I
I still remember the day I knew I had to
have a riding f lannel. I had just moved
to Colorado and I was meeting up for
a trail ride with a new friend. It was a
chilly September afternoon, and rain was
threatening, so I wore a long-sleeve tech-
nical jersey under a wind jacket, and water-resistant
baggy shorts. When my friend rolled up, she was
in a soft, snuggly looking lavender f lannel, slim-cut
capris, and chunky purple socks that read “FML.”
In short, she looked casual AF. Almost instantly,
I became hyper-aware of how much I was dressed
for an epic mountain bike ride. She, on other hand,
looked like she was maybe thinking about chopping
some firewood before hopping on her bike and drop-
ping me on the climb. She appeared untroubled by
her seeming lack of wind- or waterproofing, four-way
stretch, or moisture wicking. She didn’t need special
clothes to pedal. Riding was just a part of her life.
I immediately knew I wanted to emulate this style.
I learned that most of the f lannel shirts I saw on
so many riders were actually designed to be sneaky
ride clothes. They were made from quick-drying
materials, cut longer for full coverage, and built
with zipper pockets and even discreet stretch or
mesh panels. Wait, this seemed like cheating—you
appear totally casual, but your clothing is actually
low-key wicking and stretchy?!
My indignation lasted all of two seconds,
because I also deeply enjoy being comfortable on
my bike. I went online and put a riding f lannel in
my shopping cart.In recent years, there’s been a rising trend
toward bike clothes that double as life clothes.
Softshell hoodies windproof enough to be winter
riding jackets, T-shirts that look like cotton but
actually wick moisture, and stretch-denim jorts
with high waists all allow you to code-switch
between riding and living with fewer costume
changes. A non-exhaustive list of places I’ve worn
my riding f lannel immediately before or after
rides: the grocery store, my therapist’s office,
multiple tailgates as the sun set but the beers
kept flowing, trailbuilding in the woods, over a
still-sweaty bike jersey at an upscale brewery on
a Friday night.
And when I am wearing my f lannel on the bike,
the casual vibe transfers over. There’s a scientificconcept called “enclothed cognition,” which means
that what we wear can inf luence how we think and
act. Countless fitness magazines have used it to try
to convince women to buy more yoga pants: They
claim that #feelingcute in those $100 Lululemons
puts us in a sporty mindset. So it makes sense that
dressing more casually would put us in a chillin’
mindset, right?
My highly unscientific research says it’s true.
The first time I wore a f lannel shirt for a gravel
ride, I felt more relaxed. I didn’t look like I was
training, so why behave like it? I stopped for
photos on my favorite dirt climb. I smiled and
waved at the pedestrians I passed on the bike
path. Out of my “bike outfit,” I felt more like
one of them.I FOUND
MY CYCLING
SOUL WHEN
I FOUND
FLANNEL
BY GLORIA LIU
RIDING
FLANNELS HIDE
QUICK-DRYING
MATERIAL AND
VENTILATION
UNDER CASUAL
PATTERNS.36 BICYCLING.COM • ISSUE 5 Photograph byNATALIE R. STARR