There are so many theories surrounding the concept of rolling up one pant by bikers, especially from the black community. The art has been linked to LL Cool J, a musician, and fitness coach.
But its use and significance stretch beyond the auspice of the theories. It is believed to be one of the ethics of bike riding across the world because it is known as a form of adding comfort while riding a bike.
This article covers a good deal of the various subjects raised about rolling up one pant leg and the questions surrounding it, from its adoption by dancers and even people labeled as gang members.
Real reasons why Bikers roll up one pant leg?
It is also worthy to note that The art of rolling one pant leg for bikers has the following reasons:
- To avoid stains
- To avoid contact with chains
- To avoid torn cuffs
To Avoid Stains
Most bikers roll up one of their pant legs to avoid getting. There could be particles of grease or oil on your bike’s chains, and the right leg pant which is very close to this area of the bike could get stained if there is a contact.
Since contact is inevitable, bikers resort to rolling up one [especially the right leg] pant leg to avoid getting the cuffs stained.
To Avoid Contact with Chains
This is another reason why bikers roll up one leg of their pants and this is to avoid getting caught in the chains.
The chains could drag the pant cuffs, especially the right one since it’s the closest to it. When this happens, the pant cuffs could cause the chains to break off thereby leading to a halt in movement.
Picture a scene where the biker is going for an important meeting, the new development will equally halt him from proceeding. So, to avoid such occurrences bikers just roll up one pant leg and enjoy their journey.
To Avoid Torn Cuffs
This is another reason why a well-dressed biker would be seen rolling up one of his or her pant legs. And, the reason for this act is to avoid the mishap of having a torn pant cuff.
If the occasion is much more important than a formal dressing is needed, the biker could roll up one pant leg instead of risking a torn cuff for the occasion.
10 Ways to Protect Your Pants When Riding
Bike riding is such a nice form of exercise and transportation. Not much sophistication is needed, just know how to roll the pedals and you are already on the move.
There is no need for technicalities as biking is not that hard to learn or do. But aside from all these, there are simple ethics or practices which you should inculcate in your daily bike sessions.
These safety practices will not only protect you, but they will also protect your pants.
Use a Chain-Guard
You ca n make use of chain guards on your chain, to avoid it from having direct contact with your pants. This will, in turn, stop it from dragging the pant cuff into the cranks.
These chain guards can be either metal made or made from synthetic material. Just place them on the chains and have a smooth ride.
Wear Short Pants
Wearing short pants or combat saves you from a lot of trouble involving pants getting caught by the chains. Instead of spending money on a chain guard, why not wear only shorts for your riding.
Especially on long distant rides, they will also provide comfort to you.
Use the Tight-roll Style
The ‘tight-roll style’, as it was called in the 80s and 90s is still effective today as it was years ago. This simple and painless method entails folding the hem of your pants backward.
This should be done gently and tightly, then try rolling of tour pants cuffs up to the ankle level. After this is done, gently repeat the rolling to achieve a well-tucked pant cuff.
You should note that this method works perfectly with slim jeans, as the result would look messy on baggy pants.
Use of Leg Shields
The use of a leg shield can also be implored in safeguarding your pants while riding.
These guards started gaining recognition after their launch in 2011, and since they have served their purpose well. So you should consider this if it appeals to you.
Standing Up To Ride
You already know that riding your bike while standing is fun, do you also know it can help you protect your pants while riding.
Instead of sitting on the seat, which makes your pants long enough to reach the chains, why not stand up and ride your bike.
Use of Straps
Straps have been used for holding a good number of things, like holding pants up. Therefore, straps could also be used to hold together the cuffs of your jeans, to avoid contact with the cranks.
Tuck Pants into Socks
This may sound awkward but they work. Before you start on a ride, try to tuck your pants into your socks if you are wearing one.
Just make sure that you are wearing socks that are long enough to accommodate the pant cuffs.
Use of Clips
Instead of struggling with the socks and pant cuffs, why don’t you just clip the flaps? Just using a clip would save you the stress and time used in tucking the pants perfectly into the socks. Try out this and prevent your pants from getting stained or torn.
Use of Elastic Bands
Just like the use of clips, elastic bands can be used to hold the flaps of the pants together. Furthermore, the elastic bands are not hard to find or expensive. They fit in just fine while protecting your pants.
Wear Tight Pants
You can equally adopt the wearing of tight and slim pants during your bike riding. Some of these pants like body-hug pants are preferable in this context.
They are not prone to getting stained or dragged into the chain cranks, unlike their spacious counterpart.
