So, what is the point of lycra?

cycling psychologist

or is it just to show off your legs? :-). In all seriousness, my mind is turning towards spring commuting attire. I have been wearing a base layer, waterproofs and a windproof jacket during the winter and am wondering what next.

So - are cycling tights actually warmish? What are the benefits of actual cycling clothing? Do you really need a jersey or is it just a posh t-shirt?

Having never worn any of these items I am genuinely curious....

AndyManc

All sorts of tights, 3/4's and shorts. Summer , winter etc etc .

I'd go for a pair of spring/autumn 3/4 bibs, they will cover most times of the year with the addition of leg warmers.


Something like these ...........

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-finchdean-padded-34-bib-tights/#more

Pufftmw

Pedal harder in your waterproofs & you will sweat

Long tights for v.cold
3/4 for coldish
Shorts for all other weathers

Its up to you but its about feeling comfortable I find.
You can get longs & 3/4 "fleecy" as well

unixnerd

You get different thicknesses of cycling longs. With mine I can go out in -5 / -10C. Trick is to wear neoprene overshoes to keep your feet and ankles warm and dry in winter. If you have less baggy clothing you have less aerodynamic drag and it does make a difference.

Lycra jerseys or T-shirts pull the sweat away from your body much more efficiently and are cut to fit someone whose body is in a cycling position, not standing up. Far comfier than normal clothing.

mattsaw

To make me look nice and tight and sexy 8)

AndyManc

and get a nice windproof long sleeve jersey . like this

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/altura-airstream-long-sleeve-cycling-jersey/

and .............

and ................

You can see where this is going ,seriously though , bib 3/4's, l/s jersey and a rainproof jacket are the 3 essentials.

If you're commuting under 5 miles , wear what you want, investment in cycle specific clothing is neither here nor there, unless you're an enthusiast.


.

EKE_38BPM

Lycra is functional.
Tight so less flapping around in the wind and wasting energy.
Deals with sweat much better than a normal cotton t-shirt (which takes ages to dry in comparison).
Still keeps you warm (ish) when wet.
Long lasting.

Showing off your fine physique is just a free bonus.

cycling psychologist

Pufftmw wrote:

Pedal harder in your waterproofs & you will sweat

Long tights for v.cold
3/4 for coldish
Shorts for all other weathers

Its up to you but its about feeling comfortable I find.
You can get longs & 3/4 "fleecy" as well

Yep, that I do, but they are oddly quite a comfort blanket (I think I have persuaded myself that they are somehow protective - which of course they aren't!)

Now what is it with the shorts - what on earth are they for?

AndyManc

cycling psychologist wrote:

Pufftmw wrote:

Pedal harder in your waterproofs & you will sweat

Long tights for v.cold
3/4 for coldish
Shorts for all other weathers

Its up to you but its about feeling comfortable I find.
You can get longs & 3/4 "fleecy" as well

Yep, that I do, but they are oddly quite a comfort blanket (I think I have persuaded myself that they are somehow protective - which of course they aren't!)

Now what is it with the shorts - what on earth are they for?

Find the right fitting padded bib shorts and they will make cycling feel like you're sitting on your favourite armchair.


.

EKE_38BPM

cycling psychologist wrote:

Now what is it with the shorts - what on earth are they for?

Padded so more comfortable when on the bike, tight for aerodynamic effect and to show off your tackle!

Sirius631

Lycra, when made up into a well fitting garment, looks good because it isn't flappy and there are no wrinkles. This is also a good thing when riding with padded shorts because it holds the padded insert in the correct position, which assists in maintaining comfort. However, to complete a well turned out image when wearing lycra shorts you need to finish off with shaved legs, IMHO, which is not something everyone can put up with.

The weather is not up to lycra longs temperature yet, nor that for shorts only. Roubaix tights are slightly warmer.

Lycra is no good for a jersey as it has no load bearing capacity. If you put anything substantial in the pockets it will sag around your backside and you are likely to loose it.

Summer base layers are not just tee-shirts. A proper base layer will wick away sweat so you will remain comfortable for longer. A normal tee-shirt will cling to you and feel horrible.

