Originally Posted by
mihlbach
The resistance and fear that people express on this forum for cycling-specific clothes boggles my mind. There must be a lot of physically insecure commuters on here. No one cares what you look like when you ride but yourself. Just get over it already. Cycling specific clothes are what they are for a reason. You don't have to wear the stuff, but if you want to maximize comfort and efficiency, nothing is better.
No kidding. Every so often I go out for a short ride in a normal pair of shorts, and I oftentimes wish I had taken the time to change into my bike shorts. Having seams in the wrong spots is one problem, but not having enough support to keep the boys from moving around too much is the major thing.
As far as jerseys vs shirts? Not as much of an issue, I guess - for safety reasons I prefer bright colors. Having those pockets in the back is really handy though, and a normal shirt doesn't have that.
For anyone who feels too modest to ride in normal bike shorts, mountain bike shorts may be the solution. From the outside they look like a pair of boxers, but they have a snug liner with padding just like regular bike shorts.