All these special bicycling clothes

kdelong said:

Am I missing the boat or what?

<<SNIP>>

Are we all supposed to wear some bicycling uniform, or is it OK to free style my bicycling wardrobe?

Wear what you want. Wear what you are comfortable in. If you are happy in civvies, then don't let what others wear cloud your judgement. Personally I hate "Pro Tour" kit, but some people like to wear it. I'm happy wearing plain and functional cycling clothes but I go pretty hard (club racing).

Agree, but IMHO a good pair of cycling shorts is indispensable for comfortable, long rides.

Reckon it depends on how much you ride. You start putting in 4 plus hour rides and you'll see the huge benefit of skintight cycling shorts. As far a jerseys go, the big plus is the pockets in the back and the longer cut.

I'v noticed those people wearing the pro gear and going slowmo too, they make me laugh my nuts off, its as if they think all the gear will make them look like there good or somethin. one bloke in my area wears the full kit but only pedels at about 10rpm, lmao. When training my dirt skills i always wear army pants and skate shoes, but i do don the lycra for long rides, its a must.

Insaneclimber said:

I'v noticed those people wearing the pro gear and going slowmo too, they make me laugh my nuts off, its as if they think all the gear will make them look like there good or somethin. one bloke in my area wears the full kit but only pedels at about 10rpm, lmao. When training my dirt skills i always wear army pants and skate shoes, but i do don the lycra for long rides, its a must.

Hey man, its the closest some of us can get, even if it be at 10rpm! lol! I personaly dont wear a cycling jersey yet, ive no benifit from it at the moment, i only ride about 2 hours ever ride and my T is doin me fine. But bro cycling shorts are a must! i dont see how u can ride without them! My skin got soo chaffed after 2 weeks, i couldnt walk (no pro shorts, pearl izzumi, insaneclimber soo i guess i dont look wierd at 10rpm).

It was a while after I'd been riding before I got some real cycling shorts and jerseys. Now that I've started, I can't stand riding without the shorts. It's not just the pad that makes the difference, but the fact that they're not terrible baggy too. The jerseys I could still live without. It's basically the same deal as the shorts - they're tight and baggy, no cloth flopping around like you might have in a t-shirt. Biggest thing for me on the jerseys though is the pockets on back are handy.

^^^^^ Agree with the fella above. Bike pants and Helmet is a must. Everything else is optional.

Once i started with the whole chamois thing, I never looked back.

I don't knock the guys in pro gear, at least they are out getting some exercise. Loads of super deals on top quality ex-pro gear so don't discount that probablity. I wear my team's kit because it helps advertise our sponsors. The only official prohibition on pro gear is that it can't be worn in races of cat4 and above.

Idk, I ride in starter exercise gear usualy. It's fairly comfortable, and my shoes are close toed sandals with all kinds of openings, very comfortable in the summer. Then again I ride a GMC Denali and I'm very new to this whole biking thing maybe someday I'll see the light and start wearing things that make me feel like a less than strait 1980s arobics instructor....or not.

kdelong said:

Am I missing the boat or what? I going to show my age here but I have been bicycling over 40 years and have yet to purchase a pair of cycling shorts or a jersy. I wear a helmet as that only makes sense, but why do I need a pair of spandex shorts and a fancy jersey to ride my bike? ...

I'm thinking you must not ride very far.
When I had regular bicycles, good riding shorts was a must. I would wear whatever else, but the shorts were there.

When I got into recumbent bikes, I didn't need the padding anymore, but lycra keeps the inner thighs from chafing, so I have a few pairs of "recumbent bike" shorts that are lycra and that appear the same, but with no padding. I tend to wear synthetic clothing too but not "bicycle-specific" clothes, regular bike shirts and jackets don't work on a recumbent, so I just wear generic exercise shirts and jackets. All I have is recumbent and semi-recumbent bikes now, and they don't require padded shorts, even for long rides.... So I don't have padded shorts anymore at all.

I used to wear a helmet always when I had upright bikes.... And I even did for the first couple years of recumbents. But lately (over the last couple years) it's occurred to me that bicycling head injuries aren't caused by lack of helmets, they're caused by riders going over the handlebars in crashes, and wearing a helmet doesn't prevent that. I'm a lot less likley to go head-first when riding a recumbent, I can (for example) be in a typical riding position and slam on the front brakes of all my bikes at speed and none of them will tip over forward at all, even the ones with 200mm disk brakes.... and I'm more comfortable without the helmet.

I do however wear a rearview mirror clipped on my glasses. I find the rearview mirror indispensable, and I have turned around and gone home for it the times I've left without it. The rearview mirror has saved me from LOTS of bad situations, while the helmet has prevented none that I know of. Of all the other bicyclists I see, many of them have helmets on these days--but yet most don't have rearview mirrors. I tend to wonder if they'd be better off the other way 'round.
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Image. Some people are caught up in maintaining a certain image, and this thread shows that some are caught up in maintaining a certain "anti" image.