You could go another way for your commuting garb and take on more of a tourer look. Start with padded short liners under cargo shorts. There are looser fitting jackets and tops to go over base layers.

cycling psychologist

I got excited about a bib type affair and got roundly mocked by my teenager :-) I don't think yelling in the kitchen about the outfit making me look like a ninja helped!

Physique - mmm - I commented on a different thread that I had persuaded myself that I looked a little bit like Uma Thurman in my mountain jacket - this was blown to bits when my boss started calling me postman pat :-)

I'm doing about a 16 mile round trip atm so can see the benefits of something a bit more aerodynamic - will have to bite the biscuit I think.

Hadn't thought about cut - that does make a huge amount of sense - I feel a shopping trip coming on!

mudcow007

now you see im totally against lycra. nobody ever looks good wearing it (except women)

i prefer wearing a bergahaus "technical" tee which wicks sweat away an dries super quick. i dont tend to sweat that much from my legs

cycling psychologist

mudcow007 wrote:

now you see im totally against lycra. nobody ever looks good wearing it (except women)

i prefer wearing a bergahaus "technical" tee which wicks sweat away an dries super quick. i dont tend to sweat that much from my legs

Ahh that is what I have! and a BH base layer for the cold. As a woman, I can only amend your post by saying that lycra looks good on some women (and some men)! :-)

EKE_38BPM

mudcow007 wrote:

now you see im totally against lycra. nobody ever looks good wearing it (except women)

i prefer wearing a bergahaus "technical" tee which wicks sweat away an dries super quick. i dont tend to sweat that much from my legs

My Berghaus technical t-shirt is rubbish at dealing with sweat when compared to a wicking base layer or a lycra jersey.

Wicking materials need to be in close contact with the skin to wick sweat away and the t shirt is just too baggy. The cut is also wrong for cycling.

I bought a compression base layer from Aldi/Lidl (I'm not the only one to get those two mixed up, am I?) for about £7 and it is amazing. Keeps me warm and deals with sweat amazingly well. After riding hard on cold days, the inside of the material is dry and the outside is wet with sweat.

I think its witchcraft!

clarkey cat

when I wear lycra I look like a pregnant seal

kurako

Given your screen name you are no doubt interested in the psychological effect on drivers*.

Flappy high-viz and an upright riding position can give the impression of slowness. Even from a standing start the driver will be thinking 'OMG look at that nodder. I have to get past at all costs'

A nice low posiiton and well fitting lycra will convey the impression of awesomeness. The driver will be thinking 'I've seen people like that. They're pretty fast and don't ride like knobs so I'll cut this one some slack'

* obviously the assumption here is that the hypothetical driver is capable of rational thought which is, of course, not always the case.

EKE_38BPM

clarkey cat wrote:

when I wear lycra I look like a pregnant seal

At this point someone should say "Join the club".

cycling psychologist

clarkey cat wrote:

when I wear lycra I look like a pregnant seal

Well even without the lycra I DON'T look like Uma Thurman - more of a male cartoon character - lycra makes me nervous!

Good info re the LidL / Aldi top - thank you. I don't want to spend a fortune, if, when it comes to leaving the house in the morning I wuss out!

notsoblue

I don't look great in lycra, but anything else would render me a sweaty mess and probably wouldn't dry in time for my journey home. Plus if you have a fairly aggressive riding position (head down, arse up) then wearing anything other than lycra will be pretty uncomfortable imo. I have to admit it was a little while before I actually switched to full lycra without any modesty hiding overshorts. But I wouldn't go back now... All those people riding around with baggy waterproof jackets and boil in the bag waterproof trousers look so uncomfortable.

Oh, and in the winter, theres nothing warmer and more comfy than roubaix leggings imo.

mudcow007

Kurako wrote:

well fitting lycra will convey the impression of awesomeness. The driver will be thinking 'I've seen people like that

or...the person wearing all of the lycra will have more lumps and bumps (because lets face it lycra aint flattering) than a bag of potatos. causing the driver to avert their eyes in disgust causing a crash due to the drivers now blind condition

have you ever been behind someone who is a little bit on the chunky side wearing lycra, its almost hypnotic

cycling psychologist

Kurako wrote:

Given your screen name you are no doubt interested in the psychological effect on drivers*.

