Yomping and The Independent Mind

Street fashion tribes have been around for a long time. Teddy Boys, Mods, Rockers, Skins, Punks, Casuals, Goths... the list goes on. Fastidious followers of these fashion fraternities have rarely dressed their own way. Instead they dress by the tribe's numbers - styles, colours, labels, pieces, combinations that their tribe has collectively decided are acceptable or unacceptable. They learn the rules and in the rules they trust.

The Yomper prefers mixing his clobber up and winging it over group-think. He trusts the mirror not the collective. Vintage, high street, independent or high end labels. Bespoke tailoring, fine knitwear and Goodyear welted traditional shoes one day. Cords, chinos or denim, full grain leather walking boots or classic trainers (depending on the terrain) and wax cotton jacket or high performance waterproof (depending on the weather) the next. They like to keep themselves thinking about the clothes they love and to keep others guessing.


Ride your own way

“Ride as much or as little, as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” Eddy Merckx

So many cycling tribes, so much boring waffle written about them. Hipster fixies, Eroica retro geeks, Strava segment chasers, Sportif warriors, training zone obsessed racers, ‘the rules’ roadies, mountain bikers and their countless sub-tribes, middle aged men who are 3 stone overweight on £5,000+ bikes lighter than those the pro’s ride and wearing kit that costs almost as much. (That last one isn’t really a tribe, but it’s definitely a thing.)

The Yomper's bike could be new or old, cheap or expensive (but never stupidly expensive). The frame might be from a prestigious marque or from a little known frame builder, fitted with a matching groupset or a mixture of components from different decades. Whichever way, it will be set up well and well looked after; a reliable steed that will take them over varying terrain on their epic adventures. Some Yompers prefer to ride alone for the simplicity and the solitude. Or perhaps because they haven't yet found kindred spirits to ride with. Some ride in groups but the numbers are usually small. Alone or on a group ride, the Yomper's concern is having a good time and not what other people think.

Think your own way

“Take the risk of thinking for yourself. Much more happiness, truth, beauty and wisdom will come to you that way.” Christopher Hitchens

So many people prefer not to think for themselves. They take the safe, easy path and go with the majority. To confirm their opinions, they read and watch only the news that best fits their biases. On both social media and in real life, they like the safe sound of echo chambers with people who know what they like and like what they know and who enjoy the comforting feel of lazy pats on the back. To consider alternative opinions, arguments and evidence and seek the truth is too much like hard work. And it would mean risking being out of step which is not for them.

The Yomper knows how to think. He knows his cognitive bias from his rational thought, his science from his pseudo-science, his correlation from causation, his anecdote from evidence, his facts from his feelings.  He doesn't care for the safety of the herd - he values honesty and the truth over being seen to have the 'right' set of opinions.

Antoine Ventouse