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Improvement Due To Clothing?

WisePrankerWisePranker Posts: 823
edited July 2011 in Road beginners
Normally when I ride, I just wear a t-shirt and a pair of baggy shorts that I wear when mountain biking but today for the first time I wore proper cycling clothing, namely a pair of bib shorts and a cycling jersey.
Obviously the regular baggies and t-shirt tend to flap about a bit when I'm riding, especially if it's windy but the cycling gear doesn't.

Is wearing proper kit likely to help improve my time over a set distance when riding?

The reason I ask is that when I was out today, the ride seemed a bit easier than normal and when I checked my time when I got back, it was a bit faster than normal, according to my Garmin, my average moving speed was up from 16.4mph to 17.5mph over 15 miles.

Could this be down to the clothing or am I just imagining it :?:

Posts

  • danowatdanowat Posts: 2,877
    Tight fitting clothing vs baggy, flappy, parachute clothing?, a fair bit I'd imagine.
  • amaferangaamaferanga Posts: 6,789
    Get some Assos - 4mph improvement for no extra effort. Then get some aero wheels for another 4mph for free.
    More problems but still living....
  • graeme_s-2graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    I'm pretty sure it's a scientifically proven fact that wearing pro-replica kit makes you ride as fast as a pro. Just don't get a Geox jersey or you'll fall off as often as Dennis Menchov does.
  • Dave-MDave-M Posts: 206
    I'd suspect the clothing made some difference.......but there has been so little wind lately, I'd guess there were a lot of PBs in the last few days.
    2010 Specialized Allez Elite
    2009 Specialized Rockhopper
    2009 Quintana Roo Seduza
  • Wacky RacerWacky Racer Posts: 638
    You would have to factor in everything on your ride that was different to normal. So, yes the clothes you wear can make a difference, you will have less resistance to wind without the flapping baggy shorts, etc. But it could be that there was less wind than normal? Was the traffic the same?
    Ridley Orion
  • Peddle Up!Peddle Up! Posts: 2,040
    Absolutely! And cars drive better at night and after you've washed them. Really. No, really. :)
    Purveyor of "up" :)
  • BobbinogsBobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    amaferanga wrote:
    Get some Assos - 4mph improvement for no extra effort. Then get some aero wheels for another 4mph for free.

    Behave :)
  • richard205richard205 Posts: 51
    simple aerodynamics,

    If your clothing is flapping about then this is producing drag. Exponentially increasing as your speed increases too.

    So yes, there will be a reduction in drag equalling more of your pedal power being transferred to the wheels rather than combating drag..

    plus you probably feel a bit better in terms of cooling enabling you to go a bit harder as well.

    Oh and then theres the 'poseur' look of being in lycra.....
    Its Italian, its carbon.....and some lanky tool rides it.
  • sp1kedsp1ked Posts: 5
    WisePranker wrote:
    Is wearing proper kit likely to help improve my time over a set distance when riding?

    Whether "Science" says it will help or not, for me it makes a massive psychological difference being in the proper kit.
  • bill57bill57 Posts: 454
    amaferanga wrote:
    Get some Assos - 4mph improvement for no extra effort.

    It's actually because your wallet is so much lighter................. :wink:
  • thescouselanderthescouselander Posts: 549
    I'm not convinced it makes too much difference - I regularly fly past people in all the gear on the way to work. On the other hand all the people flying past me are pretty much exclusively wearing the usual lycra attire. Make of that what you will.
  • meanredspidermeanredspider Posts: 12,337
    It does make a difference. Pretty much the only thing slowing you down when you are up to a cruise is your aero resistance. Despite the usual bollox above, it's not for no reason that TT-ers wear silly helmets, shoe covers and tri bars. It's not going to be worth a lot to you but it will be worth something
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • turnerjohnturnerjohn Posts: 1,069
    I've always found it the restriction of "baggies" and alike that hinder progress. Even when I ride xcountry I still ride lycra as its easier to throw the bike around....dont get snagged either ! Riding fast on the road is miles easier then with baggy shorts...mind you the whole "pro look" makes you go harder...look daft just plodding along !
  • cougiecougie Posts: 22,512
    Just look at the fuss when manufacturers introduce a slightly more aerodynamic frame. People go potty and immediately sell last years bike to upgrade. The difference is absolutely minimal on that.

    Now look at flappy shorts and teeshirts compared to tight lycra - the difference is far bigger.

    So yes - it will make a difference. You'll never see a TDF rider in baggy shorts.

