And nobody said shit. I was among hundreds of other cyclists, everybody was dressed this way.

Obviously team sports make you wear a uniform, but even the stuff you do on your own -- in my case, cycling -- completely removes all of those decisions since this is a world where function trumps all. As I've mentioned before, bike clothes are among the least flattering clothes in the world, and it doesn't matter. Someone wants to make fun of your neon yellow windbreaker? You can smugly explain to them it keeps you visible to traffic on the busy roads you ride. Anyone mocking your tight pants? You can point to your chain and all the other parts that can catch loose cloth. It's all done in the name of a bigger cause.



"I'm suffocating my balls to raise awareness for whooping cough, you asshole."

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Sure, if you're participating in some kind of novelty race like I was (the all-women's Cinderella Classic) you might get roped into wearing some embarrassing team costume you can't easily explain away, like that ridiculous hat. But that thing hanging in front of my eye is a mirror (helps me see traffic behind me at all times) and that plastic tube hovering to the left is a water tube (from a CamelBak water reservoir, good for hands-free drinking). Both of which are convenient as hell.

I'd wear them all the time if allowed -- they'd be just as handy for keeping an eye out behind me while browsing the Internet at work or refreshing myself during a WoW raid. But the difference is that in those contexts, people will look down on you for it.



Not socially acceptable.

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Take those items on the road for something athletic though, and you're golden.