What shorts - i dont look too good in lycra..........

teulk
teulk Posts: 557
edited June 2010 in Road beginners
Ok, im getting my first road bike withing the next few weeks, obviously i would like the gear to go with it however i dont think i look too good in lycra. I think i may look a bit odd wearing my Mountain bike shorts, so what lycra sort of non lycra shorts could i get - i dont want to be showing all my tackle off if you know what i mean. Would a way around this to get a pair that have strategically placed patterns / colours ect on them ?
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Comments

  • cathald
    cathald Posts: 105
    Just get a pair of normal black lycra shorts if your a bit nervous of the block and tackle showing
    The colour one's tend to show the boy'o off a bit more
    I always wear the coloured one's :wink::lol:
  • teulk
    teulk Posts: 557
    Thanks for the advice - any recomendations for shorts then - not too expensive tho' :D
    Boardman Team 09 HT
    Orbea Aqua TTG CT 2010
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  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    I don't look good in lycra shorts.

    I wear lycra shorts 'cos they do the job & I don't much care how I look.
  • cathald
    cathald Posts: 105
    If you don't want to spend alot keep an eye in Aldi they get them in at times
    but if your going to do big miles buy a decent set with good padding your ass will thank you for them

    I got the Aldi leggings before christmas only about €16 and they have been great,no problem at all
  • Moaner
    Moaner Posts: 117
    Rapha touring shorts - made to for the job.
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    I wear white bibs, but then again I've got a big c0ck and massive quads...





    Seriously mate, just wear what makes you comfy.
    Ben

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  • tlw1
    tlw1 Posts: 21,831
    wear what you want!
  • Norky
    Norky Posts: 276
    teulk wrote:
    I think i may look a bit odd wearing my Mountain bike shorts,

    Don't be silly. I have lycra tights and shorts (and obviously no shame), I also wear 3/4 length baggy shorts sometimes. I've wnrn ordinary trousers, ordinary shorts. My lycra-averse brother wears a pair of hard-wearing walking trousers with the chain-side leg end tucked into wooly socks while riding his road bike (Specialized Roubaix).

    If you have shorts that are comfortable on an MTB those'll be fine (though maybe a bit cold in weather like this). Bugger etiquette, the 'rules' are this: wear clothes; avoid flares, avoid denim when it's particularly wet or hot (it'll stick to your legs).
    The above is a post in a forum on the Intertubes, and should be taken with the appropriate amount of seriousness.
  • topdude
    topdude Posts: 1,557
    Get the shorts, they are excellent for riding and you soon get over feeling self concious in them.
    If you don't want to spend too much go to Halfords (it's not often someone says that) they have their own Bikehut and Polaris padded lycra shorts which are good for the price £20 or so.
    Also you can take them back after trying them on at home to see how they fit :wink:
    He is not the messiah, he is a very naughty boy !!
  • Go for plain black bib shorts with a well padded insert which you find far more comfortable than ordinary lycra shorts around the mid rift.

    Another +1 for the Crane range in Aldi and they should be having cycling equipment back in during the next couple of months.
  • Rich Hcp
    Rich Hcp Posts: 1,355
    DHB range from Wiggle are a good start
    Richard

    Giving it Large
  • Philby
    Philby Posts: 328
    I think most people have this initial fear of wearing lycra (I certainly did), but most people get over it because it is the best tool for the job. Don't worry too much about what you look like as most other people will be wearing it as well.

    Regarding good bib shorts Dhb from wiggle are excellent and quite cheap.
  • iain_j
    iain_j Posts: 1,941
    Try these :P

    4392108801_bd2b17666b.jpg
  • ...or these:

    7715-Poland.jpg
  • macondo01
    macondo01 Posts: 706
    Try these


    Iain_J

    !!!! Yikes. Flashback. I saw these going round at the velodrome on Saturday.
    .
    "Let not the sands of time get in your lunch"

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  • blorg
    blorg Posts: 1,169
    Bear in mind that whatever you may look like in lycra off the bike when you are actually riding a bike lycra shorts look perfectly normal.

    Lycra is plain more comfortable, I used to feel self conscious about it myself but eventually got over it and never looked back.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Probably best not to look down either :D
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    There are alternatives - Endura (I think) do some lycra shorts that fit underneath normal shorts. I think DHB at Wiggle do padded boxers that you can wear under normal shorts too.

