Conversation between Iñaki Garmendia and Antonio Menchen

oversize

Every time I get close to a bicycle, I usually bump the saddle with my hip. This little movement stems from the distance between the sole of my feet and my waist. I incorporated this gesture into my life for a while when I used to go to work every day by bicycle. An automatic habit similar to that of a motor vehicle driver who adjusts a few things every time they sit down, such as the rear view mirror or steering wheel position. Whenever there was a height difference between the saddle and my hip, I would simply loosen the seatpost clamp and adjust its height. I would raise or lower this part of the bike so that the distance between the base of the pedal and the seat was equal to my inside trouser length or the length of my leg. The seatpost is the tube connecting the bicycle frame to the saddle.

I remember very well that I could not raise the seatpost very much on my bicycle. The bicycle frame itself, which is basically the vehicle skeleton, was too large. My riding position was a little forced and my body sometimes suffered or made reacting to unexpected situations rather tough. I understand then that, just like a pair of trousers, a pair of shoes or a shirt, bicycles come in different sizes that adapt to the body of each cyclist and that, just like when you buy a pair of shoes, a bicycle must be the right size for you. A bicycle is a made-to-measure machine: each component is of a size that is in proportion to the body of its rider.

It has been a long time since I rode anywhere on a bicycle. After a few accidents and due to the increasingly longer distances I need to travel on my various daily journeys around the city, I decided to stop using it regularly. With that, I have slowly realised that I have been changing how I dress. Whereas before, I used to wear tighter clothes that are conducive to more comfortable and safer riding, lately I have started to incorporate a number of oversize garments into what I wear, like a jacket I recently added to my wardrobe.

This jacket from Balenciaga reminds me of the frame on my old bicycle. Although it is actually my size, I was a little audacious in buying it. Wearing it for the first time recently, I thought I was inside an enormous shapeless sack that almost reached half-way down my leg, with a pair of extremely long sleeves that covered my hands. However, over time, I have come to understand its proportions and how it adapts to my body. Just like what happened to me with my bicycle frame, I incorporated its forms into my body and transformed them into just another part of my day-to-day, like an accessory in my wardrobe, even though its design was conceived for a different body entirely.

Antonio Menchen