I like vintage bikes over modern bikes but no way I'm going back to wool shorts over lycra.

Seriously. Lycra and SPDs please.

I read an interview once of Thurlow Rogers who was a fine racer deep into life. When asked what were the greatest improvements in cycling since he began racing in the early 80s, he didn't say carbon fiber or indexing but lycra. The difference in comfort level--especially with how much hotter the weather is getting--is phenomenal.

I feel like lighting, tires and rims have gotten a lot better too.

I agree that frame material and indexing/STI/Ergo is incremental. The difference in rechargeable lighting, lycra, SPD, tires and rims is game changer.

The average non-racer dude isn't THAT affected by a 5 pound weight savings, but he sure is by lycra!

Patience Grasshopper

Anyone totally enamored with a steelie retro while enjoying the advantages of a modern bike ... how about putting downtube shifters on a new Trek 520-- it'd probably be a much better bike than my old Raleigh Gran Prix.

OK I don't want wool shorts, but I still like wool jerseys. The new synthetics are a lot more comfortable than the old ones, but they still stink after wearing.

I have all kinds of cycling shorts. One thing in common, Black in color. Just of the time I grew up in, and white socks. (not practical when its raining, but it never rains in Southern California)
White socks were required at road race events. Period, old habits die hard.
Simple colored jerseys. One thing I laugh about is the number of riders training around who all seem to wear black jerseys... no matter the solar load or air temp...

I recently bought a pair of wool shorts because they were cheap when Ibex went under. There are a couple of companies that still make wool shorts. I think they would have lasted longer with artificial chamois, that seemed to be the problem that started all the holes. But when lycra first came out, it definitely was a big improvement for hot weather. Given that hot weather lasts 4-5 months in the northeast, it seems like wool would work well over most of the year.

Wow. I never see anyone wearing black. It's always lots of colors, and then colors on top of the colors. And then more colors. And then maybe the original color again. Rolling billboards they seem to be.

But then, I confess I wear boring old sun clothing.

When I was younger I wasn't as old as I am now. Regardless of age, I never wore gaudy color combinations, but I confess to wearing bright colors that can be seen easily by motorists.

With the millennials here, it's all black. Black bikes, black or maybe dark gray helmets, black clothes, maybe dark blue skinny jeans, Black Fiat 500s. Black plastic eyeglass frames. God forbid they wear something reflective while riding at night.

Newbies!..... I was doing the all black theme cycling gear, way back in the mid 80's......
Half my stable now, are black bikes.....

It's slimming?

I have a black jersey, but I've never worn it (Novara, on sale, supposed to look like carbon fiber).
Every time I put it on, I look in the mirror and go "nah."

I do like the Bern flat black helmets, but I buy helmets that cost a lot and only when they're really on sale, so color is not a choice.

I don't know any hipsters.
I know people that dress like them, but if you can really afford to dress "like" a hipster, you're automatically not one.

Or so I've been told.

Black is the best color for a bike.

....+1. It's so noticeably better that I've gradually stopped buying bicycles and am more involved in rebuilding a lot of my older wheels that have crummy bead hooks and heavy profiles, like Gentleman and Araya rims. I'll probably rebuild another six sets of wheels over the winter, just to take advantage of cheap, wonderful Sun and Mavic rim choices. And some of the newer clincher tyres are just phenomenal.

I got my current fluorescent pink POC Tectal helmet under these exact circumstances. I doubt I would ever have picked it if I'd had the choice, but I actually like it, since you can see it a mile away.

Isn't a black helmet hot?

Sounds like some kind of Tao expression - "The hipster look that you can pay for is not the true hipster look." Boy, do we have plenty of those in this town.....

I still like wool jerseys, even blends.
I might not mind wool tights either. If it will keep me warm on winter rides....
Still remember getting caught a few times in a downpour wearing my wool tights back in the 80's, and for some reason, I did not feel that cold at all..... could be just the adrenalin that kicked in when I was trying to finish the rides asap to get out of the rain....
Sadly my only pair of wool tights was killed by my mom when I was visiting home from college and I did not notice it in my laundry bag...... it came out of her dryer small enough to fit a 10 year old cyclist.....but I still have it in my cycling gear stash, moth holes and all.....