The Punter

They say you can measure the quality of a man’s character by his ability to admit when he’s wrong. That in itself seems wrong, since it would obviously be better to be right in the first place, but I’m probably missing the point because I’m Dutch and everyone knows Dutch people are 97% more righter 84% of the time than the rest of the world.

I must confess to a certain hubris when it comes to kitting up for a ride; I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I’ve gotten accustomed to making good decisions about what to wear and how to wear it. But today I strayed from the path: my socks were carefully and deliberately pulled out over the tops of my overshoes. Not only is it the most concrete evidence that my socks are too long, it looked like I had two orange gaskets stuck to my ankles. Not to mention that this resulted in only a tiny amount of my shins being exposed between my knee warmers and socks.

Sometimes we must stray from the Path in order to understand where it lies; today I have wandered far indeed but have found my way back. Do not lose faith and always seek to return to the Path.

VLVV.

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181 Replies to “The Punter”

  1. First world problems for sure, but I can empathize. I have a couple of pairs of oversocks that are quite low, meaning my white (always white) socks stick out the top a bit. The trick is to make sure the amount of sock showing is even. Either that, or pause, return to place where gear is kept, and put on different socks.

    It bugged you for the whole damn ride, didn’t it?

  2. Surely this doesn’t mean the V-kit socks were ordered in an erroneous length?

  3. I admit to being a Philistine. I kinda like having my socks above the top of my booties. Even with 5″ socks (which are sorta Goldilocks just right height for me), they are taller than my booties.

  4. I had to look twice to confirm there were actually shoes under those socks.

  5. Always have socks that will match and blend in with your Belgian Booties.

  6. This is just me, but personally I would never wear overshoes with bare legs. Problem solved.

  7. @JohnB

    I had to look twice to confirm there were actually shoes under those socks.

    Frank’s so damn tough he just screws his cleats into the soles of his feet. Or so I’m told.

  8. @EBruner

    This is just me, but personally I would never wear overshoes with bare legs. Problem solved.

    I’m with you, the ol knees get covered pretty quick.

  9. @EBruner

    This is just me, but personally I would never wear overshoes with bare legs. Problem solved.

    This

  10. I’m going to say that if bare legs and overshoes is good enough for King Kelly, it’s good enough for the rest of us…as long as you can pedal your way up the Koppenberg…right @frank?

  11. @Chipomarc

    Always have socks that will match and blend in with your Belgian Booties.

    Good call. I’ve been riding with orange ones but they were in the wash. Next time I wear these black ones, I’ll go with black socks.

  12. @wiscot

    It bugged you for the whole damn ride, didn’t it?

    Of course it did, to the point that I needed to go to confession here!

  13. @Haldy

    I’m going to say that if bare legs and overshoes is good enough for King Kelly, it’s good enough for the rest of us…as long as you can pedal your way up the Koppenberg…right @frank?

    Abso-fucking-lutely.

    Although no one pedals up that Koppenberg anymore since they repaved it…almost can’t call it the same climb! Still the nastiest, bumpiest, shittest hill in Belgium.

  14. @frank

    @Haldy

    Here’s @Brett and @Rigid krushing it last April. Man, Bretto was on form that week – look at him kill that thing!

    One of these days…hopefully…I can get over there to try and tackle that thing, and the Muur…must, must climb the Kapelmuur!

  15. I see no problem with the photo.  In fact the colors are complementary.  You could have just said: “I meant to do that”.

  16. In truly wet weather, socks or tights that extend above waterproof booties are only going to wick the rain in. I’d rather have dry feet and bare calves.

    I’ve occasionally resorted to the gaskets @frank may be alluding to — cut-up dishwashing gloves — but they only come in hideous shades of yellow, pink and baby blue.

  17. If you are wearing coral colored socks then these Rapha oversocks should do the trick to blend in well.

  18. @frank

    @Haldy

    @frank

    @Haldy

    Do it in the 53×17 like a proper punter.

    I knew you were going to rub it in and post that pic!! Chapeau!

    Or this one:

    Ahhhh..I see you have been daydreaming again…

  19. I loves me a bit of sock peeking out from under the bootie. The V socks are perfect for it, gives that bit of colour and pattern to break things up.

    And then I crush fools on the Koppenberg.

  20. @Haldy

    I’m going to say that if bare legs and overshoes is good enough for King Kelly, it’s good enough for the rest of us…as long as you can pedal your way up the Koppenberg…right @frank?

    I’ve seen countless photos of Kelly wearing socks over his shoes, but can’t recall m/any of him wearing overshoes/shoe covers. I see this as a choice not to wear the latter with bare legs, rather than any form of endorsement of what is a very dubious practice.

  21. @frank

    What oversocks are they? DeFeet Slipstreams? Are they any good, i.e. do they keep your feet dry in wet weather?

    I’m having ongoing foot-dryness related issues. The problem is caused by the fact my shoes are summer shoes and have fucking vents in the bottom (budget prohibits new shoes), so have been experimenting with different shoe coverings. Overshoes generally achieve nothing as the water comes in through the vents, even with the vents taped shut. I bought a pair of Velotoze – they have rips all over after 1 ride! And I was careful with them.

