Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Singlespeed & Fixed Gear
Reload this Page >

Spandex as the Fixed Gear Fashion Antichrist

Notices
Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

Spandex as the Fixed Gear Fashion Antichrist

Old 08-11-07, 03:21 PM
  #1  
big ring
Thread Starter
 
MIN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: philadelphia
Posts: 5,838
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Spandex as the Fixed Gear Fashion Antichrist



I ride with bike shorts on my road bike but I can't bring myself to ride my fixed gear with tights.

Is spandex the "oh-no-you-didn't" fashion no-no for fixed gear poseurs? Discuss.
MIN is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 03:25 PM
  #2  
baby eater!
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: bushwick, brooklyn
Posts: 408

Bikes: fuji track '06, fixed lowrider, fixed folding bike

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
mmmmm....

junk....
oktokrewl is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 03:30 PM
  #3  
crotchety young dude
 
el twe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SF, CA
Posts: 4,818

Bikes: IRO Angus; Casati Gold Line; Redline 925; '72 Schwinn Olympic Paramount

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I'll ride in spandex from time-to-time. It generally involves pants/cut-offs over cycling shorts and a jersey.
__________________
Originally Posted by CardiacKid
I explained that he could never pay me enough cash for the amount of work I had put into that bike and the only way to compensate me for it was to ride the hell out of it.
IRO Angus Casati Gold Line
el twe is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 03:33 PM
  #4  
vernal stylostixis
 
fix:'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 300
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
whats a fixed gear poseur
?
fix: is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 03:34 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
filtersweep's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,615
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
First of all, it is lycra.... but whatever...

Secondly, there is good reason most bibs are in black. Without even considering the sharing your wares perspective, light colors easily are discolored in the ass region from all the road grime that gets ground in from sitting on the saddle.

My question to you--- do you like riding 80 miles on your fixed gear wearing jeans? Your ass must look like a pizza. How well does your cotton wick your sweat away? Like your padded cut-off Dickies on your rock-hard Brooks? Just asking.... Just saying lycra has its place.

But that place is not walking around the grocery store or hanging out at the coffee shop.
filtersweep is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 03:35 PM
  #6  
Edificating
 
dmotoguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland
Posts: 2,452

Bikes: Spooky + Sachs

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I ride in it if I'm going out for a longer ride or a ride that is just a ride and not a ride with an end destination that would make it unfit to be in spandex.
__________________
Cat 3 // Dylan M Howell
dmotoguy is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 03:43 PM
  #7  
big ring
Thread Starter
 
MIN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: philadelphia
Posts: 5,838
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I ride lycra when my rides are over 40 miles on the fixed gear. Any longer and I don't care what I look like. But there's just something goofy about wearing bike shorts (tights) with a fixed gear.

For shorter rides, I wear regular shorts over the lycra.
MIN is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 03:50 PM
  #8  
vernal stylostixis
 
fix:'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 300
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
this thread is secretly about how mass culture induces conformity
fix: is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 03:54 PM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
iamtim's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,054

Bikes: 2012 Motobecane Vent Noir; 2016 Mercier Kilo TT Pro

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 30 Post(s)
Liked 4 Times in 3 Posts
If I'm just fscking around doing "stupid fixie tricks", I just wear regular shorts. If I'm going on a longer ride, I wear mountain-bike shorts... because... I dunno. There is something odd feeling -- for me -- about wearing my bibs on my fixie.

I guess it kinda feels like wearing a full pro football getup to a game of touch or flag football with the guys at the park.

*shrug*

But I do see the wicking value in specific riding clothes, thus the MTB shorts and a loose-fitting jersey.
iamtim is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 04:09 PM
  #10  
is probably wrong
 
Dumpsterlife's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: c-wood
Posts: 499

Bikes: Fuji Roubaix RC, Bianchi San Jose

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by fix:
this thread is secretly about how mass culture induces conformity
OH MAN...BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dumpsterlife is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 04:43 PM
  #11  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: massachusetts
Posts: 1,001
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I ride my fixed gear with an XXL slipknot shirt and big ass JNCOs that double as sails for when I get stranded out at sea.
BuddyMike is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 05:05 PM
  #12  
thomas masini lives
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: i aint dh no mo'
Posts: 3,495
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
eeeww....

junk....
doofo is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 05:41 PM
  #13  
big ring
Thread Starter
 
MIN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: philadelphia
Posts: 5,838
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by fix:
this thread is secretly about how mass culture induces conformity
Call me assimilated and vain.
MIN is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 05:51 PM
  #14  
oOooo, five bucks
 
