Why do cyclists have to wear all that lycra?

You KNOW you've gotten this question. I've been a bit surprised at people's reactions when I tell them that I'm getting into cycling. I know there is a lot of animosity towards bikes in this town. To be honest it's one of the reasons that I haven't done more riding.

Oh they'll run over a runner too but at least there will be skid marks on the pavement in front of the runner's body.

Anyway the only response I've come up with is to say that I spent the better part of my childhood and until the knees couldn't take it anymore in the martial arts community wearing a rather silly looking pajama looking outfit. No reason for it, we certainly could have done everything we were doing in yoga pants and t-shirts and yet no one ever said, "uh I don't see why martial artists have to wear those silly pajamas".

I also don't see these people at the Y saying, "uh why do those yoga people have to wear all that yoga stuff" or "why do those silly basketball players feel the need to wear those mesh shorts".

So why are cyclists singled out?

Some people are very threatened by the idea of getting from Point A to Point B without burning fossil fuel.

If someone asks again, why don't you just tell them the truth, that cycling a short distance in street clothes is fine and convenient, but over longer distances (like 15+ miles) it's not only very uncomfortable, but likely to ruin your nice street clothes? I wouldn't feel like I was discouraging them from starting to ride, since a brand new commuter isn't likely to jump right into 15 mile commutes in any case.

No one has ever asked me that question.

I get plenty of other questions about cycling and bike commuting, but the only clothing-related question I ever seem to field is, "Do you wear a helmet?"

I agree with you that in our culture we traditionally change clothing for formal sports and exercise. Some people really do need to change due to chafing and/or odor issues, and lots of sports clothing is designed to protect the athlete or enhance performance. And, sometimes we just want to fit in or look like everyone else on the team :) All good reasons to don Lycra.

For certain types of riding, sure Lycra makes sense. But I also view it as a barrier to riding. When I was a kid, I never put on special clothes to ride my bike. And now that I spend most of my days chasing an almost-toddler, I don't really have time to change into a separate outfit to ride to the store. I purposely chose my latest bike to be something that I would be comfortable wearing street clothes on. Right now I'm doing mostly city riding, either to go to the store or some other errand, and I'm not doing very long rides. So there's no point in changing clothes. I sit more upright, so I don't need a ton of stretch in the seat, and the bike has a chain guard so I don't have to worry about getting grease on my pants. Pedals are flat so I can wear regular street shoes. This suits me just fine at this stage in my life.

Someday I'll go back to riding dozens of miles a day, and the Lycra will come out again.

I remember taking a nasty fall when I was a kid because my bike didn't have a chain guard and my jeans caught up in the chain. Jeans *choke* & rub the back of my knees when I ride with them. The loudly colored jerseys stand out for drivers to see the biker better. For me it's all about comfort and safety.

I'm sorry to hear that you perceive there is animosity in your town in your cycling garb. Perhaps it's a few glowering folks there? But not everyone?

There are still ways of dressing for cycling, without wearing much lycra but not truly street clothing on the bike. For example, I bike in walking shorts sometimes. Even for long distances around 50-80 km. ride. But then, I might be weird.

In cold weather I wear tights, though these tights are not smooth shiny lycra a lot of the times. It's stuff one can wear for other forms of exercise (yoga, aerobics, etc.). Cheap tights that I pay only $25.00 /pr. or less. I am cheap for bike commuting year-round, including winter. I have to be when it's cold, cycling shorter distances yet the weather is yuckier, wet, sloppy, etc. in winter.

I just prefer not to wear out a $100.00 pr. of jeans by being on the bike a lot. (I found jeans I liked and fit me..after over 3 frickin' years of casual searching around. That's how long it took and that's how fussy I am about jeans fit. Maybe I shouldn't have knowledge of fabric quality, worksmanship, when I used to sew, etc.) As someone else said in another earlier different thread, one disadvantage of wearing same pants or shorts over long period time of cycling often, is that the seat of the pants gets worn out.

REally.....I don't want to go for yet another frickin' search of 2nd pr. of jeans that I like just because I wore out my lst pr. of jeans on the bike. But walking shorts (with flat seams in the right non-irritating places) work well for me. I have different lengths of walking shorts for cycling. One requirement is that they must have front pockets that hold a set of keys for me when I bike.

Will I ever bike in a true skirt on the bike (I wear skorts when I bike for something "skirt-like")? No, I gave up wearing long flowing skirts over 15 years ago.

