Happy 100th Birthday T-Shirt

We carry a handful of men's T-shirts and women's tops because we know how much the T-shirt is a huge part of the biker's wardrobe. We wear them to affiliate ourselves with a certain club or riding group and even proudly advertise our favorite motorcycle brand across our chests. They become part of our identity and who we are.

The T-shirt celebrates its 100th birthday this year so we thought we'd give you the history of this simple yet personal and much loved article of clothing.

US Navy issues first T-shirt in 1913

1913: Launching an Icon

US Navy issues crewneck T-shirts to be worn under uniforms.  An American icon is born.

T-shirt hits the dictionary

1920: T-shirt Hits the Dictionary

The word “T-shirt” is officially added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. The definition of T-shirt is a collarless short-sleeved or sleeveless usually cotton undershirt; also: an outer shirt of similar design.

Students start stealing T-shirts

1932: Making it Fashionable

Students steal T-shirts from their own football team when the University of Southern California prints “Property of USC” on the athletes’ workout clothes.

Clark Gable Drops the T-shirt

1934: Hollywood Drops the Tee

Men everywhere follow Clark Gable’s lead in It Happened One Night. After revealing his bare chest, T-shirt sales plummet 75%.

Life magazine features printed tee

1942: Landing a Magazine Cover

The Air Corps Gunnery School logo is featured on one of the earliest printed T-shirts for the July 13^th cover of LIFE magazine.

The first political T-shirt

1948: The First Political T-shirt

New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey’s campaign presses “Dew-it-with-Dewey” for the 1948 presidential election.

Marlon Brando Gives Tees a Boost in Popularity

1951: Hollywood Boosts the Tee

The T-shirt gains popularity as an outer garment after heartthrob Marlon Brando wears one in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Tie-Dyed Shirts Were Groovy

1969: T-shirts Get Tie-Dyed

1969’s Woodstock positions tie-dye T-shirts as the voice for one’s individuality and the emblem for the era.

Logo Becomes Symbol for "New" New York

1977: "I ♥ NY" Revitalizes City

In an almost eureka moment, designer Milton Glaser sketches “I ♥ NY” on a napkin and the logo appears on T-shirts soon after.

T-shirts as Protest

1984: T-Shirts as Protest

To overrule censoring of the Frankie Goes to Hollywood song “Relax,” label owner Paul Morley prints “FRANKIE SAY RELAX” on T-shirts.

Hypercolor T-shirt Rage

1991: Heat Sensitive Tees

The Hypercolor T-shirt, created in the ‘80s, reaches its all-time peak selling more than $50 million worth of shirts in a four-month period.

World Record Tees

2011: A Broken Record

Sanath Bandara breaks the Guinness World Record for the “Most T-shirts Worn at Once” wearing 257.

Happy Birthday T-Shirt

So, Happy 100th Birthday to the T-shirt! You've given us some great memories. Who knows what the next 100 years will bring?!

Motorcycle Tires: To Change or Not To Change

Double D Cycles is in a few motorcycle forums and a question came up from one of the members:

"How worn do you let your tires get? My wear bars are showing, but the tire still looks like it has plenty of tread. Hate to change tires if they still have 1,000 miles on them....."

Checking tire tread

Waiting way too long

The comments ranged everywhere from the idiotic comment of "I wear mine down to nothing. I love to slip and slide!" to my short and sweet comment of "The wear bars are there for a reason. Why risk it?" 

How do you decide when or how often to change the tires on your cycle?

Motorcycle Rights and Freedoms

There are lots of things each of us can do to increase our lifespan, prevent injury or improve our health. Most of know that we will probably live longer if we quit smoking. Most of us know that we could probably lose the extra weight if we didn't eat that burger every day at lunch. And some of us realize that we may escape injury in some situations if we wear certain gear.

Aren't these choices and decisions ones that we should be making for ourselves? Or should we be relinquishing these rights to a government that suggests that we are incapable of controlling our own lives and deciding what's right for ourselves?

I think that most of us motorcyclists (including us folks here at Double D Cycles) are freedom loving folks. We love enjoying the open road on our own terms. Our choice of machine is a very personal one and how we ride, whether it be the highways or the back-country roads, speaks volumes about how our bikes touch our lives.

Now the government tries to tell us what we have to wear. They tell us what we can and can't do to our motorcycles. They harass some of us because we look different. Some areas discriminate against us with motorcycle-only roadside checkpoints. Are you going to quietly sit by and watch your freedoms of the open road disappear? Or will you stand with other like-minded motorcyclists and save the lifestyle that we all love so much?

ABATE

Luckily for us, almost every state in the country has an ABATE organization. State ABATE organizations are motorcycle rights organizations dedicated to freedom of the road with a goal to give motorcyclists a strong, united voice with regard to their future, their way of life, their safety and their legal rights as motorcyclists and citizens.

If you aren't a member yet, you really need to be. Most membership dues work out to be just pennies a day. Aren't your motorcycling rights worth at least that much?! Please find your state's ABATE organization on the linked list and find out how you can join the fight. If we don't stand up for our rights as motorcyclists, who else will?

Women's Leather Motorcycle Jackets

Ladies! We're looking at starting to bring in some women's leather motorcycle jackets and want your input. Please watch the product videos below and let us know what you think.

