If the natural evolution of a cycle-person is to recognise the greater value of comfort and usefulness over speed and appearance, then I may finally be reaching an age of maturity. However, it is entirely conceivable that I’ve unfortunately become just a nerd on a creaky old bike. This week was my first experience of riding with mud-guards and panniers and allowed me to carry and keep dry my laptop, clothes and shoes along wet and muddy roads. However, judging from my colleagues’ reactions at seeing my road bike adorned with its new accessories, I may have committed a crime against style equal to wearing socks and sandals in public (I regularly wear socks and sandals around the house but this is actually a form of domestic haute couture).
From my experience of cycling there appear to be two main kinds of riders – those who shave their legs, wear skin-tight aero suits and spend a fortune on reducing weight to increase speed, and those who have hairy legs, beards and creaky, heavy bikes and spend a fortune on ‘useful things’ like powerful lights, racks, bags, mud-guards and reflective clothing, thus increasing weight to increase comfort. I had hoped that my latent cycling prowess would allow me to justifiably become the former, but unfortunately I may just be on the slippery slope to the latter.
With all of this in mind, I’ve decided to embrace it and will now present the mundane effectiveness of my latest cycling purchases, illustrated in the following uninteresting photos of inanimate and stationary objects:
1. Bike with new nerdly equipment following a wet and muddy ride
2. close-up photo of mud spray to emphasise muddiness of roads
3. socks turned down slightly to emphasise presence of mud spray across hairy legs and shoes
4. photo of seat of cycling shorts. Clean as a whistle and not a speck of mud in sight
In addition to this increased cycling comfort I also had the opportunity to wrinkle my nose and waggle my bearded chin at a couple of mud-soaked cyclists riding without mud-guards. It’s possible that they may have called out “did you forget your basket, old man?” but it was quite difficult to hear over all the rattling and creaking coming from my bike.
Cycling Jerzy 
Hilarious!!! I’d take dry butt any day. I’m somewhere in the middle of the styles. I have a full carbon bike that is super light weight (though I did only acquire it, I definitely didn’t buy it), shaved legs (because I’m vain) but am starting to acquire all the comfortable accessories that only make my bike heavier (my handlebar even creaks). Not yet ready to make a call on mudguards though 😉 … Not sure I want to look that uncool *laughs cheekily*
Haha. Being ‘cool’ is for the summer – now Autumn’s arrived it’s all about being warm
Of course, you can be both types of cyclist. Commuting will generally drag you towards the practical, comfortable spectrum. But you can easily revert to your roadie ways when you are not commuting.
I am experiencing the opposite effect. Although I am a long time hairy legged holdout against lycra and it’s ilk I recently bought a rather nice cycling jersey to wear on the longer recreational rides I have been doing. Can actual cycling shorts be far behind? Also a slippery slope.
Uh-oh. One step closer to a skin suit and power meter, haha. I’m planning to do a few more time-trials next season as my first attempt was great fun. But for the next 6 months of Autumn-Winter-Spring it’s all about comfort
Living in Tokyo, I bicycle as my primary mode of transport. We are moving to Atlanta next year and I am so scared to ride the roads there. The drivers are terrible and aggressive and there usually aren’t any sidewalks. It breaks my heart. I really love biking around.
You definitely need to feel safe on your bike, but hopefully once you move you’ll find ways to keep on riding. Good luck
Your still-super-sharp roady tan lines give you away….
Haha. I think those tan lines might be contaminated with a little mud too! 😉