Why do people wear baggy shorts?

I never saw the attraction as you still have to wear lycra shorts or liner underneath anyway. I don’t normally wear two pairs of trousers so why should I wear two pairs of shorts on the bike? I tried them once but they were just awkward, flapped about and snagged the saddle.
Is it just a case of ‘everyone else wears them’?

do you wear a pair of pants and then some trousers?

that’s lycra+baggies.

if I wanted to just wear me pants I’d get speedos and spectate at the TdF.

[Edit] lycra and knee pads just looks wrong too.

Its because I don’t want to look like a sex offender whilst in public.

I feel a bit exposed when riding in just lycra, reckon the baggies give me a some padding if I fall off, plus it looks better imo

You think that’s weird you should see wakeboarders. Boardshorts over a wetsuit. Bizarre!

daveyboywonder +1

The public think you look weird regardless, baggies make no difference! If it makes one feel better then so be it. Personally, I’m not fat 🙂

Also, I can ride slowly in baggies and feel alright.

Wearign lycra always made me think I had to be riding fast all the time. Bimbling and lycra don’t go well together.

Oh and for the record I agree with the OP. Lycra on it own does the job perfectly well.

as you still have to wear lycra shorts or liner underneath anyway

says who? no you don’t.

If you’re fat and/or uncomfortable in your own skin then they make sense.

I just wear lycra shorts, comfier and I get to look like a sex offender!

Why do people wear baggy shorts?

So I don’t look like an utter ****!

Anyone who leaves the house only in lycra needs a crash course in self-awareness! What do you think you look like? A finely tuned athlete?

Wrong! You look like a burst cushion! Buy a mirror and get a grip!

Don’t want to put the regulars down my pub off their food when I stop in for my post ride pint.

Weird idea but maybe they like them!

I just wear lycra shorts, comfier and I get to look like people realise that I am a sex offender!

🙂

says who? no you don’t.

You don’t have to, but if you want any sort of decent padding then you kinda do…

Right

Wrong

you still have to wear lycra shorts or liner underneath anyway.

Why?
Can’t I just wear a normal pair of shorts, that aren’t made of lycra? Or is there some law against it?

Lycra and baggies for me. Always has been (on the MTB anyway).

Used to be lycra only in my road days years ago, but I’ll go with L&B when I pick it back up one day too.

1, to protect lycra shorts from crash damage, and brambles.
2, pockets are handy for rides including beer stops
3, not to look like a sex offender
4, I seem to have grown accustomed to riding more relaxed wearing baggies, I wear lycra for training rides and races.

Anyone who leaves the house only in lycra needs a crash course in self-awareness! What do you think you look like? A finely tuned athlete?

Wrong! You look like a burst cushion! Buy a mirror and get a grip!

Whilst the public think you look like you’ve just stepped off the catwalk in your flapping baggy shorts, massive rucksack, bulbous helmet and daft sunglasses. You get a grip FFS!

I’ve gone back to just lycra for 90% of my mtbing (which is pretty placid) and reserve the baggies to be worn when there is a real chance of falling off or pushing through lots of brambles. When road riding I have always worn an undervest of some type as the rub of one layer of fabric over another saves some road rash in a spill – I figure it works the same with baggies over lycra.

Agreed though – anything xc-a-like is better done sans baggies as long as you are not too sensitive about what the image obsessed think of you. Baggies seem to be an british thing – the europeans and even the kiwis and yanks don’t seem to feel the need when riding xc like rides.

Baggy shorts came in as mountain biking became more mainstream with the resultant influx of, shall we say, ‘stout’ riders. When I started out all cyclists wore lycra, all this were fields, etc, etc.

She still looks like she’s wearing incontinence pads though.

I just wear lycra shorts, comfier and I get to look like people realise that I am a sex offender!

Its made worse by the fact I have to stuff a couple of pairs of socks down the front of my shorts aswell.

Bare Lycra should never be worn by men. It’s horrible. Maybe we all look daft, baggy shorts allow us to look far less so.

anything xc-a-like is better done sans baggies

You mean what 99% of people ride?

Its made worse by the fact I have to stuff a couple of pairs of socks down the front of my shorts aswell.

😆

Whilst the public think you look like you’ve just stepped off the catwalk in your flapping baggy shorts, massive rucksack, bulbous helmet and daft sunglasses. You get a grip FFS!

Oi! naqrrowminded dude, there’s not just 2 options you know?
I don’t wear any of the shit you listed.

I cant keep my sarnies in lycra shorts

What do you think you look like? A finely tuned athlete?

I know I look quite the opposite but cycling round in baggy shorts that flap around just seems rather stupid when on a bike.

Very very right.

Lycra for winners, baggies for losers.

cheer up luv ^^

😉

GW – Member

cheer up luv ^^

She probably realised that photo would be slobbered over whilst fat IT Managers in baggies spaffed themselves dry.

Whilst on a skills course a few months ago with about 8 others I asked “why do people wear baggy shorts instead of just lycra shorts nowadays, when they can tend to get caught on the nose of your saddle, etc” to be told by the couurse leader that it was because “Lycra shorts are gay”. I hope he meant in the “lame” sense of the word! Personally, I always thought that decent lycra shorts did a good enough job on their own. I guess that baggy shorts are de riguer because everyone else wears them – the old circle of fashion phenomenon

Whilst the public think you look like you’ve just stepped off the catwalk in your flapping baggy shorts, massive rucksack, bulbous helmet and daft sunglasses. You get a grip FFS!

Erm… I look like a **** all the time, but at least I realise it. Its called self-awareness. Getting dressed tends to be an exercise in damage limitation, so why the **** would i wear clothing that made out of the same material sported by gymnasts and 80’s heavy metal bands? Oh… and sex offenders

Anyone who thinks they look buff/cool/athletic in lycra needs to up their medication a bit. The words ‘badly stuffed sausage spring to mind

@ uplink and the Poles… If you’ve got it, flaunt it.

i choose depending on the bike:

road bike – lycra
hardtail – lycra or baggies (normally depending on whether a pub is involved)
full suss – baggies

could also be seen as decided based on what i’m carrying:
road bike – bottles on frame, stuff in jersey pockets
hardtail – bottles and jersey pockets (for a whippet ride) or a camelback for day rides, or when i’ll need a jacket (night ride to pub)
full suss – camelback (no bottle cages on full suss).

camelback and lycra feels wrong.

Baggies for me, unless it’s very, very hot and I’m riding in a sparsely populated area.

Although I’m not out of shape by any means, I’d rather spare the general public the sight of me in lycra unless it’s absolutely necessary.

[ninja edit] although baggies and an MX top make for harder going on a windy day.

Anyone who thinks they look buff/cool/athletic in lycra cycling kit needs to up their medication a bit. The words ‘badly stuffed sausage spring to mind

FTFY.

I know exactly how I look, but I’ll continue to wear the most appropriate kit for what I’m doing!

Cycling isn’t a ‘cool’ sport – there’s even an article on the BBC today about it.

As I said before though, I’m not fat. Perhaps if I was I’d feel more embarassed and wear baggies.