TMI: The unplanned regiment

[jere7my]

Here's a thing they don't teach you in kilt-wearin' school: if the elastic in your underwear is shot, you are subject to the "granny effect," by which your underwear will migrate down to your knees over the course of your travels. (Traditional pants keep them in place, since they have nowhere to go.) To avoid the mortification of having them suddenly appear around my ankles in Harvard Square, I popped into the bathroom at Diesel, stepped out of them, and stuffed them in my bag. So I can now say that I have "gone regimental," for those who keep asking. No ill effects noted, apart from gradually diminishing self-consciousness and a bit of ticklishness.

Unrelatedly, I have never gotten so many sidelong smiles from Somerville girls as I have in this kilt. Seriously — I was outside the house for under four hours, and in that time four girls smiled at me. So, there's that.

Other news of the day involved bike shopping at Wheelworks near Porter Square. Despite helpful recommendations from carpenter and the fellow at the shop, I don't think I was swayed by the "hybrid" bikes I tried. I still like the full-mountain feel of the Gary Fisher Tarpon and its pricier brother, the Advance¹. It may just be what I'm used to, but they feel right beneath me. Tomorrow I'll go back to Wheelworks and choose between the floor model Tarpon and the Advance they're assembling for me in the morning. Also on the agenda: a taillight, a lock, a kickstand, a rack, and a pannier for carrying my Trader Joe's goodies.

[Edit: I forgot to say that I saw Dan Friedmann and his Peace Wave Generator for the first time in Harvard Square! He's a happenin' one-man band — check out this video: www.twitvid.com/ED808.]

¹ The Advance is basically the Tarpon with a nicer gear train, which adds $50 to the price. I normally wouldn't be swayed by that, but on my Tarpon test ride the one thing I felt I wanted was a little more oomph from the shifters. Also, the Advance is a pretty pretty blue.

Comments

[glassonion]

More advice you don't need to take but could: get waterproof panniers. Making your stuff impervious to rain with zero advance planning is totally worth the investment.

[jere7my.livejournal.com]

I'll generally have my waterproof backpack with me when I'm riding (it's a Camelbak, and that's how I hydrate), and plan to only attach the pannier(s) when I'm going to buy groceries. Panniers seem kind of ridiculously expensive, so I'm probably going to end up going low-tech. But I'll surely look into them — thanks!

[mogwit.livejournal.com]

Biking in a kilt sounds pretty unpleasant.
I realised after rereading the entry that you hadn't, but still.

[jere7my.livejournal.com]

I'm curious to try it. I see women biking in skirts (short and long) all the time.

[mogwit.livejournal.com]

I bike in skirts long enough that I can tuck them up into the waistband and still have decent coverage or in skirts short enough that it's not an issue. A kilt seems to be the right length (too short to tuck, long enough to get in the way) and level of pleatiness to be problematic. Let me know how it goes.

[jere7my.livejournal.com]

I was thinking I might be able to use some sort of clip.

[mogwit.livejournal.com]

I am now thinking of the big black-and-silver-type clips we use to hold the 5 lb. bags of coffee shut at the store and giggling.

[antimony.livejournal.com]

I've done it a lot, but it was an above-the-knee kilt, and I'm not sure how long yours is. Above the knee is short enough to just ignore and let flap where it will. Below might require folding to make sure it doesn't get caught anywhere.

Ankle length is entertaining.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_meej_/]

So, as a return bit of TMI, I'm generally a boxers man, but when it comes to kilts, I go with boxer-briefs all the way so as to avoid an "accidental regimental" flash at someone when seated.

(Though I must say, when I found regular boxers in the same tartan as one of my kilts, I was sorely, sorely tempted.)