that ^ makes sense.

on a lighter note, if we are all honest, the only people who look nice in lycra are some women. sexist, yes, but honest. even women think that man, all men look ridiculous in lycra.

They are when they are going about their “everyday” business but not when participating in sport/purely recreational cycling. The Euros are much more into lycra for mountain biking that we are in the UK.

Pedal around a large UK city and commuters are also in a variety of garbs. There’s a lot less variation between the UK and the rest of Europe than many folk are trying to make out.

Well I’ve never seen anyone in Amsterdam in Lycra.

“In the UK, we are associating cycling with riding the Tour de France,” he adds, “and it is making it seem much harder than it should be to a lot of people.”

Interesting point as well

When I ride to work and around town, I wear my normal street clothes. When I am on my mountain bike, I wear baggy shorts over bibs, with a looser jersey. And when I ride road, I do so in Lycra.

In other words, I wear what works.

My commute to work is over 10 miles each way. I wear lycra on the commute and change at work … baggies are just shite in comparison.

Also … everyday clothes in british weather for riding that sort of distance? What planet do you live on? Have the right tools for the job.

I think Fabian Cancellara looks alright in Lycra, if that’s not too sexist a comment
🙂

Nope I think he looks damn sexy TBH.

😆

so, Chris Hoy, rather than trying to be an ambassador for his sport, has infact, shown himself up to be a right ****

Well I’ve never seen anyone in Amsterdam in Lycra.

Perhaps those out on actual sporting bike rides aren’t in the city, perhaps they are out on the roads. In Germany I saw lots of people going to the shops in normal clothes and lots of sporting cyclists wearing lycra.

Don’t see a problem myself.

so, Chris Hoy, rather than trying to be an ambassador for his sport, has infact, shown himself up to be a right ****

U ok Hun?

Pretty sure he’s saying no one looks good in Lycra, hardly the dick move of the year is it?

😀

FFS! The man was having a laugh. The problem is that too many folk have absolutely no sense of humour at all.

Perhaps those out on actual sporting bike rides aren’t in the city, perhaps they are out on the roads. In Germany I saw lots of people going to the shops in normal clothes and lots of sporting cyclists wearing lycra.

Don’t see a problem myself.

This – although I couldn’t be bothered to type it out.

Better than looking like an over aged skateboarder and much more comfortable

What does this even mean. What’s an over aged skateboarder? Rodney Mullen would like a word. I’ve never tried wearing an aged skateboarder though, so can’t comment on the comfort, do they chafe?

I was at the local retail park thing on Saturday and saw a man, in Lycra, just walking around. He didn’t even have a bike! He was wearing it for leisure purposes 😯

Some people just like to watch the world burn.

Well I’ve never seen anyone in Amsterdam in Lycra.

I’ve worn lycra in Amsterdam….and been paid to do so 😉

This – although I couldn’t be bothered to type it out.
[/quote]
Yep. I thought my previous post was pretty self-explanatory.

@scotroutes I wasn’t disagreeing with you (quite the contrary) although I am totally guilty in true STW fashion of only half reading your post on the way down the page then quoting the one more conveniently located just above from molgrips.

Edit. Balls now typed more than I would have done if I’d just repeated your and molgrips thoughts in slightly different words. 😳

I know you weren’t. I was more expressing my dismay at some folk’s lack of comprehension. 😆

Who cares a toss if some poor soul is offended? If you are some fat knacker don’t make the rest of us feel ill showing your bulges, especially if wearing team kit when your are not a team member.
I bet few here look at some flabby overweight cyclist bulging at the seams and think ” that looks good” so why try and be all wonderful and pretend otherwise. A fat slob is a fat slob. A sleek athletic body is different. Bugger someone else’s feelings.
Written by someone who could do with dropping a stone around the gut but wouldn’t dream of wearing team kit.

I dunno, some people look brilliant whatever they wear

Wait, I don’t mean brilliant, do I? Heroic?

One day I’ll fit into those tights properly.

