firsts

It was my birthday this weekend and got some cycling gear. I'm now the proud owner of a pair of bike shoes and bike shorts. I wore them to work this morning. They performed beautifully. I pedaled more effeciently and the stuff that can get squished didn't. So all in all a more comfortable ride. I'm sure some of my enthusiasm is just having new stuff. :)
I'm self conscious so I've got long shorts over my bike shorts. I may ditch them....the 2 pair of shorts trapped a lot of heat inbetween them. Although I have the shoes, the pedals and clips are on my list.
I've been pretty resistant to bike cloths but I'm finding they do have their purpose. It all started with a neon jacket, then I need tights 'cause jeans are not warm and the sems are too rough, then a bike jersey because it was UV rated (I've been getting quite tan under my shirts) and now the shorts and shoes. I may have to get a bike to match my shorts or my jersey as my current bike really just does not match now :D

happy birthday :)

Always important to pamaper yourself a little and a birthday is a great excuse.
Sounds like you had a good one.

like you, I was unsure about lycra shorts in public... but I have ditched other shorts over the top... your time will come...bwahahaha...

Its like some weird B-grade movie synopsis really...

She used to wear lycra when she was younger, and then abandoned it... for years ignoring it, spurning it... but lycra was patient, lycra could wait, and lycras turn did come again... Opening in cinemas near you...

"Return of the Lycra"

Seriously, wear what is comfortable for you... like you I found 2 pairs of shorts could get hot, and i also kept getting my "normal" shorts legs hooked on the seat!

Whatever, glad you splurged on yourself and bought some really cool stuff!

Happy Birthday to you and what a way to celebrate, with new cycling apparel:D

Happy Birthday, and way to go!

I was SOOO embarrassed the first time I wore lycra in public. Then I got on my bike and had so much fun and felt so good, I totally forgot about it. Then I looked around and saw lots of other cyclists wearing it...and hey. It's all about the function. A lot of people just won't ever get it (including a lot of my family members who light-heartedly tease me about the clothing). We get it, though! Everything serves a purpose!

Have fun!

Thanks all, it has been a really fun birthday and all the bike gear! I intend to keep partying atleast thru the week. Who knows after that.

Happy Belated Birthday and congrats on the shorts and shoes.
I'm a big girl and I love my bike shorts. Don't think I would ride without them even if they do look terrible. They make things much more comfortable and keep the clothing from riding up around your crotch.
This is the one time with clothing that I don't care what other people think. Any other time I am very conservative with what I wear because of my size.

Happy Birthday!

I started cycling last year and absolutely refused to buy the lycra shorts...so I bought this instead from TE http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=12096 It's awesome! Padded shorts underneath a cute little skirt AND I didn't have to walk into Baja Fresh (great mexican place where I live) after a ride wearing tight spandex while my boyfriend did! No handy little skirt coverup for him! :D I really recommend trying it, the skirt never got in my way and it didn't cause too much extra heat either.

I have since bought my first pair of "real" bike shorts this summer already and wear them with pride!! ( I still wear my short/skirt combo too! ) So I agree, the time will come when you are ready to bite the bullet and do it. :)

lycra in public? I won't even wear it even in my own house. Only on the bike.
There is a small vestibule (a little wider than a door frame and about as long as my bike) in our house where I take off the soccer shorts I wear over my bike shorts and stash them behind the sidewalk salt. Although sometimes I bring the shorts with me so that I can put them on over my spandex about 2 miles from our house or before I go into the store. I wear a zip neck over my bright green jersey. No one needs to know. I don't think I could handle my roommates ribbing. :cool:

They're just jealous.

Congrats to Coyote! Way to go, girl! And Happy Birthday!!!! :D :D

Hey Donna- for what it's worth, here's my take on heavy women in lycra...
I think it looks strange and unflattering when heavy women (or men for that matter) wear shorts that bunch, twist, and make wedgies in the back. To be fair- the wedgie look does not look good on people of ANY weight, but it tends to happen when one is overweight. But when heavy gals wear biking shorts, there is no weird stuff going on with shifting fabric, and it looks perfectly nice to me. I think EVERYONE looks better in biking shorts and biking knickers, regardless of their weight. That's just my own impression, but then I am a very visual person. Black Lycra has a magic way of making cellulite disappear....I speak from experience here. :D

Happy Birthday! And, be careful, you'll soon become addicted to shopping for bike gear! :)

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Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.

Congrats to Coyote!
for what it's worth, here's my take on heavy women in lycra...
I think it looks strange and unflattering when heavy women (or men for that matter) wear shorts that bunch, twist, and make wedgies in the back. To be fair- the wedgie look does not look good on people of ANY weight, but it tends to happen when one is overweight. But when heavy gals wear biking shorts, there is no weird stuff going on with shifting fabric, and it looks perfectly nice to me. I think EVERYONE looks better in biking shorts and biking knickers, regardless of their weight. That's just my own impression, but then I am a very visual person. Black Lycra has a magic way of making cellulite disappear....I speak from experience here. :D

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Okay, two things here - number one is that the only thing worse that a rear wedgie is a front wedgie - had them myself before - yikes!!

