I like my lycra. It works good when I ride and I don't feel self conscious in it.
I think many of you are too 'normal' day to day and when you get in lycra, you suddenly become the odd man out and it feels weird to be weird. When you're in a group of people wearing lycra you're suddenly normal again and it's cool.
They're just clothes, they have their place just as a a suit or or heavy winter gear or nothing at all does.
I think that's one of the weird things about lycra monikes in general, if I went grocery shopping in team kit they'd laugh at me because I was wearing it in WalMart. And if I wore street clothes to a group ride I'd get the same looks. No only do roadies (and all of society for that matter) try to tell me what to wear, but when to wear it as well. It's annoying. Really annoying sometimes. Lots of times I wish it was as simple for adults as it is for my 2 year old. If she wants to wear purple pants and striped orange shirt and her khaki hat and big honking blue sunglasses then that's cool, I let her, and she's happy as can be in her 'cool' clothes. If only fashion and life in general were so care free for adults.