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Lycra nits:defend this...
Comments
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No, it is designed to wick away sweat. And you don't have to be going that fast or hard to work up a sweat. It also has the advantages of minimal seams. And I can tell you from personal experience that the combination of sweat and chafing takes the shine of anyone's day. And it normally comes with some padding built in, which ones non chafed, non (or at least less) sweaty gonads and sit-bone appreciate for several hours to days after a ride of any length.
Or to put it in terms that more people might be able to relate to. A decent pair of lycra cycling shorts is as important to a Sunday cyclist as a decent pair of footie boots to a Sunday league footie player. Cycling in jeans is about as good as playing football in a pair of brogues.
A vest and a pair of long-johns would probably be far more effective at wicking away sweat but, if lycra undergarments are your preference, then for pity's sake wear proper clothes on top. Dressing like Bradley Wiggins to go out for a bit of a bike ride is akin to the fat bloke who crams himself into a replica football shirt to go to a match. Both just make the wearers look like a prat and ideally should never be seen in public."When the people fear the government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson0 -
So you're a closet lycra lout. Possibly the worst kind of cyclist. You slip off your cycle clip then hide among the crowd. :rotfl:MacMickster wrote: »No. I have never worn Lycra in my life and can't understand why so many cyclists choose to do so. It is designed for competitive cyclists to reduce drag and save them a few seconds over a hundred miles (or milliseconds in a sprint). My cycle gear consists of a bicycle clip - and then only if I am not wearing socks long enough to tuck my trouser leg into.0 -
MacMickster wrote: »A vest and a pair of long-johns would probably be far more effective at wicking away sweat but, if lycra undergarments are your preference, then for pity's sake wear proper clothes on top. Dressing like Bradley Wiggins to go out for a bit of a bike ride is akin to the fat bloke who crams himself into a replica football shirt to go to a match. Both just make the wearers look like a prat and ideally should never be seen in public.
I see you're against freedom of choice.
Do they look any more of a prat than your flat cap, one cycle clip and woodbine in mouth 1940s look?0 -
BykerSands wrote: »Do they look any more of a prat than your flat cap, one cycle clip and woodbine in mouth 1940s look?
Err... YES!"When the people fear the government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson0 -
MacMickster wrote: »then for pity's sake wear proper clothes on top.
That would kind of defeat the purpose of the wicking away - just to trap the sweat under / in another layer of clothing. I do agree with avoiding the full Bradley Wiggins all in one body suit thing though.
My day to day cycling to the station is in normal office worker wear. The 2.5 miles to the station is about the limit before the sweat issue becomes an, er, issue. I will admit to being a weekend cyclist, normal attire is a loose fitting cycling teeshirt (with a knitted base layer underneath if a little chilly - and a windproof jacket if a lot chilly) and those lycra shorts - sorry, but even the missus, who started coming out on a few weekend rides too, gave in after two rides and bought a pair. They do look better on her though
The fat bloke wearing the replica shirt to a match is not really a fair comparison though - unless he's actually going to play a match. Most people who go to watch cycling events don't dress up in the gear of the people they are going to see. They only wear it when actually participating ...0 -
MacMickster wrote: »Err... YES!
But you accept the way you dress to some you look a prat?0 -
I look silly when I wear my lycra cycling clothing. I freely admit it but I find it more practical when riding my bike so I wear it for bike rides.BykerSands wrote: »But you accept the way you dress to some you look a prat?0 -
Another truly awesome thread.
Should we wear sportswear for strenuous activity or should we simply wear modified work clothes through the judicious application of clips? Or is it up to the individual concerned?
If we wear sportswear, are we allowed to be rude to others or act dangerously on the road or indignantly self-righteous? How about if we are in office attire? Or should good manners and road safety transcend fashion?
If we have a GoPro camera on our hat or a dashcam in our windscreen, does that make us always right?
If we are cycling up a spanish hillside and are using the main road because we don't fit safely in the cycle lane or it's occupied with slower bikes, are we aware that we will potentially hold up a tourist who only has 6 weeks before he needs to go back to the UK and can't afford to miss a few minutes of siesta?
Are bikes better than cars? Are motorists objectively better human beings than cyclists?
Stay tuned for the next thrilling thread from Moneysavingexpert Motoring Forum!0 -
MacMickster wrote: »No. I have never worn Lycra in my life and can't understand why so many cyclists choose to do so. It is designed for competitive cyclists to reduce drag and save them a few seconds over a hundred miles (or milliseconds in a sprint). My cycle gear consists of a bicycle clip - and then only if I am not wearing socks long enough to tuck my trouser leg into.
You'd be surprised actually how much aerodynamics save and it's not "seconds over hundreds of miles", Specialized have done various wind tunnel tests and even leg shaving can knock off 82 seconds over a 40km ride. For a pro rider that's a race win vs top 10, obviously not as useful for casual riders.
Compare clothing video here - 83 seconds over 40km for race fit vs baggy which is 100 miles, 5 minutes reduction. Form fit jacket - 91 seconds over 40km which is more than you'll save putting on expensive wheels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmNGQLi36xcSam Vimes' Boots Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness:
People are rich because they spend less money. A poor man buys $10 boots that last a season or two before he's walking in wet shoes and has to buy another pair. A rich man buys $50 boots that are made better and give him 10 years of dry feet. The poor man has spent $100 over those 10 years and still has wet feet.
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Some drivers here should go to Denmark. Cyclists in towns usually have priority over everything else. As a pedestrian crossing a road can be very interesting indeed.0
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