So, is it the Classic Braided Leather Motorcycle Jacket? Or is the Steer Head/Flower Embroidered Leather Motorcycle Jacket more to your liking? Please leave your comments and let us know what you think!

Also, please check out the other motorcycle clothes and accessories at the Double D Cycles website.

Motorcycle Riding Apparel Safety Tips

Some of these motorcycle apparel safety tips may seem like common sense to some you folks but with spring coming, we thought we'd throw them out there anyway just as a reminder.

Top 10 Riding Apparel Safety Tips
1.   In the rain, wear breathable waterproof fabric
2.   Wear durable protective clothing made from such things as leather
3.   Do not wear loose fitting clothing that could catch in the parts of your motorcycle and keep long hair tied back with a bandana or hair scarf.
4.   Wear gloves that have traction on the palms
5.   Wear leather boots that support your ankles
6.   Wear sunglasses during the day and clear lenses at night
7.   Remove any jewelry that could get tangled in your motorcycle while riding
8.   Wear heavy denim or leather riding pants or chaps
9.   Wear protective leather jacket
10.  Wear a DOT helmet 

Bare chest, shorts & flip flops. Hmm...

** NOTICE: Double D Cycles is an avid believer in personal freedom and choice and is not advocating mandatory motorcycle gear in any way. We believe that the choice is up to each individual rider whether or not you wear specific motorcycle gear. We are merely offering up these tips for those of you who choose to do so. Please ride smart.

New Ladies Items Added for Spring

With spring hopefully right around the corner, we decided it was time to start pulling out the short sleeve tees and tank tops.

Women's Skull Bouquet Boy Beater Tank Top

Please stop by and check out our women's shirts and other motorcycling items at the Double D Cycles website!

"Rolling Into Spring" Sale

The snow may still be flying here in Wisconsin but we're already thinking about spring!

And to get things rolling, we're offering 10% off any items through March 20th! Just enter the coupon code spring during the checkout process and your discount will automatically be deducted.

The coupon code will only be valid through March 20th so don't wait too long.

Roll into spring with some new motorcycle clothes from Double D Cycles!

About Us

Want to know a little more about the man behind the curtain?
My first memory of a biker when I was a boy came at the age of eleven while I was living in a small town in Southwestern Wisconsin. One Saturday afternoon, the "boys" came rolling into town on their Harleys and the noise was such that I stopped to watch. And that's when I first saw him! Sammy riding atop his iron steed with his little circular sunglasses and a flowing red beard parted in the middle and flapping behind him in the breeze. That was the moment that I decided - I had to have a motorcycle!

 
My life took its twists and turns through the years but I never forgot that image of Sammy being free in the wind. I finally got my Harley several years later and quickly learned what freedom felt like. Feeling the wind in my face and the sun on my back is something that one simply can't explain to the non-rider. Being a biker is something that truly takes over your soul. "If I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand." Yeah, I get it now.
 
Double D Cycles grew out of that young boy's love for motorcycles and wanting to surround my life with everything related to them. We here at Double D Cycles actually ride so we know what you expect for the quality of the things you buy. We will do everything possible to bring you the great products you deserve and will proudly mark those American-made items as "MADE IN THE USA". We will also occasionally post content to our blog to help you get the most out of your items and your time on the road.

- Dean "D-Day" & Karen "Barbie" visiting relatives on Easter morning -

 
We aren't trying to be the largest supplier of motorcycling clothes and accessories - our goal is to be the best. We want you to feel like a partner with us as we journey down this road. We sincerely hope that the quality and service you receive will make you want to come back and see us again. Twist that throttle and come ride with us.
 
~ Dean "D-Day"
President; Double D Cycles

Want to pay less? We got ya covered

Have you ever seen something really great at the dealership and then had trouble catching your breath after you got a look at the pricetag? Or have you ever spotted something for a great price only to find out that the leather felt like paper-thin plastic? Of course you have and so have I! Me and my riding buddies have spent years tolerating the problem of either getting sub-standard motorcycle clothes and accessories or having to pay too much for the good stuff.

I've spent months scouring motorcycle shops and the internet studying motorcycle products and I've discovered something that we've known all along: A lot of places are getting rich by grossly overcharging us. In my travels through some of the big name dealerships, I've noticed that the quality of most of their products is no better than ours yet their price is double or even triple! In fact, some of our products are EXACTLY the same except for having a certain logo on them. Have you had enough yet?

This was the basis on which Double D Cycles was born. I've been active in the motorcycling community for several years and love surrounding myself with fellow riders and everything motorcycle related. I wanted to give my brothers and sisters of the road someplace they could go where they wouldn't have to mortgage the farm in order to buy something. Sure you can continue to pay $150.00 for a leather vest so you can brag about how much you spent. Or you can pay a lot less and brag about what a great deal you got.

We hope you'll join us on this journey and let us know what you like, what you don't like and what you'd like to see so we can serve you better. In the meantime, please browse our current selection of women's and men's motorcycle clothing.

And please always feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.

Ride free.

Dean "D-Day"
President - Double D Cycles
(608) 799-0988
info@doubledcycles.com