Lycra Hybrid Faux Pas!?

[steppink]

I started out cycling a few months ago wearing my old workout leggings and an assortment of $5.00 neon danskin tops from Walmart, with gum, chapstick stuffed in a tiny pocket in the leggings and my phone stuck under my sports bra - Not the most comfortable setup, but it all got the job done and I was hard to miss on the road!
I have since "upgraded" to padded cycling shorts, omg, what a huge difference from leggings! Along with a bright yellow neon jersey with pockets in the back, how convenient are they! I can now put my gum, phone & chapstick in those back pockets, yay! :-) I was happily wearing my brand new cycling gear when I was back home (USA) but now that I am in London for the summer, amongst (it seems like) about a million cyclists, I can't help but notice what everybody else wears as I pedal along, and I am realizing that I am not seeing much lycra at all on hybrids...
I am about to head out on my bike in a bit and I am wearing my cycling jersey and shorts, because I like having pockets in the jersey and I like the padding in my shorts! But I still have the question... by doing so, am I committing a "Lycra Faux Pas" by wearing lycra on a (gasp) hybrid?

[Catrin]

There are no cycling fashion police, wear what you like There is also another option - mountain bike shorts. They tend to have baggier legs but you still have padding. Or buy a padded cycling liner and wear them under your shorts. Regardless, and I don't know how far you ride, you don't want to ride long distances with shorts that have seams THAT is what matters, not the style of bike you ride.

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Ha, yes! I have discovered the seam thing already, oww!

[rebeccaC]

I agree with catrin…wear what’s comfortable and the way you like to look!! In the city and/or on my commute, with a dress and chain guards on my commuter, I’ll ride in everything from dresses, a jil sander’s suit today because of a meeting with a client in the office, regular shorts/t-shirts (lightly padded briefs ftw), lightly padded tights/capris (my favorite), sweat pants etc. On my road bike it’s regular lycra road wear unless it’s a short city ride. There is a good selection of casual riding wear on this sites merchandise side to give you some ideas.

[rebeccaC]

Ha, found the 'rules'

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

Keep in mind this is half joke and half deadly serious misguided racer dogma.

I don't think there are any actual rules for hybrid cyclists, but had to share.

i got tired of reading 'rules' rather quickly into the article ....now as a self-deprecating attempt at humor it does kinda work and depending can be either hilarious or just disturbing.....

eta..."BADGES??? we don't need no stinking badges"

[steppink]

Ha, found the 'rules'

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

Keep in mind this is half joke and half deadly serious misguided racer dogma.

I don't think there are any actual rules for hybrid cyclists, but had to share.

Oh my gosh, I actually read through all the rules and am pretty sure I see the authors blasting by me every morning where I ride!
I do believe that you are correct, there are no rules for hybrids, so therefore, I guess I can do whatever I want, which means I am going to keep wearing my cycling jersey (with the awesomely convenient pockets & padded shorts)

[nuliajuk]

There is another type of bicycle fashion police, what you might call "tweedies". These are people who violently object to lycra in any form, insist that cycling should only be done in regular clothes, with no helmet, and on Dutch type bikes. They sneer about "the myth that cycling is a sport". (Really? So I just imagined all those Thursday nights on the velodrome years ago? Or the weekend stage races?)

[kernowcyclist]

I started cycling on my hybrid in ordinary shorts/teeshirts and gradually went to baggy shorts with clip-in padded liner shorts and a cheapo lycra base layer and jersey. It's only now I have a road bike I've gone to less baggy, better quality lycra, but I still wear the baggies to commute into town. And hubby cycled for a long time on a hybrid, wearing full lycra and no one batted an eyelid.

[Lelani Carver]

Nobody batted an eye at me in full kit on my hybrid! But baggies on a road saddle might be chafey, I rode to lunch in baggies over Lycra recently and could tell a longer ride would be a problem.

[lauraelmore1033]

Oh my goodness! I've always figured that anybody who needed to judge me for my eclectic selections of cycling garb was not someone whose opinion mattered.

[kernowcyclist]

Oh yes, I couldn't ride without some secret padding now lol! I think my baggies are mtb ones as they have a removable inner padded short. I prefer my ordinary lycra shorts but for a commute to town the baggies are fine. And my undercarriage thanks me for it.

[steppink]

For sure! I don't know why I waited so long to finally get myself padded shorts, my undercarriage was thankful too!

I am glad to read all the responses here over my small little dilemma, as like I first mentioned, never thought anything about wearing my cool new jersey and shorts on my hybrid until I started cycling here and didn't see hardly anyone wearing "cycle gear" on a hybrid and then I started overthinking the whole thing while I was pedaling around with just my own thoughts !
Love the velominati and the tweedies, haha!

[carbphrek]

I wear the most obnoxiously loud colour jerseys and clashing mid calf socks. Fellow cyclist just laugh at me, I'm not shy. I like Dz Nuts Bliss lady bits cream for long rides, worth the expense (little goes a long way, just hide it from the men).