Club Pride (now with ™)

I think by now, everyone is aware of the fact that I think sleeves are stupid on most shirts... at least when it's warm'ish outside.  I get the social construct that it's appropriate in most settings to cover one's shoulders... if you're a man, but not at the beach... although a woman can have bare shoulders wherever she wants but can't take her top off at the beach... while a man can... and no one should walk into a convenient store without a shirt at all... because... exposure to nipples of any gender can spoil the rolling hot dogs?

I started hacking sleeves off my t-shirts in '85 or '86.  Don't exactly remember exactly.  My mom used to tell me that I was ruining my clothes, but if I was more apt to wear a sleeveless t-shirt than one with extra fabric covering my upper arm, then allow me to define "ruined" for myself.  Besides, t-shirts are way easier to fold when they are nothing more than a rectangle.

I don't always want to ride in a regular cycling jersey.  The freedom of something other the a zippered, high-collared, pocket-laden blouse is a beautiful thing.  A ride just becomes more pleasant when you feel less geared up and performance oriented.  Sleeveless t-shirts don't allow for the same kind of airflow as an unzipped jersey, so that's why I became a fan of the button-up, sleeveless riding shirt.

Yeth, I'm wearing a pack... and riding a bike with gears... and full suspension.  You do strange things when you win a contest.

Anyways, I've always just cut the sleeves off cotton, button-up Goodwill shirts wishing for a more technical/breathable fabric.  My own line of Club Pride shirts were born out necessity, as I probably woulda hacked the sleeves off a regular Club Ride shirt, but I found myself swimming in their size small.  SWIMMING.  I've won/been gifted three of them in the past and had to pass them along to my chubbier friends.

So, last year at Interbike, they came out with the Billy Bob jersey... still no sizes smaller than small.  Sigh.

photo cred: Bike Rumor

I was disappoint.

Time passes, Aaron Chambermaid of Singletracks.com starts getting chatty with the folks at Club Ride, he tells them of my fondness of sleeveless riding apparel, and just like I never left "the industry," one is on its way to me.

And it was too big.

Sads.

So I took it to my favorite alterations place, paid to have the mesh side panels taken out, and everything sewed back together.  Happiness.

I let the folks at Club Ride know how much I appreciated the shirt, expressed my dismay that they don't offer clothes for lilliputian-sized riders, and they taught me how to use the Internet.

Yeth, many years ago, they offered nothing in an extra small.  Now?  Not every item is offered in extra small, and not every item that is available in extra small can be had in all colorways.  It just took a few clicks to find which items in which colorways came in size "me."

Inspired by their inclusion of us wee people into their folds, my interest in owning some Club Ride stuff was once again piqued, and I went ahead and placed an order for some other things.

The Link, a long-sleeve base layer.  I like base layers, I like black, I like thumb holes.

I got to wear it maybe three times before things started getting way too warm in the South.  It fits nice and snug, looks good under a t-shirt, and the thumb holes make me feel all Orange is the New Black.

Perfect for my bike messenger/female inmate persona.

I also picked up a pair of Pit Stop shorts.  I don't really like tech-fabric looking shorts.  I only wear them when it's raining at work and that's about it.  Otherwise, cotton.  These shorts are a cotton-Spandex blend so they look like cotton and stretch like Spandex.  The legs are nice and tapered, and all these things make for a pair of shorts that don't make me feel like a tiny dork swimming inside a huge pair of short pants.  Oh yeah, normal pockets to make them look like normal shorts and one inconspicuous side pocket for my phone.  Nice.

So yeah, Club Ride.  Good people who understand that not every ride is a fully kitted out experience.  I'm stoked that I finally have some well thought out casual riding attire for those times when casual is my business.

and...

Warning. Warning. Warning.

I'm out until next Monday.  Kid's at camp, so going to enjoy some childless time for awhile.  Riding, playing, drinking, walking, people watching with the The Pie for the next four days.