the 'Fashion' of cyclists

NGale

It seems that there is something of a dress code when it comes to cycling and I am the nerdy kid at school who's mum made them wear beige and market stall trainers while all the fashionable kids have Nike Air's and Levi jeans.

In my case it's me in scratch cycling kit made up of whatever I can afford and whatever is on offer at the time, however they are those, and you all know who you are who are partial to being one of the fashionable kids with the Rapha and Castelli.

So stop it, I feel like I'm 13 again and being picked on for my 'gash trainers' at school again

Kieran_Burns

Jay dubbleU

Cheer up - most days I commute in shirt, trainers and cycling trousers - weekends its T-shirt baggies and trainers - if I'm doing a proper ride then I may wear a Foska Crash Test Dummy top - as Mrs JW says I have a style all my own - but probably not in a good way 8)

Remember the first law of the Monks of Cool - cool is what you decide

The Monks of Cool, whose tiny and exclusive monastery
is hidden in a really cool and laid-back valley in the lower
Ramtops, have a passing-out test for a novice. He is taken
into a room full of all types of clothing and asked: Yo¹, my
son, which of these is the most stylish thing to wear? And
the correct answer is: Hey, whatever I select.

¹ Cool, but not necessarily up to date.

Terry Pratchett, "Lords and Ladies", 1992

dondare

NGale wrote:

It seems that there is something of a dress code when it comes to cycling and I am the nerdy kid at school who's mum made them wear beige and market stall trainers while all the fashionable kids have Nike Air's and Levi jeans.

In my case it's me in scratch cycling kit made up of whatever I can afford and whatever is on offer at the time, however they are those, and you all know who you are who are partial to being one of the fashionable kids with the Rapha and Castelli.

So stop it, I feel like I'm 13 again and being picked on for my 'gash trainers' at school again

It's a well known fact that expensive cycling gear makes you a better, faster cyclist. Except when it doesn't and then you just look like an ATGNI.

joelsim

Isn't the thread title an oxymoron?

mkirby

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Cheer up - most days I commute in shirt, trainers and cycling trousers

I read that 3 times as skirt, trainers and ... its been one hell of a day

Stone Glider

Purrleess! You are wearing lycra! You are riding a bicycle! How does any of that translate as 'Fashion'? You look ridiculous! Relax, get over it, you are doing what you want to do

Soddem All!

joelsim

Stone Glider wrote:

Purrleess! You are wearing lycra! You are riding a bicycle! How does any of that translate as 'Fashion'? You look ridiculous! Relax, get over it, you are doing what you want to do

Soddem All!

Correct. The lycra look will never ever look cool. Although some girls look good in it!

NGale

Joelsim wrote:

Stone Glider wrote:

Purrleess! You are wearing lycra! You are riding a bicycle! How does any of that translate as 'Fashion'? You look ridiculous! Relax, get over it, you are doing what you want to do

Soddem All!

Correct. The lycra look will never ever look cool. Although some girls look good in it!

I'm a girl that looks scary in lycra, hence why I don't wear it :shock:

CiB

Girls? Lycra? If only there was a thread on here all about that very subject...

Girls In Lycra Shorts. Well bless me. 281 pages of it and counting. That's more the Silly Commuting Stats thread got to before it quietly died.

NGale - blokes have what's best described as a wide and varied interest in the female form. What you imagine as scary could well be - probably is - the best thing ever to some out there. Just saying like.

iPete

I wear lycra on every long commute/ride but nobody ever sees it!

Surface Liquistretch/ Rapha touring / Fox Essex shorts ftw.

So yes, guilty as charged

dhope

Don't know what you're talking about.
The Rapha jerseys, T-shirt, 3/4 shorts, winter bibs and knee warmers were entirely required purchases and in no way just bought in part because of the name :oops:

ndru

Dude, break the rules and wear normal clothes. You don't have to dress up to ride a bicycle...

