Rule #28 // Socks can be any damn colour you like.
Those famliar with Velominati's rules will be aware of Rule #28 (above), and indeed #27 // Shorts and socks should be like Goldilocks (Not too long and not too short. No socks is a no-no, as are those ankle-length ones).
For the past few weeks I have been meaning to go through my cycling sock basket. That's right, I keep my cycling socks in a basket; partly for ease of selection, but mostly because when I finally emptied them out and counted them there were fifty-nine pairs (and that doesn't include the ones in the laundry or on the clothes line). What can I say ... I like socks!
To add to my ob-sock-sion (obsession) I had recently purchased two pairs of Giant's new Elevate Socks, and loved them so much that I had to order another two pairs for safe-keeping (just in-case stocks sold out or the factory went bust).
So imagine the irony when, on my weekly trip to Atherton to go mountain-biking, I go to put on my socks and ... that sinking feeling. Yep, my sweet-smelling, toe-tickling, fashionable foot fabric is nowhere to be found. Thankfully a quick detour to PUSHE Bikes & Beans provided me with a pair of uber stylish and boutique 4Shaw replacements, along with a caffeine recharge.
How many pairs of socks is enough? How many pairs of socks do you own?
Believe it or not, in 2012 the UCI updated their Technical Regulations regarding socks as follows: Socks (and shoe covers) used in competition must not exceed the mid-distance between the ankle and the knee.
5 fun facts about socks:
1. The word sock is derived from the Latin soccus, a term used to describe a light, low-heeled shoe.
2. Feet are one of the sweatiest parts of the body. Socks help to absorb the sweat and move it to parts of the foot where it can evaporate easier.
3. In the 8th Century, Greeks wore socks made from matted animal hair.
4. As expected, China is the world's largest sock manufacturer.
5. The design on the side of a sock is called a clock.
