Every sport has something that connects its devotees. Football jerseys are a clear way to see who is a fan of a given team, or what their nationality is for representative level sport. Road cyclists are a fickle bunch and definitely image focused. Many road cyclists these days won’t wear the jerseys or kit of their favourite trade team, fearing taunts from their companions.
Mountain bikers, on the other hand are a little bit more laid back. Alban Lakata is a phenomenal marathon mountain biker – but I’m not about to go and get a full Topeak-Ergon strip to show how impressed I am by his riding.
Cycling as a whole is a bit different to other sports. And we wear our pride on our sleeves – or more accurately our arms. And our legs, and even our faces. Tanlines. They are such a curse that they have become celebrated amongst many cyclists – mountain bikers and roadies alike.
A tanline is a mark of commitment for many of us. It shows a dedication to your sport. Great marathon and stage race performances don’t typically come from minimal preparation. Preparing yourself physically and mentally requires dedication and time. Mountain biking is not only a fair weather sport, but it’s certainly more favourable in sunny climes.
Over the years my tanlines have drawn a variety of comments from those nearby:
“Maybe you should wear a singlet for a while”
“I’m sorry… I just can’t stop giggling at your tanlines!”
“Dude, nice farmer’s tan”
“Oh, you have caught the sun”
“Have you heard of sunscreen?”
“I can see Mike is sporting some nice white sideburns”
“I think you will find they will fade through a northern winter” (wrong, actually).
Summer has finally arrived properly in the past two weeks in my part of Australia. I do take sun safety seriously, but even SPF30 is only useful for an hour or two, when you’re sweating in heat. Tan lines are inevitable, and hard to avoid. But that matters little. I see a tanline and I see dedication. A mark of commitment.
‘Raccoon eyes’ and a darkened lower face represent long hours out on the bike. Image is secondary, investing for future performances must be a top priority. To the untrained eye, the signs of your Spring time monster blocks could be mistaken for some great spring skiing. Except your mid section won’t be showing signs of fondue.
Early season training may even create the odd ‘knee warmer’ tanline. This isn’t the time to argue the usefulness of a knee warmer (is your ankle and lower calf really going to overheat if you wear legwarmers?). This tanline is out there for the world to see if casually dressed.
Arm tanlines are a given for all cyclists. The more committed the cyclist, and the bigger the difference will be either side of the jersey seam. Many passionate, competitive riders will do few other sports that would expose their upper body. The contrast is stark. Time on the beach, pool, or with a new found partner will expose your obsession.
Legs. They are essential for our sport, and they will be virtually tattooed with your tanlines. Some choose their clothing to match their tanlines. Many times I have seen others reveal their tanline in an effort to ‘blur’ the line with the extra exposure to the sun. Their reward is typically sunburn on the fresh skin. Tanlines are to be celebrated, not worked against!
Embrace your tanlines, wear them with pride! If you have something spectacular, post it to MarathonMTB.com’s Facebook page. Who’s mark of commitment is the strongest?