    I don't worry about the lycra when I'm cycling, but if I'm going to catch a train in my gear, I sometimes carry a light pair of football type shorts to slip on over the top - I feel it is a bit cheeky to wonder round with your cock on display like the photo above! Although mostly I just use the bike as a "towel"!
  • blorg
    blorg Posts: 1,169
    mroli wrote:
    There are alternatives - Endura (I think) do some lycra shorts that fit underneath normal shorts. I think DHB at Wiggle do padded boxers that you can wear under normal shorts too.
    I tried this before going full lycra and it is an option to start with but ultimately just the lycra is more comfortable! I finally whipped the outer shorts off climbing a steep hill on a hot summer's day, what a relief.
  • antfly
    antfly Posts: 3,276
    I usually wear Ronhills or Rapha touring shorts over bibshorts but I went out in bibtights with nothing on top or underneath for the first time ever the other day and I must say it was quite liberating and felt good once I had forgotten about my lunchbox. You just learn to let it all hang out. I`m still not sure I could wear just thin bibshorts in the summer in a busy town centre where there are attractive scantily clad ladies about.
    Smarter than the average bear.
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    Have a look at the Endura mountain biking shorts. I use the Single Track and Humvee shorts over my usual lycra when I'm on my MTB. The Single Track are slightly shorter than the Humvee and slightly heavier weight. The Humvees are great, and you stay cool in them, so ideal if you're wearing lycra underneath.

    You could wear any shorts over the lycra, but cycling specific baggies are better cut.

    Oh, and just to join in with everyone else here; I wear lycra because I've got a massive c*ck too............. no really, I have :D
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  • paul.k
    paul.k Posts: 90
    you can always wear cycling shorts for comfort and put a pair of tracky bottoms or likewise over the top of them ,then you get the comfort with out the self consioness
  • I'd 2nd the Humvees, used them for a while before making the move to Lycra only - the insert is OK for a couple of hours but any longer and I'd swap the insert for lycra with a better pad.

    Big difference when you make the change to Lycra only though, feels much better.
  • Lillywhite
    Lillywhite Posts: 742
    Why the hang up with lcyra shorts? Nobody will notice, other than saying there's a proper cyclist, and you see old guys of 80-85 wearing them.

    A good pair of lcyra shorts, with a padded inset, will ensure that you don't develop saddle sores on long rides.
  • rkdj
    rkdj Posts: 50
    if it stays as cold as it is in Perthshire at present your wee man will soon dissapear!
    older, balder, faster, slimmer, better
  • Jameszx9r
    Jameszx9r Posts: 6
    If I'm on my road bike it's lycra only. I've been seen by many people including my family, and they say I look good in the stuff.The same applies when out on the MTB. I'd rather be comfy and not give a damn what anybody else says. i tried the altura baggy bike shorts for the moutain bike, and they're good for various reasons - pockets etc, but in hot weather or really wet and muddy trails I prefer the feeling of just lycra. I tried the baggy with the lycra liner off road on a hot day, and ended up changing back into the lycras half way round the MTB trail.

    if out the road bike and have to go to into a shop or pub, I've a pair of lightweight hiking zipoff shorts n trousers which roll up into nothing in my kriega r25 motorcycle biker rucksack. It's just as comfy on the pedal bikes as well as the motorbike.. and it takes your drinks, maps, and anything else you want... doesn't weigh much either
  • Strickland
    Strickland Posts: 32
    What sizes are best to go for with lycra? Im a 32 waist, so is it best to go for a 32? Or go a size up? Just don't want to order a pair and then have to send them back.
  • I use Endura humvee 3/4 length mtb shorts. The lycra shorts go inside and attach to the waist. Or you can wear the lycra shorts by themselves (or the overshorts by themselves actually for leisurewear). I like them because they have lots of big pockets.
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  • Lochy
    Lochy Posts: 70
    Lillywhite wrote:
    Why the hang up with lcyra shorts? Nobody will notice, other than saying there's a proper cyclist, and you see old guys of 80-85 wearing them.

    A good pair of lcyra shorts, with a padded inset, will ensure that you don't develop saddle sores on long rides.

    I concur. You may get the odd comment from family/friends if stood around, that's until they accept that your attire is part of your favoured pastime. And once you're on the bike, it doesn't matter a jot. Everyone wears them (almost) and it just makes sense. After all, it's what they were designed for.

    Just go out and buy a pair or two........

    p.s. i look good in lycra (according to CarleyB :oops: :D )
  • Flasheart
    Flasheart Posts: 1,278
    Yep, lycra all the way.

    Last week I went to the florist to have some flowers sent to my lady. I had taken the afternoon off as the weather was so nice. I couldn't face sitting at my monitor .
    Anyhoo, the flowers arrived at my girlfriends place of work and as I didn't want to put a card on them, the ladies in her office made her go to the florist (only across the road) to ask who had sent them.
    The lady in the florist said that I was on "racing bike" and in lycra. The she said "He was rather a big boy" ...umm I'm 5'8" and just over 13 1/2 stone so I'm thinking she wasn't talking about my height :lol:
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