[Closed] MTB riding in roadie gear

Yep, me too. Right tool for the job my boy. Lycra just works for cycling, be that MTB or road.

I could be persuaded that baggies are OK in the summer but in the winter, bib longs are the perfect choice.

Apart from the socks bit, I agree. Baggy stuff isn't comfy nor much cooler (in terms of reducing heat)...however I'm now fat so look terrible in it, so I fail as I put a baggy top on to hide my lack of eating control (and therefore bike control)!

I would myself but my pubes always stick though the Lycra of my bib shorts. Not a good look stepping into a cafe 🙄

The whole sock length thing is the biggest load of cock in cycling.

Truth is, no one gives a shit what you look like. Stick on what you like and do what you like.
I put on Lycra for pretty much all cycling. It's comfy and practical.

on and on - Member
The whole sock length thing is the biggest load of cock in cycling

Oh I don't know, there's far bigger cock loads than that

markrh - Member
I would myself but my pubes always stick though the Lycra of my bib shorts. Not a good look stepping into a cafe

Perhaps you should check out the chain mail thread.

I don't often do it, although it is better. Always a camelbak on the MTB though as my bike loaded up just feels dead over the bumps. It has to be my rigid or XC bike though. Riding the Patriot in lycra would just be wronger than wrong.

I even have a second helmet to go with my big bike. Purely for style 🙂

Of course.. back in the day, that's all we had - baggies weren't invented when I started. It was lycra or Ron Hill tracksters in the winter.

^ true, baggies are fairly new thing in MTB. Oh how cool I have must been been in my sleeveless Volvo-Cannondale jersey and Cannondale shorts in ´97. They were bit chilly in Arctic summer and the midges were biting through jersey and shorts but I thought that MTB Action dress code must be obeyed.

I often mix and match based on weather / what is clean and how I'm feeling. A lady actually came over to complain about my road shorts / full face combo in Morzine the other week. She did have a style point but when it's hot and I'm riding all day, a decent road chamois works so much better than the padding in most MTB shorts. The french seem to mix and match like this quite a lot based on function over style - I can only say I was trying to respect their culture 🙂

when it's hot and I'm riding all day, a decent road chamois works so much better than the padding in most MTB shorts

Ah. When I say 'baggies' they are often pulled on over a pair of proper Assos shorts.

My baggies don't have padding - you do know that isn't what they are for, right? 😆

last MTB ride 28degrees, WTF wear anymore than absolutely necessary??? I really fail to see the point in wearing two pairs of shorts. Then there is the issue of more clothing to catch on bushes, on the saddle etc etc.

I ride my MTB nekked

My lid is a road one, because I don't like peaks.

I'm not sure I've ever bought an MTB specific top or jacket?

I've recently bought some baggies.
Great for touring, will try them in the winter but waaaay to hot in spring and summer.
Back to bibs.

I do wear MTB specific flat shoes though.

Wear what works, but kinda get the fashion crime in some circumstances but like someone said who gives a f*ck. On one ride one of the guys forgot his cycling kit, a lad borrowed him a spare pair of bib shorts and he wore his collar'd shirt, man it was funny.

waaaay to hot in spring and summer.

Interesting, I don't find them so. The inners on mine are mesh, and plenty of air goes up the knees and then also have vents.

molgrips - Member
Of course.. back in the day, that's all we had - baggies weren't invented when I started. It was lycra or Ron Hill tracksters in the winter.

We used to wear climbing salopettes!

the flip side is that i rode road forever in mtb gear and as such wouldnt ride outside of summer hot days because living on a hill i was always frozen by the time i started peddling. in desperation i posted on here in the autumn and, i still canmt believe i didnt know this, was told about gabba which has probably been one of the biggest revelations in my cycling life.

so until someone tells me about mtb stuff that is good as castelli kit i'd say whats the issue?

the flip side is that i rode road forever in mtb gear and as such wouldnt ride outside of summer hot days because living on a hill i was always frozen by the time i started peddling. in desperation i posted on here in the autumn and, i still canmt believe i didnt know this, was told about gabba which has probably been one of the biggest revelations in my cycling life.

so until someone tells me about mtb stuff that is good as castelli kit i'd say whats the issue?

See you've made a fundamental mistake here.
You've assumed that weather conditions should be overcome with technical fabrics, but when you are shredding and the roost is flying, your level of stoked can overcome anything the weather gods can throw at you.

Sadly, i'm too inept to shred, so I too use a gabba 🙂

I dunno... You need legs to get away with lycra shorts.

I accidently bought an XC/Road style jersey because it was cheap. I mean, yeah, comfy... but in a loose tshirt I can pretend I'm not lugging around half a keg of a gut.

There's no issue here.

Only tried baggies once - didn't work at for me.

Baggies are a fairly recent development

I wore lycra in the 90s because it was all there was. Seem to recall my first 'shorts' where Altura and first relaxed jersey was Oakley. The shorts are long gone (they were too short) but I still have the jersey it's gone full circle from being simply 'old' to 'retro90sthrowback'. Also have a couple of Cannondale jerseys from that era they kind of pioneered MTB-specific kit. Good stuff

Baggies for me.. Even started wearing tailored shorts on the roadie since I've given up trying to go faster

Lycra has its place however.. I do think it looks a bit wrong on the big bike however, and if you are at any risk of falling off, and I am on anything other than an xc ride, it's functionally not ideal either.

My biggest fashion mistake was turning up to gt7 without baggies expecting to be given a tight fitting team Jersey. Mtb Jersey and lycra shorts is wrong on so many levels.

... Ron Hill tracksters in the winter

Still is for me 😳

I have to admit it, I like riding my mtb in lycra bib shorts and a roadie style jersey with the correct length socks, when it gets cooler I wear bib-longs and a roadie style winter jersey.

That's just bike riding kit.

Have always ridden MTB in full lycra, but I have always ridden XC type stuff. Any other clothing is simply not as comfortable or as well suited to riding.

I avoid all of these attire whilst cycling issues by simply not riding my bike. Instead I choose to fill my time by posting on a bicycle forum.

Ah. When I say 'baggies' they are often pulled on over a pair of proper Assos shorts.

This.

Jerseys are just jerseys aren't they?

I normally wear a pair of board shorts over a bib.... though tend to wear a lycra top. Tends to be my Mint Sauce one...

Sorry but

a lad [s]borrowed[/s] loaned him

 

A good reason for Baggies is they are stronger. I crash more off road the the benefit of not ending up naked afterwards is a bonus!! 😆

I'll often wear baggy shorts but very very rarely a baggy top...

I look forward to this thread developing, I notice someone's already claimed the cooling properties of up-leg air on baggies, I'm getting quite nostalgic for when this sort of thread was more a weekly sort of thing.

The only advantage of baggies is protection against spiky or stinging vegetation. If you come off an extra mm of cotton/nylon isn't going to provide much help.

But protection it does give mate, the rip stop nylon in my MTB shorts is a lot tougher than my Santini bibs. As my mate will testify too as he had to stay in front of me or stare at one cheek of my arse after I stacked it in wales!! Road or CX Lycra no bothe MTB I like baggies.

rocketman - Member
Baggies are a fairly recent development

Other way around Shirley?
Folks were riding in all sorts before lycra came along and snuggled folks budgies.

A Victorian in baggies recently...[img] [/img]

By protection I was meaning impact protection rather than from cuts/grazes - landing on or in amongst rocks is going to hurt whatever. I know there are liners with hip protection similar to knee/elbow pads but they aren't the baggies themselves.