Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Hoodwinked: The Wild World of Cycling Sweatshirts

When somebody says “iconic American garment,” a number of things come to mind: the ten-gallon hat; the blue jean; the sneaker; the t-shirt emblazoned with the logo “Italians Do It Better;” and, of course, the hooded sweatshirt, otherwise known as the “hoodie.” Here are just a few great Americans who have worn hoodies:





It’s no surprise then that the hoodie has become the go-to brisk weather garment for the discriminating urban fixed-gear cyclist. Among the things you want for cycling in cold weather are a shell that blocks wind and doesn’t become heavy with moisture, and a head covering that stays on in wind or at high speeds, doesn’t impede peripheral vision, and allows full range of head mobility. A hooded sweatshirt offers none of these things, and thus is a logical choice for cycling.

Now that things are getting a little chilly here in New York I figured it was high time I started shopping for a cycling hoodie to complement my cycling jeans. Here’s just some of what’s out there:

My first requirement in purchasing anything is that the company I’m buying from has a philosophy I can really sink my teeth into. Cadence does:

Taking chances, asking question, providing answers, acknowledging fear, acknowledging love.

Establishing goals, following them, allowing them to change.

Embracing that change...Welcome to the winter project!

Holy crap! These guys sure have my number. I set goals and then change them when they prove to be too difficult all the time. I also embrace change, and I’m looking for answers. More importantly, though, I’m looking for a really cool hooded sweatshirt. So what have they got?

Cadence Noir


Black on black. Reflective detail on hood. Button base to block neck from elements.
$59.99


This is a well-though-out garment. The “button base” is a nice touch, and that “reflective detail on hood” is all about protection. Any vehicle approaching me on my left is sure to think twice about running me down, assuming I’m not already under the front wheels by the time the driver gets close enough to notice it. It also has the requisite artificially distressed abstract pattern that will look dated even before my lime green Deep Vs. Best of all, I can tell from the model that this garment embodies the company’s philosophy. He actually looks like he’s taking chances, asking question, providing answers, acknowledging fear, and acknowledging love—all at the same time!

Very tempting, but I owe it to myself to see what else is out there before I buy.

Wolfpack Hustle

I’ve heard about the Wolfpack thanks to my readers. Apparently their regular moderately-paced ride around Los Angeles is the stuff of legend. Judging from video I’ve seen, it’s also one of the few group rides in the US that includes smoke breaks. What I didn’t realize though was that they were branching into clothing. So what’s their philosophy?

Wolfpack Hustle is dedicated to fixed gear, track and road bike culture in Los Angeles, a city currently dominated by the lowly automobile. No we aren't Olympians or roided-out weekend warrior types... not even close. We are simply here to ride stronger, faster and to assert our rights to these gritty streets.

In addition to riding we have collaborated with Xlarge Clothing to create X-Hustle, a clothing line inspired by our ride that intends to blur the lines between streetwear and functional cycling apparel.

These guys are speaking my language. I hate automobiles! Automobiles are for lame authority figures like my parents, librarians, teachers, postal workers, and municipal employees. Those are the people in whose faces I want to thrust my anti-authoritarian fixed-gear lifestyle! And those LA streets are gritty—the other day some aspiring actor tried to steal my Coffee Bean card! Best of all is the part about blurring the lines. Only roided-out weekend warriors have separate on-the-bike and off-the-bike wardrobes. Me, I want those lines blurrier than a liberal arts college student’s sexual orientation. Oh, yeah, I’m ready to think about buying a hoodie from these guys. What have they got? I scrolled down past the reversible(!) top tube pad and found this:


"American Apparel light-weight fleece"
Made by Xlarge

Sweet! An American Apparel sweatshirt with bikes and wolves on it! But how much does it cost? I couldn’t tell from the Wolfpack site, so I figured I’d extrapolate by visiting the Xlarge site. A bit about Xlarge:

Of course, you can't talk about the early days of XLarge without talking about Mike D of the Beastie Boys. Mike helped Eli and Adam in creating a unique concept for XLarge. XLarge however was and continues to be the brainchild of Eli Bonerz- from first conception to final execution. Blending skateboarding, hip-hop, and art culture, XLarge made an original style fashion out of the mix. After 15 years, XLarge remains an innovator and pioneer in streetwear.

Hip Hop? Skateboarding? Art Culture? Now I’m getting nervous. This may be taking me someplace I don’t want to go. I mean, I started out looking for a cycling hoodie. Now I feel like you do when you’re online looking at regular porn and two hours later you somehow wind up on some weird site with barnyard animals in lingerie using kitchen utensils on each-other. At any rate, I’m going to assume the price of the Wolfpack hoodie is somewhere between the price of the “OG Gorilla Hoodie” ($53.30) and the "All Over Logo Print Hoodie" (description: "logo prints all over,” $60).

