[Closed] men in tights?

Toasty warm innit

there was a bloke riding round wharncliffe today in full on olympic track replica kit.

they wanted you to look at their bulge

Why wouldn't they? Far more practical that bloody great baggies that get in the way. Comfort not fashion.
Can't speak for the warmth issue as we all like it different.

It was about 6 degrees today, ill cover my knees ta, and lycra is the comfiest and most practical. What a strange question 😕

surely their must be a more practical reason than that!

Protecting your knee joints from the cold is vital if you want to continue riding into your later life.

While you say it was toasty when you were out, it may be that the riders you saw started out much earlier when it was cold. 😀

Tights are wholly practical winter wear, and its is still winter even if the sun was quite pleasant. 2.5 degrees when i left the house this morning.

I think Stephen Roche or Sean Kelly said he would always wear leggings if it was below 20 degrees, warm muscles work better, less prone to injure, ditto the knee joints. I've taken to wearing waterproof shorts on top to keep my ar$e dry however.

Some downhillers also wear this kind of things:

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Lycra-tastic on our ride today, as per usual:

Guess the Spanish are generally a bit surer about their masculinity?

yeah, beggers belief why any grown man would want to wear them. Ronhill is about as close as I'll go.

as of this week I have switched to my 3/4 length lycra.

surely their must be a more practical reason than that!

Warm, comfy... How can they be more practical?

yeah, beggers belief why any grown man would want to wear them.

The public think you look like a dick regardless, may as well wear the most practical things. Put baggies over the top if you're fat and insecure.

I assumed that the OP was referring to it being odd to wear tights on a nice day, rather than just being surprised that people wear them.
I see quite a few roadies doing it on quite pleasant days like today. Presumably because they've read/seen some pros doing it. Meanwhile all the runners are out in shorts and vests for the same reason 🙂
I'd be genuinely interested in seeing a proper research with respect to the cold knees = injury hypothesis. I'd imagine being halfway down a major limb, they're a fairly consistent 37C. As I understand the cartilage itself has a very poor blood supply but I haven't seen anything which says this causes temperature related injuries and I find it hard to believe that there is a major change in viscosity of things like synovial fluid.

cold knees = injury hypothesis

for me it's not a hypothesis, it's fact. when it's cold and my knees are exposed, they hurt. when they're covered, they don't.
I'm probably just imagining it though as that's not proper proven research.

I wear them because i'm cold. I'll wear baggy's over top to spare by dignity though

I did an audax in Devon nearly everyone wore bibtights as it was cold and windy .What would the op suggest we wore to keep warm ?

maybe if my legs were ain't as hairy, i'd raid my my wives primark collection 😉

It was still about 6 degrees today though... I put on a jumper when I went out, and I'd put tights on to ride. Didn't see anyone in town wearing shorts.

And the alternative being?

for me it's not a hypothesis, it's fact. when it's cold and my knees are exposed, they hurt. when they're covered, they don't.

That's the cold weather makes some knees hurt hypothesis though.

Saw a couple of brave souls in shorts roadie-ing around Carsington area this morning - we all agreed they were either brave or foolish, given that there was a suprising amount of snow lying above about 700ft and freezing fog below 500ft. Weird weather today.

seriously..i'm not taking the p*ss. everyone is different when it comes to the cold! and i can see why some serious xc racers would wear them. its a sunday night question and its kept you all amused for 5 mins

Bemused more than amused.

3/4's with fleecy knees most of the time for me. Has to be well below zero to wear full tights.

Roadies tend to wear tights for longer in the year because they suffer from more wind chill.

Having started my riding career in lycra, then switched to nothing but baggies for a few years, now back again to lycra, I reckon the latter is far more comfortable.

Lycra is warm and very comfortable but it does have its faults!
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Well, it is Sunday night and I need a laugh before work tmw! 😉

The level of troll thread is really getting poor these days, 2/10 and I'm being generous.

D- must try harder.

i would have to finish the humiliation off and bundle you into the stingers 🙂

Men in lycra is pretty grim.

No reason why it has to ever be on show.

If the lycra is ever necessary, mine is covered by jeans/dh pants/shorts.

What is it with baggy shorts too, why cant they be fitted?

Any MTB related fashion is pretty laughable though, whether it be DH PJs, your typical MBUK attire or even full lycra, none of them are exactly visually pleasant.

Surely it is function over fashion. I am a lycra wearer and I find it highly amusing when I see someone wearing shorts over lycra. Now that does require a discussion!

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Uploaded with [URL= http://imageshack.us ]ImageShack.us[/URL]

lycra power!