I’m pretty sure if you eat enough, everything can fit like lycra.

binners – Member
I’m 100% with Ton on this one. If you leave the house in Lycra, then you look like a sex offender. Seriously…. you do!

If your delusional lack of self-awareness means you’re not prepared to accept this self-evident fact, then it’s a public duty for other people… in this case Chris Hoy… to point it out to you. You don’t look like a finely honed athlete, you look like a burst black pudding. A burst black pudding who thinks it’s acceptable to show the world their nads. It isn’t!

I am assuming your comment is tongue in cheek – if not, then sorry to hear about your insecurity issues.

Edit. Image linking fail.

From a female view point I think a man in lycra looks the least like a sex offender . . . In fact the only sex offender I can think of whose may have worn lycra is probably saville – but this isn’t an image I have seen or would want in my head – I just know he was a cyclist.

I think more of shouty abusive men as sex offenders – not those who are happy to feel a little more exposed than normal if it means they can be comfortable riding.

Some people look great in it, some don’t – but why worry when you are wearing it for practical reasons

Is that a mangina up there?

Is that a mangina up there?

Edited, too rude 😳

Instead of ridiculing those who are choosing to exercise, perhaps Mr Hoy would be better trying to encourage more people on to bikes?

At 5ft 10 and 11 stone I shall continue to wear Lycra whether Chris finds me attractive or not.

I bet few here look at some flabby overweight cyclist bulging at the seams and think ” that looks good” so why try and be all wonderful and pretend otherwise.

It’s not about whether someone looks good or not, it’s about wearing what you want.

Personally, I feel sorry for Mamils. When they walk into a café dressed head-to-toe in Lycra, you’ll always spot people sniggering at them. And yet you don’t know what that person looked like six months or even a year ago. It may be that they were once twice the size they are now until cycling transformed them and they feel great about how they look. Of course, that is the positive way of looking at it. The flipside is that Lycra isn’t the most elegant material you can wear and professional cycling gear generally looks awful on pretty much anyone heavier than eight stone and with more than five per cent body aerodynamic fat. But there is a better solution. For me, the most important consideration is to choose attire that is functional, but looks stylish too.

I’ve seen this covered by plenty of newspapers. I personally think when you read the GQ article itself it makes perfect sense. Lycra doesn’t look great on 90% of people but thats probably not why they wear it.

even women think that man, all men look ridiculous in lycra.

You need to change you women friends. There have been compliments given to me when wearing lycra (a couple of years and stone ago now but compliments). Lycra is currently limited to under baggies while I get the fitness back.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

You read all of the original article, in context, and it makes perfect sense?

Out. We don’t want your kind in ere. We want out of context, clickbaity headlines with which we can start a witch hunt till we are no longer offended…

The flipside is that Lycra isn’t the most elegant material you can wear and professional cycling gear generally looks awful on pretty much anyone heavier than eight stone and with more than five per cent body aerodynamic fat.

IMO it doesn’t look that great on most bony-arsed pro cyclists either. So it’s only really Sandwich who looks awesome. 🙂

I know BMI is bollocks but on the chart you’d have to be very short (5’4″ or less) for a chap to weigh 8 stone and be ‘healthy’. I thought most grand tour competitors are about 11 stone or so.

I think we can therefore conclude that reading between the lines what he meant was fit women look good in lycra. Men don’t. I undertook a quick survey in my house this morning and my wife looks good in lycra and I don’t so thats categorically proved he point.

I don’t know. I wear mine even on the school drop off. As the mums all know that I race bikes, I like to think it perpetuates thier illusion that I’m an athlete.

😉

I have just ordered a Mario Cipollini muscle skin suit.
pictures posted in due course.

Kryton57 – Member
I don’t know. I wear mine even on the school drop off. As the mums all know that I race bikes, I like to think it perpetuates thier illusion that I’m an athlete.

I hope you also shout STRAVAAAAA as you pull up on the zig zags 🙂

ton – Member
I have just ordered a Mario Cipollini muscle skin suit.
pictures posted in due course..

Proof that dreams can come true!

*retires to bedroom in anticipation*