Hmmm. This decision’s going to be tougher than I thought.

R.E.Load’s bags and top-tube pads are quite popular, so I decided to look into their clothing. Unfortunately, things started off on the wrong foot, since their sober, austere Protestant work ethic didn’t thrill me nearly as much as the Cadence and Wolfpack philosophies did:

The R.E.Load™ messenger bag was born in early 1998, as a direct response to the lack of durability and features of existing bags on the market. as working Philadelphia messengers, we (Roland and Ellie, the R and E in R.E.Load) began the slow and steady process of continuously improving upon our existing designs so that we might offer possibly the finest bags available worldwide.

Slow and steady?!? Who am I gonna scare with “slow and steady?” I ride a fixed-gear with no brakes! I’m dangerous! All right, on to the sweatshirts:


Special edition print by Emily G. "The cog on the bike goes round and round"! Printed by Outlaw Print Co. on American Apparel California Fleece Zip Hoodies (please see their site for sizing info). Small front print on left side, large back print. Both are two-color.
$45

Sorry, no sale. The adaptation of the children’s song leaves me cold. If I’m going to buy an American Apparel hoodie with a design on it, it’s gonna be from Wolfpack. I want my purchase to be a symbolic act in which I reclaim my portion of the gritty streets, not some tepid celebration of the joy of cycling. Color me disappointed.

Okay, I couldn't find a philosophy here. In fact, I couldn’t find anything—my screen just went black when I plugged in the URL. But then it hit me. Not having a philosophy is even more badass than having a badass philosophy. Plus, the name says it all. Overgeared and turning the pedals over at 30rpms is how I roll. Good so far. So what about the hoodies?



The Outlaw hoodie is really the best thing you will ever own. Zipp Hoodie 50/50 Featuring a detachable face shield that not only protects you from the cold, but also keeps you hidden while committing your favorite crime. Whether it be skidding down your best friends tire, or knocking off the side mirrors of bad motorists, the shield still allows you to breathe freely without moistening your skin. The face shield features 3 eyelets in the front that allow moisture out, and 4 snaps for removal/attachment of piece. The top snaps have 2 options: 1) Regular Head and, 2) Big Head. If Big Head is not big enough, you probably should not be going outside.

The Outlaw hood also features the same pockets in the back as the Jersey Hoodies, which come in handy for holding the face shield, amongst other things: Keys, Tools, Phones, radios, tubes, spray can's, guns, fireworks, explosives, cheeseburgers, small animal's, PSP's, etc...

Cold wash, tumble dry low...

Oh my God. I think I may have just found my sweatshirt. This thing makes the Wolfpack hoodie look like my great-aunt's bra. Firstly, the only thing that says you’re an outlaw louder than wearing something called “outlaw” is wearing something called “outlaw” that also includes detailed washing instructions. Secondly, I want to instill fear in people’s hearts as I ride around town on my bubblegum-colored fixed-gear, and there’s no better way to do that than by looking like a rock-hurling member of the Intifada.

In fact, looking at this garment makes me feel like Alex at the end of “A Clockwork Orange.” My eyes roll back into my head as I slip into a reverie in which I’m riding slowly down a trendy urban street on my fixed-gear freestyler, drawing admiring gazes and waving to women like some kind of cycling Austin Powers. My peripheral vision is only slightly obscured by my Outlaw Hoodie, and as I pass trendy boutique after trendy boutique I suddenly notice a plain brick wall. I dismount my bike in that cool leg-over-the-bars way, reach into the pocket of my Outlaw Hoodie, withdraw a can of spraypaint, and start tagging. I’m halfway through the “N” when I hear that familiar “whoop-whoop.” Uh-oh. It’s the po-po! But one-time’s not gonna do me like that. I cast my paint can aside, hop back on the whip, and tighten the Toshi double straps around my canvas girl-Keds. It takes me a few blocks to get the 49x16 gear up to speed, but once I do I’m flying. As I reach the intersection of Wythe and Metropolitan however I’m unable to stop my brakeless bike and wind up getting hit by a Mini Cooper. Next thing I know I wake up in the Brooklyn House of Detention where I spend the next 24 hours crying and blowing my nose into my detachable face shield.

Okay, well that ended badly, but I’m still quite taken with the garment. The only issue is the price. $75 is pretty steep for a hoodie, even one that comes with it’s own schmata. Before I commit, I find myself considering an intriguing possibility: perhaps I can adapt a non-cycling sweatshirt to cycling use. But where can I find an American-made garment with a hood and a pocket that will be suitable for my purposes? A quick Googling brought me here:

All American Clothing (formerly The Union Jean Co.) first opened in 2003 and is organized under UFCW local 1099. We provide union made and USA made clothing for your individual needs, company/organization, special events or garment fulfillment programs. We supply only USA made products selected from America's best manufacturers! Our current products are made in Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, and Georgia.