The other thing is what kind of black (magic) lycra do you wear that makes your cellulite disappear?? I must be shopping wrong or something - hehehehehehe! Actually, you won't find a speck of cellulite on my rear end. ;) I can say that because you'll never know. :D Okay, so I lie!!!!:mad:

Happy birthday and welcome to the spandex cult. From now on, all holiday gift ideas you will give will be bike related!:D

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Originally Posted by RoadRaven

Its like some weird B-grade movie synopsis really...

She used to wear lycra when she was younger, and then abandoned it... for years ignoring it, spurning it... but lycra was patient, lycra could wait, and lycras turn did come again... Opening in cinemas near you...

"Return of the Lycra"

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HA HA HA! You crack me up!!!

Speaking of cracks (heh heh heh), I agree with Lisa about the slimming effects of Lycra. Although I certainly do not think I actually look good in it, I'm not so self conscious anymore. No chance of any "crack" issues with all that padding back there. My thighs look a heck of a lot better in lycra than they do in, let's say, a bathing suit. And my hips, butt, and tummy all seem a lot smoother too. Now if I could just find shorts that aren't quite so tight at the hem...gotta love how that fat layer gets pinched in and then pooched back out right at the hem of the shorts!

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Originally Posted by zencentury

They're just jealous.

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they can't be jealous cuz they don't know!

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Originally Posted by Flybye

The other thing is what kind of black (magic) lycra do you wear that makes your cellulite disappear??

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The tight kind. ;)

Sara- the shorts I like after trying 4 different deluxe ones- are the TE's Shebeest Ultra D. They are for long distance rides and the chamois is very nice. But i also like that of the 4 brands, these were the only ones that didn't have stupidly tight leg band hems. They don't make my thighs look like tied sausages. :eek: :eek: :p

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Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.

Sara- the shorts I like after trying 4 different deluxe ones- are the TE's Shebeest Ultra D. They are for long distance rides and the chamois is very nice. But i also like that of the 4 brands, these were the only ones that didn't have stupidly tight leg band hems. They don't make my thighs look like tied sausages. :eek: :eek: :p

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Thanks, Lisa. I'll have to find someplace that carries Shebeest so I can try them on. The best ones I've found so far are Novara (REI's brand) - picked up a pair on sale, and the hem isn't quite so tight. I've decided to stop trying to mail order shorts if I've never tried them on before...shipping them back when they don't fit costs too much!

Funny how folks of all different shapes and sizes will walk around on the beach in skimpy bathing suits, but we get self conscious about our lycra shorts. I'd much rather be seen in public in lycra than in a bikini. Wait, let me rephrase that...I wouldn't be caught dead in a bikini! But lycra...I am almost there as far as being ok in public. Actually, when you look at some of the styles these days...you know, the "lettin' it all hang out" look...I think spandex is pretty nice!

Happy Birthday and YAY!!! on the new bike gear. I agree with Lisa, Black Lycra does make everyone look slimmer. I can't say I would just wear Lycra for the heck of it but I do think I look less soft and mushy in my bike clothes then I do in other workout clothes.

The best way to get over feeling selfconscious about wearing bike shorts is to go on a big group ride where everyone is wearing it. All of a sudden you look normal and the rest of the people in the 7-11 where the group takes a rest stop look strange in their baggy street clothes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!! And to ME too!!! :D My birthday is Thursday. My mom emailed me a week ago for "hints" on what to get me. I emailed her back and said, "A cycling jersey, of course!" And proceeded to give her links to two specific jerseys I want. I also mentioned that DH hasn't wanted to spend the big bucks on a cycling computer for me yet, but knows which one I should have, and maybe she wants to go in on it with someone else.

I just got birthday money from the In-Laws and immediately said, "Yay! Another jersey!" :) So, now I have to wait and see what mom gets me, so I know what to spend my other birthday money on.

Regarding wearing the cycling shorts, lucky for me, it's been a common site in my house and among friends of ours. DH has been cycling for years with his lycra shorts and hanging out with other people who do. So, it wasn't too much of a stretch for me to slip into my own and, I must say, I don't look too bad in them! Check out me and my bad cycling self! :cool: The weirdest part to get used to was the "extra baggage" in the back from the padding. Recently, some friends of our tried our tandem. My friend borrowed some cycling shorts and a jersey from another friend. When I saw her and told her how "official" she looked, her first comment was, "Yap. I'm carrying a load!" And turns around all goofy to show me. :) I think that was the weirdest part for her, too.

Well, happy birthday and happy cycling apparel wearing. Just so you know, I'm ALL about matching my bike! I've had the hardest time not only finding the right color jerseys, but jerseys that also fit well. I just got back from trying on a jersey that a store ordered for me. Perfectly cute. Didn't fit! :( I have jerseys to match the tandem (red, black and white) and, so far, only one to match my new single. PINK! Well, the bike is black, silver and white with pink handlebars, seat and bottle cages. So, my jersey HAS to have some form of pink on it.