  22. @RobSandy

    They are DeFeet Slipstreams, I own a natty pair in orange. Other than look pro and keep your feet slightly warmer than usual they are not waterproof/resistant. Hope this helps…

  23. @Velodeluded

    @RobSandy

    They are DeFeet Slipstreams, I own a natty pair in orange. Other than look pro and keep your feet slightly warmer than usual they are not waterproof/resistant. Hope this helps…

    Ta. I’m getting a bit sick of drying my shoes inside and out after every single ride (if the roads are damp water ends up inside my shoes). Also, I’m a bit worried my shoes are starting to rot apart.

  24. @Haldy

    @frank

    @Haldy

    Here’s @Brett and @Rigid krushing it last April. Man, Bretto was on form that week – look at him kill that thing!

    One of these days…hopefully…I can get over there to try and tackle that thing, and the Muur…must, must climb the Kapelmuur!

    There are only two types of people on Earth: Those that have ridden the Koppenberg and those that haven’t.

  25. @frank

    @EBruner

    This is just me, but personally I would never wear overshoes with bare legs. Problem solved.

    Wrong answer.

    I’m surprised that you used this photo without referencing this article.

    I love my Flandrian Best although my kneekers keep sliding down. I’m not sure whether it’s because my legs have gotten a bit fat recently (cyclists on other websites have suggested that that this might be a cause) or because the elastic has given up.

    Sunday’s ride called for full Flandrian Best, 90 km around the back roads of Norfolk in a gale. It was Mrs Chris’ first sportive and proper road outing. There are lots of pig farms out there.

  26. I get the sock thing.

    What I’ll never understand is the knee warmer thing. They remind me of those pants my mom wore when I was a kid.

    Yep, they were called pedal pushers and only girls and women wore them.  Now I see young guys wearing the same thing at the coffee shops and around the mall. It looks very strange.

    Shorts should be shorts, pants should be full length and worn around the waist. Anything in between seems, well, indecisive…

    If my feet are cold, it’s cold enough to wrap up the guns with them, top to bottom.  Why leave a patch of exposed skin?  Same with the hands. We don’t wear 3/4 length sleeves on chilly days and expose the lower part of our forearms now do we? It would just look silly.

    My belief is,

    It’s either cold,

    Or it isn’t!

    BTW,

    Toe warmers worn under the booties work very well

  27. @frank

    It doesn’t mean your socks were too long, it means you wore the wrong-length booties. Defeet make the Slipstreams in 6″ too, to suit socks long enough for you & I.

  28. @RobSandy

    @frank

    What oversocks are they? DeFeet Slipstreams? Are they any good, i.e. do they keep your feet dry in wet weather?

    I’m having ongoing foot-dryness related issues. The problem is caused by the fact my shoes are summer shoes and have fucking vents in the bottom (budget prohibits new shoes), so have been experimenting with different shoe coverings. Overshoes generally achieve nothing as the water comes in through the vents, even with the vents taped shut. I bought a pair of Velotoze – they have rips all over after 1 ride! And I was careful with them.

    I don’t know if this will help, but a small bit of foam or rubber, trimmed to size, placed in the vent and covered with electrical tape can help with summer shoes. I do this with shoes I wear in the winter – Shimano 131s.

  29. @Mike C

    I get the sock thing.

    What I’ll never understand is the knee warmer thing. They remind me of those pants my mom wore when I was a kid.

    Yep, they were called pedal pushers and only girls and women wore them.  Now I see young guys wearing the same thing at the coffee shops and around the mall. It looks very strange.

    Shorts should be shorts, pants should be full length and worn around the waist. Anything in between seems, well, indecisive…

    If my feet are cold, it’s cold enough to wrap up the guns with them, top to bottom.  Why leave a patch of exposed skin?  Same with the hands. We don’t wear 3/4 length sleeves on chilly days and expose the lower part of our forearms now do we? It would just look silly.

    My belief is,

    It’s either cold,

    Or it isn’t!

    BTW,

    Toe warmers worn under the booties work very well

    Yes! This!

  30. @Mike C

    I get the sock thing.

    What I’ll never understand is the knee warmer thing. They remind me of those pants my mom wore when I was a kid.

    Yep, they were called pedal pushers and only girls and women wore them.  Now I see young guys wearing the same thing at the coffee shops and around the mall. It looks very strange.

    Shorts should be shorts, pants should be full length and worn around the waist. Anything in between seems, well, indecisive…

    If my feet are cold, it’s cold enough to wrap up the guns with them, top to bottom.  Why leave a patch of exposed skin?  Same with the hands. We don’t wear 3/4 length sleeves on chilly days and expose the lower part of our forearms now do we? It would just look silly.

    My belief is,

    It’s either cold,

    Or it isn’t!

    BTW,

    Toe warmers worn under the booties work very well

    You’re starting from a point of confusion.

    Pants that are full length and worn around the waist are called tights or longjohns and shouldn’t under any circumstances be worn as the outermost layer by young guys at coffee shops or the mall.

    I suspect you’re talking about trousers.

  31. @RobSandy

    @frank

    What oversocks are they? DeFeet Slipstreams? Are they any good, i.e. do they keep your feet dry in wet weather?

    I’m having ongoing foot-dryness related issues. The problem is caused by the fact my shoes are summer shoes and have fucking vents in the bottom (budget prohibits new shoes), so have been experimenting with different shoe coverings. Overshoes generally achieve nothing as the water comes in through the vents, even with the vents taped shut. I bought a pair of Velotoze – they have rips all over after 1 ride! And I was careful with them.

    Cover the vents with electrical tape. Reduces unwanted ingress of cold air and water dramatically. And it comes off cleanly when the weather improves.

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