BO-ring! Eeew, aren't those red states?!?

OK, let’s see what they have. It looks like I’ve got two options:



Soft 80% cotton 20% polyester heavy weight fleece pullover hoody. Muff pockets.
Union Made in the USA

Meh. No graphic. How are people going to know it’s a cycling hoodie when I’m off the bike? If you saw me in a store or in a bar you wouldn’t even know I own a fixed-gear! Then there’s this:



Supersoft 80% cotton/20% polyester heavyweight fleece full zip hooded jacket with kangaroo pockets.

Union Made in the USA

No way. Look at that model! He doesn’t look like he’s “taking chances, asking question, providing answers, acknowledging fear, acknowledging love” like the Cadence guy is. He looks like he’s mulling over the relative attributes of Subway vs. Quiznos. No way I’d wear a sweatshirt like that.

It’s gotta be the Outlaw.

126 comments:

thefutureofamerica said...

woo-hoo!

M. Weed said...

first! haha

M. Weed said...

salt!

Anonymous said...

damn, you guys are quick...
mid pack, but get the peloton time!

Anonymous said...

lantern rouge

Michael said...

Or if you're too hardcore for the outlaw...
http://www.neffheadwear.com/jetset1.html

Niki said...

Perhaps the Laek House meets your needs?

http://www.laekhouse.com/YOUtracksweat.htm

"Our first heavier item. We wanted it to be ornate without being overly baroque and tasteless. Stars and flowers."

I should probably note that I'm friends with the guy who runs Laek House, and he doesn't own a fixed-gear!

Anonymous said...

top ten - for points

Anonymous said...

He doesn’t look like he’s “taking chances, asking question, providing answers, acknowledging fear, acknowledging love” like the Cadence guy is. He looks like he’s mulling over the relative attributes of Subway vs. Quiznos.

....Classic!

Scottie said...

Hey, sometimes the Subway vs. Quizno's comparison is an important, life-altering dilemma. For example, say you're hungry and you're right next to a Subway and the Quizno's is like three blocks down the street. Sure, Quizno's is way better, but it's like three blocks away, and you're hungry now. What do you do?

LK said...

I coulda been a contender. I coulda had class and been somebody.

Anonymous said...

And in Canada, a hoodie is called a "bunnyhug".

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bunnyhug

Anonymous said...

Kill me now.

Strayhorn said...

Check it out: if you buy a hoodie from Nirve, you can pose as a surfer while you are posing as a cyclist:

http://www.nirve.com/clothing.asp?cid=206

And while you have your credit card out, be sure to order your "Hello Kitty" tires from them as well:

http://www.nirve.com/largeimage.asp?id=1378

What's not to like?

Anonymous said...

INTERNET GOLD!!!

iamameatpopsicle said...

you totally forgot about the TrackStarNYC hoodie, right in your back yard/stoop/alley. it has jersey pockets sewn into the back so it's at least functional

Anonymous said...

Oh man, the line about Wythe and Metropolitan hit home like a law abiding motorist hitting a wayward Pratt freshman on a brakeless freewheeling Pista...

Anonymous said...

I'm all for jokes, but Illinois is always a blue state. Not funny.

Anonymous said...

OMG (as the young people text), now I know what I'm doing wrong.

It's my wardrobe!

Last night, a cab almost ran me over on Lexington as I was crossing 34th. He cut me off at a pretty good speed to make a left turn.

When I called out "Hey," he saluted me with the standard NYC greeting: "Fuck you."

I, of course, responded in the standard NYC manner, repeating the first word of the greeting, changing the "you" to "your" and adding the word "mother."

As long as I had been forced onto to 34th Street, I figured the least I could do was ride alongside to keep him company.

And it would have been rude not to chat.

So I leaned over and mentioned that it was such a nice night I couldn't imagine why he would want to kill me.

He responded by trying to run me into the oncoming cross-town traffic.

Well golly, what could I do? I had to pull ahead to let him nearly rear end the car in front of him.

Then I waved goodbye, with the wish that he "have a nice night brother."

The last thing I heard from him as he was stuck in traffic was a string of colorful expletives and a protestation that he was not my brother.

How silly! All men are brothers!

(I just hope his two passengers were out-of-towners. Imagine the big city story they get to bring home.)

But now, thanks to you BSNYC, I know what I did wrong.

If I had been wearing the outlaw hoodie, he would have known at once how dangerous I am. He would have never cut me off in the first place. I might have had a small animal or fireworks in my pocket.

