So I'm not cycling in ordinary street clothes/chic

[zoom-zoom]

I'm not sure what to say about people being intimidated by spandex. Sounds mental to me.

I've seen a lot of runners who run in tights mock cyclists who wear tights/spandex...this I don't get. My bottoms of choice are spandex for both pursuits.

Yeah, I think they're mental, too.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Really, though, people should wear what they want and not fuss over what other people wear.

Right. But add to that: and not fuss about what other people think about what anyone wears.


Why waste time either debating or defending what you choose to wear? Better to go for a ride instead!

[Trek420]

Just about the only thing I don't like about this sport is the subtle/not so subtle classism that exists. I don't think we deal with it well or at all. For cycling to take off in this hemisphere and the culture to change from one of drive through to bike to it has to be done.

Steps off soap box and just observes:

Take my home (please! Newly remodeled and less than 2 miles from rapid transit on an easy flat bike route). My home, let's call it "point A" is in a quirky mix of diverse working class and middle class homes, business and industrial (seems to be import/medical/what little manufacturing is left/and small tech start ups) with some farm markets/indy coffee shops, bakeries and stores and Bay/wetlands parks enticingly nearby.

Point B is where I catch BART train to work.

When I ride from point A to B going the opposite way from B to A are roadies on their weekend warrior machines. Some in lycra some in jeans depending I suppose on a combination of how far they ride and/or complex feelings/opinions/blogs they read about what one should wear riding.

If I'm on my road bike in lycra I get the standard casual nod, minimal eyebrow raise etc from them.

Same route, bike and outfit I find my neighbors subtly hostile or sort of a "what are you doing here?" look or (and this is preferable) I've had some literally sprint the length of the train platform to see the bike (she's a beaut! ). Either way I sense I'm seen as "the other".

Same route, commuter MTB, street clothes I'm seen as "one of them" but largely ignored by the roadies.

Same route, commuter MTB, and some lycra ... neighbors generally friendly and roadies may wave or nod.

It's interesting to observe but really can't we all ride what we want in what we want and support all riders?

[PamNY]

These threads always make me decide that I'm never setting foot out of New York City. I cannot imagine all this reacting/noticing reactions/smiling/not smiling/raising eyebrows and then you have a conversation about it?

I would fall down laughing and nobody would be my friend.

I guess someone would notice my clothing if it were...on fire maybe? Otherwise, no.

I did once ride my Xootr on a suburban rail trail used mainly by cyclists. That raised some eyebrows, but it also led to some very interesting conversations with people who actually stopped and looked at the scooter.

[Velocivixen]

I wear street clothes sometimes. I just bought the Fox Townie shorts in green plaid (DH said they resemble golf shorts), a technical fabric tee shirt, MTB shoes (no cleats), gloves and helmet, and a cycle specific black jacket if it's cool. In Portland we run the range of riders and cycling attire. It really doesn't matter to me.

[OakLeaf]

Oh, yeah, the classism.

I was by myself on the roadie a week or so ago, when I passed a guy in street clothes, beach cruiser type bike, going the other direction. I gave him the little drop-bar wave and nod. I probably mouthed "G'morning;" I rarely vocalize that kind of acknowledgment, just because I figure they'd never hear anyway, and if they did, I'd be hollering loud enough to wake the dead.

Just as I passed him, he shouted out at me, "Good morning," in a really snotty voice, meaning to say that I hadn't acknowledged him and that it was because I was a snob.

He'd taken one look at the way I was dressed, and was so wrapped up in his perception that I wasn't going to acknowledge him, that he didn't even notice that I had.

(I shouted back over my shoulder, "I said 'Good Morning,'" in that voice loud enough to wake the dead. )

[Trek420]

Was it on a Wednesday?

http://www.sfbike.org/?waveweds

[Miranda]

Every piece of my cycling gear I put on has a purpose and "does something for me".

I have crashed at different times in my life both with gear, and without. The with gear crashes had a better outcome than the withouts.

Once, my non-cycling casual bike riding gf took me on a trip to Chicago to ride bikes as part of her birthday wishes to do list. She's a fashion city chick, and I'm more of a Plain Jane Mayberry Girl. I know she was dieing at my bike geekness. The worst was: "omg you are not going to wear your helmet are you?!"

Me... "ummm, well, let's see, I really prefer my brain remain in tack, let's also refer back to my split bloody bike helment from a cash WITH it on even, in which I was still in a freakin head fog for a while... yea... no helment, no socializing bike trip for me, SORRY!"

Our subdivision loop in only 7/10mi around just to spin with the kids. I will not ride even that without my helment. No way.

[KnottedYet]

OMG! The angst! The ANGST!!!!

If I wear lycra, am I only allowed to wave at folks in lycra?

What if I wear wool? Who can I wave at then?

WAIT! I'm hugely f**kin' fat right now, and can't wear ANY of my old stuff! How will people know I'm a serious rider as I struggle along in my knit fat-lady pants? Who do I wave at now? Only fat chicks?

How will we survive?!?! How can we handle the stress!?!?! Oh, the social anxiety!!! And WHAT WILL COMPLETE STRANGERS THINK OF US? Oh, noes, they may judge us *wrong* and the world will end! That bitter stab to the heart that crushes our psyche! I'm lost, what if they only waved TWO fingers instead of THREE!?!?!? I'll have to stop riding completely from the emotional devastation! I can't afford psychotherapy AND 700c Vittoria tires!