~Stuart~'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Toronto, On
Posts: 846

Bikes: Giant OCR touring(06), Norco Storm (05)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
*friend as he walks past at work* "wow that second guy is small"


3/4 pants and (if its over 40km) bike shorts under wickaway 3/4 shorts... i just cant bring my self to go all out with the spandex/lycra
~Stuart~ is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 05:54 PM
  #15  
Senior Member
 
doomkin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: illinois
Posts: 549

Bikes: surly steamroller - towniefied.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
swrve knickers. good compromise. great material, keeps you cool, stays tight so you don't get balloon pants but no chamois pad.

i've got two pairs, scholler dynamic for hot days, cotton for not so hot days. i'd like to get a pair of wools for the winter as well as some lycra for rides where i don't want to look too good.
doomkin is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 05:59 PM
  #16  
Senior Member
 
euphoria's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Dallas
Posts: 1,531
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
my lycra brings all the boys to the yard
euphoria is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 06:04 PM
  #17  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 894
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by filtersweep
But that place is not walking around the grocery store or hanging out at the coffee shop.
I absolutely hate wearing street clothes any time I'm riding my bike and the temp is over about 20C/70F. Now that I live in a city where it's always hot in the summer, even just running to the store and stuff the outer layer of my poor Flite is wearing off from sweating like a pig in cotton shorts or pants; when I have to go more than a couple miles round trip to run an errand, I'll probably start throwing on shorts. I already throw on a jersey anytime I'll have a bag on my back.

When I had a commute, I went for rides or trained after work, and usually got groceries on the way home. After a couple of stops in at the grocery store in bike shorts and a road jersey, the default awkwardness wears off and you just don't care, especially if you're bonking. If they're just a titch on the small side though, well, that's a little embarrassing.

And I like wearing tights when it's cool out; in the winter the only reason I wore pants or shorts over them was because it was too cold for the old junk on a 25 or 30 minute commute.

Hanging out at the coffee shop, well, maybe not.

Those youngsters in jeans and work pants on their bikes, I just don't get it.
mascher is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 06:18 PM
  #18  
+++++++++++++++
 
xccx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 349

Bikes: 2 Felt F1X's, Surly Steamroller Fixed / Free, 2007 IF Crown Jewel, 2007 IF Planet X Singlespeed

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
i just got back from a 60 miler in 85 F Heat. you bet your ***** i was fully kitted up with lycra + jersey.
and i did it fixed.
xccx is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 06:24 PM
  #19  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Van BC
Posts: 3,744
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I hillclimb a lot and prefer to do it in my lycra, because anything with an inelastic waistband starts to make my gut cramp up when Im really going for it. The crew I am riding with more these days are all semi serious roadies so there's no feeling out of place. I can see where it might feel funny if none of your friends were doing it but that goes for most get-ups.
mander is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 07:32 PM
  #20  
Senior Member
 
Kilgore_Trout's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Queens,NY; Boston,MA
Posts: 720
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
f*ckkkkkkkk that. if i'm going to be on my bike - fixed or not - anywhere - city or suburbs - for any extended period of time, i'm wearing something comfortable....like full spandex! same goes for alleycat races. if i were a messenger i'd be delivering packages in full spandex as well since 8 hours on a bike in jeans and a t-shirt isn't that comfortable.
Kilgore_Trout is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 07:37 PM
  #21  
baby eater!
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: bushwick, brooklyn
Posts: 408

Bikes: fuji track '06, fixed lowrider, fixed folding bike

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
but, when you wear lycra, do you have a large red circle around your junk, pointing it out to the world, like these lovely polska men?...


couldn't they have put some writing over that.. it would make it so much better/funnier, hehe
oktokrewl is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 07:38 PM
  #22  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 349

Bikes: 1970s Gazelle 10 spd -- Cheap 1980s no-name conversion

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I think the guy in the red helmet is flicking me off
Revolution Smmr is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 07:38 PM
  #23  
baby eater!
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: bushwick, brooklyn
Posts: 408

Bikes: fuji track '06, fixed lowrider, fixed folding bike

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
yeah I was just about to say he is the best of the bunch..
oktokrewl is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 07:41 PM
  #24  
thomas masini lives
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: i aint dh no mo'
Posts: 3,495
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
take it to the road forum gawkers
doofo is offline  
Old 08-11-07, 08:24 PM
  #25  
Color Blind
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Bloomington Indiana
Posts: 369

Bikes: 1970's Fuji Del Rey

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
give me cuffed Levi's or give me hipster death
Eric Hanus is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.