I'm gonna buy two outlaw hoodies just in case I have to let one pre-soak all day to remove those pesky blood stains.

Byron said...

Don't forget Alert Shirts...
http://alertshirt.com/hopuwire.html

Nothing says commuting cyclist like ANSI compliant OSHA orange with a 3M reflective stripe! Now in 2X or 3X with matching traffic gloves...
http://alertshirt.com/trsagl.html

Provide your own blinking lights, though.

Anonymous said...

Somebody already said it, but I'll say it again for emphasis. Illinois = Blue state. Great post.

Anonymous said...

mini cooper. HAH. how true. headed to their freshly dry-walled high rise loft. or to tear down the domino sugar plant.

Jim said...

WTF is a "Zipp Hoodie"? Is that one where the zipper is made out of carbon fiber and it costs $2100, and it has a weight limit of 160 lbs?

Anonymous said...

As someone who just purchased a cycling "hoodie" this past weekend, I gotta say the Milwaukee Hoodie by Swrve is the cat's pajamas.

It's plain grey with nary a Wolf printed on it but it's made out of Gortex, fits great and has pockets in the right places and best of all it didn't cost as much as my rent.

http://swrvecycling.com/topsMilwaukee.html

Anonymous said...

Although, Canadian hockey players don't put the hood up on their bunnyhug. It covers their mullet. They use the hood to carry the wallet with the 80 million dollar contract in it. Or if they are a female track rider they use their olympic gold medal to snug up the hood on their bunnyhug.

Anonymous said...

Ha
I had to join UFCW 1099 when I worked at kroger. A real sham union it was. I paid them so that kroger could pay me minimum wage.

Bluenoser said...

Come on be fair. Sidney doesn't have a mullet and he's not allowed to call it a bunnyhug while living with Mario in the states. But one of our retired male track riders did have a mullet but you couldn't see it under his lycra skin bunnyhug.

-Bluenoser

Unknown said...

My Milwaukee Bicycle Co. hooded sweatshirt is so thick and warm. I love it even though it's too bulky to ride in and was probably manufactured by destitute children with missing appendages in some lesser nation. It looks like they don't sell them anymore, though. Bummer.

erik k said...

Because I can only buy things when other people tell me they are good I love it when IM being worked over by a CONFIDENT salesmen "The Outlaw hoodie is really the best thing you will ever own" damit! anyone want to buy a slightly used
2008 Assos Fugujack Jacket!
.

Anonymous said...

LAEK-Final project for a 300 level design class

NEFF-preferred apparrel for Somali Pirates

NIRVE-Surfers don't even wear it

This is what real FGFF's are sporting. And if you can guess what the FF stands for I'll paypal you $5.00

Anonymous said...

I am an imbecile, I forgot the link

http://www.flickr.com/photos/78912515@N00/135276192/

Joshua said...

This is the best Bike Snob post in months. Keep it up!

Michael said...

re: broomie

fixed gear falafel fetish?

Anonymous said...

Re: Mikey

No, but I wish it was..falafel fetish is funnier.

Give me your email I'email you $2.27 as a consolation.

Anonymous said...

I sem to be having trouble this typing. that last post was mine

Charlie said...

It was too long and too not bikey; the first post that I haven't enjoyed.
Keep the other stuff coming.

ay said...

"He actually looks like he’s taking chances, asking question, providing answers, acknowledging fear, and acknowledging love—all at the same time!"

hahahahahaha

Anonymous said...

...nah, stick w/ the "unknown comic" headgear...very distinctive & you can create different 'looks' w/ a sharpie during lunch...

...i have to go now, before i get nasty...

fxdwhl said...

Waxed cotton rain capes will be the new hoodie. Keeping the pista pristine with syle.

Only problem would be lack of fenders to block road spray. Or maybe that's a nihilistic bonus?

Timothy J said...

Don't forget Poland... I mean Zoo York! I picked up this hoodie (No Rick A. crap at that link) off Whiskey Militia (Cheaper Than Your Mother) for $20 plus shipping. Talk about warm! This is one of the highest quality hoodies I have seen in a while.

Anonymous said...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA The part when you re-quoted "asking question" made me burst out laughing. Small detail, but very hilarious.

Then I laughed out loud again at this: "I hate automobiles! Automobiles are for lame authority figures like my parents, librarians, teachers, postal workers, and municipal employees."


Hahahahaha...mmm...

Anonymous said...

"looking at regular porn and two hours later you somehow wind up on some weird site with barnyard animals in lingerie using kitchen utensils on each-other"

Oh, the stories I could tell. No wonder alpaca farms are getting popular these days.

