bakes1

As I explained earlier, damn near everyone in the world takes notice of and is in some way judgmental of what other people around them wear. It is human nature.
Whether it is bicycling spandex or a 3 piece suit or a speedo or golf attire, etc...
Wear what you want but please spare us all the holier than thou "who are you to judge" nonsense.

GravelMN

I'm a Clyde and don't race competitively. Are you saying I shouldn't wear cycling kit on group, charity and other organized rides because I offend your aesthetic sensibilities
Give the guy due credit. I'm sure he knows he's overweight and there are arseholes out there making fun of him, but he's still out there doing his thing on a bike, trying to improve his health and fitness. He deserves support, not ridicule.

wphamilton

I've been trying to figure it out for awhile now, what "hipster" is. I think you're getting close with this relative perspective thing. But something is still missing. Maybe it's "people younger than you with a different style" or "people younger than you with more style than you." But that makes pretty much everyone a hipster from my perspective, so I know I haven't helped much.

FWIW, from my style-zero perspective the big buy in pink Lycra doesn't really stand out much from the cyclists I see daily.

tarwheel 

Perhaps the person who confronted the OP was Grant Peterson of Rivendell. ... or perhaps hohum is Mr. Peterson!

I personally cannot understand why a cyclist would question other cyclists' clothing choices, knowing nothing about their situations. I, for one, always wear cycling-specific clothes. I rarely ride for less than 1 hour and often ride for 3-4 hours, sometimes stopping at coffee shops or restaurants for food along the way. Around here, your clothes will be totally drenched in sweat after riding an hour at almost any time of the year. Wearing bluejeans, khakis, "tweeds" or other street clothes is not only uncomfortable but gross when soaked with sweat. Are you suggesting that cyclists should carry some spare street clothes to change into when they stop at places during rides?

CliffordK

I'm not going to wear clothes that are covered with brand logos unless someone is going to give them to me for free and pay me to wear them.

Absolutely

To each his own in clothing choices.

I do get passed at times, more often with cargo. But, if I see someone ahead with some silly logo covered spandex, I'm more likely to just pass them and drop them. I don't say anything, but the action of leaving them in the dust should be enough.

Leebo

No, utili-kilts. They got pleats and crazy pockets for beer and kittens and such.

kickstart

I agree, but there are some who suggest their way is the only functionally correct way, and I that's simply not true.

martinjones

The question I would put to you is why?

I have no doubt that 16 miles is easily doable in non-lycra clothing, even twice that distance.

I've done it myself years ago - what I didn't do was to then proceed to do a day's work in those same clothes. What about bacteria, what about subjecting colleagues to sweaty/smelly odours? Why would someone want to work all day in stinky clothes?

Now if you shower once you get to work and have a change of clothes, then fair enough.

+1

kickstart

I shower in the morning and use antiperspirant deodorant, I wear an active wear shirt rather than my uniform for my commute, and I'm a city P&D LTL freight truck driver therefore the I spend my day getting far more dirty and sweaty than I do commuting. Also, I ride an upright bike at a modest pace where the majority of hills are on the way home. Besides that, if it was an issue I have active wear that would address the issue as good or better than the cycling specific clothes that I also have.

indyfabz

Go to YouTube and watch "I'm On a Mother F***in' Bike." The guy with the fixie is a hipster. I would also consider the "eco-guy" a hipster. "A tiny carbon footprint up your a**." It's a fun video. The angry commuter guy is the funniest, especially with the two mirrors on his helmet. "Cut out seat to protect my erection!" For another fun video, check out "Performance--It's the Name of the Game" by MC Spandx. Pokes good-natured fun at both racers and hipsters.

CliffordK

What about bacteria?

You've got bacteria on your skin.
You've got bacteria in your mouth and throughout your entire digestive system.
Bacteria helps prevent yeast and fungus overgrowth in and on your body.
Bacteria helps convert N[SUB]2[/SUB] Nitrogen into vital nutrients for plants.

All "germs" are not bad.
Simply riding your bike doesn't mean you're "contaminated".

indyfabz

+1 The ever-growing obsession with "anticepticism," if you will, never ceases to amaze me.

