[Closed] A total dislike of all cycling clothes?

I wear a lot of general outdoory gear on my bike - lots of the baselayers are better fitting, warmer or more wicking etc than the cycle specific tops. Best biking tops: winter HH warm, summer Patagonia Capeline 2 or my ancient Berghaus Cross training top.
I have a couple of Sombrio shorts and some Merrell running shorts that are far better on the bike than any bike specific ones I have had from Endura, Altura and Decathlon. And they do not look like bike shorts.
I have to say though, that a pair of bib longs are the shizzle for winter, hidden under some nice Endura waterproof shorts, and due to how quick I can wear/rip/grind through waterproofs I tend to buy cheap bike or second hand outdoor waterproofs.
I have never, and would never wear lycra out, especially team kit...

clothing angst-time again...so soon?

wear what you want?

...and peaks on mountain bike helmets always seemed silly to me; what do they actually do other than mark the helmet out as a 'mountain bike' helmet?

Lycra and tight fitting gear is functional, if I'm riding on my own or the weather is bad then don't give a stuff about aesthetics, whatever will keep me warm/dry/cool/comfy will be worn, on a social ride I'll wear more socially acceptable clothes, mostly just a pair of baggies and looser fitting tops, but as I'm still a grown man on a bike ergo open to ridicule, I don't let it worry me too much

*even when wearing glasses

Funny thread!

I wear shorts and a t-shirt when I'm riding either of the bikes, with long johns and knee-high socks when it's snowy. Yeah, well stylish. Asked at my LBS for an interesting route to Glossop to take on Snake Pass wearing the summer version and the kid suggested I might not be able to do that many miles without some branded gear. Really?

Took a long route and do you know I nailed the Pass in a personal best, AND made it home. Though to be fair I may have shaved a minute or two off my 50mile ride had I been wearing lycra. But surely I'd then have to find a long way home too???

I'm with you Ton. There's a choice of Lycra or shorts. Lairy colours or black. I can understand the arguments for practical purposes but surely there's some middle ground somewhere? It really pains me.

I have an old pair of red Fox Dowhill shorts. Must be 9 years old now.
I want to be buried in them.
All the other stuff is horrible.

[quote=D0NK ] if I'm riding on my own or the weather is bad then don't give a stuff about aesthetics, whatever will keep me warm/dry/cool/comfy will be worn, on a social ride I'll wear more [b]socially acceptable[/b] clothes,
What does that even mean? Do you really live in some strange backwater where people don't know what a bicycle is or how people dress?

Sometimes the correct kit is the correct kit.

Wading through thigh deep snow the other week I found my Dri-fit tights were much better than nylon trousers.

You lot scare me. 🙂

Scotroutes I guess mean STW/pub acceptable, ie dress so i wont get people pointing and laughing when im off the bike and hopefully fellow riders wont think im weird (not until they've spoken to me anyway) so not full on Lycra reminiscent of the polish team photo. Lycra is fine for riding, i dunno what road rides are like but mtb social rides involve more than just riding, standing, sitting around chatting at regroup points, mid ride pub stop, hike a bike sections etc etc

DONK. You've got self image issues mate. Less thinkin, more riding.

I wear lycra on the road bike, other than that is a nice set of functional baggies and a loose fitting top. I don't need figure hugging crap looking clothes to ride off road. I have the scars from lycra short/rock interfaces after 8 years.

Baggies, comfortable, functional easy to wear and keep some of the crap & grit out of your bits.

Each to their own though

Sometimes the correct kit is the correct kit.

But what is the correct kit? Touring riders rarely adorn themselves in hi-tech lycra and merino base layers. I seen one yesterday, he was wearing a thick woolly jumper and a pair of trousers he probably bought in C&A in the 80s. Yet these guys spend more time on their bikes than most of us.

I think sometimes we buy too much into what the marketing departments would like us to believe.

We all just ruck up to the pub in what we've ridden in, including pads. Get a few looks but it usually starts a round of the craic with everyone else in the pub.

I like brighter colours, always have done, theory being is that if I EVER get into trouble (crash/collape/etc) I don't want to be wearing subdued colours that camofalge me from rescue services, I want to stand out on the hill.

Wear lycra under the looser stuff off road (bibshorts), would wear lycra on the road if i had it (the bibshorts are OK as undies not as outers 😳 ), just use a dirt jump lid on my road bike (661 Mullet)

I think sometimes we buy too much into what the marketing departments would like us to believe.

This. Commuter cyclists in other countries just ride their bikes, they don't feel the need to dress up in special clothes. I reckon it's something that puts people off cycling in this country - the idea that cycling is a specialist activity done only by dedicated enthusiasts in special clothes.

It's making me giggle all you men talking about fashion! You should think yourselves lucky- most bike shops have a vast range of cycling clothes for men, while us ladies have a choice of a single pair of shorts and a horrid pink jersey... Oh, and maybe a token horrible purple one thrown in to give us a choice!

DONK. You've got self image issues mate. Less thinkin, more riding.