M. Weed said...

broomie:

I'm sure it was Fixed Gear Femme Fatales.... but personally I like Fixed Gear Frame Fornicators, a la:

http://tinyurl.com/2oqtog

(I promise this doesn't open a bajillion bouncing browser windows)

Triksapekatt Vie said...

You missed this nice hoodie.

http://www.cafepress.com/norwegiangirls#apparel

Anonymous said...

This post wasn't written by the usual BSNYC. Guest writers? Whoever wrote this one didn't hit the mark as they could've

Anonymous said...

Re: broomie:

I'm sure it was Fixed Gear Femme Fatales.... but personally I like Fixed Gear Frame Fornicators, a la:

http://tinyurl.com/2oqtog

Ding! We have a weiner..err winner!
WHo do I make the check to?

Timothy J said...

Mr Stewart was caught in the act with his bicycle by cleaners in his bedroom at the Aberley House Hostel in Ayr.

If you can't have sex with your own bike in the privacy of your hotel room, just where can you? Can't we keep the government out of our bedrooms and perverted sex lives?

I wonder if as a condition of his probation if he has to stay out of bike shops for three years?

Anonymous said...

...I’m halfway the “N” when I hear that familiar “whoop-whoop.

Should we add this to the unofficial list of BSNYC identity clues?

BikeSnobNYC said...

Jeremy,

I was spraypainting "BSNYC," of course.

--BSNYC

Anonymous said...

...anon 4:11pm...unfortunately bsnyc has, i think, taken some of the cache, the mystique' if you will, out of those 'special' moments in life by his publicly mentioning "barnyard animals in lingerie using kitchen utensils on each other"...

...i know it may never be as good as it was...i'll probably be skulking in dark alleyways wearing an outlaw hoodie...

Nick Burklow said...

I have owned and worn the Outlaw hoodie for a few months now (got it for fall commuting to work) and I LOVE IT! Granted I ride a single speed with brakes and fenders and mostly stock, but I look good doing it. I love that hoodie, and here in IL its funny cause people always ask me why my pockets are on the back. And its flat here, so I can run that 49/16 and get to work way faster. If you haven't already, you should buy one.

Anonymous said...

#1 nick - (we dont like you)

#2 Bsnyc - im relieved that im not alone in thinking that cadence guy is a huge douchebag.

Anonymous said...

Prolly eats his own feces

Anonymous said...

Err -- the bottom right photo of the outlaw hoodie....

Is that the model's hand in the hoodie's pocket or the hoodie riding up to expose butt crack?

Golly, it is just so hard to keep up with fashion these days.

GhostRider said...

BOOO!

I'm a librarian, and although I own a car, I rarely drive it. Don't librarians have enough stereotypes to overcome: cat-loving, sexually frigid, lacking-in-social-skills, etc. without being lumped in with all those cagers?

I ain't no authority figure, either...unless, of course, you talk on your cellphone in my building. Then I'll tell you to hush or get the hell out.

Anonymous said...

And of course we all want to know...

Can you keep small animals and kitchen utensils in the outlaw hoodie pockets?

Anonymous said...

no Primal? no dice.

Bobke Strut said...

Rapha is sooo close to cracking the market of hoody wearing fixed-in-the-city denizens prone to trolling around town on Lightweight wheels.

All they need to do is sew their New Winter Hat to the Fixed Track Top and charge about $350.

Look at what you get according to Rapha...
Fixed Track Top: The Rapha FIXED range is inspired by the demands of riding in town and the style and practicality of fixed wheel bikes. Each garment is designed for commuting in all weathers, but also with enough style to be worn off the bike as well. Plus, you get a denim shoulder patch.

New Winter Hat: Winters are hard in Belgium. An ice-cold wind from the North Sea blows across the plains and murs, carrying rain and sleet. This classic, Belgian-style hat has been designed with these conditions in mind. Worn under a helmet or on its own, the Rapha Winter hat will keep you warm and might even increase your training miles. Straight out of the J. Peterman catalog school of writing.

Anonymous said...

Ghostrider 5:29 - Librarians are frigid? You're hanging out with the wrong librarians. In my life I've dated 2 librarians and 1 college bookstore clerk. All three of them taught me the importance of not breaking a book's spine or returning it late.

Of course, I enjoyed the lessons and regularly purchased books JUST to break their spine, dog-ear pages, and crumple dust jackets.

Ah, those were the good old days.

Anonymous said...

re: quaffimodo said...
no Primal? no dice.

November 28, 2007 5:37 PM

I beleive its "No Primal, No Peace!"

Anonymous said...

Leroy
Your first post (2:13) was HILARIOUS! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I just realized I am spending my afternoon alone, hoping for validation from people I have never met by posting comments on a blog.

I think I'll buy Swobo Knicks, A Rapha sweater and video tape myself riding off a bridge and have my survivors post it on You Tube.