I don't give a rip what any of you wear, and I won't wave at any of you. Guarantee nobody else knows you from Adam and doesn't give a dang what you wear, either. (they're too busy riding)

[JennK13]

@ knotted - from one hugely fat girl right now to another...LOVE IT!

I love clothes - PERIOD. No matter the when or where. But I really don't care what anyone else is wearing while they ride. I do find cars are nicer to me if I'm in street clothes on my commuter with my wicker baskets, but I haven't noticed a difference from cyclists here in the Denver area. The only time I've ever gotten comments is when riding in an organized ride in what I call "self supported" on my commuter from other "hard core" roadies. Little do they know I actually get paid to ride a bike! I do race, and I do just ride for the hell of it, and I wear what I want, when I want depending on how I feel and I don't care what anyone else thinks. Yes, I've ridden 50+ miles sporting flat pedals with a rear rack and a (gasp!) BASKET! And I looked cute, too
I'm not afraid to get dirty and spandex doesn't intimidate me - neither do 4 inch heels. Wear what you want - wave if you feel like, and don't take offense if people don't wave back.

[goldfinch]

I have heard plenty of non-riders make fun of lycra clad riders. Both to their faces and behind their backs. Somehow the bike wear is misunderstood as pretentious or posing rather than useful for ordinary people.

[ultraviolet]

I honestly never knew people cared so much about how others dress when on a bike. Bizarre.

I wore a padded lycra skort, a wool top, a nylon wind vest, argyle knee socks and Keen sandals on my aluminum road bike with flat pedals today. Who knows what people were thinking about me...

[Miranda]

I have heard plenty of non-riders make fun of lycra clad riders. Both to their faces and behind their backs. Somehow the bike wear is misunderstood as pretentious or posing rather than useful for ordinary people.

Right on, man...

On that same trip I posted about my gf being apaulled I was going to *gasp* wear my helmet... I also wore my tights!

What do tights "do for me" well, let's see: 1) they don't get caught in the cranks like boot cut jeans I usually wear, 2) keep me warm without bulk, 3) provide compression and muscle support for less fatigue, 4) don't get caught on the saddle nose shifting positions, and 5) if they're black provide camaflouge to crotch sweat, and if I randomly decide to p*ss myself riding in the cold wind (have a couple near 10# kids and this becomes crystal clear)... oh yea... and 6) black is stylish because it's slimming!

Yea... the fat feeling, ugh...

I'm riding the fat girl pace line these days too... somehow I got the song "Fat Bottomed Girls" by Queen stuck in my head... "...get on your bikes and ride"... lol... omg.

[hebe]

I did read the original comment on ShootingStar's blog and found it a bit bizarre. Really, it's no big deal to him, or anyone else, what she wears to ride in. If I was commuting every day I'd probably have a bit more separation between cycling and working clothes, especially during the colder weather. The important thing surely is that people are cycling, not what they are wearing? Other than dark clothes at night with no lights, obviously. No-one ever really cares what drivers wear, or pedestrians (other than children needing hi-vis something when walking in the dark). I do wonder sometimes if non-cyclists see a lycra'd and helmetted rider as the equivalent of seeing a car driver in full racing gear and helmet, and think that's what everyone needs to wear when cycling.

Other than safety and comfort wear (anything with a chamois, gloves, helmet, shoes for off-road) I try to make sure that cycling stuff can be worn off the bike too and that normal clothes can be worn on the bike. If I'm wearing a helmet (most of the time) I can put it with whatever outfit I want, ditto gloves.

I think it was Miranda earlier in the thread who referred to

my non-cycling casual bike riding gf

I suspect that I fall into that category too - I'm unlikely to ever log a lot of miles, I hate riding in the rain, no journey is too short for me to ride with a 3-year old etc. I think it's quite understandable that those who are riding shorter distances have less dedicated cycling wear. Longer distances are more comfortable with more comfortable clothes.. For my 9 miles a day with a trailer doing the nursery run I'd be quite happy with 5 padded liners to wear under normal clothes, and some tights and merino for the colder weather (easy to put jeans or a short skirt over tights).

[OakLeaf]

It offends some people when others even wear a helmet. Seriously, I have had a grocery store cashier launch into me about my helmet, when I was otherwise dressed in completely non-bike clothes (and if she saw my bike at all, which is doubtful, it would've been my inexpensive, upright-seated commuter).

Just the other day DH and I (again dressed entirely in street clothes, but wearing helmets) were trundling down the MUP on an errand. We rarely exceed 10 mph on that path, and we normally slow down to 5-6 to go around pedestrians. A couple in their late 60s or early 70s were coming out of an intersecting unpaved path, without looking either way on the MUP. We dinged our bells multiple times, honked our horn, slowed down below walking pace, maybe 3 mph, totally with no acknowledgment from the couple, who continued to move slowly into the center of the lane. We finally rode into the dirt in the far side of the MUP to pass them. "Nice bells," said the woman as we rode past. "I just didn't want to run you over!" I hollered over my shoulder. "Oh yeah, you're SERIOUS cyclists," sneered the woman.

It doesn't matter how short the ride, I don't go out without my helmet. I don't really understand why it threatens people so much, but I'm not about to stop wearing it.