Interbiketimes.com recently posted about Levi’s anticipated foray into “casual cycling” apparel.  I enjoy it when a major, mainstream fashion brand like Levi’s picks up on an active-lifestyle trend like The Rise of The Urban Bike Messenger.   It’ll be good pub for cycling and bike commuting.

But will Levi’s anticipated marketing blitz be well received by skinny-jean-wearing Generation Fixie (hat tip to Bike Snob NYC for the cultural nomenclature)?

Probably not.

The decidedly non-performance features of cotton jeans are part of the appeal to jaded-luddite-velo-hipsters (or wanna-be-jaded-luddite-velo-hipsters like me).  After all, the only thing more confounding (awesome) than riding a fixed-gear bicycle in heavy traffic on a hot summer day would be riding a fixed-gear bicycle in heavy traffic on a hot summer day whilst wearing heavy, dark, cotton jeans.

Then again, skinny Levi’s with a more gusseted crotch made with performance fabric would be more comfortable…

Final prediction: Levi’s bike-friendly skinny jeans will not fit over the thigh of, say, a male in his mid-30s who does a lot of biking.