The Outdoor Muscle Show: On the Move (Episode 4) – Wear What You Want

It was a chilly morning, but the sun was starting to break through. I’d been thinking about a topic that has resurfaced in my life for over 20 years—across music, hobbies, and now endurance sports. It’s the belief that you have to look a certain way, wear certain brands, or own expensive gear to belong.

Endurance sports aren’t immune to this mindset. Recently, after posting a video of myself on the bike, someone left a comment making fun of me for what I was wearing while riding the bike.

High School Never Ends

It took me back to high school.

Back then, I played guitar in a punk band. I love punk and metal music, but I never felt the need to wear leather jackets, patches, or spikes to “prove” I belonged. I wore what I liked. Some kids made fun of me, claiming I wasn’t really a fan because of how I dressed. It was nonsense then, and it’s nonsense now.

Fast-forward to today—whether it’s cycling, running, or lifting, my workout gear is functional, comfortable, and often inexpensive. On this particular day, here’s what I had on:

• A lightweight hoodie from a 3-pack I bought on Amazon for $30.
• A simple t-shirt my mom gave me for Christmas.
• Padded bike shorts from Amazon, about $40.
• Ten-year-old pants from Kohl’s.
• Old dress socks with penguins on them (because penguins are awesome).
• The cheapest cycling shoes I could find—still about $80.
• A helmet from Target, bought over a decade ago when I bike-commuted.
• Sunglasses I snagged on a Black Friday sale.

Not one piece of it screams “high-end cycling kit.” And that’s fine.

When Gear Matters and When it Doesn’t

Look, there’s no denying that a nice cycling kit (jersey and shorts or bib) is going to be better for performance. It’s designed for that purpose. But that doesn’t mean you need to be fully kitted out for every ride. Most rides, I wear exactly what I mentioned above. But when I do a race or a time trial workout, I throw on my kit (which I also bought at a discount).

The same goes for my running gear. When I’m doing a race, I wear my best clothing and my best shoes. But most of my outfits during training runs are dictated by what’s clean and available at the moment.

If you like wearing the nice kit every ride or that top of the line super shoes every run, thats perfectly fine too! That’s the point of all this. Wear what you want. But don’t judge anyone else because they choose to wear something different than you.

Wear What You Want

If you love nice gear and want to match your kit to your bike, go for it. I recently saw a video of a woman thrilled to find nail polish that matched her unique purple bike. She had premium gear on—and people still mocked her in the comments. It reminded me that no matter what you wear, someone will find something negative to say.

The truth is, your clothing and gear don’t affect your ability to enjoy the sport—or your worth in the community. A kind, supportive athlete will never judge you for what you wear. The only people who do that are bullies, and their opinions don’t matter.

So, whether you’re rocking a top-tier kit or a clearance rack hoodie, wear what makes you comfortable. Wear what makes you feel good.

Endurance sports are about the joy of movement, the challenge, and the community—nothing else matters.

Wear what you want.

Coaching Support

If you’re looking for training support to achieve those big goals, I have new pre-written training plans on TrainingPeaks. I also offer custom coaching at two levels, depending on the support you need.

And if you’re enjoying these episodes from the bike, please subscribe to the Outdoor Muscle YouTube channel. There you can ask questions and interact with me and other followers.

See you in the next one!

-Coach Buck

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