Anonymous said...

i asked the guy over at trackasaurusrex if he was getting paid for constantly advertising for all of these "fixed-gear oriented" clothing companies and he responded by saying that no, he wasn't getting paid and that he was just blogging about clothing companies non-stop "...to inform the public on products, events or anything interesting involving the bicycle(specifically the track bike). But hey...if anyone wants to shoot some cash or maybe even some gear our way...feel free." i was then assaulted by a handful of fixed-gear freestylers and t.rex jockies about how i should never dare suggest that what kyle was doing was no less than revolutionary and that we need to be proud that companies are "supporting our culture". by cashing in on it. there was some more whining, but it was mostly people talking about how great rapha is. then i decided to never go to the track again, sell my road bike for scrap and go on 120 mile rides across my county on my track bike, wearing only the finest in "fixed-gear oriented" clothing from brands that "support our culture".

Roman Holiday said...

When did sweatshirts become "hoodies"? And why are they so $$$$?

Anonymous said...

Roman Holiday: because some time ago a conglomerate of clothing companies launched an evil plan to ensure that bike messengers would be unable to afford looking like bike messengers.

Hense anything that messengers wore before suddenly became hip (read: expensive). All the wanna-be's started spending mommy's money so they too could look like messengers and the clothing companies realized they were onto something and that people would pay a lot of money to look like they work for minimum wage if it meant not working at anything except spending mommy's money.

Before long messengers were forced to shop at Goodwill buying second hand versions of clothing from a trend they started in the first place.

mhandsco said...

1. I call bullshit on this bunnyhug business. 30 something years in the great white north and nobody - NOBODY! - has ever called a hoddie a bunnyhug in my presence.

2. As yet another librarian who reads your blog. Shhhhh on the librarian cracks or I'll see what I can do about revoking your priviledges.

3. Cell phones - I hear you brother...

Anonymous said...

My road club just got wool jerseys, fool!
Whats up now, bitch? Huh?

jamie said...

i love my outlaw. it gives me that rougish scallywag cyclist aura that makes all the pretty girls and boys swoon as they imagine my finely sculpted thighs;)

Anonymous said...

Oh the shame. It's a sad day when a librarian has to stick up for our home and native land. Where are all the badass Toronto messengers when you want them?

Anonymous said...

Ah yes, bobke strut -

Rapha - wankers, tossers and all the rest.

chainsaw66613 said...

Famous Americans in hoodies: The Una-bomber (Una? Uni? Never can remember). Ted looked so fresh and clean in those sketches, and hood kept the nitrates out of his hair!

KanyonKris said...

The Quest for the Holy Hoodie. I hope you know your favorite color.

Anonymous said...

mhansco
I second the motion - I wasn't digging the "bunnyhug" thang

Anonymous said...

america works best when you say union yes.

mander said...

BEST BSNYC EVER

Anonymous said...

best ever! thanks again...

DB said...

an instant classic!

The problem with BSNYC is that you have to know the culture a little to understand how consistently freaking brilliant it is. I read it out loud to my wife and I am fucking dying and she has no idea why.

Anonymous said...

Obi-Wan Kenobi has a lot to answer for when he brought back the hooded look. He even perverted Harrison Ford to donn one and line up at Subways for a feed.Enbrace your inner Wookie and go au naturale when riding your speeder

LK said...

What is this? Warriors?

http://tinyurl.com/3yhm3n

Think LONGSHOREMAN!

Hoodies, wool caps and peacoats. You can even wear the ones from Ralph Lauren. After all, they do have to service all the cruise ships now.

If you need a windbreaker try the Teamsters or UAW.

Maybe join the YMCA!

http://tinyurl.com/3yhm3n

No wonder bikesgonewild is getting pissy.

And thank goodness Prolly kept his mouth shut today.

We'll forgive him. Right?

Anonymous said...

...pissy ?...PISSY ??...who's gettin' pissy, dammit ???...

...oh, sorry, yer right !...i'm gonna siddown n' shutup now...

Anonymous said...

Damn... BSNYC is in fine form this week --t hanks for the laughs. I swear if this hipster shit gets any stupider, I'm hanging up my "whip."

sh said...

Favorite 1:
Me, I want those lines blurrier than a liberal arts college student’s sexual orientation.
::: Nice.

Favorite 2:
Firstly, the only thing that says you’re an outlaw louder than wearing something called “outlaw” is wearing something called “outlaw” that also includes detailed washing instructions.
::: Twice-nice.

Easily the funniest column since The Aerospoke Crises (and that, my people, was funny).

But somehow the icing on the cake was Broomie’s comment: I just realized I am spending my afternoon alone, hoping for validation from people I have never met by posting comments on a blog.

