Say no more. :eek:

1.) The OP was not naked.

2.) It was not what he wears during work just before and after.

3.) If his coworkers saw him or anyone else in Lycra on the street they would have no recourse.

4.) If the women had a noon hour aerobics class would you be applying this same standard to their leotards?

5.) Does coming and going count as "in the workplace"? As I said previously, I think this is one of those where do your rights end and my rights begin issues.

6.) Some people just need to grow up.

Find something about her to counter complain about.

She's probably just mad that your bike is faster than her scooter.
fat *****.
Sorry, I guess that last part was very un-PC and completely uncalled for.
I'll go get someone to spank me now.

What kind of idiot would hire a health care worker that's so fat she needs a scooter to get around? Aren't there minimum fitness standards where you work?

Of course, it may be that she's one of those professional "victims" who use the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws to shake down companies for bogus lawsuits....in that case, your boss may be too afraid to stand up for you. :mad:

Why not get a great big nurse's uniform, like size XXXXL, and throw it on over the top of your cycling gear before walking in. Then, as you walk past her blow up your cheeks and waddle past like really fat people do..... maybe even take a donut in with you and stuff it into your mouth just before saying "good morning" letting the crumbs shower down on your nurses uniform. :D


....but first you have to decide just how badly you want to work there:o

I work for a company that has allowed severely obese people to use 'handicapped' parking spots, simply because they are obese. When I was 385 pounds, I never used the handicapped spots. I had pride, which explains why I am now 140 some pounds less. Some folks don't have pride, which explains why they got to use the handicapped spots.

I agree some people just need to grow up, but as far as I know the defense that the OP only wears lycra when arriving or departing doesn't work. Your behavior, including dress, is subject to review whenever you are on the company's property. I know someone who is required to show up to work in full dress uniform, including sidearm. The company makes the rules.

clothing
 

Why wear the lycra in the first place? A pair of sweat pants or looser fitting hiking pants or shorts should work fine as would nearly any trousers, if you use an ankle band to keep them out of the chain. I've ridden 50 milers in sweat pants or plain old cheap loose fitting gym shorts and wicking undies. I don't want to be seen wearing lycra, its down right offensive to subject others to that, especially if one does not have rock hard abs. I did this once back in the day when wool shorts with real leather chamois were the only cycling shorts available. A gal asked me if I wore underwear with them , I said no, she said," maybe you better start". Lets face it, unless its 85 degrees and you are riding more than about 30 miles and trying to set a personal speed record, you don't need to wear skin tight stretchy pants for fun!

Complain about this. State the group 'activity' interferes with your work and personally distresses you. I did this about a decade ago when I worked for a company that tried to promote "team" by holding a 'food day' on what seemed a weekly basis. One woman ate to excess and became ill. Even though I was severely obese, I was disgusted by the entire spectacle.

I routinely stuff my Falstaffian belly into lycra, and I've had no complaints. Nor have I heard any. It's technical clothing for a technical activity. If someone is offended at my lycra, they are most probably offended at the idea a recovering fat man can ride a bicycle. (And no Charles, I don't shave my legs - remember you've complained if you do one you have to do the other.)

That said, whenever I commute to work or church, I wear shorts or pants over my bike shorts, simply to avoid offending anyone, for any reason.

As you are learning, fat people, on the whole, are a pretty nasty bunch. Deep down, obese people know what they need to do to lose weight, but they don't do it, or they persuade themselves (with the media's help) they can't do it. So they subconsciously hate thin people, and fat people who have lost weight. A couple of decades ago Richard Simmons was the target of abuse among the fatties I've hung out with; today it's Jared Fogle, the Subway spokesman.

I should know, since I am a recovering fat person. I've both hated thin folks when I was 385, and I've been the subject of hatred for losing 140 some pounds through diet and exercise alone. I'm sorry you are the subject of fat-driven hatred.

Congratulations on the weight loss. It sounds like you really took control and did a positive thing!

Good on you for talking to HR about it, although if I were in your situation I probably would have just ignored the email and continued on as usual. Why should you have to carry extra clothing to work just to walk through the door. Its ridiculous. If they want to step it up in the future then make the call as to what you're gonna do, but I bet it dies. He didn't even have the balls to tell you to your face!

If he ignored it he might have had to speak to HR anyway. The conversation might not have been as pleasant for him then.

Yeah, I'd definitely be intimidated by someone who can't handle lycra.
If all else fails he simply didn't get the email.

