Bike Pretty...and Ultrarunning

Ever get tired of all that Spandex in glaring colors when you bike?  The site Bike Pretty may give you some good alternatives.

 

Of course, Ultrarunners are immune to fashion and pretense.  We are rooted in the earth and have no place in our lives for infernal machines such as bicycles, much less the associated clothing.

 

Not.

 

Many runner, of course, also bike.  And a few of them also might favor the outfits espoused on Bike Pretty.  But as for me I don't bike much and when I do it's usually in shorts and a tee-shirt, as I own no biking Spandex garments.

 

When I run I also dress simply and in muted colors.  The bride tells me that among her co-workers there is a color they call "Gary Gray'" meaning the color of athletic tee-shirts.  Happens to be my favorite color.

 

This might be a good place to again comment upon my oldest and favorite garment, which I posted about here some 3 years ago.  It still exits, barely.

[image credit Gary]

I use this thin cotton shirt on hot summer days.  Unfortunately, the seams at the shoulders are simply falling apart from age and wear, so I fear that this summer may see the end of this shirt.  I will probably do a ceremonial burning to dispose if it, much like old flags are destroyed.

Then I can go to Bike Pretty to replace it.

 

 

 

My Oldest and Favorite Garment, Revisited

Well, this post ran 2 years ago and the shirt still exists.  In fact, I wore it today, though those additional years have accelerated the decline.  But I've always been of the mind that you use things, you don't just save them--what use is a set of fine china (or a favorite shirt) if it remains unused and untouched. 

Better to risk breakage or wear and enjoy the item.

So here's the post in question:

My Oldest and Favorite Garment

(Photo by Gary)

Of all the clothing I own--and I am not a clothes horse--this threadbare T-shirt is both my oldest and my favorite article of clothing.

The T-shirt dates from 1980 and I still wear it regularly for running in the summer. Long ago I cut off the short sleeves for hot weather use. I know, I know, it's cotton--AKA the Death Fabric--but technical shirts were not the rage 30 years ago.

I only wear it now for road runs of up to an hour or so, and go with a technical top for anything longer, or if I'm going into the woods.

It'll be a sad day indeed when this shirt bites the dust. I got it when I had to go to Anchorage (Fort Richardson) and Fairbanks (Fort Wainwright) to work early in my career. I was able to take the bride along, and stay for several days after the work part of the trip was done. We were there over the summer solstice in late June when it never really got dark.

The scale of everything in AK was grand, and beautiful. And the critters! Moose, caribou, Dall sheep, grizzly bears, salmon....I've been back several more times for work, but am eagerly awaiting the time when we can take a purely pleasure vacation.

And I'd better look for a replacement T-shirt.

 

 

My Oldest and Favorite Garment

(Photo by Gary)

Of all the clothing I own--and I am not a clothes horse--this threadbare T-shirt is both my oldest and my favorite article of clothing.

The T-shirt dates from 1980 and I still wear it regularly for running in the summer. Long ago I cut off the short sleeves for hot weather use. I know, I know, it's cotton--AKA the Death Fabric--but technical shirts were not the rage 30 years ago.

I only wear it now for road runs of up to an hour or so, and go with a technical top for anything longer, or if I'm going into the woods.

It'll be a sad day indeed when this shirt bites the dust.  I got it when I had to go to Anchorage (Fort Richardson) and Fairbanks (Fort Wainwright) to work early in my career. I was able to take the bride along, and stay for several days after the work part of the trip was done. We were there over the summer solstice in late June when it never really got dark.

The scale of everything in AK was grand, and beautiful. And the critters! Moose, caribou, Dall sheep, grizzly bears, salmon....I've been back several more times for work, but am eagerly awaiting the time when we can take a purely pleasure vacation.

And I'd better look for a replacement T-shirt.