PinkPedal

*My name is Pink and I have a Castelli habit*

Honestly though, just wear what is comfortable! I spent the first 6 months of commuting wearing shorts under outdoor trousers with the trouser ends tucked into my (pink) socks! Then got addicted and every few months made a purchase - it's all lasted well so I now have a nice selection and don't need to get more ... want is another matter entirely though!!!

sketchley

I look rubbish in Lycra. It's comfortable though.

I've also just brought some Castelli mitts as they were the most comfortable when I tried them on and nothing to do with fashion. But oddly enough I know want more Castelli.....

PinkPedal

Be warned Sketchly, it's highly addictive stuff! Given my love of a pink/black colour combo I dare not go near any Rapha.

Ps. I'm a girl too and couldn't give a monkeys if I scare people in Lycra!

Jay dubbleU

mkirby wrote:

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Cheer up - most days I commute in shirt, trainers and cycling trousers

I read that 3 times as skirt, trainers and ... its been one hell of a day

I keep the skirt for weekends together with the black tights

Paul E

ndru wrote:

Dude, break the rules and wear normal clothes. You don't have to dress up to ride a bicycle...

If I wore "normal clothes" when commuting or any type of riding I would be very uncomfortable and probably end up overheating when riding and end up cold when stopped from sodden clothes, and no I don't go flat out all the time some people just sweat too much or produce too much heat to ride in "normal clothes" whatever they are.

dhope

ndru wrote:

Dude, break the rules and wear normal clothes. You don't have to dress up to ride a bicycle...

Change the record.

Most days I cycle to work via the gym, if I cycled in normal clothes I'd have to take gym clothes and work clothes, rather than just heading to the gym in cycle kit.
I know 99% of your posts advocate pootling to the shop around the corner but not everyone just cycles to pick up groceries, some cycle to get somewhere faster than they might on public transport, some for fitness, some for fun.

The most sensible, practical, clothing I can wear is sport specific clothing. Most sport I do is cycling, that means cycle specific.

Dude, you don't have to not dress up to ride a bike either.

Paul E

dhope wrote:

ndru wrote:

Dude, break the rules and wear normal clothes. You don't have to dress up to ride a bicycle...

Change the record.

Most days I cycle to work via the gym, if I cycled in normal clothes I'd have to take gym clothes and work clothes, rather than just heading to the gym in cycle kit.
I know 99% of your posts advocate pootling to the shop around the corner but not everyone just cycles to pick up groceries, some cycle to get somewhere faster than they might on public transport, some for fitness, some for fun.

The most sensible, practical, clothing I can wear is sport specific clothing. Most sport I do is cycling, that means cycle specific.

Dude, you don't have to not dress up to ride a bike either.

At last someone else with some sense too.

walkingbootweather

Normal clothes for ride to the shops or the pub.

Older or cheaper cycling gear for commuting

Posher branded cycle gear for longer rides and days out

I even have these organised these into different drawers to make getting dressed on a work day slightly easier. <EDIT> Still trying to train the laundry fairy (otherwise known as Mrs WBW) which items go in which draw.

NGale

CiB wrote:

Girls? Lycra? If only there was a thread on here all about that very subject...

Girls In Lycra Shorts. Well bless me. 281 pages of it and counting. That's more the Silly Commuting Stats thread got to before it quietly died.

NGale - blokes have what's best described as a wide and varied interest in the female form. What you imagine as scary could well be - probably is - the best thing ever to some out there. Just saying like.

believe me, if I were to wear Primark leggings I would be one of *those* women such is the way I feel my arse looks :shock:

Baggies ironically make the 'ample bottomage' situation worse, but just lycra makes me feel a little exposed and shows off lumpy bits I would rather hide

iPete

ndru wrote:

Dude, break the rules and wear normal clothes. You don't have to dress up to ride a bicycle...

For a pootle to the shops or short commute, nobody is going to lycra up (I hope!)

Right, I'm off the bank on the Brompton... in head to toe rapha*

*all cheap sale items

jimmypippa

dhope wrote:

ndru wrote:

Dude, break the rules and wear normal clothes. You don't have to dress up to ride a bicycle...