However I don't like emphasizing to wannabe cyclists or non-cyclists that a person must wear cycling clothing. Instead, wear clothing for exercise comfort and safety. That is a more flexible sounding way and gives people options, creativity to choose a wide selection of clothing that fits their lifestyle, budget, etc. Cycling clothing at the beginning can add up money-wise.

I actually wear lycra shorts sometimes.....for the days I think it might rain: it's less bulky to wear wind pants over the shorts if I have to suddenly pull them on and I can't find a washroom anywhere while I stop in the middle of my ride during spittin' rain.

I've never been asked that question. I have been asked "Do I have to wear Spandex?" a whole lot, though.

I do agree that it can be a barrier to riding. It's expensive. It looks funny. You can't just go ride your bike. It sets expectations that you need a whole bunch of special gear to ride a bike.

As to why we get the comments, I think it's two-fold. It's a very visible mark of being "other," those brightly-colored jerseys and Lycra shorts. It's not mainstream like yoga or even martial arts. The other thing is that most people cannot imagine wanting to dress in such form-fitting clothes. I talked to so many people who said "I read that bike shorts help, but I'm not comfortable wearing something that tight."

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Originally Posted by aponi

I know there is a lot of animosity towards bikes in this town.

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Where do you live (so I'll know to avoid it)?

Am I the only person who never felt weird about putting on bike shorts? Maybe it had to do with 20+ years of wearing tight exercise clothes (gym shorts, bra tops, tights, leotards) before I started riding? Or maybe, because I saw my DS and DH take off and ride in the appropriate cycling clothes, I never assumed I would wear anything different.
Nobody has ever asked me that question and I've never received any dirty looks about wearing cycling stuff around where I live. The only places this has happened to me have been 1) Stockbridge, MA in the Berkshires, when a group of ladies from NYC stared and made loud comments and 2) in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard, about 10 years ago, when my DH got some very pointed stares and comments when we were going into lunch. He was wearing a loud orange jersey and matching orange flip flops he had changed into from cycling shoes.

Well, there's lycra and there's lycra. What I think they're actually asking is not "why do you have to wear bike shorts and a technical wicking shirt with pockets in a visible colour", but "why do I keep seeing these guys whose shoes match their shorts match their jersey match their glasses match their helmets match their bikes, and all of it in horrendous neon colours?"

I had been cycling for years in more or less suitable athletic gear before I got into road bike riding, training and racing, and I found the entire matching team kit thing rather offputting. People do wear martial arts "pyjamas", but not in public, and men who would never ever wear anything tightfitting or bright-coloured otherwise are suddenly out there wearing what looks like hot pink and orange skin suits with matching shoes, if your team has particularly bad taste. It is a group fashion thing, and can be a bit alienating. Now, of course, I think it looks pretty cool, but it took a while.

I find the best answer is to compare it to running, or here, to cross country skiing. You CAN run or ski in regular clothing, if you really want to, but almost everybody realizes that if you're running or skiing to get somewhere swiftly, training clothes are practical.

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Originally Posted by jobob

Where do you live (so I'll know to avoid it)?

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I think the better question is where in the USA do YOU live that there ISN'T animosity towards bikes? It must be a rare enclave ... (and I've read plenty of ugly stuff about California drivers and cyclists, so that ain't it ...)

I think I'm going to ask for this coat for Christmas: Cassandra Cycle Coat

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

I think the better question is where in the USA do YOU live that there ISN'T animosity towards bikes? It must be a rare enclave ... (and I've read plenty of ugly stuff about California drivers and cyclists, so that ain't it ...)

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I read an article, and it's true in my personal experience, that cars are friendlier to people in regular clothes not riding road bikes. I know in my sub they are friendlier when I ride the cruiser than my Jamis.

I live in Charlotte home of the (cough) NFL powerhouse Panthers

This is this one road in particular, Queens Rd West if you happen to be familiar with the city that everyone calls the "tour de Charlotte". It's in a really nice part of town, very near a park and every cyclist, runner, and walker ends up there. Well it seems like it anyway. If you happen to be out there on a Sunday morning you would get the impression that everyone in town rides or runs. Heck a couple of weeks ago I saw a guy on a unicycle going down that road.