Flappy high-viz and an upright riding position can give the impression of slowness. Even from a standing start the driver will be thinking 'OMG look at that nodder. I have to get past at all costs'

A nice low posiiton and well fitting lycra will convey the impression of awesomeness. The driver will be thinking 'I've seen people like that. They're pretty fast and don't ride like knobs so I'll cut this one some slack'

* obviously the assumption here is that the hypothetical driver is capable of rational thought which is, of course, not always the case.

ROFL - lovely! You are indeed right I do have an interest in psychology, particularly stress. My concern with lycra is the stress impact on a driver seeing me come at them in, well a stocking! I am concerned that the fight/flight response may kick in and who knows where that might end :-)

notsoblue

Kurako wrote:

obviously the assumption here is that the hypothetical driver is capable of rational thought which is, of course, not always the case.

FAIL!

I agree with your sentiment though. Looking like a lollipop person on a bike gives the impression that you're engaged in an incredibly dangerous activity that requires the maximum level of precaution and health & safety gear.Thus reinforcing the stereotype that cyclists are all a risk unto themselves.

boom bang

Lycra essential when on the trails and woody areas no snag's but being lazy and not dropping my seat even when I should doesn't get caught on my seat so no accidents. I would say though when toilet stops required being a girl bibs are a bit awkward. I save them to keep my back nice and warm in the winter. Always worth trying

dhope

boom bang wrote:

Lycra essential when on the trails and woody areas no snag's but being lazy and not dropping my seat even when I should doesn't get caught on my seat so no accidents. I would say though when toilet stops required being a girl bibs are a bit awkward. I save them to keep my back nice and warm in the winter. Always worth trying

Huh

kurako

notsoblue wrote:

Kurako wrote:

obviously the assumption here is that the hypothetical driver is capable of rational thought which is, of course, not always the case.

FAIL!

I agree with your sentiment though. Looking like a lollipop person on a bike gives the impression that you're engaged in an incredibly dangerous activity that requires the maximum level of precaution and health & safety gear.Thus reinforcing the stereotype that cyclists are all a risk unto themselves.

I realise it's not a perfect analogy. For instance, MAMILs wear lycra and tend to ride like knobs but they're a seperate sub-group IMO. Of course, it's also possible that drivers don't pick up on the various visual clues and just see a tw@t on a bike :shock:

Jay dubbleU

For short trips ie 5 mile commute no padding no lycra. For longer runs padded shorts under baggies - for sportive 3/4 tights. Don't feel my level of riding or body shape justify wearing full lycra

UndercoverElephant

I tried not wearing Lycra, but had to relent due to the huge uproar.

EKE_38BPM

dhope wrote:

boom bang wrote:

Lycra essential when on the trails and woody areas no snag's but being lazy and not dropping my seat even when I should doesn't get caught on my seat so no accidents. I would say though when toilet stops required being a girl bibs are a bit awkward. I save them to keep my back nice and warm in the winter. Always worth trying

Huh

+1

Jay dubbleU wrote:

For short trips ie 5 mile commute no padding no lycra. For longer runs padded shorts under baggies - for sportive 3/4 tights. Don't feel my level of riding or body shape justify wearing full lycra

I find that wearing normal trousers (especially jeans) result in excessive wear in the crotch. Many a pair of jeans that are otherwise fine had to be thrown out because the crotch was completely worn out and full of holes.
I would have thought that if you are not in shape lycra's benefits would be amplified.

Imagine how fast this guy is!

DonDaddyD

It makes me feel sexy.

In my all black 'getup' I imagine I look like this:



Why they don't do this exact top in a cycling jersey I'll never know....

CiB

I don't get the opposition to lycra. I can understand not wearing it for rides such as down the shops, or a family bimble, but any decent ride warrants the stuff.

Lycra is comfy, fits well, doesn't flap, wicks away sweat, has no spurious bits that you wish weren't there. Not wearing lycra is like wearing boxing gloves to play chess, or a suit of armour for a round of golf - you're just hampering yourself.

Who cares what it looks like? Sunday League footballers - which realistically are our closest analogy in terms of being sportsmen who are kidding themselves - they wouldn't dream of turning out for Dog & Gun United in anythign other than a football kit.