Good luck with checking off your wish list as you accumulate all the marvelous cycling "stuff" there is to be had! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Jiffer...I'm jealous, I don't have a jersey to match my bike yet, and I want one! I want to coordinate with my bike!! :) I get angry at people who have jerseys that match my bike (red, black and white) so I guess that means I'm angry at you. ;)

Congrats and happy birthday! My b-day is next week and I have been dropping hints about the bike gear I'd like too...

A lot of people ride bikes here and it wasn't long ago that my sister and I would snicker a bit at the neon-lycra cyclists clicking their way down the aisles of the grocery store like they'd been hobbled.

So of course when we started riding a lot we got MTB shorts so we'd have padding and 'standard' shorts to wear over. That lasted...two weeks?

Lycra shorts, especially with the 'load look,' aren't exactly the most flattering thing on me. But I don't really have to look at myself in them all that often and they are wonderful to ride in! And now when we go to the grocery store it's click-click, click-click, click-click. I'm sure someone is laughing but I just don't care. :D

Anne

Happy early birthday to both Jiffer and onimity

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Originally Posted by Jiffer

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!! And to ME too!!! :D My birthday is Thursday. My mom emailed me a week ago for "hints" on what to get me. I emailed her back and said, "A cycling jersey, of course!" And proceeded to give her links to two specific jerseys I want. I also mentioned that DH hasn't wanted to spend the big bucks on a cycling computer for me yet, but knows which one I should have, and maybe she wants to go in on it with someone else.

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I talked to my dad this past weekend. He was quite impressed with my bike enthusiasm. He hadn't mailed me my birthday $$ yet so he asked me how much a new bike would cost. I thought he was going to choke when I told him. It was pretty funny. I know he does not have that kind of money but it was sweet of him to ask.

I know where I will not look out of place in Lycra...any coffee shop near the college. :D

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Originally Posted by Rumblefish

Jiffer...I'm jealous, I don't have a jersey to match my bike yet, and I want one! I want to coordinate with my bike!! :) I get angry at people who have jerseys that match my bike (red, black and white) so I guess that means I'm angry at you. ;)

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Well, Rumblefish, I'm not sure how to help you with your anger problem, other than to tell you to GET A MATCHING JERSEY!!! :D Then happiness will abound and peace will reign on the TE boards. And you'll be really, really good looking on your bike, like me!

In the mean time, I'll think of you as I'm out cruising in all my color coordinated glory. ;)

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Originally Posted by coyote

I talked to my dad this past weekend. He was quite impressed with my bike enthusiasm. He hadn't mailed me my birthday $$ yet so he asked me how much a new bike would cost. I thought he was going to choke when I told him. It was pretty funny. I know he does not have that kind of money but it was sweet of him to ask.

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It's funny how some people have no idea how much a bike can really cost (and why), not to mention all the stuff that goes with it ... like just the shoes alone. I was happy to find a $50 jersey to tell my mom about, since most of them are more than that.

Have fun spending Dad's birthday money when you get it. KAH CHING!!! :D

Yeah anger management would be a good idea for me ;) One of these days I'm going to give a dirty look to the wrong person wearing a jersey that matches my bike!! :eek:

I'm working on finding a matching jersey though....it's my new mission!

My boyfriend and I have a system set up, for every 100 miles I ride I get a new piece of bike gear and he pays for it (he's the whole reason I started biking), it's a great little set up cause I'm just eating the miles up now! Yay!!

A matching jersey WILL be mine and soon!! :D I'm due for two rewards so the bike store better watch out, cause I'm going to be scouring the racks for one!

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Originally Posted by Rumblefish

A matching jersey WILL be mine and soon!! :D I'm due for two rewards so the bike store better watch out, cause I'm going to be scouring the racks for one!

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Yay! Sounds like a good system you worked out with your boyfriend. :) What are your colors? I must know?!

At the risk of you being even more angry with me, I have to say, I just got ANOTHER MATCHING JERSEY TODAY!!! :D Mommy bought it for me for my birthday. It's one of the one's I "hinted" to her, so she did good! I'm so happy! You realize, of course, that I have both a single road bike and a tandem. Different colors for each and I must match both at all costs. I have 3 jerseys that match the tandem, but until today, only one to match the single and it frustrates me a little, so I'm glad to have another one that, so far, seems better. I think I'm going to take the other one I have to a tailor and have them do some adjustments to it. I figure, I'm not going to keep wearing a $70+ jersey that bothers me when I can pay a little more to fix what bothers me. The collar around the next, mostly. It's huge! I probably should have sent it back when I first got it, but I didn't. I wore it cause I HAD to match my bike the very first time I rode it, of course! :D

New jerseys are so much fun!! I just ordered a jersey today from TE to match my bike!! My bike is red, black and silver (but for ease we'll just say white will match my bike, 'cause I don't think there are many silver jerseys out there....I could be wrong...)

By midweek next week I will no longer feel the intense anger towards riders with jerseys matching their bikes ;) because I will have one too!! I'm turning into those I hated :D

Matching bikes and jerseys rock!!