I haven't done any cycling events yet but just about every road race I've run in goes through there. Oh they did have this 24 hours of booty bike event there not too long ago. I do kind of feel sorry for the people who live on that road because they have to get tired of it but I suppose it's the price you pay for living on one of the most beautiful streets in town.

So I think they get tired of bikes.

Then there is the East Blvd project. It was a 4 lane road, one of the busiest ones in town. The city turned it into a 2 lane road by sticking big planters in the median and putting in bike lanes. They did it to slow traffic down, it did not go over well with the motoring public. They seem to use bike lanes as a "traffic calming" tactic. It may calm traffic but seeing bikes using them does not seem to calm the drivers.

People seem to think that just because you happen to be on a bike at that moment, you are not paying your fair share of road taxes and should not be allowed on the roads. The funny thing is that I live IN the city - as in I have a Charlotte address, not Rock Hill, Huntersville, Monroe, Mint Hill... but Charlotte. Most of the time the people I hear complaining about this sort of thing live in the burbs so I'm pretty sure that I'm paying more taxes to support the actual city than they are.

Then there is the, "you cyclists ride down the middle of the road. I wait until traffic is clear to go around you and then when I'm at a red light you go past me in the gutter" kind of thing.

Every now and then there is a news story about a cyclist who has been injured or killed and quite frankly the comments on the Charlotte Observer website have shocked me. Things like, "well now there's one less of them".

The comments on the paper's website are what really scared me off of cycling. When I first headed out I was expecting it to be like riding through a DMZ. Thankfully so far at least people have been very friendly. I did pull a spaz though. My second day on the bike and I wanted to turn left. I'm shinny and new at road cycling and was afraid to look over my shoulder to see if the road was clear, also I'd rather not stop and have to wrestle my shoes back into my toe clips. I solved this by rather abruptly turning right and thinking I would do a U-turn but the car behind me also turned right. I panicked and just stopped. He stopped because obviously some idiot on a bike was acting strangely. I sort of waved and said "sorry its a new bike and I haven't gotten the hang of it." I thought he was going to go off but he just laughed and said "hey I hear it's like riding a bike" (groan). What do you do, you have to laugh at his funny there because heck the guy could have taken me out. I'm just hoping that kind of thing is the norm and the people writing in the paper are just venting trolls.

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Originally Posted by aponi

I'm just hoping that kind of thing is the norm and the people writing in the paper are just venting trolls.

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For some reason irrational venting about cyclists is socially acceptable to many people. Just yesterday I was at a work seminar, having a relaxed, civilized dinner (on a car- and bike-free island, btw), when a co-worker - a petite little doll of a thing who is cute, and softspoken, and very unaggressive - suddenly started to vent about wanting to run down those awful cyclists all over the place where she lives, who "think they're in the TdF, ride 4 abreast, never let anyone pass" etc etc. Totally unexpected, especially because she must have known that many of us are cyclists. But I don't think she realizes that someone wearing team kit can actually be the same kind of person who rides to work, and works with her.
She was pretty surprised when we didn't all chime in, but started a careful discussion of what actually is legal, good behaviour, how she could discuss the problem with the local cycling club and so forth.

Wearing cycling clothing, but nothing like a team kit and road bike whipping down, might have a lot more people responsive. But I don't necessarily dress for impressions. I just focus on comfort, budget and safety.

Honest, I personally have less respect for cyclists who don't have bike lights, wear black jackets, black everything and black helmet. And they hope drivers will see them at night? I've almost crashed into such cyclists.

For last 3 Canadian cities I have lived right near heavily used MUPs. Yes, I'm sure the residents get tired cyclists...and yes, many charity bike rides, runs....use these same routes..near where I've lived.

I get used to it...and also on weekends I make sure I start cycling from home before those big rides, runs/marathons start.

Yes, that is the "price" of living close by...but honest, it doesn't happen every day. We have to keep it all in perspective.

I wear THE most obnoxious colors when I run because I'm heading out the door early in the morning when its still dark. It was fun during the summer to actually get to wear other stuff, but alas I'm back to neon and carrying a light especially since school started this week so the buses are out and of course parents driving like maniacs to get the little darlings to school. I've seen a few ninja runners out there and it astonishes me that more of them haven't been hit. I have black tights for the winter too but I wear them with a bright yellow jacket.

Back in the winter I had a guy out getting his paper ask me where I got my jacket. His wife was doing a couch to 5k and he said he never realized how dark it was out there until she started running.

I guess people don't think about these things.

