Cycle Chic : Show Up in Tube Socks and You’ll Be Left in the Dust

The latest victory in the Tour de France may have made Greg LeMond a household name with the shot-and-beer crowd, but there’s a not-so-well-kept secret about cycling: it can be more cliquish and snobbish than a tony Newport Beach fund-raiser.

It’s not the cycling per se, but what you ride and what you wear . They may be reluctant to admit it, but road bike enthusiasts take to high fashion like a gaggle of debutantes preparing for the coming-out ball in Savannah.

Show up in a pair of white tube socks and a T-shirt for the morning ride and you’re likely to draw a snicker or two from the pack. The wrong kind of helmet or a loose-fitting jersey may get you cast as a dilettante, someone unworthy of sharing a pace line.

At times, it seems you can do nothing right. One of LeMond’s local fans went so far as to buy the $5,000 LeMond carbon fiber bike and has taken to wearing his rainbow world champion jersey. But because he doesn’t ride like LeMond, he’s often dismissed as some kind of quirky Elvis impersonator.

But despite all this elitism, fashion and etiquette do have their place on the road.

If you want freedom, try mountain biking. If the world of racing bikes moves to the strains of Beethoven, mountain biking is sung in the three-chord harmony of Merle Haggard, embodying more of the true spirit of the Old West. Show up on a mountain bike in your pajamas and chances are no one will blink an eye. But try that with a group of racers and they’ll drop you on the first hill.

“Certainly, there’s a little pressure about what you wear,” said Jim Schmidt, owner of Bicycles Etc., an El Toro bike shop that co-sponsors Cycles Veloce, perhaps Orange County’s most elite racing team. “Particularly if you’re riding with a group, you want to fit in. When you get to a certain level, like these racers are, there is a certain amount of peer pressure.

“I’m under a lot of peer pressure because I don’t shave my legs, for instance,” he said. “But I don’t show up in soccer socks up to my knees, either.”

So before you go clashing pink shorts with a green jersey, consider what is in, and what is out this season on the bike trail.

JERSEYS

Keeping in mind that you don’t want to look like a bum--would you wear a sneakers to a black tie dinner? T-shirts and similar varieties of leisure wear are definitely out. That leaves bike jerseys, with the hand rear pouches to store spare tubes, perhaps something to eat and a quarter to call your spouse if the unthinkable happens. But alas, not just any jersey will do.

Two years ago team jerseys (7-Eleven, Coors Light, Cafe de Colombia, etc.) were the rage of the streets, and last year the Japanese-made Descente jerseys reigned supreme. But sales of both team jerseys and the Descente lines are down as bikers opt for more personal attire. Some purists even see those who wear team jerseys as cheap impostors, wanna-bes, dreamers. High fashion this season includes artsy styles in bright oranges, greens, yellows, pinks and blues. It’s still acceptable to wear the jersey of your bike maker (Colnago, Pinarello, Eddy Merckx, DeRosa) or that of a local club.

What’s Hot: Schmidt of Bicycles Etc. reports that Giordana’s jerseys emblazoned with Mickey Mouse are a big hit. Other shops are doing a brisk business with the new Ultima line.

SOCKS

The first rule of serious cycling is this: No tube socks. Nothing will get you labeled as a hobo faster than donning white tube socks hiked up well above the ankle. Cycling socks provide excellent cushioning and sweat absorption, and let’s face it, they look better. Most are white with the manufacturer’s logo at the top.

What’s Hot: neon green, pink, yellow and orange socks, color coordinated with the jersey, of course.

HELMETS

Many road bike purists, perhaps aping the European professionals, ride without helmets. They should know better. Ask any paramedic and he’s bound to have a horror story or two about serious injuries involving bikers not wearing protective headgear. There are a variety available, and as long and they’ve passed federal safety standards, they are suitable for the road. But alas, just any helmet won’t do for the fashion-conscious rider. Steer clear of those that resemble motorcycle or football helmets, the kind you find thrown together in a cardboard box marked “on sale” in your local bike shop. Instead, opt for the plastic foam models that take nylon covers, which can be conveniently changed to match the color of your jersey, socks, and pants.

What’s Hot: The Vetta Corsa Light and the ever popular Giro worn by LeMond.

AEROBARS

Ever since LeMond used the U-shaped aerobars to win the Tour de France last year, it seemed everybody had to have them. A lot of people bought them, and a lot of people still don’t know how to ride with them. Triathletes have fitted their bikes with these aerobars, used to put the rider in a low tuck position, for several years to great benefit. The problem is the bars were designed for relatively flat, straight riding--not for the pack and hill riding that is so popular in Orange County. Moreover, changing position on and off the bars can be tricky at best and dangerous at worse. In short, you have to know what you’re doing, and most of the faddists who were quick to snatch them up simply don’t know how to handle them.

Most serious road bikers sneer at the popularity of these aerobars, viewing them as a cheap fad embraced by those who know no better, and wisely veer well clear of aerobar-using riders for fear they may swerve into their path.

What’s Hot: For those accomplished triathletes who actually know how to use them, the new Scott and Profile models with the grip shifting at the top of the bars.

BIKING SHORTS

Basic black is still the standard but nobody has yet to match the quality of chamois (the soft leather used as bike short padding) used by Italian manufacturers. Discount stores sell shorts for as little as $20, but do yourself a favor and spring for some high-quality shorts in the $80 range.

What’s Hot: Vitorre Gianni shorts with blue, green, pink and red horizontal stripes in the back.

GLASSES

Nothing looks better than the mirrored, neon-framed biking glasses that enjoy such immense popularity. Need we say more?

What’s Hot: Oakley cycling shades.

COMPONENTS

Bikers are notoriously catty when it comes to their bikes, and the attention to detail covers everything from shifting systems to handlebars, handlebar tape, cycle computers, bars, stems, saddles, seat posts and clip-less pedals. Shimano is the undisputed leader in indexed shifting systems, but Campagnolo reigns supreme for workmanship and aesthetic appeal. Still, Shimano gets it done cheaper and more efficiently.

What’s Hot: Shimano’s eight-speed Dura-Ace system with Hyperglide.

BIKES

Finally, there is the bike itself. And in the end, the snob appeal remains where it has been for years: with the Italians. The world’s finest racing bikes are still made there, built for speed and hills with classic European geometry and Columbus steel tubing. Last year, thanks in part to the popularity of the 7-Eleven team, the Belgian-made Eddy Merckx bike in the team’s trademark red, green and white colors was one of the hottest bikes on the street, but sales of it have cooled. The new carbon fiber Greg LeMond bike is selling well, but its price (about $5,000 fully loaded) seems out of step with other, classic custom bikes.

High-end U.S. custom bike makers have made great strides, toying with advanced composites and carbon fiber, but also fiddling with the basic design enough to make a purist scream. The composite Kestrel, made in California, is a big favorite among triathletes. But for that kind of money, most aficionados will always go Italian.

What’s Hot: Custom Italian bikes with Columbus SLX tubing.