Cycling clothes without looking a berk? - Page 2

Gearóid Ó Laoi/Garry Lee wrote:
> Wool is the same wet or dry as is fleece. That's shy sheep
> don't grow cotton and why cotton is ideal for tropical
> climates. Maybe tropical sheep have it??

Interesting thought.

Anyway, about wool - it's what they used to wear before
lycra was invented, isn't it. Merino wool, specifically.

If you want to look *very* cool in a tight-fitting top, get
one of these: http://www.vintagevelos.com/jer-peugeot1.html
http://www.vintagevelos.com/jer-molteni_arcore1.html http://www.vintagevelos.com/jer-
cinzano1.html

d.

Richard Goodman wrote:
> choice of material for cycle clothing and cyclists wearing
> it don't look like 'berks'. They look like.. cyclists!

My wife says I look 'cute' when I'm fully togged out in neck-to-
ankle lycra.

I'm a complete convert to the lycra cause. My mum got me
some bib tights for christmas - she found it highly amusing
buying tights for her own grown-up son, but I tell you what:
they have been a godsend in the recent freezing weather.

If you're not keen on a tight lycra top, a football shirt is
a good alternative - they're reasonably close fitting and
made out of material that's appropriate for sporting
activities (ie not cotton). Lightweight tracksuit trousers
with elasticated ankles are probably a good non-berk
alternative to lycra - and you can still wear your comfy
padded shorts underneath without anyone noticing.

d.

In message <1079168876.1783.0@eunomia.uk.clara.net>, Jon
Senior <jon@restless_REMOVE_lemon.co.uk> writes

>If it's the closeness of the fit that bothers you, Endura
>do something called multitights. They are a looser cut,
>roubaix lycra tight and I can vouch for their comfort. They
>look more light a pair of close fitting tracksuit bottoms
>than tights.

They look pretty skin-tight to me: http://www.endura.co.uk/tights-
multi.html

--
congokid Good restaurants in London? Number one on Google
http://congokid.com

In message <1079121126.12594.0@eunomia.uk.clara.net>, Doki
<doki@spamtroNspidar.com> writes
>What do you lot wear for riding a bike then? I'd prefer to
>avoid lycra and so on . I've been riding around in jeans
>and army surplus trousers (p'raps I shouldn't have bought
>the lightweight summer clobber) and keep finding that my
>legs have frozen. Any ideas on something normal looking and
>a bit warmer?

I've tended to avoid lycra for the same reasons. In winter I
wear fleece Altura cruiser pants with foot stirrups over
padded shorts - although they're not the warmest things in
cold wind or water repellent. I've had warmer fleece
trousers in the past from Zoic, but they don't seem to do
them anymore.

--
congokid Good restaurants in London? Number one on Google
http://congokid.com

In message <c2utg0$1br$3@sparta.btinternet.com>, david
kenning <david.nospam.kenning@which.nospam.net> writes

>Anyway, about wool - it's what they used to wear before
>lycra was invented, isn't it. Merino wool, specifically.

I have a 100 per cent merino wool shirt from Swobo - very
cosy worn underneath anything in winter.

--
congokid Good restaurants in London? Number one on Google
http://congokid.com

In news:8P37QFdu6wUAFwcD@congokid.demon.co.uk,
congokid <newsabuse001@congokid.com> typed:
> In message <c2utg0$1br$3@sparta.btinternet.com>, david
> kenning <david.nospam.kenning@which.nospam.net> writes
>
>> Anyway, about wool - it's what they used to wear before
>> lycra was invented, isn't it. Merino wool, specifically.
>
> I have a 100 per cent merino wool shirt from Swobo - very
> cosy worn underneath anything in winter.

I have a black merino polo neck that I once bought without
thinking if I actually _really_ wanted to look like an
existentialist philosopher, which is however exceedingly
warm and comfortable. It gets worn only on the bike now, and
is most comfy, if a little inappropriate looking.

A

"congokid" <newsabuse001@congokid.com> wrote <snip>
> They look pretty skin-tight to me: http://www.endura.co.uk/tights-
> multi.html

That photo does seem to show them as tight, but the reality
is close fitting around the ankles and calfs, and looser
above the knee. There is a small amount of flapping when
cycling directly into a headwind but they are definately a
more "flattering" cut.

Fundamentally, if they are tights then they'll be tight,
these are a little more forgiving than most.

Jon

On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 12:06:24 +0000 (UTC), "david kenning"
<david.nospam.kenning@which.nospam.net> wrote:

>Gearóid Ó Laoi/Garry Lee wrote:
>> Wool is the same wet or dry as is fleece. That's shy
>> sheep don't grow cotton and why cotton is ideal for
>> tropical climates. Maybe tropical sheep have it??
>
>Interesting thought.
>
>Anyway, about wool - it's what they used to wear before
>lycra was invented, isn't it. Merino wool, specifically.