This is a really curious question to me. I started cycling seriously in the very early '90s and raced for years. For a number of years, I had ridden a bike for transportation up 'til then, many of them exclusively using a bike as transportation. I took a break in my serious riding while raising a family and am back to it full tilt but have close to two decades of cycling under my... chamois ;). I have ridden in small towns, big cities, all over the world. Not one single time has anyone asked about my cycling kit. Not once. And if anyone did say something, I'm old enough now to pretty much tell them to put their opinions in their pipes and smoke 'em. :p I truly wouldn't care what other people say or think. Do what you feel like doing and don't worry about it.

Quote Crankin ..
"Am I the only person who never felt weird about putting on bike shorts?"

Nope .. and I am brand new to *seriously* biking (short of racing at my age) Actually I like bike capris better than shorts. I am fortunate that my small group was formed by long time cyclists who wear lycra for practical reasons and taught me to do the same.

In all the years that I've been commuting to work on a bike, I've heard the range of reasons from co-workers why they don't bike commute. Number one was fear of traffic, followed closely by lack of time or showers. I don't ever recall someone saying they wouldn't ride because they were afraid they'd have to wear lycra.
Most people already know they can ride without lycra. They've always known it. The "lycra scares people away from cycling so we'd better not wear it" argument is bogus.

Why do swimmers wear bathing suits?

You could swim in jeans and you could ride a bike in jeans. Certainly not my preference, but suit yourself.

During the lst 10 years of returning cycling, starting @32 yrs., I wore walking shorts and T-shirts for cycling. I didn't want to be identified with the cycling jersey pack. I wanted to cycle more "anonymously" if that makes sense. At that time, I didn't consider myself a competent cyclist....when in fact, I did my longest self-loaded bike tour trips during that time in my life!

Keep in mind, I did several bike tours 800- 1,200 km. each over several days-weeks, plus this was what I wore commuting to work. :) It's been such a long time I was such a "rebel". I moved over to wearing mountain bike shoes after within the first 5 years. I always wear (mtb) cycling shoes.

My partner actually didn't move over to cycling shoes until 8-9 yrs. after he returned to cycling.

These days, I split my time maybe 40% wearing lycra shorts and rest of time between walking shorts and a running skort on the bike.
I always tend to wear cycling jerseys except in the winter i'm wearing a turtleneck for light local riding.

I would tend to agree the fear of car traffic and showers has been voiced to me. However, we have to remember that some women (I don't know about guys) are very self-conscious about what they wear and fear looking "stupid".

I thought the OP was referring to questions asked by non-cyclists, not by budding cyclists or people otherwise genuinely interested.

I don't think I've ever been asked point-blank why cyclists wear so much lycra, but I've certainly heard lycra ridiculed a million times in anti-cyclist posts. It never fails - any article writing anything at all about cycling, whether it's positive or negative, about commuting or racing or little old ladies, will get a rash of comments saying something like "what the bleepitybleep do they think they're doing out there anyway, wagging their fat fannies in multicoloured shiny condom suits* "

*the epithet of choice in Norwegian

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Originally Posted by malkin

Why do swimmers wear bathing suits?

You could swim in jeans and you could ride a bike in jeans. Certainly not my preference, but suit yourself.

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These days there is a little bit of lycra blended into cotton denim, so they move with you a little better than the denim of yore that felt like cardboard when it was new. Most of my rides are under 5 miles these days -- in cooler weather jeans are perfectly comfortable, sitting on a Brooks B67.

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Originally Posted by lph

" condom suits* "

*the epithet of choice in Norwegian

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Condom suit?

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Originally Posted by lph

I thought the OP was referring to questions asked by non-cyclists, not by budding cyclists or people otherwise genuinely interested.

I don't think I've ever been asked point-blank why cyclists wear so much lycra, but I've certainly heard lycra ridiculed a million times in anti-cyclist posts. It never fails - any article writing anything at all about cycling, whether it's positive or negative, about commuting or racing or little old ladies, will get a rash of comments saying something like "what the bleepitybleep do they think they're doing out there anyway, wagging their fat fannies in multicoloured shiny condom suits* "

*the epithet of choice in Norwegian

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^^this

Heck, there's even an acronym including Lycra/spandex: MAMIL - middle age men in Lycra. Referring to the dudes over 40 who buy uber-bikes as part of their midlife crisis, rather than a 'vette. :D