Bicycling Wearing Apparel - Page 2

Isn't it abit silly to worry about what people wear or don't wear? Some go for function,which you can certainly make a case or and others could not care less. Want to be a style critic,just go down to wally mart and take a look....Eeeewwwwwwwwww.

Besides the
-helmet,
-bike shoes,
-gloves,
-and bike padded underwear (no dorky tights for me)

I see no other need for special biking gear. I'm a non-racer, a bike mostly for fitness, commuting and mainly as part of getting myself fitter (cross training) for other endeavors like : hiking, climbing, running, etc.
I have nothing against those who wear it, God bless them; it's mostly a self-image thing, I see myself kind of "goofy" by wearing all those tight spandex and jerseys, speciallly when I don't have a most svelt body to show off, I think looks good on muscular, built athletes, which I don't really look like.
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There´s a difference between watching a sport and doing it : tried playing tennis in a three piece suit lately ?
Riding to the shops or around the park sunday is one thing but 30 or 40 km ( or much , much more ) in the heat of august or the cold of january needs special clothing ; do you swim in your knickers ?

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' too old to rock 'n' roll : too young to die '

With all due respect, jmgradon, I still think you've hacked the cycling world into two distinct groups (racer and recreationalist) that aren't accurate.

There's a level of bike activity where, for many riders, it becomes practical to wear wicking fabrics in close cuts with padded seats. Where that level begins -- mileage per week? strenuousness of a typical route? -- is likely different for different cyclists, but that's the point. There are cyclists of more varieties than you seem to acknowlegde, which makes me wonder what sort of rider in what kind of clothes are bothering you.

A scrappy 5 mile commuter in padded gloves? A sunday park rider who sprang for Pearl Izumi shorts? A 50 mile a week hill-climber in leg warmers and a Louis Garneau wind vest and Sidi Geniuses? A non-racing club rider in his club's own logo-laden team gear? A part-time racer wearing his college team's skinsuit? A 100 mile a week enthusiast wearing his company lycra? A hardcore amateur racer in his shop's racing gear?

Or the precious cycling fan on a $400 Sora road bike wearing full Lance Armstrong-edition replica USPS stuff?

God bless this catalogue of dorks. Most of us proudly carry a little bit of each of these types in our hearts.

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i relish complicating the obvious and trivializing the stupendous

Here's a different perspective. Let all those fat wallet yuppies buy the expensive gear to do their 10 mile rides. They are certainly entitled to it and to each his own. They fuel the sport with bucks which allows bike gear firms to keep coming up with better stuff. If only the racers bought the better end stuff, there would be no market for it and the manufacturers would concentrate on what sells. Cycling woukld still be a largely unknown sport if there was no money in it. Every time I see a fitness rider walk out of LBS with a 3k ride that just tells me that capitalism is at work. It also means that once they tire of cycling someone will get a great used bike for a good price!

You can wear all the pro gear you want, but you still need to be able to go out and hammer....that's where the separation happens. Same goes for the folks I see in the gym who aren't very serious. Their membership checks don't bounce so they in turn keep the overall cost down for me who is far more serious.

Still can't comprehend long rides wearing baggies and BVDs, but maybe that's just me.

i wear Hanes 'cause that's what Michael Jordan wears.

I wear a Bell helmet (bought on discount), padded biker's gloves after realizing are necessary when I started commuting and increasing my mileage to 50 miles on weekends (got numb hands, etc) as well as a padded underwear (20 bucks) by Damiano (?), Nashbar bike shoes (cheap ones on discount, 22 bucks).
For summer: shorts over the padded underwear
For winter: loose fit tough nylon hiking pants, parka or running Goretex jacket, pretty much my running / hiking gear applies to my bike gear, only the light stuff.
I just hate those "leotards" looking bike apparel, which it sure donb't fit my personality.
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or they keep the prices inflated because of it.

Cycling jerseys are actually very practical. In the back pockets I nearly always carry:
1. cleat covers (yes, I am guilty of wearing cycling shoes, and yes, they make a big difference in pedaling efficiency and comfort as others have pointed out)
2. a bandanna to blow my nose on (it runs when I ride)
3. money (in case I want to stop at an ice cream shop or convenience store on a ride)
4. a drivers license (for ID, just in case)
5. snacks for longer rides
6. a cue sheet if I'm on a club or organized ride.
I used to use a fanny pack before I had any cycling jerseys with pockets, but it was less comfy, more distracting, and made me sweat a lot more.

