Why do cyclists have to wear all that lycra?

[shootingstar]

Wearing cycling clothing, but nothing like a team kit and road bike whipping down, might have a lot more people responsive. But I don't necessarily dress for impressions. I just focus on comfort, budget and safety.

Honest, I personally have less respect for cyclists who don't have bike lights, wear black jackets, black everything and black helmet. And they hope drivers will see them at night? I've almost crashed into such cyclists.

For last 3 Canadian cities I have lived right near heavily used MUPs. Yes, I'm sure the residents get tired cyclists...and yes, many charity bike rides, runs....use these same routes..near where I've lived.

I get used to it...and also on weekends I make sure I start cycling from home before those big rides, runs/marathons start.

Yes, that is the "price" of living close by...but honest, it doesn't happen every day. We have to keep it all in perspective.

[aponi]

I wear THE most obnoxious colors when I run because I'm heading out the door early in the morning when its still dark. It was fun during the summer to actually get to wear other stuff, but alas I'm back to neon and carrying a light especially since school started this week so the buses are out and of course parents driving like maniacs to get the little darlings to school. I've seen a few ninja runners out there and it astonishes me that more of them haven't been hit. I have black tights for the winter too but I wear them with a bright yellow jacket.

Back in the winter I had a guy out getting his paper ask me where I got my jacket. His wife was doing a couch to 5k and he said he never realized how dark it was out there until she started running.

I guess people don't think about these things.

[velo]

This is a really curious question to me. I started cycling seriously in the very early '90s and raced for years. For a number of years, I had ridden a bike for transportation up 'til then, many of them exclusively using a bike as transportation. I took a break in my serious riding while raising a family and am back to it full tilt but have close to two decades of cycling under my... chamois . I have ridden in small towns, big cities, all over the world. Not one single time has anyone asked about my cycling kit. Not once. And if anyone did say something, I'm old enough now to pretty much tell them to put their opinions in their pipes and smoke 'em. I truly wouldn't care what other people say or think. Do what you feel like doing and don't worry about it.

[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.

[nuliajuk]

In all the years that I've been commuting to work on a bike, I've heard the range of reasons from co-workers why they don't bike commute. Number one was fear of traffic, followed closely by lack of time or showers. I don't ever recall someone saying they wouldn't ride because they were afraid they'd have to wear lycra.
Most people already know they can ride without lycra. They've always known it. The "lycra scares people away from cycling so we'd better not wear it" argument is bogus.

[malkin]

Why do swimmers wear bathing suits?

You could swim in jeans and you could ride a bike in jeans. Certainly not my preference, but suit yourself.

[shootingstar]

During the lst 10 years of returning cycling, starting @32 yrs., I wore walking shorts and T-shirts for cycling. I didn't want to be identified with the cycling jersey pack. I wanted to cycle more "anonymously" if that makes sense. At that time, I didn't consider myself a competent cyclist....when in fact, I did my longest self-loaded bike tour trips during that time in my life!

Keep in mind, I did several bike tours 800- 1,200 km. each over several days-weeks, plus this was what I wore commuting to work. It's been such a long time I was such a "rebel". I moved over to wearing mountain bike shoes after within the first 5 years. I always wear (mtb) cycling shoes.

My partner actually didn't move over to cycling shoes until 8-9 yrs. after he returned to cycling.

These days, I split my time maybe 40% wearing lycra shorts and rest of time between walking shorts and a running skort on the bike.
I always tend to wear cycling jerseys except in the winter i'm wearing a turtleneck for light local riding.

I would tend to agree the fear of car traffic and showers has been voiced to me. However, we have to remember that some women (I don't know about guys) are very self-conscious about what they wear and fear looking "stupid".

[lph]

I thought the OP was referring to questions asked by non-cyclists, not by budding cyclists or people otherwise genuinely interested.

I don't think I've ever been asked point-blank why cyclists wear so much lycra, but I've certainly heard lycra ridiculed a million times in anti-cyclist posts. It never fails - any article writing anything at all about cycling, whether it's positive or negative, about commuting or racing or little old ladies, will get a rash of comments saying something like "what the bleepitybleep do they think they're doing out there anyway, wagging their fat fannies in multicoloured shiny condom suits* "

*the epithet of choice in Norwegian

[NbyNW]

Why do swimmers wear bathing suits?

You could swim in jeans and you could ride a bike in jeans. Certainly not my preference, but suit yourself.

These days there is a little bit of lycra blended into cotton denim, so they move with you a little better than the denim of yore that felt like cardboard when it was new. Most of my rides are under 5 miles these days -- in cooler weather jeans are perfectly comfortable, sitting on a Brooks B67.

[Irulan]

" condom suits* "

*the epithet of choice in Norwegian

Condom suit?

[aponi]

I thought the OP was referring to questions asked by non-cyclists, not by budding cyclists or people otherwise genuinely interested.

I don't think I've ever been asked point-blank why cyclists wear so much lycra, but I've certainly heard lycra ridiculed a million times in anti-cyclist posts. It never fails - any article writing anything at all about cycling, whether it's positive or negative, about commuting or racing or little old ladies, will get a rash of comments saying something like "what the bleepitybleep do they think they're doing out there anyway, wagging their fat fannies in multicoloured shiny condom suits* "

*the epithet of choice in Norwegian

^^this

[zoom-zoom]

Heck, there's even an acronym including Lycra/spandex: MAMIL - middle age men in Lycra. Referring to the dudes over 40 who buy uber-bikes as part of their midlife crisis, rather than a 'vette.