Lycra fit

Belv

With the imminent arrival of my first half-reasonable road bike (by this i mean it has 14sp STI gear shifters!), i'm seriously considering going against a long held belief about men in lycra and buying some proper clothing.

How tight is it supposed to be? Tried a top on last night and the comfortable one was not figure-hugging, the figure-hugging one was not comfortable. Is there some element that changes during riding that i should be aware of too?

Eat My Dust

The shorts should be tight, but I suppose it's a preference thing with the jersey's. I personally prefer tighter fitting jersey's as they wick away sweat quicker and there's no rubbing/chaffing on longer runs.

Belv

Ouch, chaffing.
I remember bleeding nipples from my marathon running escapades Despite the unflattering shape, that might be reason enough to go for the smaller size. Thanks.

CrookedCucumber

There are very few men (or women, for that matter) who shape is flattered by tight-fitting lycra. Mine certainly isn't. But, for all that, I like my cycling jerseys to be skin-tight, for the various reasons described above. But I think a jacket should be slightly baggy, to trap air underneath it. But no so baggy that it flaps like a sail, obviously.

Eat My Dust

CrookedCucumber wrote:

There are very few men (or women, for that matter) who shape is flattered by tight-fitting lycra.

Speak for yourself!!!

neeb

Yeah, I get frustrated with this idea that everyone seems to have of lycra being unattractive. I think for anyone that isn't carrying too much fat, lycra looks great, even if you're really skinny like me. Lycra just reveals your natural form - be proud of it! I think criticism of the image of lycra in popular culture is a veiled attack on cycling and on being fit in general, especially genuinely fit as opposed to the popular contemporary image of male fitness (the muscle bound "hunk" with the sort of unnaturally over-developed upper body that comes from narcisistic gym workouts).

peterdowning

Lycra is functional.

If you are dressed in lycra and on your bike , you look good - whatever your shape. It's only when you step off the bike that lycra may be less than flattering.

Moral - wear lycra and stay on your bike!

sloboy

It feels much tighter standing up than when adopting the riding position, cos it's all cut for bending att he waist, bent arms and so on.

Diogenes

I am certainly not the shape for lycra (I m reminded of Wodehouse when Jeeves observed that one portly gent looked like he had been poured into his suit and someone had forgotten to say stop!) , but it is ideal for riding the bike. Comfort levels are high and the modern materials wick away the sweat quite efficiently.

D

CrookedCucumber

neeb wrote:

Yeah, I get frustrated with this idea that everyone seems to have of lycra being unattractive. I think for anyone that isn't carrying too much fat, lycra looks great, even if you're really skinny like me.

Sadly, I'm at an age where most people I know are carrying too much fat. I'm keeping mine under control by rigorous dieting and harsh exercise -- but not everybody has the time or the inclination.

Consequently, most of the cyclists I know -- all 40 and 50 year-olds like me -- don't look so good in skin-tight lycra. The only time I, personally, see people who look good in lycra they are either (a) storming past me on their superbikes or (b) in advertisements for cycle clothing.

That's not an attack on cycling or on fitness. I approve of cycling and of fitness, and I work hard at both. But it's a sad fact of life that most middle-aged people look a bit bulgy in places, even when they are fit. I appreciate that there are exceptions, but that's my own experience.

I wear lycra when cycling. All my friends who cycle wear lycra when cycling. But none of us would wear it other than for cycling.

neeb

I realise I'm extraordinarily lucky to be one of those genetically thin people (and I am actually pretty much "of that age", although at the lower end and not quite willing to admit it!). My father was the same, not an ounce of fat on him even in his 70s. The downside is that I've spent most of my life feeling like a skinny whelp and thus less attractive according to current social norms than men who are considerably less fit but "better built". So I guess I have a chip on my shoulder. I know that even at 41 I look better in Lycra than in jeans and a shirt, which bag-out at all the wrong places and make me look like a scarecrow... The downside is that I have actually lost a bit of weight recently through cycling and am now a 28" waist for jeans, which is one size below what is generally available for adults...

pjh

It's fit for for purpose methinks .... or else most of us wouldn't wear it

I started cycling about 8 months ago and was cautious about 'lycra' and some of my friends/family joked about whether I was now going to start wearing lycra .... hahaha!!

Well I did and I've never looked back. It's tremendously comfortable when you're spending hours on a bike and where any kind of lose fitting clothing could be pretty uncomfortable or chaffy.

It's also technologically advanced and as many others have said pulls sweat and moisture away from your body rapidly so I've never personally felt particularly sweaty/damp when I'm riding (normally notice it as soon as i stop though )

CrookedCucumber

neeb wrote:

I realise I'm extraordinarily lucky to be one of those genetically thin people (and I am actually pretty much "of that age", although at the lower end and not quite willing to admit it!). My father was the same, not an ounce of fat on him even in his 70s.

You are soooooooo lucky I'm the opposite. I was always muscular in my youth and I'm still very broad-shouldered. But, like most people of that build, now I'm getting on a bit I have a constant struggle to keep reasonably thin. I have one modest meal a day, I rarely drink alcohol, and I do an hour of hard cycling every day. And I've still got a bit of a bulge in the belly area

Be thankful you're naturally lycra-shaped

smoo

You are soooooooo lucky Wink I'm the opposite. I was always muscular in my youth and I'm still very broad-shouldered. But, like most people of that build, now I'm getting on a bit I have a constant struggle to keep reasonably thin. I have one modest meal a day, I rarely drink alcohol, and I do an hour of hard cycling every day. And I've still got a bit of a bulge in the belly area Sad

Be thankful you're naturally lycra-shaped Smile

Yeah, I guess I feel pretty luck to have been dealt those cards... although when I was 20 I'd seriously have envied you the muscular build! I was always the pale skinny guy, although at least now I've got decent legs... That's one of the great things about cycling for me, it's the one of the few sports where a slender build (for men) can be an advantage and is portrayed as an ideal.

It's different for women I realise - if you're naturaly skinny and female you get the best of both worlds!

Blonde

Anyone who is reasonably fit and healthy looks good in close fitting lycra when cycling. It may be considered inappropriate in other situations perhaps, but not on a bike. Cycle kit is designed to be close fitting for a reason: better aerodynamics, sure, but also it is more comfortable with a lack of chafing and flapping about in the wind which is a good thing on a bike. Assos new jerseys are particularly close fitting. Their kit is also specifically designed for maximum performance and fit while on a bike, therefore it may feel a bit odd or tight in places when walking about, but once you assume the 'on bike' position it becomes a perfect fit. Bear that in mind when choosing kit - try the 'on bike' position when trying it on to check how it looks and feels for cycling rather than for standing/sitting about. Cyclists come in all shapes and sizes and even the 'ideal' professional cyclists' shape depends on the discipline they do. Although all professional cyclists have low body fat, the body fat percentage of road cyclists is not generally as low as that of distance runners.