The comments re: people in team kit is stupid and presumptuous on its face. I could care less what other people wear on the road, and I've yet to see any evidence that what someone wears is either an indication of how fast they are or how fast they think they are.

Christ, it's stupifying to learn just how many assumptions and generalizations some people need to make to rationalize their own choices and feel better about themselves and superior to others.

As a former mountain biker, I too resisted the jersey thing when I started to ride road. But now I wear bibs and a jersey, and couldn't be happier.

There are reasons beyond fashion that compel people to wear what they wear. Cycling clothes simply function better for their intended purpose.

kdelong said:

Am I missing the boat or what? I going to show my age here but I have been bicycling over 40 years and have yet to purchase a pair of cycling shorts or a jersy. I wear a helmet as that only makes sense, but why do I need a pair of spandex shorts and a fancy jersey to ride my bike? I don't even have a pair of cycling shoes anymore because I like to get off of the bike and walk around every now and then. I am sort of old skool and use a good pair of running shoes with paltform pedals, toe clips and toe straps. My one foray into clipless pedals left me frightened and scarred, so I sort of shy away from them.

Anyway, I can see why the racers and riders in serious training might want the tight fitting clothing for reduced wind resistance, but I'm just a recreational rider. The thing that gets me are the many folks who I pass on the local bike path who look like they are competing in the TDF, moving all of ten miles an hour. Are we all supposed to wear some bicycling uniform, or is it OK to free style my bicycling wardrobe?

I started wearing cycling gear for the reasons a lot of these guys talk about. Comfort and wind resistance. But really the gear moves air and moisture better then anything out there. I'm almost cotton free for all my t-shirt here in SW Ohio. The humidity in the summer makes cotton a bad choice, and not having sweat on your skin in cold weather is a plus also. I do mountain bike with my daughter from time to time and always wear some kind of tech wear under something more durable and use a pair of padded liners under my cotton shorts. No sense in toasting a $75.00 pair of road shorts on bramble and stumps. The pockets on jerseys are great for everything.

Shoes & Gloves, i get at my LBS. I need to try them on for the fit. Helmet I get on line for the cost savings. Shorts at Nashbar. But for shirts & socks I got to Sports Authority. I like UnderArmor.

Aren't we all forgetting the golden rules of cycling?

1. Look good.
2. Ride hard and ride fast.
3. If you can't ride hard and fast, look good. 😄

Oh, and I think Slugster438, who believes that they don't need a helmet because they ride a recumbent, SHOULD keep to not wearing one.

Hopefully the Theory of Evolution will remove you from the gene pool.

Quote: "It's occurred to me that bicycling head injuries aren't caused by lack of helmets, they're caused by riders going over the handlebars in crashes, and wearing a helmet doesn't prevent that..."

[font=Times New Roman][font=arial]Amazing insite. Of course you could never slide off your bike (recumbent or not) and have your head hit the deck. Or be hit by a vehicle. Or another cyclist. Will a helmet prevent injury? Well in the few occassions I have come off the bike the answer is yes. Would it prevent head injury in every case? Maybe not. But I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. [/font]
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Slugster438 said:

I'm thinking you must not ride very far

agree.
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There's a reason cyclist use cycling specific clothing...... it works (shhhh)

& remember guys & girls its winter Downunder so black gear is for mtb riders , the only slimming effect of black on the road is when they are scraping you off the tarmac.

Tapeworm said:

...[font=Times New Roman][font=arial]Of course you could never slide off your bike (recumbent or not) and have your head hit the deck. Or be hit by a vehicle. Or another cyclist. Will a helmet prevent injury? Well in the few occassions I have come off the bike the answer is yes. Would it prevent head injury in every case? Maybe not. But I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. [/font]
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Yea but with that logic, you should be wearing a full motocross suit every time you ride a bicycle--and that means a chest protector, full face helmet, leather boots, knee pads, elbow pads, padded gloves and full leathers all underneath.
Do you wear all that stuff?
And if not, then how do you evaluate which items are necessary, and which aren't?
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The most typical results of recumbent crashes is scrapes from the rider landing on their hips and legs and sliding feet-first. The main "complaint" is lacerations to the hands, especially if gloves aren't worn. Head injuries certainly happen, but they're generally not the spectacular skull fractures and broken clavicles people suffer from crashing upright bikes.

If I gotta hit something unexpectedly, I'd much rather do it feet-first, and a helmet isn't going to help things much. You can go head-first if you wanna. ;>😉
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