course I got a lot of teasing about this, and someone took a picture and put it on the Club Facebook page. There was even talk that the page administrator might change the cover photo, but nothing came of it.

I once came upon a rider on a Backroads Tour in France who was wearing his bib and jersey the same way, and I my have made some disparaging comments about this in my blog. And as I have been reminded, world class endurance cyclist, multiple times RAAM Champion and Valley Springs resident Seana Hogan wears her bib shorts this same way. She has a practical reason for doing so; remember she spends long, long periods of time in the saddle and occasionally nature calls. Her sartorial method saves time. Form follows function…

Seana is a big champion and can do what she wants, but on me the look is ridiculous. Roberta posted the picture from a Terry Catalog of someone who can definitely pull off the bib short look, but I hope I don’t have to resort to it again.

Later that afternoon Mark Stemey of OCS returned my new look LOOK. I got the bike back in 2009, and I decided that it could use some upgraded components. Mainly I needed lower gears if I was ever going to take the bike up some serious climbs,. The Dura Ace 10 speed drive train was limited to a 28 tooth cog in the cassette. I need a 32 tooth cog at least, and a 34 tooth is even better.

So I got some new stuff; SRAM Red levers and derailleurs and a cassette and a new chain and a new handlebar and bar tape, and asked Mark to do the installation. He picked up the LOOK and brought it back a week later, on the same day I sported a new cycling fashion look. I’m LOOKing forward to years with the LOOK but I hope the other look was a one off…