I think I'll buy Swobo Knicks, A Rapha sweater and video tape myself riding off a bridge and have my survivors post it on You Tube.


That cracked me up the most (you know, after i recovered from the "whip."

Ev said...

The Outlaw episode (especially with the Mini Cooper) took a "good laugh" joke all the way up to an "Oh shit, I'm in the library and I can't stop laughing out loud" embarrassment.

Awesomeness.

And non-cycling hoodies are some lame shit.

Anonymous said...

i love BSNYC and i love the commentary too, fractious or not

i probably might have never de-lurked but i did feel the need to correct my fellow Illinois natives correction of BSNYC - our great state did in fact go red for both reagan elections and the BushI...

revealing my age,,
Tristan

ferdiux said...

Definitely one of my favorite BSNYC posts ever. Very well done. thanks.

Anonymous said...

I hate to club your seal of disapproval but you just don't get it. Hoodies help identify these outlaw activists who are providing a community service by their actions. Ask any doctor that provides transplants. So until they transplant brains, I say "you go girls!"
-Those were guys? I guess they were wearing manpris.

Catfish said...

---------------
Niki said...

Perhaps the Laek House meets your needs?
----------------

+1

please consider making fun of laek house in the future.

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:00 PM -- Thanks! As Bart Simpson would say, it's funny because it's true.

If I had to think stuff up on my own like BSNYC, I wouldn't stand a chance.

Anonymous said...

BSNYC -- This morning, I saw a guy sitting on one of the benches on the Brooklyn Bridge actually wearing the outlaw hoodie from your post.

As if that weren't weird enough, someone else passed me on the Bridge riding a bike that looked a lot like the one from your photograph in Bicycling.

Not you?

Anonymous said...

Taking chances, asking question, providing answers, acknowledging fear, acknowledging love.

I watched too many Lucas Brunelle vids and got dizzy - I ended up taking fear, asking love, and providing chances by the end of it...

Anonymous said...

"...I gotta say the Milwaukee Hoodie by Swrve is the cat's pajamas.

It's plain grey with nary a Wolf printed on it but it's made out of Gortex..."

I think a gore-tex cycling hoodie is called a North Face jacket.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Leroy,

OK, you got me--that was me in the Outlaw Hoodie.

--BSNYC

Anonymous said...

Hey, anonymous @ 11/28 4:32pm.

Get a clue! This totally hits the BSNYC mark! Especially this part: "looking at regular porn and two hours later you somehow wind up on some weird site with barnyard animals in lingerie using kitchen utensils on each-other"

OMFG, I was so ROFL. My co-workers really wonder what's wrong with me...

Anonymous said...

i found a NEFF knitted hat on the ground, shook it off, approved it, and took it home and washed it and its my favorite hat now. ground score.

and dont kidd yourselves, do you know how many bike messengers are filthy rich and trust funded? they are the ones with the crappiest bikes and shittiest clothes. they are trying to blend in.. only poor kids want nice stuff, to prove their worth to the people outside. rich kids are trying to conceal their gooey 18 karat centers. it would be an embarrasment for people to find out, because they are faking to be poor and working for beans.

Anonymous said...

"#2 Bsnyc - im relieved that im not alone in thinking that cadence guy is a huge douchebag."

Funny, because if you had actually met the guy in person (his name is Dustin) you'd realize that you're a judgmental prick. But why get to know someone when you can just be a big piece of shit!

I agree that every sweatshirt in that post is over-priced and completely ridiculous.

K SPARROW said...

This hoodie is Probably the best thing that has ever happened to cycling. http://swrvecycling.com/topsMilwaukee.html

checkit!

Anonymous said...

wolfpack...... What a pathetic freak show

Anonymous said...

Great post. I never liked hip hop, but it is a little sad to me that skateboarding has become just a marketing tool. Of course there were other broader forces at play, but the whole Harmony Korine/Larry Clark/Terry Richardson/Vice Magazine "ethos" deserves a lot of credit for ruining skateboarding and the same mentality has succeeded in making track bikes an embarrassment, too. I am interested in the Outlaw Hoodie only for the fact that I can hide my face when I ride my "whip" during the day. Given the glowing coverage of Vice in the paper's business section, I am sort of surprised that the NYTimes hasn't written an article on the lucrative transgressiveness of Fortynine Sixteen.

Anonymous said...

I like librarians in lingerie using kitchen utensils on each other.

Daniel said...

"#2 Bsnyc - im relieved that im not alone in thinking that cadence guy is a huge douchebag."

Funny, because if you had actually met the guy in person (his name is Dustin) you'd realize that you're a judgmental prick. But why get to know someone when you can just be a big piece of shit!


