The first time I heard about Giro’s New Road lineup of bicycling clothing, all I could think was, “What kind of tofu-eating, almond-milk-drinking, Snapchat-app-downloading, emoji-sending, made-in-California, happy horse shit gimmick was this?”
I mean it’s not like they were pitching this new “fashion” to commuters or mountain bikers or fixie rolling hipsters. They were marketing this attire to the serious road types. Clothing for the shaved-leg, skinny tire set.
They had bibs with pee flaps, and shirts with cute little pockets, and puffy vests. For the life of me, I couldn’t imagine wearing any of it on any kind of serious road ride.
But being the open minded, curious and “try anything” journalist that I am, I put a couple of the pieces of the collection into my rotation.
And as it turns out, I love the California Ride Overshort, or as I refer to them, my Big Boy Vanity Ride Shorts. Now, I don’t really pull them out on Sunday mornings when I am going to do a big ride with the group. But I commute in them almost every single day. And they have held up remarkably well.
I put my coffee money in the little pocket in the leg and off I go. Whether I am just doing a short commute on the ferry or trying to rip off some miles before work, these shorts do the job of making me look civilized while going unnoticed when the hammer is down. The cut is generous without being flappy, the material is stretchy and comfortable, without feeling cheap, and they have held up to everything I can throw at them, or spill on them.
I’ve also learned to appreciate the pee flap and the puffy vest.
So as I sit here, sipping my organic almond milk latte and gnoshing on some wasabi soy beans, I can’t help but pour over the latest update to their line and think, “Holy crap, that Wind Guard Hoodie looks sweet.”
