My house has a front door, a back door, a basement door and a garage door. We have ample egress. But you know there are times when I just don’t know how to get out of the house with a bicycle. Maybe it’s an ADHD thing.
It can be a lot to organize, maybe too much.
For starters, shoes. I have a bunch of bike shoes. Not all the shoes go with all the bikes, and that seems dumb to me sometimes. I could just ride flats everywhere all the time. Would that really ruin my riding experience? I don’t think so. Especially for a chilled out “training” ride where I’m just toodling along in Zone 2 trying to figure out whether the bird I just saw was a house finch or some sort of warbler I can’t identify.
Then there’s the jersey. Do I need the jersey? I’ve got a slew of running shirts that breathe well and are more comfortable. I only opt for a jersey if I need the pockets, but pockets seem like a bad reason for picking a garment.
I usually think I need a chamois, so I pull on some bibs. If I’m riding under an hour, probably I don’t need a chamois, but if I’m going out for a couple hours discretion seems the better part of valor.
I can always wear gloves, but I can also skip ‘em. I could wear glasses, but are those necessary? Sure, those things can add something to a ride, make it a little more comfortable, but I’m not a fragile egg. I can get by without them.
Now I’m going to touch the third rail of bike gear discourse and bring up the helmet. I normally wear one, but quite often I think, “I don’t really need this helmet.” Even when I’m on the road, I think that, and I know that the vast majority of people think, “Wearing the helmet doesn’t cost you anything, and if you end up needing it, then you really needed it,” which is fair enough, but it is one more thing to organize on the way out the door. Honestly, I like the feeling of the wind through my hair, and I like the idea that riding bikes isn’t that dangerous. Ok, if I’m trying to go fast or get rad, I put on a helmet. Otherwise, it feels optional to me.
At root, what you wear on the bike is up to you, not me. What I’m trying to do is get myself to rethink my approach to riding bikes, which I’d like to be simpler and less rigidly conforming to the idea of what it means to be a “serious” cyclist. Can I make everything about riding bikes lighter, easier and more fun? I bet I can, and I bet letting go of a lot of the cultural fetishes of this hobby of ours is the way to do it.