All these special bicycling clothes

[alienator]

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

Exactly. We just started are 100+ degree time of year, here, so the cycling specific clothing becomes even more important.

 

[alienator]

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?
----
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. ;>)
~

No, that's your logic....and bad logic at that.

Your understanding of accident dynamics is apparently limited

 

[bigpedaler]

wear what's comfortable -- period!

i'll put on the chamois-equipped spandex if i know i'm going out to punish myself on the bike for 3-5 hours; the jerseys are good for the pockets, and the sweat-wicking (although i have t's that do the same thing). but i'll never get away from clipless until something better comes along -- w/ platforms, i'm just on the bike; clipless, i'm part of the bike. for me, it's all about being IN the experience.

 

[bannerrefugee]

A lot depends on your tolerance or anatomy. I am cool with riding my road bike or fixed gear hard in street wear for 2 hours. Think cotton titty whities. Other folks never sit on the seat without cycling shorts. It’s all ok. If this guy has been riding 40 years without the kit then cool.



I would like to see whether he might change his mind on a pancake flat super hot and windy century though.

 

[JohnO]

Jerseys make a lot of difference, at least for me. Keep me cool and dry. Only trouble with team jerseys is, the darn teams keep getting nailed for doping. I have a beautiful Liberty Seguros jersey I wouldn't be caught dead in now.

Ah well, still have Fassa Bortolo and Domina Vacanze jerseys. They were either clean, or they folded before they got nailed.

Shorts? The tight ones are nice, once you get used to them. Nothing flapping in the breeze.

 

[kdelong]

Thanks for all of the input. I learned a lot, namely that most of the people who responded to this thread who wear Team Wear do so mainly for comfort and convenience, and I can agree with that. I have never had a chafing problem (knock on wood) so that was not something that I was taking into consideration. I still think that there are some people out there who "if they can't be Lance Armstrong, at least they can dress like him".

To Slugster 438, I ride 4-5 days a week and have been averaging 183 miles a week so far this year, so I do go a fair distance I think. And you really should wear a helmet, but I will defend your right not to wear one if you don't want to.

 

[Stu07]

And you really should wear a helmet, but I will defend your right not to wear one if you don't want to.

I don't defend people's right to ride without a helmet any more than I defend their right to ride a motorcycle without one, or a car without a seatbelt. As a taxpayer, the medical bills from major head trauma will be borne partially by me (not sure for you Americans, but in Aus hospital admission is paid for by the taxpayer). Hard to see why you wouldn't wear a helmet when it doesn't affect your enjoyment of the ride at all, and helps reduce incidence of head injury.

 

[9202]

Jeez, WTF is wrong with wearing a jersey beacause you just happen to like it?

Personally, I wear my University Colors....not because I am on their team, hell I graduated almost 30 years ago, I wear it because they are MY team and I live the colors.

As far as the dude who doesn't wear a helmut, you pay your money and you take your chances. The choice is yours, make the most of it.

 

[kdelong]

I don't defend people's right to ride without a helmet any more than I defend their right to ride a motorcycle without one, or a car without a seatbelt. As a taxpayer, the medical bills from major head trauma will be borne partially by me (not sure for you Americans, but in Aus hospital admission is paid for by the taxpayer). Hard to see why you wouldn't wear a helmet when it doesn't affect your enjoyment of the ride at all, and helps reduce incidence of head injury.

Stu07: I can understand your concerns to a point since you would have to contribute to any hospital bills that are run up in Oz. We do not have nationalized healthcare here in the U.S., although I see it coming in the future. At this point in time, either the individual pays all of his medical bills or his health insurance picks up most of it. Either way, I tend to side with individual rights. I do not believe that the government has the right to legislate that someone should have to wear a helmet or a seatbelt. I do wear these just because it is the intelligent thing to do, but I do not beleive that it is my government's place to tell me that I have to. The best thing about it is that it improves the gene pool through natural selection.

 

[Bro Deal]

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.

I thought the most common recumbent injury was beard rash, where the recumbent rider's long and obligitory beard gets caught in the gears and ripped off the face.

