Need your input...help on the way!

[Sparrow]

Originally posted by pedalfaster
Plus-sized ladies:

You gals say you want bike clothes. I've been buying and selling bike clothes for ~10 years now. I have a hard time convincing size 10's into Lycra, fer pete's sake.

Now, perhaps TE is blessed with amazing women with confidence to spare. But I guess I would really really like to know what you really really want when it comes to work-out wear (beside the super-supportive sports bra that doesn't look like your grandma's LOL--ok we gotta work on that!).

So are we talking about "baggies" here? Or skorts? What about jerseys? To get the full effect of "wicking" fabrics they must be pretty ...unforgiving. Is that ok? Or should they be looser? Comfort over performance? Or the other way around?

I can only speak for myself here: In shorts I want good-quality road shorts that fit well and have a decent chamois. I don't want any extra fabric down south that might contribute to chafing. I had to make a choice between caring what my butt looks like or getting fit and I want to get fit in reasonable comfort. For a sports bra I want something that doesn't cut into my ribs, doesn't involve underwires, has a decent amount of support (flattening is a bonus) and fabric that will soak up some of the copious sweat I'm pouring out. At this point I'm pretty satisfied with oversized men's jerseys -- okay, so I draw the line at hanging my fat rolls out there. ;-)

The bottom line for me is that I want to be able to get into shape in as much comfort as can reasonably be expected given my current condition. I'd like some choice in clothing styles and I'd be happy to pay for clothes that fit.

Of course, the other option is for me to keep on shrinking. *grin*

[ragbrai40]

I'm going to add an unusual request to my *wish list*. How about a lightly padded sports bra for us "small breasted" women!

There's nothing more frustrating than to put a sports bra on, only to have it squish what little b**bs one might have into pancakes! At least with regular bras, one can "enhance" the "little ones" with a bit of padding, but there's nothing (at least that I've found) that provides help in the sports bras.

I'd certainly be willing to pay a bit more for a sports bra if it meant that I had the same "enhancements" available as the regular bras.

Now, don't get the wrong idea here, I'm not embarrassed about my chest size, I've come to terms with them long ago. My frustration is that when I wear a jersey with a "built in" bra, it does nothing for me. I have nothing to support and there's nothing flattering to having already small breasts compressed even further.

I've worn my "lightly padded" bras under some jersey's just because they are so non-forgiving, but would prefer a sports bra with a bit of enhancements!

Thanks for letting me vent and I'll be first in line if one is available!

[annie]

RAG 40 -

I feel exactly as you do about the sport bras. I don't need extra support. There's nothing much to support. That's ok by me, it's what I am. However! I don't need to make it even more unbalanced by a sport bra that smashes me enough to pass for a boy. Here is what I have started doing. I go to Target, K-Mart, Shop-Ko, Kohls, etc. I buy tankini tops (tops only) which are lightly padded and they become my bike tops. If it's cool, throw a jersey on over them, or a t-shirt, whatever you would normally wear over a sports bra. They don't add much, but they don't flatten you to nothing. They are comfortable. They are WAY cheaper than sport bras from the bike shops or catalogs. Heck, there's got to be SOME advantage to being small-breasted! So there you have it - give it a try.

Tiggy,

I am in total agreement with whoever said we need clothing in bright, don't-hit-me-colors! So many clothes for women are in pastel or dull colors. Very pretty but I would rather be seen by drivers!

One personal preference - NO ADVERTISEMENTS! I have no desire to be a billboard. Unless someone pays me to do so, I do not wish to advertise their products no matter how wonderful.

Thanks for all the listening to comments you are doing. I don't mean to sound whiney, but I do know what I like and what I do not. And you asked.......



annie

[JDom226]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by pedalfaster
[B]Plus-sized ladies:

You gals say you want bike clothes. I've been buying and selling bike clothes for ~10 years now. I have a hard time convincing size 10's into Lycra, fer pete's sake.

Now, perhaps TE is blessed with amazing women with confidence to spare. But I guess I would really really like to know what you really really want when it comes to work-out wear (beside the super-supportive sports bra that doesn't look like your grandma's LOL--ok we gotta work on that!).

So are we talking about "baggies" here? Or skorts? What about jerseys? To get the full effect of "wicking" fabrics they must be pretty ...unforgiving. Is that ok? Or should they be looser? Comfort over performance? Or the other way around?

Maybe the plus sized visitors to this site have a bit too much confidence. When I decided to start biking again, I took the attitude that I was out there to ride. If you didn't like what you were seeing, then look away. The lycra issue has never bothered me. I'm not a big fan of baggies, however, I did purchase my first skort. I haven't taken it for a ride yet. That'll be tonight.

With jerseys, I guess I would have to sacrifice wicking for comfort. My shoulders and chest are going to dictate my size. Even in the old days, when I weighed 140 lbs. I still had to purchase extra larges and men's sizes to fit this area.

Hope this helps out.

[cathleen]

I agree with the price point comments. I'm just not at a point in my life where I have $75 for a jersey and $100+ for shorts.