Why are my eyes drawn to the odd one out amongst the group?

Put baggies over the top if you're fat and insecure.

I'll let you decide and I don't wear baggies 'over the top' unless you mean my undies (must have a fat arse).

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It's mid February and quite literally freezing cold, I could tell that by the snow on the tops, frost on the grass and black ice just about everywhere.
I won't go bare legged until it is actually warm, and not just a bit sunny.
I also want to be as efficient as possible warm muscles help with that.
What do people wear when the tarmac starts to melt?

I wear my humvee shorts over the tight as sitting on a wet pad for 2.5hrs is not really pleasent.
Oh and +1 for exposed cold knee grumpyness/ acheing. I'll wear my g form pads over the tights even on the road bike to keep them warm.

Nearly all the roadies I know like to wear tights and other women's clothing. I guess they don't mind folk knowing they're a tranny.

Nearly all the roadies I know like to wear tights and other women's clothing. I guess they don't mind folk knowing they're a tranny.

I'm falling for three quarter length bib tights on cold days. But I always have problems with Lycra bottoms snagging the pad on the saddle nose. Tend to wear ordinary shorts over the top for mtbing.

Maybe man leotards are just an 80s revival thing.

Wiggle and CRC are selling pop socks and sweat bands.

mattsccm - Member

Far more practical that bloody great baggies that get in the way.

You know what else is better than baggies that get in the way? Decent baggies that fit and don't get in the way.

I went round Cannock chase in the recent snow while wearing dhb tights. Got a funny look or two but could'not really give a toss as my legs were warm. I like warm.

I wear them under my baggies when it gets cold on the road bike. Seems to make my knees hurt a lot less! Keeps me nice and warm as well 🙂

I don't have an issue really, wear what you want and feel comfortable in. However, now more and more people are getting into it who don't come from an XC or roadie background, so it's bound to develop it's own fashions. Even back in the 90's, we came from a walking/climbing background and used MTBs as just another way to get out in the wild and didn't do lycra, we just dressed in walking gear with a bum bag with a few tools in. I've always since the mid 90's worn shorts because roadie lycra was alien and just plain wrong. Possibly, subliminally, we didn't want to associate ourselves with 'them/that', I'm not sure tbh. Nothing has changed for me in 20 years other than shorts fashion has gone a bit longer.

I'm the same B.A. I don't have an issue with my mates being transvestites. If folk are comfortable wearing their wife's tights when oot on their bike that fine with me.
Folk should wear what ever they feel comfortable in.
But at what cost??

lets just make this clear, i don't want to be linked in anyway with the beardy, trailquest, Marin, Ronhill brigade, either.

[quotecan someone explain to me why a lot of xc riders wear tights/leggings. i saw a lot today in thetford

Nothing strange about Lycra, but I do find it odd when I see riders on the trails with orange fives, full face helmets and body armour at Thetford...now that is strange

They're just worried about hurting themselves. Nothing strange with self preservation. Now a man wearing women's clothes outside a fancy dress situation? Thats strange.

Knee pads/knee shin keeps your legs warm 🙂

Endura bibs for when it's really minging. Baggies for the win though. Not covering any fat really just have the scars to suggest something more than a mm of lycra is a good thing. 7 years of having no surface feeling on one of my thighs has got a bit boring now.

yodagoat
If folk are comfortable wearing their wife's tights when oot on their bike that fine with me.
Folk should wear what ever they feel comfortable in.
But at what cost??

I guess that this is more comfortable, then? 😯

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Now a man wearing women's clothes outside a fancy dress situation

Now you've made the same 'joke' 14 times its got funny. Oh no, I mean pathetic! Silly me. 🙄

Far more practical that bloody great baggies that get in the way.

I'm a big fan of both,

Nice warm tights, Then waterproof baggies over the top to keep my rear dry.

...the beardy, trailquest, Marin, Ronhill brigade...

Apart from the odd test ride in jeans and trainers to the end of the road and back to check the gears are working and so on, I've worn nothing but Lycra on a bike for over twenty years.
However, I've got no objection to other people wearing whatever they want.
In fact, the more people who handicap themselves by wearing impractical clothes, the faster I look.

Decent baggies

Isn't that an oxymoron?

Second the cold knees = slow and painful. I bought some knee warmers this winter. With my stumpy legs they meet my overshoes. Bib tights are great for the deep filth and really cold rides warmth and comfort trumps common decency/appearance any day. I may be a mamil but I am a warm comfy mamil.

