Why do cyclists have to wear all that lycra?

[Crankin]

Am I the only person who never felt weird about putting on bike shorts? Maybe it had to do with 20+ years of wearing tight exercise clothes (gym shorts, bra tops, tights, leotards) before I started riding? Or maybe, because I saw my DS and DH take off and ride in the appropriate cycling clothes, I never assumed I would wear anything different.
Nobody has ever asked me that question and I've never received any dirty looks about wearing cycling stuff around where I live. The only places this has happened to me have been 1) Stockbridge, MA in the Berkshires, when a group of ladies from NYC stared and made loud comments and 2) in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard, about 10 years ago, when my DH got some very pointed stares and comments when we were going into lunch. He was wearing a loud orange jersey and matching orange flip flops he had changed into from cycling shoes.

[lph]

Well, there's lycra and there's lycra. What I think they're actually asking is not "why do you have to wear bike shorts and a technical wicking shirt with pockets in a visible colour", but "why do I keep seeing these guys whose shoes match their shorts match their jersey match their glasses match their helmets match their bikes, and all of it in horrendous neon colours?"

I had been cycling for years in more or less suitable athletic gear before I got into road bike riding, training and racing, and I found the entire matching team kit thing rather offputting. People do wear martial arts "pyjamas", but not in public, and men who would never ever wear anything tightfitting or bright-coloured otherwise are suddenly out there wearing what looks like hot pink and orange skin suits with matching shoes, if your team has particularly bad taste. It is a group fashion thing, and can be a bit alienating. Now, of course, I think it looks pretty cool, but it took a while.

I find the best answer is to compare it to running, or here, to cross country skiing. You CAN run or ski in regular clothing, if you really want to, but almost everybody realizes that if you're running or skiing to get somewhere swiftly, training clothes are practical.

[kris7047th]

Quote Crankin ..
"Am I the only person who never felt weird about putting on bike shorts?"

Nope .. and I am brand new to *seriously* biking (short of racing at my age) Actually I like bike capris better than shorts. I am fortunate that my small group was formed by long time cyclists who wear lycra for practical reasons and taught me to do the same.