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

[moderncyclista]

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)

LMAO!!! Truth. Preach sister!!!

[Susan]

I don't think that the guy wanted to offend you. Of course it's none of his business what you want to wear on your bike.

I think it's maybe just a slightly different point of view if you use your bike for everyday transportation, all errands, trips to the city and so on. I don't like to go to a cafè or a restaurant in my cycling clothes. If I was to wear cycling clothes every time I use a bike I would never wear any normal clothes at all.
While I use cycling clothes and a helmet when doing cycling as a sport, I don't use any cycling-specific gear when I use my bike for transportation or driving into the city. I think a lot of people here do so (and I think it has nothing to do with being a "fashionista").
Still I don't care if anybody wants to wear something else.

I too notice that some people seem to be frightened or offended by more "professional" cycling gear, I get far more negative comments when in my cycling clothes. A lot of people seem to think that wearing cycling gear means that you go fast and act as if you were about to run them over even when you go really slow or even stop as they pass you - strange.

[Kiwi Stoker]

In New Zealand there's a huge group of people who believe "people are not using bicycles for communting or errands because they have to wear a helmet".



And even when people point out that other reasons are more likely (have to collect children after work, weather, too hilly, work doesn't support cycling, takes too long, not fit enough, no bike paths) they don't listen and keep on harping on about "if only the helmet law was taken away how many more people would cycle".

[KnottedYet]

they don't listen and keep on harping on about "if only the helmet law was taken away how many more people would cycle".

"If only the helmet law was taken away, how many more people would..."
...have crushed upper orbital bones?
...sport amazing scarred and twisted eyebrows?
...be mistaken for men because of their deformed faces?

Oh, yeah, I'm all over that. C'mon, I want more people to suffer like me!!!

Been there, done that, wearing a helmet now.

[westtexas]

"If only the helmet law was taken away, how many more people would..."
...have crushed upper orbital bones?
...sport amazing scarred and twisted eyebrows?
...be mistaken for men because of their deformed faces?

Oh, yeah, I'm all over that. C'mon, I want more people to suffer like me!!!

Been there, done that, wearing a helmet now.

It actually worries me a lot when I see cyclists in my town without helmets on. This area is extremely unfriendly to bikes of any kind; drivers intentionally try to clip you to scare you.

No helmets and riding against traffic are the two things that bother me the most. I could care less what they are wearing or what kind of bike they ride. But to those people I want to shout at them or shake some sense into them. At the very least I feel my apparel (usually bike shorts and a bright colored tshirt or tank top) makes me visible and my helmet keeps me safe(r).

[Kitsune06]

"If only the helmet law was taken away, how many more people would..."
...have crushed upper orbital bones?
...sport amazing scarred and twisted eyebrows?
...be mistaken for men because of their deformed faces?

Oh, yeah, I'm all over that. C'mon, I want more people to suffer like me!!!

Been there, done that, wearing a helmet now.

Knot, I'm callin' BS on this, you're gorgeous.
(glances around for Trek)
I mean that in the most innocuous, happilymarriedwoman way possible.

[Trek420]

Sure you do She is gorgeous And brilliant, did I mention that? Brilliant, I tell ya.

[jelee1311]

Wow I've never cared what other people think about what I wear.I try not to judge other people (if wearing the complete HTC Columbia kit makes you go faster more power to ya).though I do have a coworker who is a new rider& got the shoes Lance wears because they are so light he will go up hills better to which I said just shut up and ride. I like helmets cuz I like my brain and they have saved DH life at least 3 times.

[KnottedYet]

"Knot, I'm callin' BS on this, you're gorgeous."

Make-up is my friend.

The first time someone at a make-up counter taught me how to fix my eye, I nearly cried. It was so amazing to see it be "normal!"

Over the years the bone has smoothed out a bit. It used to be much more prominent than the other eye. The nerve damage has eased off, too. It used to make me nauseous to touch it, and parts were numb and some of the muscles in the brow were paralyzed.

Yeah, I laid it on thick about my face. It's not really that bad anymore. But, LFMF.

Helmets all the time, every time (even on my Xootr). I don't want to do that again.

[PamNY]

In New Zealand there's a huge group of people who believe "people are not using bicycles for communting or errands because they have to wear a helmet".

That view exists in the US as well:

http://lobv.org/2006/08/15-reasons-t...he-helmet-law/

[OakLeaf]

Wow, I'd heard that a lot w/r/t motorcycle helmets, but never about bicycles before. I wish I knew who's even driving that myth...

[shootingstar]

lph: So for promotional purposes - yeah, I'd make an effort to show that we don't all look like aliens, some of us even look like the normal people next door

The only thing I would do is to wear a skort or walking shorts to attend a social function with people who themselves will dress casual nice or just casual but aren't cyclists. I don't go out of my way too much if it's too much effort for me to hunt around in my wardrobe beyond 5 min.

More about this Oak, on anti-helmet for cycling....'cause this interesting times..

For now, on our blog, I posted this for the owner (which is dearie):

http://thirdwavecyclingblog.wordpres...er-to-cycling/

Note: He is a conference director for Velo-city 2012 cycling conference in Vancouver.

[oz rider]

For now, on our blog, I posted this for the owner (which is dearie):

http://thirdwavecyclingblog.wordpres...er-to-cycling/

The guy doing his masters might want to have a look at this recent research (link at bottom of page, 7MB). It wasn't summarised very usefully imho, but it does bring together in one place some of the psych research (among other things). IIRC (don't have time to review right now), it made no difference to the focus groups whether cyclists were in Lycra or civvies; we are an out-group, with all the issues that flow from that. I hope he gets some useful research done on the subject; we really should be way past personal hypotheses and anecdotes by now.