First world problems/middle aged bloke not being down wid da kidz alert!
Having worked on the Steel City race on Saturday, I've been given a pair of fancy branded socks in the goodie bag. All very nice thank you.
Except, they not only are long, but they come a couple of inches past the bottom of my knee pads. They're almost ski sock length! (foot fits alright). At 5'10" I'm not super tall, but no shorty either.
Now I remember a hungover bit of banter, on the airport transfer, from some EWS photographers last autumn after I'd been working on a European race - they'd been discussing who they wouldn't take pics of - ****gappers, gapers, (amongst others) and - people in short socks.
So is this a "thing" now? I can cope with long socks as a look on a roadbike with lycra shorts, but really - having a 1/2" gap between your socks and your knee pads just looks plain daft to me....?
Not sure if they are a thing, but I like the feel of long socks. Bit of compression and that.
I just googled "****gapper"
not all that safe for work, in case anyone's inclined to try the same (so what is one ?)
socks; variable but probably all "short" by modern standards
I can cope with long socks as a look on a roadbike with lycra shorts
I thought that was just a "Lance thing" and all the other roadies wore/still wear shorter socks, full calf compression socks with... Well everything, seems to be a Tri' thing...
Pulled up longer socks sort of make sense for MTBing in general, for whipping undergrowth etc, I do tend to pull mine up, but they don't stay put.
For it to be a enough of a 'thing' that the EWS scene hangers-on won't take your picture based on sock length? Well that tells a tale in itself doesn't it...
If socks are so short there's a gap that allows dry lumps of dirt to fall into your sock then they're too short.
dry lumps of dirt to fall into your sock then they’re too...
baggy ?
Long socks with shorts? They’ll be riding in sandals next.
https://www.highterrainevents.co.uk/kielder-off-road-triathlon
As it happens, I was wondering this earlier today while looking at an xc triathlon website, which had a picture of someone wearing long football socks while mtbing. First time I’d seen it; “that looks daft” I thought. But maybe I’m the daft one in my short ankle socks for summer, to get full leg tans or shin length any other time of the year, to stop overshoe rub or bridge the gap between shoe and leg warmers.
area between lumpy bits of ankles and achilles tendon is concave so if a the top of a sock stretches over it a gap is created into which little dry lumps of dirt can perilously enter distracting the rider from their shredding of gnarly trail.
I'll have them if you don't want them 😉
Are they Royal socks by any chance? They are one of the longest. In general I find most MTB socks are too short even though they’re advertised as being long....
Unless you also wish to wear a Pith helmet..... Short socks all the way!
I think the short socks thing really refers to ankle socks. Most everything else is fair game IMO. Team Robot has covered this territory before: http://theteamrobot.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/it-in-geneva-convention.html
Even google failed to tell me what a "****gapper" is.
I can't remember the last time that happened.
I'm not going to Google ****-gapper but I think it's when you wear knee pads and short shorts. Creating a gap of flesh between your protection and your hot pants. Never thought about it but it does look wrong. Easiest way to spot the blokes in rental body armour.
I use normal black tube socks from any sports shop. I pull them up to keep dirt and gravel out of that gap at my ankle. They're nowhere near my knee pads though. I wonder if I'd pass the EWS photo test?
I googled it and according to ski/snowboarders it's people with a gap between the top of their goggles and their helmet - which means they get sunburn in a strip along their forehead which marks them as a ****gapper long after they get home from shredding gnarly powder dude.
If they are the Royal DH sock they are a nice long sock, cover my shins from all the sharp prickly stuff that's out there at the moment. I have a pair of 7protection ones which are longer and tuck under my knee pads for that pro EWS look...
As a roadie and a mountain biker I get mixed up what is and isn't allowed.
On the road bike its long socks only, just below the calf muscle. White socks with white shoes, black socks with black shoes - but has to match the jersey as well (and that then dictates what sunglasses and helmet to wear)....
Mountain bike socks, one of the things I love about mountain biking is how you just turn up to ride and there's no care for what you wear and how you look. On the road bike its more about how you look than how you ride.
Mountain bike I'm currently still wearing ski socks, but rolled down. Stops getting gravel and stones inside the shoes. To be fair it was hot riding Llandegla on Sunday in ski socks though!
