The origin of "Hot Pants"

So, about two years ago I was flying down 14th street on my newly acquired Trek 1000 when this uber tall black man pulled up to me covered in purple spandex. Hummmm.... that’s interesting color choice for a 6’4’’ black man. We strike up a civil conversation about riding and as we attempted to chat while dodging traffic in DC he asked me if I had ever thought of racing---well no of course not-- as I clearly just learned how to use clip-less pedals almost toppling over at each stop light and I was wearing tri-shorts that inched up to panty status as I would ride. One thing leads to another and I some how accepted an invitation to Dave Osborne's house that night for a BBQ with the Artemis Cycling Team. Great- My mom would be so proud that I went over to a complete strangers house that I just met on the streets of DC alone.

Anyhow, I started racing and riding. As with everything in cycling nothing was reasonably priced. I refused to buy a proper pair of cycling shorts and instead I held tight to my panty-style tri-shorts. I wore those things on every ride (washed of course) and every race for my first year on a bike. It was during a rather large group ride that year that Evelyn, the Queen Bee of Artemis, lovingly, in her New Jersey Italian way and well above a wispier said " Jessica are you ever going to get a proper pair of cycling shorts and not embarrass the team wearing those hot pants?"

Great, just great, Thanks Evelyn. Ever since that day I have fondly been referred to as "Hot Pants" and I now rather enjoy breaking them out to revive my cycling virgin days and of course I always appreciate Evelyn's husband Jeff playing James Brown's "Hot Pants" during the Artemis sponsored MABRA race each year.