Originally Posted by Harold74

Thanks. I was trying to get at something a bit more fundamental though. I'll give it another go for good measure.

When I see lunch hour racers out and about, it seems to me that their setups reflect deliberate choices that prioritize speed over comfort: stiff frames, racing geometry, aero posture, 2 g bike seats, tight clothing etc. They then, it seems to me, have little choice but to use padded clothing to restore some measure of comfort.

In contrast, when I'm out training, I ride a steel touring bike with a relaxed, upright geometry. I add to that a well padded touring seat, 35 mm tires, and the aforementioned cargo shorts and Hawaiian shirt. I generate my own wind in those loose clothes such that a balls-to-the-wall, 45 minute ride in 30C heat will leave me accumulating sweat only under my helmet. I am, admittedly, a bit salty elsewhere. I can train effectively this way, packing no extra clothing, and generating no extra laundry. Over the course of a riding season, I steadily get stronger and fitter, just like a racer. Of course, what I don't develop are the flexibility and handling skills suited to an aggressive road bike setup.

My way of training seems ideal to me. This leads me to wonder why the lunch hour racer folks choose differently. As I see it, the likely explanations, in order of likeliness, are:

1) Racers want their lunch hour training to simulate their racing conditions as much as possible (handling, flexibility requirements, etc).

2) Impulse(s) towards aesthetics & style.

3) Some racers might only have racing bikes.

Whatever the motivations of lunch hour racers are, I'm not judging them unfavorably. I simply seek to understand them.