In London you see a lot of guys with fold-up bikes. Theyâre pretty cool. Kind of like laptops for bikes I guess. You can take them anywhere.
But nearly every guy I see with the folding bike is decked out in full cycling gear. I donât just mean the helmet (everyone should wear one). I mean biking shirt, spandex trousers, shoes, etc. They are obviously on their way to work and they are being healthy. I have no problem with that. But if you are going to ride a half a bike, shouldnât you wear just the basics in clothing?
Before I bought my motorbike, I was looking to buy a scooter instead. They look small and fun and easy to zip around in. Iâve rented them in Hawaii and it was really nice to cruise around with the wind in my hair. But helmets werenât required there. It was half a motorcycle, so it didnât require a full motorcycle safety commitment. In England there is a helmet law. When I saw that I would have to wear the full garb with a scooter that I would on a bike, I decided to get the full bike. (Iâm really glad I did, by the way.) I guess I kind of think of fold-up bikes as the pedal equivalent of scooters. Iâve never ridden one, so Iâm in no way an authority.
I guess Iâm guilty with this over-dressing when it comes to running. Back in my early twenties, when I had little money, I can remember looking at special running shirts which removed sweat from your body and dedicated running shorts which fit the contours of your legs and marvelling at how expensive they were. There was nothing wrong with my ratty-ass cotton t-shirts and shorts. This high-tech gear didnât help that muchâthe important thing was to get out on the road. I used to snicker at people who wore that stuff and obviously didnât run very often. Now, I have a few running shirts and a couple pairs of those shorts. I head out in the morning looking like an Olympic athlete in training â except for the belly of of course. I donât know how much the gear helps me. Itâs more for motivation than anything else. Sometimes, that one thing that gets me out on the road is the chance to test out my new shorts or see how comfortable my new running shirt is.
Maybe thatâs why the portable bikers wear it. Because it was fun to shop for and it keeps them on their bikes.