How many miles = lycra?

Muffintop

Hi All,

At what miles on the bike would you consider not wearing lycra? I only do a couple of miles a day so I tend not to bother unless I'm going out for a big ride (which considering this is my down time is anything over a 20 mile round trip).

At what point do you consider doning the stretchy black stuff?

Mx

moarspeed

The main thing is not wearing clothes that stick to you and breath when you sweat. So basically, at the point of sweating you need to be wearing the right stuff.

Muffintop

Yeh, I tend to sweat on my three milers but not really enough to start stinking my clothes out or make it look like I've been caught in a salty rain. Would you on a short journey go to the lycra and change at your destination, even though you're only on the bike for a 15 minute journey?

andrewc3142

For a 15 min ride I'd just wear jeans.

cookeeemonster

For my 18 mile each way commute I've only recently gone full Lycra... And that's only due to the heat the last couple of months. You could convince yourself to go full Lycra for a lot less miles than that, or not its up to you!

Muffintop

The amount of time 18 miles takes me I'd be thinking the lycra - CookeeeMonster, you must be a lot fitter than me, or your entire commute there and back is down hill (where do you live??? It sounds ace!!!)

Andrew3142: What would your 15 minute journeys entail? - mines are about the popping to Asda, buying george clothes and not being judged.

kalioon

Why would you not wear Lycra? Its the perfect material for cycling. Tight fitting, breathable, warm when its cold and cold when its hot. Plus it makes you look like from!

The Rookie

I wear lightweight cotton baggy shorts, airy, cool, comfy and I can walk into the office and straight into an emergency meeting if I need to.

Who's from?

cookeeemonster

Muffintop wrote:

The amount of time 18 miles takes me I'd be thinking the lycra - CookeeeMonster, you must be a lot fitter than me, or your entire commute there and back is down hill (where do you live??? It sounds ace!!!)

Andrew3142: What would your 15 minute journeys entail? - mines are about the popping to Asda, buying george clothes and not being judged.

What I mean is its not essential, you can do without if you want. Yes Lycra is probably better, but don't get hung up on it if you don't fancy it

Nah I'm not that fit, and I'll sweat with or without Lycra. Either way I have to change and shower when I get in

MichaelW

Currently I wear normal clothing for any ride up to 1 1/2hrs. Normal clothing for me is polycotton hiking trousers and a T shirt + shirt/light fleece/windproof. I might wear polyester in summer and merino wool in winter but I find cotton fine for moderate cycling in comfortable temperatures.
There is a point at which the convenience of wearing what you need at your destination and riding moderately is more efficient than dressing up, speeding along, cooling down, cleaning up and dressing in appropriate clothing.

cuttsmeister

For me it's lycra for road bike training/leisure rides which are always 15 miles+and for commuting MTB shorts/trousers and "breathable" t- shirt, although i commute on a MTB so lycra would look a tad bizarre. Enjoy

andrewc3142

Muffintop wrote:

Andrew3142: What would your 15 minute journeys entail? - mines are about the popping to Asda, buying george clothes and not being judged.

Shopping, meeting friends, picking the kids up, all sorts. Sometimes just me, sometimes with the wife on the tandem towing the 2 yo in the Croozer.

FWIW my commute is 50k each way (2-3 times a week is enough for me) and for that I do wear lycra, as I do for a run out with my 13 yo, who's scarily fit.

Basically, if it's my commute or a purely cycle ride I tend to wear lycra. If it's bike as a sensible means of everyday transport, normal clothes, ie normally jeans.

I do have some 3/4 lightly padded trousers that work well for weekend family rides and for holidays (which tend to involve bikes and tents)

kenan

kalioon wrote:

Why would you not wear Lycra? Its the perfect material for cycling. Tight fitting, breathable, warm when its cold and cold when its hot. Plus it makes you look like from!

I'm got a road bike to commute on (MTB rider) and have got to the front door several times in lycra but every time have bottled it and gone back to MTB shorts & top :oops:

andrewc3142

Don't stress. When you're on the bike it's fine. Just keep over 40kph and nobody will laugh at you

It's when you park the bike and are doing the shopping you can feel a total prat. And in that context probably not wholly without reason.

Walking through the office in lycra can also requre some confidence at first.

Alternatively, just wear loose short over the lycra, or else just do your own thing and not worry about what others think.

anthdci

I would probably wear baggies at sub 10miles and lycra for more. This would also co-inside with the change to requiring a road bike.

slowbike

Lycra (although I said I never would) for any ride where I'll be pushing it - so my 35min ride to work is in lycra.
A lazy ride to the pub or to the shops is in normal clothes ... there's no time limit so no need to push hard.

Confidence walking in Lycra? no prob - as long as you've got your helmet in your hands you're fine!

Muffintop

kalioon wrote:

Why would you not wear Lycra? Its the perfect material for cycling. Tight fitting, breathable, warm when its cold and cold when its hot. Plus it makes you look like from!

I couldn't look like froome in the dark. And it get's a bit much, having to change three times a day (1=into lycra, 2=work clothes, 3=into lycra again!) but I've always taken a philosophical stance with the donning of the lycra: there will always be aspects of my personality which need more work than my @rse.