Cycling socks - are they worth it?

hamishm
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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby hamishm » Fri Dec 09, 2016 2:26 pm

mikesbytes wrote:Ah, gotta luv forums, we have the best conversations about almost anything.
At least we haven't started weighing them yet. And the old timers haven't chipped in with what socks they wore while riding their 11-23T cassettes and why does anyone need compact gears anyway...

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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby RobertL » Fri Dec 09, 2016 2:28 pm

silentC wrote:Now I'm getting sock and undie ads everywhere I go! All your fault, OP!
I aim to please. :)

But I didn't expect to generate 3 pages of discussion about socks :shock:

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silentC
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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby silentC » Fri Dec 09, 2016 2:36 pm

hamishm wrote:
mikesbytes wrote:Ah, gotta luv forums, we have the best conversations about almost anything.
At least we haven't started weighing them yet. And the old timers haven't chipped in with what socks they wore while riding their 11-23T cassettes and why does anyone need compact gears anyway...
I was a no-socks guy back then. But most of the time I was riding to the pool, and pulling socks back onto wet feet was just too much trouble!
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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby rodneycc » Fri Dec 09, 2016 3:29 pm

RobertL wrote:
silentC wrote:Now I'm getting sock and undie ads everywhere I go! All your fault, OP!
I aim to please. :)

But I didn't expect to generate 3 pages of discussion about socks :shock:
Yeah definitely been a slow week for me both at work and on the forums! :-)
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Uncle Just
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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby Uncle Just » Fri Dec 09, 2016 4:22 pm

And the old timers haven't chipped in with what socks they wore while riding their 11-23T cassettes
Always white and down near the ankle bone. Btw 11-23 cassettes are a recent innovation most rode straight blocks eg Regina 6 speed 13-19 :wink:

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silentC
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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby silentC » Fri Dec 09, 2016 4:46 pm

True, it's only just on 24 years since I bought my first 13-23 7 speed. Seems like only yesterday... :D
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DrShifty
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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby DrShifty » Fri Dec 09, 2016 4:49 pm

RobertL wrote:
silentC wrote:Now I'm getting sock and undie ads everywhere I go! All your fault, OP!
I aim to please. :)

But I didn't expect to generate 3 pages of discussion about socks :shock:
I'm sure we can get more than three pages on something this important. :)

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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby DrShifty » Fri Dec 09, 2016 4:51 pm

These ones match my bike. Who cares about how my feet feel?

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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby DrShifty » Fri Dec 09, 2016 5:02 pm


Uncle Just
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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby Uncle Just » Fri Dec 09, 2016 5:11 pm

Back on topic yes I think cycling socks are worth it. Socks designed for purpose be they cotton in the summer or merino for keeping feet warm in the cold.
As to style that horse has long bolted. Sock length as others have noted is creeping up and up. Colours and crazy designs are de riguer now. Why is it that many will wear outlandish designs on the bike but be perfectly sober in their normal dress? I remember the times on Beach road in the 90s when Mtbers et al started turning up with black socks. We would yell "Black Socks"! in horror because it was such a paradigm shift but then LA started wearing them and the world changed forever. :P

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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby mikesbytes » Fri Dec 09, 2016 9:39 pm

hamishm wrote:
mikesbytes wrote:Ah, gotta luv forums, we have the best conversations about almost anything.
At least we haven't started weighing them yet. And the old timers haven't chipped in with what socks they wore while riding their 11-23T cassettes and why does anyone need compact gears anyway...
Good point and even better is to integrate them into the bike so the weight is included in the 6.8kg minimum limit
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby TheWall » Fri Dec 09, 2016 10:33 pm

mikesbytes wrote:
hamishm wrote:
mikesbytes wrote:Ah, gotta luv forums, we have the best conversations about almost anything.
At least we haven't started weighing them yet. And the old timers haven't chipped in with what socks they wore while riding their 11-23T cassettes and why does anyone need compact gears anyway...
Good point and even better is to integrate them into the bike so the weight is included in the 6.8kg minimum limit
Could be worse...we could be debating the difference between steel, carbon and Ti socks! Those carbon socks never last...

