How do I look from behind?

[Dogmama]

Here's the view from my side...(pun intended)

You're on your bike. Hooray for you!!! You are taking care of your health, getting into the fresh air and having fun. Who gives a flip what you look like from behind? They lay you in the casket face up anyway, so don't worry about the behind view.

I did limited shopping in the mall this holiday season. Talk about some bad rear views! And then there's the fast food court, cookie stands along the mall corridors, etc., just beckoning us. And here you are - on your bike! Three cheers!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

This thread is just too funny! I love everyone's input!


Yeah I wouldn't mind looking a bit more buff, but DH assures me that he loves the view from behind me no matter who it looks to anyone else, so I really don't care what others might see or think. If DH loves my rear view, that's good enough for me!

I noticed something weird though the other day-
When we were taking photos of each other riding our bikes, the first batch was taken with DH's digital camera. I was horrified- I looked so much heavier and blobby that I 'thought' i looked! The photos were not so great anyway, so I jokingly said the next day we would take the pictures all over again but this time we'd use MY digital camera, which would naturally favor how I looked.
Well we did just that, wore the same clothes, same sunny lighting, same distance, etc....and you know, I looked WAY better in the pix taken by my pink camera! I looked less heavy, more curvy and more muscle-y. It was weird! Needless to say, we used THOSE pictures.

[OakLeaf]

I'm too old to care who looks at my butt while I'm on the bici, and I don't too much care what I see of other people's butts, but if I can see the hair on a guy's @ss, his shorts are too thin. That's where I draw the line.

[Aggie_Ama]

My husband took lots of pictures when we were riding in New Mexico and I was a bit shocked at how wide my dang hips are. Needless to say I am not that overweight but I don't look like a weight weenie racer. Oh well, I am not going to stop wearing spandex because my hips are huge and therefore I got a wide load in the back.

[MomOnBike]

And this my dear friends is why I ride a recumbent. My (ahem) generous back side is snuggled into the seat and out of public view.

Being a tad lower than those of you on uprights, though, I seem to get a better view of the worn bike shorts - and what they are (not) covering. Bleh.

[GLC1968]

This thread cracks me up! (no pun intended!)

The first time I saw a photo of me on my bike, I was horrified. I think I'd convinced myself that all the biking I was doing had magically transformed my short, muscular 'stocky' body into some TdF lean machine. Duh. Of course not!

In fact, I'd say that I look better in bike shorts than I do in regular pants and jeans! Bike shorts show muscle...pants and jeans just show size.

I remember one time riding with a friend of mine who was new to biking. My H and I took her under our wing and helped her learn the group riding thing. She was thin and fairly athletic, but built totally different from me. She was my height, but probably wore a size 4 jean while I wore an 8 or a 10. After one of the rides, I asked my H if I looked anything like her from behind. He said "Oh god no...your rear is WAY tighter...you look 100% more fit than she does!". Here I thought I was too large and all the time, he was noticing how flabby she was in comparison to me. No wonder I love this guy!

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder!

[Tuckervill]

There's a guy on our rides who wears an ancient kit--we know it's ancient because the team doesn't exist anymore. You can see his crack through the shorts now. I'm going to have to say something if he's still wearing it this season. He can wear the new stuff for his new team!

Karen

[Selkie]

I have a big strong booty and muscular thighs but am otherwise petite. Riding had does wonders for my bum, so I think you should just take pride in your back side! Better that than a boney azz.

Who cares what other people think? We all have fault, and those are what make us interesting.

[michelem]

I suggested he try it...the last time I rode with him, his shorts were so worn out I could see his bare bottom right through them!

This happened on my first organized ride. A scary sight!

[RoadRaven]

and I thought we were talking about what kind of mirrors to wear on our helmets!

LOL - me too!

I often wonder how I look in bike shorts from behind compared with women my age... but its no biggie (pun not intended) and doesn't really bother me.

If it bothered me I would wear a skort - or just never wear lycra!

[Grits]

Gee, thanks for bringing something I never even thought about before into my consciousness!

Actually, this has been a fun thread to read. I enjoyed the Crappy Old Bike blog about her harrowing experience. Be careful who you ride behind!

[beccaB]

Someone took a picture of me at Girl Scout camp when I was a girl scout leader. I don't think the picture was supposed to be about "Becky's Butt" but that's about all you could focus on. I had Khaki shorts on and a denim shirt. I am not especially large or small, about a normal size 10. That was the most unflattering pix of me ever, I was bent over picking up something off the ground. I thought OMG, who's butt is that, 'till I realized it was MINE!

[redrhodie]

Someone took a picture of me at Girl Scout camp when I was a girl scout leader. I don't think the picture was supposed to be about "Becky's Butt" but that's about all you could focus on. I had Khaki shorts on and a denim shirt. I am not especially large or small, about a normal size 10. That was the most unflattering pix of me ever, I was bent over picking up something off the ground. I thought OMG, who's butt is that, 'till I realized it was MINE!

I had a very similar experience. I was helping little kids make kites at a church where my mother worked, and a picture of me bent over ended up on the bulletin board. My mother came home from work and from the way she described it, I knew it was bad. I was appalled when I went to see it. I seem to remember it mysteriouly disappeared.

As awful as the moment of seeing it was, that picture really changed my life. That was the day I stopped eating meat, and started exercising. It was 1986, I lost 25lbs, and never gained them back.

[arielmoon]

You never know...it might not be as bad as you think! I was expecting sheer horror, but my first reaction was more like "huh...well, that's a relief" because my imagination had pictured something much, much, MUCH worse.

I told a male cycling friend about my mirror experiment and he fell on the floor laughing. I suggested he try it...the last time I rode with him, his shorts were so worn out I could see his bare bottom right through them!

My BF has threadbare shorts that allow me to see his birthmark when he bends over.

I bought him a new pair of shorts for Christmas!

[MauiRockHopper]

This thread is just too funny! I love everyone's input!


Yeah I wouldn't mind looking a bit more buff, but DH assures me that he loves the view from behind me no matter who it looks to anyone else, so I really don't care what others might see or think. If DH loves my rear view, that's good enough for me!

I noticed something weird though the other day-
When we were taking photos of each other riding our bikes, the first batch was taken with DH's digital camera. I was horrified- I looked so much heavier and blobby that I 'thought' i looked! The photos were not so great anyway, so I jokingly said the next day we would take the pictures all over again but this time we'd use MY digital camera, which would naturally favor how I looked.
Well we did just that, wore the same clothes, same sunny lighting, same distance, etc....and you know, I looked WAY better in the pix taken by my pink camera! I looked less heavy, more curvy and more muscle-y. It was weird! Needless to say, we used THOSE pictures.

LOL Must have been a wider angle lens if you hold the camera vertical can make people look skinnier