It was in an email? That is not a warning. IMHO More idiotic than anything.
A warning is when they sit you down and say face to face "don't do this". That would be a verbal.
The only ones I worry about are when I am told to sign something. That is generally an employer getting his\her ducks in a row to legally toss you out on your bum and have enough paperwork to avoid you taking unemployment.

It's not the fat woman on a scooter he needs to be concerned about, it's the HR and or ER departments. They exist to avoid lawsuits, bad PR, and complaints outside the company. They are the home of political correctness. And they do have the ability to force his boss to address the lycra issue all the way up to termination, if need be.

Also, we have to keep in mind the HR card game. Woman trumps man in a dispute in most cases. Just as black trumps white, and gay trumps black.

Bottom line is that if it's an issue you're obviously not worth much to them anyhow, so time to move on.

Sounds like you're getting discriminated against because of your weight, to me. If you were as fat as them they probably wouldn't bother you. No reason this can't cut both ways.

The obvious solution is to ride in nekked. That way they can't fault you for wearing lyrca.

...I'm too sexy for this job....your prudish, overweight, PC mob, I'm too sexy for this job.....

I'm so waiting to see how this all turns out. There are so many variables here it's impossible to predict. Here's hoping the.... wheels of justice are human powered and not motorized.
Keep us up to date. Photos would add the the report.

uh, please no pics of an old fat woman on a scooter. Nor the OP lycra wearing guy. I think pics are not necessary.

Hmmmm...Falstaffian belly...you trying to tell me something? Guess somebody recognizes my handle comes from more than a defunct brewery :D

fat is where its at
 

I'm a recovering fat man as well and I'm not offended at the idea or sight of a fat man riding a bicycle. In fact, I think its awesome seeing that. I do however find lycra somewhat offensive as it subjects others to every curve, fat roll and bulging genitalia. On the bike, I'd say its fine but walking around in it is kind of like walking to the local coffee shop in a speedo. If a cyclist is stuck on the padded diaper concept then mountain bike baggies function just as well, comfort wise and are more modest attire. I just think the skin tights on commuters are overkill. I'll bet most commuters ride less than 10 miles one way anyway. Its pretty hard to argue that there is any real performance benefit or comfort for that matter on such a short ride. The last I checked, sweating profusely on the way to work was a bad idea. I usually save my extreme efforts for the trip home and ride in a manner that conserves energy going to work. I actually tried riding to church in my slacks with shirt and tie and it wasn't bad at all. I actually felt kind of like a normal guy using a bike to get around for once, rather than a weekend workout junkie. I just like the idea of integrating cycling into my lifestyle without the special costume. I have a nifty film on my page showing British cyclists enjoying a nice ride wearing standard casual dress, loafers and all and they seemed to be riding at a fairly decent clip. Its an interesting bit of history and might shed some light on my views.

My page my bikes (in the slideshow) cycling film (bottom left youtube box):
http://www.myspace.com/eccentriccyclistcharlie

You know guys, it is not always the distance that makes the difference in whether you wear bike shorts or not.

On my commute there are three big hills... now my commute is only about 13 miles or so, but doing those hills in anything less than comfy bike shorts is really gonna take a toll on my parts.

I may not be traveling at anything over about 8MPH while I ascend those hills, but my legs are moving at about 100+RPM the whole time, and I am sweating like a stuck hog... folks I gotta tell ya, the suggestions to wear "sweats" or "jeans" or anything else that doesn't allow the free easy movement of bike shorts is frankly just BS under those conditions.

Work doesn't have any right to control what you wear during transit... (unless you are a GI... then there are some restrictions). Tell 'em to pack sand and you wear what you want. (If you're a GI, thanks and sorry for the uniform restrictions... gives the "brass" something to do back on the "home front.")

And if some nurse is "shocked" by what she sees... well then frankly tell her to hit the books, as she missed something in her studies.

Sheesh!

+1

Suck for the OP. I'm glad my co-workers are cool with my tight clothes wearing ways.

Unless they stated it in a policy somewhere (which I've never heard of), then he's just being a jerk IMO. Unless your walking into the building long enough to go to restroom and change is causing some kind of disruption, then he has no reason to say a thing about it. My guess is perhaps one person said it looked a little risque or something like that and he felt he should say something to you.

I'd calmly reply that you bike to work and this is what cyclist wear. Plain and simple. Tell him that if you are being asked to stop wearing bike clothes when you are riding a bike, then he better have a very good reason for doing so.