CliffordK

I would say that germs from riding the bus or subway are likely far worse than one would get from sweating on one's bike. Most are still harmless, but there is a greater risk of picking up some pathogens.

genec

But your commute is not my commute, nor anyone else's commute... so why should your clothing be suitable for my situation and vice versa. What works for me may not work for you... but why do we need to go about judging one another on our clothing... for all you know, after my lycra commute, I slip on a three piece suit and run the county... (or a service uniform, and defend the country) but I am wearing a different "uniform" for each activity.

Why should it matter what I wear while I stand in a grocery or coffee line? In fact on game day, I see a lot of football uniforms around here... I certainly don't challenge those folks as to their need to wear a jersey.

caloso

What if the clothes are free and you get discounts and in-kind stuff from the sponsors rather than cash? Would that be sufficient?

kickstart

I don't disagree with any of that, and never suggested otherwise, my point is that cycling specific clothing isn't the only or best solution for all circumstances as some imply, beyond that its only personal preference, and it doesn't matter.

CliffordK

Perhaps.

It seems as if I end up paying full price for everything

Perhaps I need a jersey that says "EBay SNIPER"

genec

We are agreed... in fact I rarely wear "cycling specific clothing" when going the mile or two to the market or pub.

But bottom line... nobody should care what anyone else is wearing... as long as what they are wearing is legal to wear. (or not wear... depending on the circumstance.)

Korina

+1!

martinjones

There are unbranded versions available.

That's all well and good but you're "only" talking about 16 miles. It's a whole different ball game (no pun intended) when riding 50+, 100+, 150+ miles, etc.

Lycra shorts are designed to fit and support the body. They have a compression that supports muscles, stimulates blood flow and wicks away moisture which allows the skin to breathe. The chamois cushions and protects the groin area from chafing. All of this makes riding more comfortable. Source

I would suggest that refusing to wear lycra - based on nothing other than how it makes you or someone else look - not only affects the quality of your ride, it also (to borrow your saying from earlier) sacrifices comfort and convenience.

mapeiboy

Last weekend I encountered those runners on the road running against traffic . I had to move to the middle of the road to avoid them . WTF .

hohum

No need for google.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgCqz3l33kU

Edit: it's a catchy tune.

Leisesturm

They are doing exactly the right thing. Runners on sidewalks trip over childrens's toys, children, small animals. Get bitten by larger animals and pedestrians strike at them out of fear and/or anger. When I ran, I ran in the road, as did all the other runners in my track squad. And we ran against traffic. Cyclists are no less territorial than motorists I see.

caloso

When I ran I would use the road shoulder because it's softer than concrete, because it's usually a more even surface (no driveway cutouts or tree root heaves), and because I was moving much faster than most sidewalk moseyers. Pedestrians, including runners, move contra traffic. Vehicles, including cyclists, move with traffic.

kickstart

The simple fact is non cycling specific active wear and work clothes can perform equally as well, or better depending on the cyclists needs, desires, riding style and bike regardless of distance.

I can't wear my cycling shorts in warm weather as I sweat too much. I do much better comfort and moisture control wise with looser fitting running shorts as my personals can get air circulation rather than being bunched up in a stifling, constricted wad.
I don't find slightest advantage to cycling shorts on rides under 20 miles regardless of what bike I'm riding, but I do find they work well on rides of 20 to 50 miles in cooler weather if riding hard. I don't want to get too descriptive, but will experience great discomfort if I wear them for long distances for many reasons, and if i'm stuck wearing them all day they take much of the enjoyment out of my ride.
I do find cycling shorts work well in cold weather as underwear under jeans or wool trousers.

Many of those so called advantages are so minor they only matter to those who ride at high performance levels. Another thing to consider is many people like myself find tight fitting clothing very uncomfortable.
As to jerseys, most are simply long tail shirts with pockets on the back, and many active wear shirts are the same thing without the pockets. Personally I find golf shirts and soccer jerseys wick moisture just as well, and a more comfortable fit

There are options that will meet ones needs without any compromise in comfort or convince. If full kit works for you all the time that's great, but presenting your preferences as a universal and unquestionable truth is simply wrong, and nothing more than the flip side of those who dismiss it out of hand.