diff --git a/assets/img/gearlama-blog-og.webp b/assets/img/gearlama-blog-og.webp new file mode 100644 index 0000000..99ab9bf Binary files /dev/null and b/assets/img/gearlama-blog-og.webp differ diff --git a/assets/img/gearlama_blog_og_1200x630.webp b/assets/img/gearlama_blog_og_1200x630.webp deleted file mode 100644 index 285e4fd..0000000 Binary files a/assets/img/gearlama_blog_og_1200x630.webp and /dev/null differ diff --git a/content/post/ditch-the-lycra/index.md b/content/post/ditch-the-lycra/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..81d5158 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/post/ditch-the-lycra/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,112 @@ ++++ +title = "If You Wouldn’t Wear It to a Village Wedding, Don’t Wear It Bikepacking" +date = 2025-04-28 +categories = ["Culture"] +tags = ["bikepacking", "touring", "athlos", "gear", "merino-wool", "natural-fabrics", "bamboo"] +slug = "ditch-the-lycra" +image = "natural-fabrics-bikepacking.webp" +description = "Why bikepackers should ditch Lycra for merino wool and bamboo. Natural fabrics breathe, wick, and ride better — and make you smell better too." +keywords = ["bikepacking clothing India", "merino vs lycra cycling", "best fabrics for touring", "athlos clothing review", "natural fabrics for cycling"] +drafts = false ++++ + +Somewhere between the carbon bikes, the electrolyte gels, and the obsession with watts, cyclists forgot one simple truth: +**Nobody wants to see your junk at 4000 meters.** + +Especially not a confused shepherd who’s just trying to mind his goats. + +You, standing there in head-to-toe neon, feel less like a traveler and more like a lost traffic cone. + +--- + +## Lycra Had Its Glory Days. Let’s Leave It There + +Lycra made sense when you needed to save half a second over 10 kilometers. +It made sense when your enemies were headwinds and milliseconds. + +It makes *zero* sense when you're bikepacking across places where the closest thing to a podium is a rock and a curious yak. + +Rolling into a remote village dressed like a misfired superhero? +Hard pass. + +--- + +## Natural Fabrics: Performance Without the Peacocking + +Turns out, nature was doing technical apparel before we invented marketing departments. + +### Why Merino Wins: + +- **Temperature Control:** + Freezing descent? Sweaty climb? Merino adjusts faster than your Instagram feed. +- **Wicks Like a Pro:** + It pulls sweat off your skin, not traps it like synthetic sausage casings. +- **No Funk:** + Wear it three days in a row. Smell like a human, not a forgotten locker room. +- **Soft As a Whisper:** + Fine merino isn’t itchy. It’s so soft it might make your overpriced bib shorts cry. + +### Bamboo: Nature’s Secret Weapon for Bikepackers + +- **Natural Odour Resistance:** + Forget daily laundry missions. Bamboo keeps you fresher, longer. +- **Thermal Adaptability:** + Hot days? Cool. Cold nights? Warm. Magic. +- **Skin Feel:** + Softer than polyester. Gentler than ego on a bad climb. + +--- + +## Bikepacking Isn’t a Race. Stop Dressing Like It + +When you’re on a loaded bike with 25 kilos of gear and an ambitious plan to cross three states, nobody cares about your aerodynamics. + +They care if you look like someone who belongs. +Someone they can share tea with. +Someone who doesn’t terrify the village children. + +Natural fabrics — merino, bamboo, organic cotton — let you blend in, breathe easy, and ride with actual dignity intact. + +We’ll be sharing more on bikepacking gear choices soon — stay tuned. + +--- + +## Riding Spiti with Athlos (Because We Also Have Standards) + +For our upcoming Spiti expedition, we're partnering with **Athlos** — because they understand that gear should work *with* the rider, not turn them into a mobile billboard. + +And importantly — the Athlos gear doesn’t just perform well. It *looks* right for the road too. +Their muted colours, earthy tones, and subtle logos don’t scream for attention. +They blend quietly into the landscapes we’re here to ride through — and respect. +Learn more at [Athlos Gear](https://www.goathlos.com/). + +Merino baselayers, adventure shorts, convertible pants — designed to handle heat, cold, sweat, rain, and the occasional accidental nap in a roadside dhaba. + +Real clothes. Real roads. Real riding. + +--- + +## Final Word: Dress for the Ride You Actually Want + +Bikepacking isn’t about winning. +It’s about arriving — a little dustier, a little wiser, a lot happier. + +Lycra? Great if you’re chasing KOMs. + +Out here? +Choose fabrics that breathe, flex, and forgive. +Choose clothes that work as hard as you do — without looking like you’re auditioning for a sci-fi movie. + +See you out there. Probably smelling a lot better. + +--- + +## Curious About Natural Fabrics? + +We're putting **Athlos** gear through the wringer in Spiti — from sweaty switchbacks to freezing nights under a thousand stars. + +**Stay tuned for the full lowdown. No sugarcoating. No performance charts. Just the truth, the gear, and the road.** + +--- + +*PS: No Lycra was harmed during the making of this article. Several egos might have been.* diff --git a/content/post/ditch-the-lycra/natural-fabrics-bikepacking.webp b/content/post/ditch-the-lycra/natural-fabrics-bikepacking.webp new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9035bbc Binary files /dev/null and b/content/post/ditch-the-lycra/natural-fabrics-bikepacking.webp differ diff --git a/hugo.yaml b/hugo.yaml index c9f9154..2e85bf4 100644 --- a/hugo.yaml +++ b/hugo.yaml @@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ params: opengraph: enabled: true local: true - src: img/gearlama_blog_og_1200x630.webp + src: img/gearlama-blog-og.webp colorScheme: # Display toggle