Originally Posted by
Juan Foote
I would call that complete fallacy. Wearing kit makes you more aero. Beyond that, I "hear say" about the compression being good for your muscles and all that. I would imagine that IS true when riding long (long distances), but I see no advantage. Matter of fact, spandex make me uncomfortable in the groin and give me giant rash/rub issues with or without "butter" and all that other hoobaloo crap they try to upsell. Continued use over time causes even worse issues (for me).
I put on a set of "gym" shorts and ride comfortably, albeit a bit slower.
Complete fallacy? Really? I would urge riders to make up their own minds.
There is nothing aero about me, with or without spandex. IDK which shorts you wore, so I cannot comment. What I can say is, once I went to cycling shorts and more importantly, chamois, chafing and saddle sores for the most part became a thing of the past and I won't ride more than an hour without it. As for cycling jerseys, it is true you can do almost as well with technical T shirts, but cycling jerseys are cut longer in the back, have back pockets to carry ID, money, phone, and extra food, and the zipper in the front is handy to added ventilation on hot days.