urbanknight

When I first started riding and racing, socks were the minimum length required to line the shoe and maybe a thin strip showing the brand name along the top for snob cred. Now they're halfway to the knees, which is a terrible length because they don't go quite far enough for the curve of my enormous calves to hold them up. By the end of my 100 mile ride, they're bunched around my ankles like an old man who's leg muscles atrophied from not being able to ride anymore, and I still have a weird tan to boot.

Troul 

to shield folk'a eyea from the perma mental scars they might witness in public

indyfabz

I will never wear long socks unless they are covered by things like tights or leg warmers or they are rolled/folded down.

3alarmer

.
...short socks do not make good sock puppets. Ergo: cyclists need longer socks, so they can run sock accounts on Bike Forums..

seypat

To give some definition to the chicken legs.

thin_concrete

I’ve been asking the same question for years. Not here though. Just randomly in public. Grocery stores, hardware stores, the ice cream shoppe, etc.

(extra internet points for “shoppe”)

alcjphil

Socks too long, jerseys too short, shorts too long in the leg and jerseys with sleeves too long. I may have missed something else in these threads, but please, things change over time.

Atlas Shrugged

In a effort to save rotational weight I have abandoned socks completely.

rsbob 

Look up cycling aero socks. The UCI has a maximum sock height to keep the aero advantage equal. Skin is slow, slippery fabric is muy bueno.

urbanknight

I'm so slow, those aero socks make me go backwards.

But yeah, I know exactly why they are the current length (and read the pro cyclist's funny comments as well), and you've probably figured out by now that this and many of the others are parody threads.

rsbob 

your thread begs the question: Why are stem heights so low?

Parody? We don’t need no stinkin’ parody.

kwb377

Someone say pair 'o deez?

msu2001la

Unpopular opinion - cycling socks are just regular socks with logos on them.

urbanknight

When I was in my teens and 20's, I felt that head tubes were too tall and stems should be lower than -17 degrees. In my 40's, I now feel that huge stacks of spacers and flipped up stems are A-OK.

urbanknight

I actually do wear "regular" socks when riding quite often. Most of them list "polyester and spandex" as their only materials, and you can get some fun "regular" socks.

I had some Superman socks with capes on them... until a cape got caught in the chainring and was ripped off. Who could have seen that coming?

genejockey 

This is what I thought until the time I wore regular socks while doing a hard workout on the trainer, and they were completely sodden with sweat, which has never happened with cycling socks.
EDIT: Except that one time I got caught 8 miles from home in the heaviest rain it's ever been my distinct displeasure to experience.

wolfchild

I completely agree with you on that one....and any good quality socks made from wool are suitable for cycling. No need for cycling specific socks with cycling specific brands or logon on it.

wolfchild

Any socks made from merrino wool would have been just as good. Cycling logos mean absolutely nothing.

CroMo Mike 

Some regular socks are too thick to fit in proper cycling shoes.

thin_concrete

How are we supposed to be slam dancing mofos with high stems??!

msu2001la

You might want to consider upgrading your “regular socks”. Pretty much any athletic sock nowadays is made from the same tech fabrics as “cycling socks”. You can buy em in whatever lengths you want.

msu2001la

On the other hand, some regular socks are super thin. I wear the thin ones when cycling in the summer and thicker ones on the winter. Same applies to… walking.

SpeedyBlueBiker

I just wear plain old regular athletic socks that are ankle length. Most are the type you would use for running but nothing super fancy at all.

Polaris OBark

Combining long socks with long shorts eliminates the need for long leggings, since the socks nearly approach my atrophied ...., and the shorts approach my atrophied ankles.

biker128pedal

Fingerless glove fingers are getting too long too.