aljohn

Just a thought to worry some of you, or perhaps not - I love wearing my lycra shorts and snazzy racing vest in the summer. I sometimes go out on my bike in them too.... But I've had them a couple of years now and I wondered how long do they last? I'm, mildly at the moment, concerned that they could, er, fail when I'm miles from home.The thought of exposing my credentials to all and sundry is disconcerting. I mean, I have to slightly stretch them to get them on some days, so how good is the sewing at the seams, will I burst forth, so to speak? I have disturbing visions of riding along clutching the chamois leather insert close to my private parts. Don't dwell on the graphics, they're not pretty.
I've never seen any mention of the wear on garments, does anyone have any ideas, thoughts, on this? Having watched the tv tonight and seen Chris Froome's shorts on stage 5 of the TDF, I'm beginning to worry about that now. It's not healthy for a man of my age to worry.......Sorry if anyone is eating while reading this.
Going to bed now, g'night everyone.

seedsbelize 

I have a pair of lycra shorts that is over 20 years old--Nashbar cheapies. The seams are fine, but the inner thigh, where it rubs the saddle, has gotten quite thin.

hueyhoolihan

if they "fail", just remove your jersey (i'm assuming you are male and aren't riding bare chested), or borrow one from a passerby and tie it around your waist.

BTW, i had a pair that i wore for a long time, too long as it turned out. i once caught a glimpse of myself in a full length mirror before heading out one day and saw that the lycra had worn away to such an extent above the chamois in back that my butt crack was showing through.

thought i'd share that...

zacster

They will lose some of their elastic and also get a bit thin. But it sounds like you only have one pair and they'll wear out a lot faster. Get some more, they aren't that expensive. You don't have to shop at the Rapha shop, just get some PI or other brand, or even Performance/Nashbar. I like the pair I got from AerotechDesigns at a bike fair last year and they were pretty cheap. I have Castelli, Descente, PI, and some others too. All are good.

StephenH

Get three or four small safety pins and throw them in your toolkit, just in case. If you don't need them, somebody else might.

I bought four pairs about two and a half years ago. Two of them have stitching issues now, other two are okay. So they can last a good while.

Velocivixen

Riding behind someone whose "assets" shows because of very thin Lycra is not pleasant.

dabac

I've never had, or heard about anyone having a dramatic fail while JRA(Just Riding Along).
And if you fall, even brand new lycra won't stand up against tarmac.
If you didn't ride with a spare at the start, no point in starting now.
But they will get more transparent over time, so you might want to run the cloth over your hand to see if there are any spots that lets through too much detail.

aljohn

Thanks for all the replies. I wrote in partly for an amusing query, but the more I thought about it the more I was curious. You've all pretty much confirmed my thoughts, but I'm glad I asked.
Thanks again

fietsbob

Just dont use the dryer .. Hang dry.

pdlamb

Mine last years. Don't ask me how many, 'cause I don't honestly know. But even with good treatment, they will wear out. Mine wear out at the back of the pad.

Every so often when you're hanging them out, see if you can start to see your hand through the material. If you can see anything more than finger-sized lumps, consign that pair to the trash or mark it somehow so you only wear it with tights over top of them.

AnkleWork

You'll be amazed what a little push-up bra will do for you.

JohnDThompson 

There seem to be lycra fabrics of varying durability. I have some lycra shorts that have lasted many years (Vigorelli brand; not sure if they're even around anymore), while others have barely lasted a season ("Ascent").

mprelaw

The fabric in the front of your bibs can also get a bit thin, if you're a guy and you often pull down on the fabric to hang "it" out and take a leak.

woodcraft

I have a pair of shorts from about 1970 that are still going.

JohnDThompson 

I'm guessing they're probably not lycra if they're from 1970. I have a couple pairs of wool shorts from the late 70s that are still holding up well. I had the leather chamois replaced with a synthetic one in one pair a couple years ago.

woodcraft

I had a wool jersey in that era, but it's long moth eaten and gone. The shorts are lycra or similar, with a 'chamois' of sort of fleece. It's possible that my memory is flawed, and they are from a bit later in the '70s.