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

[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.

[Crankin]

+1, Oak.
It's rare to see a cyclist without a helmet around where I live, except, when you see a parent riding along with a child. The kid always has a helmet, but not the parent. I really don't get that. You make the kid wear a helmet because it's the law and you don't want him/her to get a head injury. But, it's OK for you to get TBI?
The closer to the city you get, the more helmet-less riders you see. Sometimes, when I walk out of the university building, to the subway (one block), I see about 25 helmet-less riders go by, to about 5 with helmets. Not just students, either.
About 16 years ago I was toodling along down the road by our rented cottage in Dennisport, Cape Cod. My kids were riding behind me, about maybe 9 and 11 at the time. I so clearly remember 2 older women, from NY, walked by us and commented that, "those helmets must be a new thing required in Massachusetts. We don't do that."

[JennK13]

"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.

Some people are just jerks and have no regard for anyone but themselves. Why would it matter if you're a "serious" cyclist or a casual rider? Why can't they just share the dang trail?

A couple weeks ago I was leading a group ride down a heavily biked MUP - bikes outnumber peds 3:1. It was the weekend the volunteers were out cleaning the trail which I totally respect and appreciate. We slow to go through the area in which they were working as people were all over. Then I see 3 boys, ages 3-5 sitting ON the trail. The trail isn't that wide, and it's painted with a line down the middle for two-way traffic just like a street it. There is grass on either side of it, and a gravel walking path on one side. But the little kids were sitting in the middle of the trail. The people saw us, no one said anything to the boys or even tried to move them. As we got closer I said "Bikes coming" loudly to be heard, but not yelling at them. Didn't matter - they gave us dirty looks and left their kids in the road.

This trail is used by commuters, casual cyclists, group rides and hardcore racers training. The kids might have well have been playing in the street!

[KnottedYet]

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.

Rev. Forrest Church on anxiety and insecurity:

"We can get so tangled up in our emotional underwear that it is hardly possible to walk into a room without feeling vulnerable. Cringing from the imagined judgement of others -who are fretting more over their own emotional wedgies than anyone else's- we succumb instead to the merciless critic within."

In other words, don't get your panties in a wad over what you think someone else thinks, just ride your bike.

(and please, please, please don't anyone start the "underwear or no?" debate now... again... it's a metaphor here, ok?)

ETA: I'm with Hebe, I just thought the guy was being nice and trying to help SS solve her problems she described on her current bike.