Tbh even "oh dear" is probably overstating/overthinking it, I just don't reckon Lycra is a good look for blokes off the bike and lots of people seem to agree. You could use your logic to ask why everyone doesn't wear budgie smugglers down the beach on holiday, may be the best clothing for swimming in the sea and getting a tan but its not a look many people go for is it?

Ton, sounds like you need more Rapha in your life.

This. Commuter cyclists in other countries just ride their bikes, they don't feel the need to dress up in special clothes.

What do people wear on cross bikes? Are they road bikes off road, sort of, or off-road bikes on the road. Or both? It really confuses me...

I cross dress obviously - what else would it be sensible to wear?

"cycling" clothes look pretty horrible.

Im glad that some companies are cottoning on to the fact cycling clothes are a joke visually.

Que "endura urban" "surface clothing" and "vulpine" with more tailored, normal looking clothing with some technical performance.

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What is it about men and having all the "gear", no matter how silly that gear is?

thank god for brands like northface, hagloffs, rab and the like.

Dunno some of those brands drift into the "Weekend Rad Dads wardrobe" category i.e. "outdoor clothing" primarily being sold to aspiratioal 30-somethings who spend their "staycation" dragging their kids round a Cornish tin mining exhibition, toting an overpriced SLR (with which they can't really use) rather than slogging their way across Exmoor with a 50lb pack.

Aspirational branding now innit? Like Bench went from being a fairly OK skate clothing brand to a providing cut price rags for chavs in about 2 years. The North Face are in danger of becoming a middle class version of the same thing.

If I'm riding a bike I Wear the most appropriate clothing I own for the activity. If I want strangers to think I'm some sort of weekend action man I'll sweat my bollocks off in a prominently branded down jacket when I pop to the shops for some milk...

Good Post- I really struggle to find something comfortable for cycling.

Off road I dont want to look like a storm trooper, ready to take on the perils of the local woods. On road I don't want to look like a fat ballet dancer going through a mid life crisis.

There is an opportunity to make a buck here for anyone who can come up with practical stylish clothing suitable for cycling that isnt plastic fantastic.

Meeting to discuss and formulate plan, down the pub any day next week(or the week after).

Kit for the job. We all fall for the marketing. Some stuff really works though, like gore tex, windstopper etc. But as for fashion.. It's so cool to look back at proper old photos of bods going up mountains. hammering bikes for 100 odd miles a day. what were they wearing? hi tech brands? I Think they were doing stuff because they were motivated and driven to do something beyond the normal box, and stuck on what was necessary. It's more important to continue to have that motivating thing going on, that drive to go out and go, than the latest clobber and brands, and being a purchasing sheep to advertising and marketing hype. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing what is comfortable that will keep you warm and does the job for your ride. But I hate things being sold as a "lifestyle choice". I suspect a lot of that crap ton is chucking out is this stuff. There is a local bloke who rides a junk bike up n down the coast in wellies, and a bunch of stuff he put on that day. he's slightly touched, but he does 100's miles a week. so he'd cane most people on the milage "stats". I think I get what Ton is saying. Maybe a Lidls version of Rapha, without all the poncey bollocks. anyway, I'm rambling.

umop3pisdn - Member
Ton, sounds like you need more Rapha in your life.

i did not know that they sold 'mens' sizes...... 😀

I'm not arsed what I look like on the bike, you'd never go out otherwise, prefer baggies to having the old lovespuds on show in the pub , that used to be a worry .

Mart, did you get my message re saturday?

no I didn't Ton , what about it ?

sent you a message on fb about trip to leeds on saturday, with nick n jaquie n others.

Oh right I'll have a look

There is probably about 1% of the population that can get away with Lycra. And they're exclusively female.

Lets be honest about this, pretty much every bloke bedecked head to toe in lycra just looks like a potential sex offender

I think we have found an area where it is so much easier being a girl

Yep 8)

My biggest gripe is sizing, i'm not the skinniest of people after years of rugby but i'm not fat. Why therefore if i buy a MTB brand does large or XL fit me well, yet when i recently bought a road bike i found to buy a slight more fitted top to ride in did i need an XXXXXXL?

My biggest gripe is sizing, i'm not the skinniest of people after years of rugby but i'm not fat. Why therefore if i buy a MTB brand does large or XL fit me well, yet when i recently bought a road bike i found to buy a slight more fitted top to ride in did i need an XXXXXXL?

Try Pearl Izumi - american designed so xl is 44" chest etc, as opposed to tiny/skinny roadie size.

bike clothes manufacturers are chasing the biggest market aren't they - so mtb is predomiently stormtrooper/mx and roadies are sex pests.

They appear to have have been slow to cotton onto the market for practical, "sensible" clothing. Although the only time I would need that would be go to the pub and the distance is so short why would you need to get dressed for the cycle?

However lycra does work really well on a bike (if you want to be efficient), so I use bibshorts/compression tops but because the natives would be blinded for years and through a muted set of shorts over the top of the daddy batteries when offroad.

*looks in to see what the hubbub is about*

*Now thinks to go look at the Rapha site*

🙂