So, if you like the idea of increasing your fashion sense while trying to protect your pants, then this suggestion is your best bet.
You don’t only achieve protecting your pants, but you also have a party-killer vibe to add.
FAQs on rolling up one pant leg
Just like most contemporary subjects, some queries have been put up to address the practice of rolling up one pant leg. Some of these questions are answered in the preceding parts of this article.
Why Do Black Guys Roll Up One Pant Leg?
You have probably seen a male African-American in the US, riding a bike with one of his pant legs rolled up.
And you wonder why so? Why would he roll that pant leg up? If you’ve been in that position, your queries are about to be answered.
This question also has some elements of LL Cool J in it.
Just like most of the cultural practices in the black neighborhood of the US, there are speculations that rolling up one pant leg originated from the prison.
Others opine that rolling up one pant leg is a commiseration to the vast black population that was shipped miles from home into Europe and America.
That it is a show of the black man’s freedom from colonial slavery, is another speculation, but apart from all these speculations, other phenomena could add up as reasons for the practice.
Why Do Dancers Roll Up One Pant Leg?
This is yet another question often asked by people concerning the practice of rolling up one pant leg. This time the question is directed to why dancers also do these, just like bikers.
And here are some reasons:
To Avoid Snags
Dancing is an activity that involves movement, which is why most dancers are very flexible and mobile.
Therefore to maintain this smooth locomotion, most dancers tend to roll up one leg of their pants, to avoid it snagging. If this is not done, the dancer could fall or make a wrong move due to the snagging of the pant legs.
To Showcase Dancing Skills
Some dance steps require the dancer to move his or her leg to a particular rhythm or style. To show the audience the technicality of these dance steps, some dancers roll up one of their pant legs.
As they do this, their ankle movement is seen and the audience will in turn be impressed.
Aids Easier Movement
In some dancing genres like hip hop, jazz, and pop, the dress code involves the wearing of either baggy pants or spacious pants. Examples of these types of pants include jazz pants, cargo pants, and sweat pants.
The cuffs of one of the two legs of the pants need to be rolled up to accelerate the swift and easy movement. If this is not done, there could be cases of accidental falls which is very bad for a person’s career as a dancer.
Better View
Some dancers have an attitude of watching themselves while they dance. While some use large mirrors, others just record on their mobile phone and watch later.
As they watch through their dance sessions, some of these dancers may feel that a certain dancing step was not pictured clearly. And if it has something to do with the legs, he or she could decide to roll up one of their pant legs to get a better view.
Why Do Gang Members Roll Up One Pant Leg?
The art of rolling up one pant leg started gaining recognition through how LL Cool J portrayed.
LL Cool J is an American music artist and self-proclaimed fitness coach, who got the media talking due to his ritual of rolling up one of his pant legs while riding a bike.
Soon this practice spread to other parts of the country but particularly refrained to the black community.
The practice continued to grow and having LL Cool J as the initiator, the hip hop world also started using the style.
Soon as the art grew in popularity, gang members configure it to suit their motives.
But apart from all these speculations, other phenomena could add up as reasons for the practice by gang members.
So, why do gang members really roll up one pant leg:
- For them to be known as associated with dealing
- For gang identity
- They are influenced by pop culture
Associated with Drug Dealing
Most gangs around correlate with drug abuse and sale. Their members are either drug peddlers or vendors.
This practice is prevalent in the US, particularly on the East and West Coasts. The rolled-up pant leg signifies if you’re a buyer or vendor.
Gang Identity
In the gangster-infested parts of the US, one rolled pant is used to determine which gang you belong to. They make use of this art to distinguish themselves out there on the streets, to avoid trespassing.
Influence of Pop Culture
Just as some of the practices in the world of gangsters started in the prison, they also drew their inspiration from musicians and other contributors of the pop culture.
In this case, the influence was communicated through the artist LL Cool J. He was able to propagate the rolling of one pant leg through his music, particularly in his music videos.
Oftentimes, he was also spotted wearing pants with one leg rolled by the media. This influenced gang members to incorporate the style since most of them try to be like musicians.
Conclusion
The practice of rolling up one leg of a pant has a lot of theories surrounding it.
According to this article, these theories make an opening on bike riding, where the question of why bikers roll up one pant leg was asked?
Similarly, there are other tons of questions regarding the practice of rolling up one pant leg, like its relation with dancers and gang members.
This article makes an effort to provide answers to these subjects and equally educate on the impact of this practice.
It also gives a list of 10 things to do, to make sure your pants are in order while you go on a bike ride.
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