How a crash helped pro cyclist Taylor Phinney get to the Olympics

By Cator Sparks June 29, 2016

Olympic cyclist and lululemon Elite Ambassador Taylor Phinney was born in Boulder, CO on June 27, 1990 to former pro cyclists and Olympic medalists Davis Phinney and Connie Carpentre-Phinny. He began racing bikes at 15, racking up 20 victories in his first season and finishing 7^th in the individual pursuit at the 2008 Beijing Olympics at the age of 18. He went on to claim the 2009 and 2010 World Champion titles in the individual pursuit, and narrowly missed out on medaling at the London Olympics with 4th place finish in both the road race and time trial events.

In February 2014, Taylor crashed on a descent in the US National road race, fracturing his lower leg. After undergoing surgery, Taylor was given a long rehabilitation period- a time he took to investigate interests that had long been sidelined in his cycling career – flying lessons, reading and painting. When he returned to racing in August 2015, he brought with him a renewed love for the sport combined with a unique perspective and earned him a podium finish in the first stage of the Tour of Utah. He went on to play a key role in cinching BMC’s World Championship team time trial victory and helped the USA earn a TT spot for Rio.

Bike — Image used with permission by copyright holder

As for his personal style:

Jeans: Skinny Black Saint Laurent, preferably worn over the years (and never washed)

Shirts: Denim or Hawaiian/Tiki OR if I must, white T—a nice white T, like lululemon’s 5 Year Basic Tee

Pants: Optional

Suits: Alexander McQueen

Related: This man ran away from Wall Street to build bikes

Shoes: Black Converse High Tops with white sole or black Saint Laurent Chelsea boots

Accessories: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, steel

Outerwear: Raf Simons, Rick Owens for leather

Favorite Cologne: Tom Ford Black Orchid

Your favorite App: Google Maps

Favorite piece of technology: Paint. Yes, PAINT. Titanium white paint was invented less than 100 years ago…

Next tech purchase: Whatever Apple wants me to buy next…

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Cator Sparks was the Editor-in-Chief of The Manual from its launch in 2012 until 2018. Previously, Cator was covering…

Fashion & Style

Legendary outdoor brands Ball and Buck and Luminox combine for the ultimate field watch

This Luminox, Ball and Buck field watch collab is amazing

Luminox field watch on bag

Men are explorers and adventurers at heart. We like to discover the furthest reaches of the Earth, dive to the deepest depths of the oceans, and fly to the highest points. Of course, we can’t do any of that without the tools of the trade, and watches have become one of the best tools in any industry. Field watches have become the go-to for any land-bound explorer or any man thirsting for adventure. Ball and Buck has been a staple in men’s adventure for a decade and a half and has now collaborated with military and industry specialists Luminox to bring you a once-in-a-lifetime watch. Perfect for the outdoor and adventure enthusiasts.

Mark Bollman, Founder of Ball and Buck, commented on the collaboration: “As a company that’s synonymous with the rigors of special warfare deployments, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Luminox and to infuse Ball and Buck’s signature style into their performance platform. As a brand dedicated to only offering premium gear, this collaboration embodies all that we stand for - authenticity, durability, timeless style.”

Fashion & Style

The North Face jackets are heavily discounted right now

Smiling person in a North Face beanie and winter coat outdoors.

Saks Fifth Avenue currently has a big sale on The North Face jackets with fleece jackets available from $104 and many options to choose from. If you're looking to keep warm in style this winter, you need to check out the sale. There are many options to choose from, so we strongly recommend hitting the button below to see what's out there for yourself. However, if you need a little insight and guidance into what's available, read on while we take you through some of our favorite jackets and fleeces currently on sale.

What to shop for in the North Face jacket sale
Rivaling some of the best men's jackets right now, The North Face may not have quite made our best outdoor clothing brands list but it makes some great jackets that are perfect for keeping you toasty warm this winter.

Fashion & Style

Men’s fashion tips: The 16 essential rules every well-dressed man should know

What every man should know to ensure he's always the best dressed in the room

Man wearing scarf in sunset

Style is a bit of a Rorschach test. It can tell people around us who we are and what we think of ourselves. It can tell people more than we think. Some of us are mavericks, shirking the rules and subverting expectations at every turn, simply because we don't like to be put in boxes. Other groups of us like rules and we want the comfort that order and uniformity bring us. Then, even more of us are somewhere in the middle when it comes to men's style and crave order and uniformity to allow us to find our boundaries, only to shirk them later when we want to feel free. Men's fashion offers us all of the above. While some rules are made to be broken, others are tried-and-true staples to live on.

Rules vs. guidelines and how to break them
Never mix black and brown. Don't wear black dress shoes with a navy suit. Ditch the graphic tee. These are considered "rules of menswear," but they are more of guidelines. They help you look great while you learn what your style is or how to put together an outfit. Once you figure out how to do that, these rules tend to get in the way of evolving your style to be truly unique. The first thing you need to know if you're looking to revamp or upgrade your wardrobe is that guidelines can be adjusted, deviated from, or flat-out ignored. Rules, however, should be followed whenever possible. Don't worry; we took the time to collect the rules you should always follow in men's style.