Yeah? That 's handy. Merino wool is bloody cheap down here.
--
Matt K Dunedin, NZ

congokid <newsabuse001@congokid.com> wrote in message news:<ifc8kbcDzwUAFw$g@congokid.demon.co.uk>...
> In message <1079121126.12594.0@eunomia.uk.clara.net>, Doki
> <doki@spamtroNspidar.com> writes
> >What do you lot wear for riding a bike then?

lycra top lycra bibshorts ^^^^^^^^^ and when it gets
cold/wet, lycra Roubaix tights/Nevis jacket

I may look a dickhead but at least it is functional. Why is
it unacceptable to walk around with an ONCE/whatever top but
OK to wear a (whatever football shirts are made of)
O2/Vodafone top around shopping centres/in pubs/on holiday?

On Fri, 12 Mar 2004 21:14:26 GMT, Helen Deborah Vecht
<helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk> wrote:

>Tchibo cycling jacket

I bought one of those last week[along with some shorts and a
cape]. Haven't had the chance to use it that much yet, but
it seems promising so far.

I've got a kind of innate aversion to really expensive
cycling apparel. 18 quid is about the limit for me!

garryb

> I may look a dickhead

"There's nothing good nor bad but thinking makes it so".

Shakespeare.

Old Bill had it right. You only look a Dickhead in your own
mind or in the mind of a Dickhead. You should see my mates
and me when we breeze into some hotel or cafe for coffee
etc. on our sunday spin. Lycra, Goretex etc. etc. and nobody
ever remarks on it. It's because we are so used to it we are
not thinking.."Do they think we're Dickheads, or
Richardheads to be correct.?"

"MartinM" <Martinm2@wcms.org.uk> wrote in message
news:3cf5c6dc.0403131626.78d64f23@posting.google.com...
> I may look a dickhead but at least it is functional. Why
> is it unacceptable to walk around with an ONCE/whatever
> top but OK to wear a (whatever football shirts are made
> of) O2/Vodafone top around shopping centres/in pubs/on
> holiday?

The point is I don't perceive myself as looking a "berk"
when dressed in lycra cycling clothes and cycling footwear
when on a bike ride, even during a cafe stop. I might feel a
prat carrying out my job dressed like that (so don't) but
equally I'd feel a prat doing my job in swimming trunks,
climbing gear, football boots, Micky Mouse suit etc. (unless
they were the most appropriate for the job).

--
Regards, Pete

"Doki" <doki@spamtroNspidar.com> wrote in message news:<1079121126.12594.0@eunomia.uk.clara.net>...
> What do you lot wear for riding a bike then? I'd prefer to
> avoid lycra and so on . I've been riding around in jeans
> and army surplus trousers (p'raps I shouldn't have bought
> the lightweight summer clobber) and keep finding that my
> legs have frozen. Any ideas on something normal looking
> and a bit warmer?

Lowe Alpine powerstretch tights. There's a picture of
them here:

http://www.sportsnett.no/wsp/sportsn...cgi?func=show-
&table=PRODUCT&func_id=LOW28

Not so tight you feel or look like a sausage, more than
comfortable and stretchy enough for cycling or hiking (10%
Lycra), and have the advantage of not being shiny. It's
important to some of us.

Mine have pockets fore and aft. Have to be cinched at the
ankle to avoid getting caught in the chain, but other than
that not flappy enough to be annoying.

Some people might find them too warm, I suppose, but I
have no complaints on that score and I tend to overheat
pretty quickly.

MartinM wrote:
> I may look a dickhead but at least it is functional. Why
> is it unacceptable to walk around with an ONCE/whatever
> top but OK to wear a (whatever football shirts are made
> of) O2/Vodafone top around shopping centres/in pubs/on
> holiday?

I tend to think people wearing football shirts look like
dickheads. (I'm also always amused when a football player is
accused of bringing the game into disrepute - how can it
possibly be brought any further into disrepute?)

OTOH, I got a lot of admiring glances and comments from a
group of Italian tourists while wandering round Bath in a
Saeco-Cannondale jersey a couple of years ago.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/
Why I like OE6 - http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/misc/oe6.html
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

"Doki" <doki@spamtroNspidar.com> wrote in message news:<1079121126.12594.0@eunomia.uk.clara.net>...
> What do you lot wear for riding a bike then? I'd prefer to
> avoid lycra and so on . I've been riding around in jeans
> and army surplus trousers (p'raps I shouldn't have bought
> the lightweight summer clobber) and keep finding that my
> legs have frozen. Any ideas on something normal looking
> and a bit warmer?

Life will be a lot better just getting used to looking like
a berk and wearing the appropriate kit.