Change the record.

Most days I cycle to work via the gym, if I cycled in normal clothes I'd have to take gym clothes and work clothes, rather than just heading to the gym in cycle kit.
I know 99% of your posts advocate pootling to the shop around the corner but not everyone just cycles to pick up groceries, some cycle to get somewhere faster than they might on public transport, some for fitness, some for fun.

The most sensible, practical, clothing I can wear is sport specific clothing. Most sport I do is cycling, that means cycle specific.

Dude, you don't have to not dress up to ride a bike either.

iPete wrote:

ndru wrote:

Dude, break the rules and wear normal clothes. You don't have to dress up to ride a bicycle...

For a pootle to the shops or short commute, nobody is going to lycra up (I hope!)

Right, I'm off the bank on the Brompton... in head to toe rapha*

*all cheap sale items

I think that's what most people on here would do.

My commute is a 25-mile round trip. I don't want to wear work clothes for that because I'd be uncomfortable, wet with either rain or sweat, and smelly.

This morning I cycled a massive 1.5-mile round trip to the shop. I wore jeans and a T-shirt for that.

deffler

i could not give a t0ss what others are wearing as long as i look good 8)

Applespider

NGale wrote:

believe me, if I were to wear Primark leggings I would be one of *those* women such is the way I feel my ars* looks :shock:

If you were in Primark leggings, the pattern on your knickers would be drawing attention more than your butt. Those things are pretty much see-through at the best of times let alone when stretched across someone on a bike.

As for arse sizes... what a man thinks and a woman thinks are two entirely different things. I have one male friend who will be drooling over a butt that I think could stand to lose 3 inches off each hip.

msmancunia

I couldn't care less what anyone else wears, but I do wear lycra. I'm a girl with a 25 mile round trip to work and back, and if I commuted in normal clothes or just shorts or trackies and t-shirt I'd be dripping wet because I sweat like a fat girl in a cake shop. I certainly don't wear it for the looks; I wear it for the comfort.

And because I'm saving £7 a day in train fares, I can buy stuff that won't fall apart after three months. I'm lucky enough to have a bike park and showers and lockers at work, but to be honest, even after an 8 hour working day, the cheap stuff tends not to dry quickly enough for the ride home. Ever tried putting a wet, sweaty sports bra back on? No thank you...

NGale

msmancunia wrote:

I couldn't care less what anyone else wears, but I do wear lycra. I'm a girl with a 25 mile round trip to work and back, and if I commuted in normal clothes or just shorts or trackies and t-shirt I'd be dripping wet because I sweat like a fat girl in a cake shop. I certainly don't wear it for the looks; I wear it for the comfort.

And because I'm saving £7 a day in train fares, I can buy stuff that won't fall apart after three months. I'm lucky enough to have a bike park and showers and lockers at work, but to be honest, even after an 8 hour working day, the cheap stuff tends not to dry quickly enough for the ride home. Ever tried putting a wet, sweaty sports bra back on? No thank you...

have to admit I don't understand those who can commute miles in the clothes they wear for work. Me I sweat worse than a Marine in a spelling test and I have just a 4 mile round commute!

Daerve

iPete wrote:

ndru wrote:

Dude, break the rules and wear normal clothes. You don't have to dress up to ride a bicycle...

For a pootle to the shops or short commute, nobody is going to lycra up (I hope!)

Right, I'm off the bank on the Brompton... in head to toe rapha*

*all cheap sale items

My commute is only a 4.5 mile round trip but I still wear lycra. It's just very comfortable.

Paul E

msmancunia wrote:

IEver tried putting a wet, sweaty sports bra back on? No thank you...

No not really, but I'm not that pervy

optimisticbiker

msmancunia wrote:

Ever tried putting a wet, sweaty sports bra back on? No thank you...

errr no (and strangely no inclination to do so either)... but the other day the aircon at work failed so my bibshorts that had got soaked (sweat + rain) in the morning were still *very* damp in the evening... cold, clammy, and not at all pleasant on the nether regions...