 

[Bro Deal]

Thanks for all of the input. I learned a lot, namely that most of the people who responded to this thread who wear Team Wear do so mainly for comfort and convenience, and I can agree with that. I have never had a chafing problem (knock on wood) so that was not something that I was taking into consideration. I still think that there are some people out there who "if they can't be Lance Armstrong, at least they can dress like him".

So what? The teams make money off of kit sales so it helps the teams when you buy their stuff. Helps their sponsors also. Plus some of the pro team jerseys looks a lot better than strange geometric designs and certainly better than that ghastly Primal Wear stuff.

Certainly bibs are more comfortable than anything else you can wear. You should give them a try sometime.

 

[alienator]

So what? The teams make money off of kit sales so it helps the teams when you buy their stuff. Helps their sponsors also. Plus some of the pro team jerseys looks a lot better than strange geometric designs and certainly better than that ghastly Primal Wear stuff.

Certainly bibs are more comfortable than anything else you can wear. You should give them a try sometime.

My eyes burn at the mere mention of Primal Wear. +1 on the other stuff, too. Some team kit looks pretty damned fine. Descente makes a nice line of older team jerseys: 7-11, Panasonic, Raleigh Creda, and Cilo au Fina.

Bibs....shorts.....there's no comparison: bibs all the way.

 

[garage sale GT]

You can get plain cycling clothes if you don't like sponsor logos.

They cut air resistance and keep you cool and dry. You also look like you're into it.

If you still prefer street clothes, you can still choose athletic fabrics with moisture wicking properties.

 

[Blademun]

I've been running cycling shoes and clipless pedals for 8 months now. As for cycling cloths, I recently got my first cycling short; a pair of mountain biker shorts.(I prefer looking casual, even on the road.)

After doing a few 6 hour rides in them, I dunno..I'm not really feeling the benefit. Well, granted, I have a saddle thats absolutely perfect (for me). I never much had a problem with soreness, though on rare occasions I did go numb. The shorts actually cause me discomfort, I feel like there is too much chamois and it feels like its digging into me by the fifth hour. Also walking feels atrocious, mostly because my sac is rolling from one side of the crotch of the chamois to the other as I walk(Excuse the graphic image, but there really is no better way to explain whats goin on.).

It may just be the fact they are mountain shorts and arn't meant for road riding. I can't wear road shorts though. Not only would I feel presumptious, I'd also never hear the end of it from my cycling friends. They are all mountain/bmx and well, to put it in their words, "Cycling tights are kinda gay". This coming from a 30 year old male, not a kid...

 

[alienator]

I've been running cycling shoes and clipless pedals for 8 months now. As for cycling cloths, I recently got my first cycling short; a pair of mountain biker shorts.(I prefer looking casual, even on the road.)

Prolly one of, if not the, best benefit of clipless pedals is the improved control you get with the bike. Also, foot comfort is prolly better over long rides.

After doing a few 6 hour rides in them, I dunno..I'm not really feeling the benefit. Well, granted, I have a saddle thats absolutely perfect (for me). I never much had a problem with soreness, though on rare occasions I did go numb. The shorts actually cause me discomfort, I feel like there is too much chamois and it feels like its digging into me by the fifth hour. Also walking feels atrocious, mostly because my sac is rolling from one side of the crotch of the chamois to the other as I walk(Excuse the graphic image, but there really is no better way to explain whats goin on.).

Cycling shorts are like saddles, shoes, and condoms: some just don't work for you. Some folks dig thin chamois, while other like the thick. 'bout the only way you can find out which you like is by trying different brands.

I've never encountered the sack swingin' that you mention. Are you sure you've got your shorts pulled up enough? You might try shorts with elasticized/stretch chamois. They fit snug and keep everything in its place.

It may just be the fact they are mountain shorts and arn't meant for road riding. I can't wear road shorts though. Not only would I feel presumptious, I'd also never hear the end of it from my cycling friends. They are all mountain/bmx and well, to put it in their words, "Cycling tights are kinda gay". This coming from a 30 year old male, not a kid...

I guess it depends on where yer at. Roadies rule around here, so even the 70ish year old guys and gals have lycra shorts on.