I don't wear race team jerseys but just plain or patterned ones from places like Performance and Nashbar. They are more form-fitting than a flapping t-shirt and thus more comfy to me since they are less distracting, and the fabric also wicks perspiration a lot better than cotton. The front zipper can also be raised and lowered as needed to regulate your temperature, which is a good thing on a long ride where the conditions may vary considerably from start to finish.

I do some long rides, and the comfort, function, and usefulness of the cycling-specific gear is a big factor for me.

And you may not have discomfort from riding in everyday shorts, but please realize that you are in the minority there. From being a member of numerous female cyclist discussion boards and a bike club member, most female cyclists (including me) have real problems if we don't have the padding in a cycling short. Different anatomies require different solutions. And I don't know many male cyclists who are willing to ride pad-free either. Most are pretty self-conscious those first few lycra-clad rides, but they get over any embarrassment really fast when they realize how much of a comfort difference it makes. Cycling shorts minimize chafing, abrasion, soft-tissue soreness, and saddle sores compared with regular shorts and undies with seams.

So to the OP I say, please don't be a reverse snob with a disdain for all cycling apparel you consider unnecessary without trying it with an open mind. I started riding in regular shorts and t-shirts like so many new cyclists do and quick realized that there are actually very practical reasons for cycling-specific apparel's appeal.

Emily

So to the OP I say, please don't be a reverse snob with a disdain for all cycling apparel you consider unnecessary without trying it with an open mind. I started riding in regular shorts and t-shirts like so many new cyclists do and quick realized that there are actually very practical reasons for cycling-specific apparel's appeal. <<<<<<<<<<<<<

While I appreciate the benefit and advantages of the Cycling Apparel, I don't deny it at all - all I'm saying is that it doesn't work for me, just don't. My running and hiking gear (GoreTex, WindStopper, Lifa layers, etc, etc, etc) provides with all those same benefits and advantages w/o the snuggness "leotard" feeling of the bike clothing.
On bike gear I only wear, padded briefs, helmet, gloves, shoes for efficiency and that's it. Everything else is cross gear, I'm not into racing, cutting seconds here and there, I train the machine, myself for harder endeavors like climbing at high altitude etc.
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I have to say that I find this post hilarious. It's interesting to see just how important image is, as there have been quite a few people chime in about what does or does not constitute a serious cyclist, and the benefits of wearing sport specific equipment.

I have to say that at the end of the day it should make zero difference whether a person is:
a) serious or not
b) wearing expensive clothing or not
c) sporting appropriate gear for his/her ability

The bottom line is whether you are enjoying yourself or not. Contrary to all the marketing and social pressures, the gear you wear should not define who you are. If someone who's never raced pulled up beside me with a $5000 bike and proceeded to fall over at an intersection, I'd be the first one helping them up, and I would think nothing of riding with them for fun. Likewise for somebody who was riding an ol' beater. I've met some great people that I wouldn't have had the pleasure of knowing had I been too judgemental.

It's unfortunate that class conciousness has managed to creep into even our leisure activities. The notion that I should be looked at or treated differently because of my gear seems absurd.

But don't take this too seriously, it wasn't supposed to be a rant, just an observation. Forgive me for sounding so ideological here.

Grifter, I love your attitude, and indeed your Post, you're so right!! My wife and I do the "Balboa to Sunset" run at least once a week, normally on a Sunday morning, I often goof off during the week and do it then too, it's fantastic...no-one to "take me out" with a Surboard while they wonder aimlessly across the beach road without looking....or one of the many people who walk their Dogs with a 20' "death leash"

We've never riden on the PCH, the reason is, my wife rides a mountain bike...I'm actually looking for a few road bikers to ride with...I'm from the UK, and I have no friends that ride...

I couldn't agreed more with Bearded Monk. You got it bro!
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I can't figure why some folks equate Lycra with dorkyness??? I think it's a jealousy thing.