    (although didnt a MTBER get a lot of flak for racing downhill in lycra ? It may have been faster but didnt fit in with the 'gnarly' and 'cool' image they wanted ?
    Bizarre....

    http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/u ... ion-19021/
  • graham.graham. Posts: 862
    cougie wrote:
    Just look at the fuss when manufacturers introduce a slightly more aerodynamic frame. People go potty and immediately sell last years bike to upgrade. The difference is absolutely minimal on that.

    Now look at flappy shorts and teeshirts compared to tight lycra - the difference is far bigger.

    So yes - it will make a difference. You'll never see a TDF rider in baggy shorts.

    (although didnt a MTBER get a lot of flak for racing downhill in lycra ? It may have been faster but didnt fit in with the 'gnarly' and 'cool' image they wanted ?
    Bizarre....

    http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/u ... ion-19021/

    From that link.

    "Fair enough to Tracy if she wants to do that to win, but for the sport and the longevity of the sport, to wear cool race kit and to make an image for yourself is more important than the odd win here and there," said Atherton.

    What!....I mean what!! :?
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  • P_TuckerP_Tucker Posts: 1,878
    The beginners forum is brilliant. If you're a beginner asking a fairly straightforward question, you get an assortment of morons who've been riding a bike for two weeks and think they know it all spouting garbage, a few people who know what they're talking about giving the wrong answer for their own amusement, a couple of people rejecting science and talking about how they feel and one censored commenting on the utter crapness of the BR beginners forum and ignoring the original question entirely. I reckon the forum owners should just replace this section with an online magic 8-ball.
  • thescouselanderthescouselander Posts: 549
    Its not straight forward though. Aerodynamic drag increases with the square of the speed so if you're a TDF rider the difference between tight and baggy clothes is probably quite significant. For us mortals travelling at somewhat lower speeds the difference wont be so critical.
  • CRAIGO5000CRAIGO5000 Posts: 697
    I've read that the magic number is around 14mph. This is the figure where resistance of your own shape/attire becomes important. Obviously the further you go beyond that figure, the more important this becomes. Bearing in mind this is in neutral conditions i.e. zero wind, just air resistance.
    Ribble Stealth/SRAM Force
    2007 Specialized Allez (Double) FCN - 3
  • andrewlwoodandrewlwood Posts: 224
    P_Tucker wrote:
    The beginners forum is brilliant. If you're a beginner asking a fairly straightforward question, you get an assortment of morons who've been riding a bike for two weeks and think they know it all spouting garbage, a few people who know what they're talking about giving the wrong answer for their own amusement, a couple of people rejecting science and talking about how they feel and one censored commenting on the utter crapness of the BR beginners forum and ignoring the original question entirely. I reckon the forum owners should just replace this section with an online magic 8-ball.

    And which are you?
  • Warwickshire WhizzerWarwickshire Whizzer Posts: 218
    Here we go...
  • richard205richard205 Posts: 51
    i'm intrigued to know which one of the list i am.
    Its Italian, its carbon.....and some lanky tool rides it.
  • P_TuckerP_Tucker Posts: 1,878
    andrewlwood wrote:
    P_Tucker wrote:
    The beginners forum is brilliant. If you're a beginner asking a fairly straightforward question, you get an assortment of morons who've been riding a bike for two weeks and think they know it all spouting garbage, a few people who know what they're talking about giving the wrong answer for their own amusement, a couple of people rejecting science and talking about how they feel and one censored commenting on the utter crapness of the BR beginners forum and ignoring the original question entirely. I reckon the forum owners should just replace this section with an online magic 8-ball.

    And which are you?

    Jesus.
  • richard205richard205 Posts: 51
    is he here then?

    I wonder exactly what your credentials are that warrant you to cast your opinion over others on this forum?

    Knob jockey is something I've not heard for a while, because if you had read my post then i think you would be mistaken.

    thanking you kindly please.
    Its Italian, its carbon.....and some lanky tool rides it.
  • lifeformlifeform Posts: 126
    To pull it back on topic.

    In a word - yes.

    Having bought my first lycra today, having been thumping around in my baggies for while.

    Quite a noticeable difference into the huge headwind I had this evening - everything just felt so much easier, and it took longer for me to tire of the wind than it did yesterday.

    Mind you, some of that difference may have been down to it also being my first outing with SPDs and proper road shoes... that is a massive difference, especially on the climbs.

    Looking forward to tomorrow's ride now, no matter how the wind blows.

    There's also the small matter of leg hair with lycra - a little milestone for me this evening; I've seen the flesh on my legs for the first time in over 25 years.

    Quite a shock... didn't feel the need for any reflective garb tonight... could have probably saved on the lights as well - such was the pure white glare
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