Bicycles as an accessory | Fashion over Function

Having been involved with bicycled my whole teenage life I found it was certainly important to have the right kit on my bike. Luckily the fashionable kit tended to be the most expensive and best performing so it wasn't comparible to having pink fluffy dice hanging from your rear view mirror in your car to impress folk. My worst fail was spending £40 on gold quick releases for my wheels yet looking at my bike now it is certainly very fashionable with an obvious pink front tyre. The bicycle culture, aswell and cycling, is about a social group. I feel there is a heirarchy although each genre of rider claims they are the better group. Fixie riders being currently at the top with racing road bike riders at the bottom yet on very similar bikes. Through this project I am looking into the social aspects of bicycles i.e tattoos and having the right kit on your bike. Should you wear a helmet?