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AUbicycles
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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby AUbicycles » Sat Dec 10, 2016 1:38 am

TheWall wrote:Those carbon socks never last...
UV damage and invisible cracking of carbon fiber socks are a nightmare.
Cycling is in my BNA

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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby Arbuckle23 » Sat Dec 10, 2016 11:52 am

hamishm wrote: At least we haven't started weighing them yet
For the record

Aldi cycling socks (longer length) - 47 grams
Same length full cotton sportish socks - 72 grams
Aldi short (ankle length) cycling socks - 31 grams
Sport socks (ankle length) - 37 grams.

If you need to be fast, the short socks are where it's at :D :lol:

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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby RonK » Sat Dec 10, 2016 11:58 am

AUbicycles wrote:
TheWall wrote:Those carbon socks never last...
UV damage and invisible cracking of carbon fiber socks are a nightmare.
(Gasp!) You mean...they could fail catastrophically (sob). :shock: :shock: :shock:

No way - I'm sticking to steel socks thanks very much. :roll:

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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby mikesbytes » Sat Dec 10, 2016 12:34 pm

Arbuckle23 wrote:
hamishm wrote: At least we haven't started weighing them yet
For the record

Aldi cycling socks (longer length) - 47 grams
Same length full cotton sportish socks - 72 grams
Aldi short (ankle length) cycling socks - 31 grams
Sport socks (ankle length) - 37 grams.

If you need to be fast, the short socks are where it's at :D :lol:
So do I go for the 31gms socks for minimum weight or do I go for the 47gms socks for better aerodynamics?

oh and I'm suspicious about the CF socks, as the manufacturer doesn't state the weight http://www.ohgizmo.com/2016/03/18/steal ... -smelling/
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby Arbuckle23 » Sat Dec 10, 2016 12:59 pm

The 31's if climbing :)

TheWall
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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby TheWall » Sat Dec 10, 2016 5:15 pm

Love this thread. Best derails ever. :mrgreen:

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foo on patrol
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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby foo on patrol » Sat Dec 10, 2016 9:23 pm

I prefer to race with no socks, so problem solved, no extra weight for me. :P :wink:

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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby Baalzamon » Fri Dec 16, 2016 5:04 pm

RonK wrote:
AUbicycles wrote:
TheWall wrote:Those carbon socks never last...
UV damage and invisible cracking of carbon fiber socks are a nightmare.
(Gasp!) You mean...they could fail catastrophically (sob). :shock: :shock: :shock:

No way - I'm sticking to steel socks thanks very much. :roll:

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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby silentC » Fri Dec 16, 2016 5:21 pm

Nothing marks out a non-cyclist like suntanned feet!
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mikesbytes
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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby mikesbytes » Fri Dec 16, 2016 6:55 pm

silentC wrote:Nothing marks out a non-cyclist like suntanned feet!
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If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby Derny Driver » Fri Dec 16, 2016 7:00 pm

foo on patrol wrote:I prefer to race with no socks ....

Foo
Is that even legal?
My dad told me when he raced in the 40s that you HAD to wear socks. It was an important rule, like the rule about elbow-guards. He was a no-sock guy (as were most sprinters) so he would cut the tops off a pair of socks and just wear that bit on his ankle.
He also used to glue lock rings on to the outside of each of his track cogs as he didnt like lock rings either. Passed the inspection every time.
Sneaky bugger

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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby mikesbytes » Fri Dec 16, 2016 11:00 pm

Derny Driver wrote:
foo on patrol wrote:I prefer to race with no socks ....

Foo
Is that even legal?
My dad told me when he raced in the 40s that you HAD to wear socks. It was an important rule, like the rule about elbow-guards. He was a no-sock guy (as were most sprinters) so he would cut the tops off a pair of socks and just wear that bit on his ankle.
He also used to glue lock rings on to the outside of each of his track cogs as he didnt like lock rings either. Passed the inspection every time.
Sneaky bugger
That's probably the same old guys (even older than me) that made us have white socks the one and only time we got club socks
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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foo on patrol
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Re: Cycling socks - are they worth it?

Postby foo on patrol » Sat Dec 17, 2016 6:25 am

Derny Driver wrote:
foo on patrol wrote:I prefer to race with no socks ....

Foo
Is that even legal?
Yep, I raced the Sprint Series a few weeks ago and I wasn't the only one without socks. :mrgreen:

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