Baggies for summer though. I have no idea why - maybe for a bit more abrasion resistance on dry chalk.

at least you don't have to put up with the mad Tasmanian thing of must wear shop lycra, out of 6 shops there were 2 sets of baggies. All sold the full billboard lycra get up which people actually pay money for.

Now mikewsmith that is an issue. Why do people pay often lots of money for team or shop kit? I like plain stuff with even the manufacturers logo as small and subtle as possible. They ought to pay you for riding with a shop name allover your back!

Now mikewsmith that is an issue. Why do people pay often lots of money for team or shop kit? I like plain stuff with even the manufacturers logo as small and subtle as possible. They ought to pay you for riding with a shop name allover your back!

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You mean like this!

Why do we have to call them baggies any way? I know they always have been but i tend to wear decent well fitting shorts made of a durable material that will last a few decent falls, with enough space for some lycra and/or impact shorts underneath and pockets for my phone/wallet that will not look out of place wandering round the shops or boozer.

Tights under in the winter to keep you toasty warm though.

I love how people who wear 3/4 length endura style trousers can question why anyone would wear lycra.

Yes lycra can look wrong; however grown men with long shorts (or short longs) is beyond stupid looking.

He obviously deserves paying twice!

Yes lycra can look wrong; however grown men with long shorts (or short longs) is beyond stupid looking.

Score! I rode to work this morning in 3/4 bib tights with 3/4 length shorts over the top.

Wrong and stupid I may be - but I'm also warm, comfortable and dry. 😛

Function > Fashion

I find it highly amusing when I see someone wearing shorts over lycra. Now that does require a discussion!

3/4 lycra is totally acceptable. 3/4 baggies totally unacceptable. Had you just had short length shorts over 3/4 lycra you would have been okay. You would have been exactly as warm.

I love how people who wear 3/4 length endura style trousers can question why anyone would wear lycra.

edit

3/4 lycra is totally acceptable. 3/4 baggies totally unacceptable

3/4 lycra fine, 3/4 baggies not so. IMHO

Lycra to keep the padding in place and the important bits steady.

Baggies for comfort, protection, mud collection. Unless 1/1000th matter then baggies on the mountain bike.

3/4 lycra is totally acceptable. 3/4 baggies totally unacceptable. Had you just had short length shorts over 3/4 lycra you would have been okay. You would have been exactly as warm.

Thanks, I'll make a note.

Any suggestions how I keep my knees warm if I'm just wearing normal length shorts? Still a bit chilly first thing at the moment y'know.

Any suggestions how I keep my knees warm if I'm just wearing normal length shorts?

I rode to work this morning in 3/4 bib tights

I think you answered your own question earlier on.

3/4 length shorts are perfectly acceptable...

If you are a middle aged ****, at the airport, with a tattoo of a football club crest on your lower leg, waiting to board an easy jet flight to Palma on which you will drink your duty frees, abuse the cabin crew and generally irritate decent folk.

Why does clothing create such debate? Really odd IMO. Wear what you like and what feels comfortable. I mix lycras and baggies, but favour the former because I find them more comfortable. And why the penis angst? Nobody is really looking and who cares (unless your the third Polish rider or our wife has been out posting 😉 ).

For VFM, it is a shame that Ronhills don't reach higher up the back as they would be great all rounders IMO

3/4 length shorts are perfectly acceptable...
If you are a middle aged ****

So... who likes short shorts?

Other people's choice of clothes angst?

Really OP? your'e that insecure?

For VFM, it is a shame that Ronhills don't reach higher up the back as they would be great all rounders IMO

For about a decade RH were the "go-to" outdoor trouser (at least always seemed like that to me). I have walked, climbed, run, cycled, parapented, even ridden horses in them [latter not so good]!). I dont have any at the moment but was tempted by the £10 offer a while back!!!

Njee20, I take it you're one of these tranny types too eh? I didn't mean to offend you. You should be proud of who you are! Wear you're wife's tights with pride!

JoeG, you know quality when you see it.

My first ever geology field trip was with a geologist wearing Ron Hills, scarred me for life!

For me on the bike it's usually bib shorts and baggies, road or mtb. My commute I just wear the race face jeans and change tops at Uni.

Now mikewsmith that is an issue. Why do people pay often lots of money for team or shop kit? I like plain stuff with even the manufacturers logo as small and subtle as possible. They ought to pay you for riding with a shop name allover your back!

I have a few bits of Giordana kit with my LBS on it. But its cheaper than buying "Off the shelf" kit.

Doesn't bother me one bit wearings someones logo. If i like the look of it I'll buy it.