Yeah, I don't know Rob Schneider, either, but based on his body of work I'd say I don't have to to know he's a twerp. The things people birth into this world define them, just as children resemble their parents. Dustin from Cadence creates and endorses stupid, disposable things and is, in all likelihood stupid and disposable himself. But then again, I'm "judgmental", which is probably the worst thing a person can be, right? I mean, it can be safely said that NO ONE, in the history of the world, has ever profited in any way by judging people or things with which he wasn't intimately familiar. If I see a guy with a gun in an alley I should--rather then judging him--meet the guy, get to know him. Maybe he's a gun collector, or on his way home from gun repair school with an assignment. If see a bunch of trust-fund "kids" loitering in front of a coffee shop on their immaculate "fixies", I should make an effort to meet each one of them--maybe they aren't a bunch of dick-lickers. I suppose it's possible, I mean, I definitely have the time… It isn’t like I have a job to go to! Maybe we can drink some beers together, play some bike polo, check out some records! Give me a fucking break. Part of life is growing up and trading your He-Men in for responsibility. Those Jem doll-inspired bikes (and the clothes that match them) identify owners who are unwilling to accept adult responsibility, a quality I feel safe judging to be pathetic.

Christopher Cummings said...

too funny, the only thing better would be a hoodie with a spiked belt and chain lock printed on it!

Anonymous said...

I like this style - but no hood, sorry:
Winter Jacket

Thank you for your words, Bike Snob!

Anonymous said...

Jesus Leroy, get your own blog.
Hilarious bike snob, hilarious.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
"#2 Bsnyc - im relieved that im not alone in thinking that cadence guy is a huge douchebag."

Funny, because if you had actually met the guy in person (his name is Dustin) you'd realize that you're a judgmental prick. But why get to know someone when you can just be a big piece of shit!

I agree that every sweatshirt in that post is over-priced and completely ridiculous.

November 29, 2007 7:22 PM


um- i do know him and he is a genuine real-life douchebag. you assume i am making unfounded judgements? lo, i am making educated and substantiated and agreed upon remarks. it is decided.

Michael Waskom said...

douche bag, for sure. this was priced at 800 dollars last week. http://cadenceclothing.net/collection/paragraph.html


why doesn't someone just make a message board out of all this instead of bickering in comments?

Anonymous said...

fuck yes Wolfpack Hustle! I love this ride and trust, yeah there are a bunch of transplant hollywood dream actor fags but this ride goes throuhg the straight gangster neighborhoods too. even the streets in bev hill fuck your shit up so dont trip just ride this shit.

Anonymous said...

"Uh-oh. It’s the po-po!"

Anonymous said...

wtf is up with those wolves
I went sojourning through sweatshirt land myself and ended up buying something mediocre..

I think you should make a line of hoodies for all of us.

I trust it would be tasteful, reasonably priced, and it wouldn't have all that extra embroidery or silk screening..
I mean I dont want to be part of the "gang", I just
to have a great sweatshirt.

Think about it

Anonymous said...

This blog is for sad wankers.

Anonymous said...

I like sweatshirts. Most good ones cost $50-$60. Buy what you like. I don't really like the bike or fixed gear style sweatshirts because I am not a middle school girl that steals stuff from hot topic.

Anonymous said...

go to www.swrvestore.com and check out the GORE TEX hoodie! amazing for those of us that don't have dry winters! extremely well thought out.

Unknown said...

How old are you people!? Bitching on internet forums must take a lot of time away from your riding... Kudos to everybody trying to do more with this craze then just getting old and anal.

Anonymous said...

the cadence model is no model, he is dustin, owner of the company!

Daniel said...

the cadence model is no model, he is dustin, owner of the company!

Then what's he got to be so fucking sad about? Is he standing over his mother's grave in that picture?

Anonymous said...

wow...i live in l.a.; i ride these streets every day, and i don't have a coffee bean card...i'll bet you drive a hummer, BSNYC butternuts...

Anonymous said...

lanterne rouge!

Anonymous said...

Everything that's wrong with our civilization is somewhat boiled down in this post, together with the comments. It's somewhat uplifting to realize that one is not alone, trying to stay sharp in a world totally starbuckaraized.

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Anonymous said...

nice blog!

Design T Shirts

Anonymous said...

Best post for ages. ( i am still catching up...)

Rick said...

Do you guys know of any high visibility safety clothing that actually looks good? The standard orange vest just isn't doing it for me. Thanks!

Apparels said...

All of them are really nice. I liked it.Thanks and keep sharing!

Emma Robert said...

Good collection of pullover hoodees! its just amazing to have a great and unique collection of sweatshirts in your wardrobe!

Fahrenheit Indtech said...

when it comes to cool and classy t-shirts, i prefer to buy it from http://www.fahrenheitclothing.com/. There latest collection is just superb

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