Mine is 28 each way. Even if it was 10 I would wear lycra. It is more comfortable and for me loose fitting shorts and pants are the opposite.
Snags on my saddle and such. Can't stand brooks saddles either.
Tight pants do work for decent distances. Besides fixed gear bikes, that is one thing hipsters are doing right.

Yes, some cyclists wear spandex because it's the the de-facto uniform. No more so than tight jeans, dickies, or Brooks saddles are for some other groups though.

Personally, I've ridden in enough different things to make my own decision. If you're not going to commute in your work clothes (as most here do not), then anything you wear, be it spandex, jeans, or whatever, become "special clothes".

The following things are true and should settle this debate.

Hardcore roadies claim that their bikes don't work unless they're wearing their full spandex kit.

Hipsters and retrogrouch utility cyclists claim that you can ride coast to coast wearing jeans and Fruit of the Loom briefs if you have a Brooks saddle.

First of all, cycling shorts have certain qualities that make riding more comfortable regardless of saddle choice. The padding and lack of a seam that crosses any contact point with the saddle means that they are the best thing to wear while riding a bike for any distance. I've found that most underwear has a seam someplace where I don't want it to be when I'm riding.

However, that is their only real benefit. The roadie claim that tight spandex more aerodynamic is bogus. I've noticed no difference. Second, in terms of freedom of movement, any loose fitting clothing works the just as well.

Second, there are places where appearing in spandex is normal and other places where it is not. If you wheel your bike up to a convenience store or fruit stand to purchase snacks, people know you're a cyclist and consider it normal (since your bike is most likely parked very nearby) and will not take offense. However, if you choose to stop at some other retail establishment - Target, Walmart, Borders etc. - and are parading around the store in your spandex kit, I'm pretty sure that some people not familiar with the image could take offense, especially considering that you will not be anywhere near your bike.

Third, any "normal" clothing can be worn over cycling clothes. And this works very well in terms of comfort. My favorite is actually shorts made out of old military fatigue pants. I notice no difference in terms of comfort unless it's a really hot central valley day. It's nice to have a pocket or two for snack money, a allen key, iPod etc. Also, those "MTB shorts" with the built in padding are a rip off. You need to be able to adjust the spandex and the shorts separately.

Fourth, one person mentioned that we must all be riding some serious miles in our commutes to need "special clothes" for riding in. My response to that person is that you must have one real laid-back job to be able to work all day in clothes suitable for riding a bike in. No matter what I wear when I ride, I need to change in to nice clothes when I get to work.

I wear shorts over my spandex. If it's cold, I wear fleece or running pants. I do this for two reasons. If I need to stop during the urban part of my 14 mile ride, I look somewhat "normal." But more importantly, if I flat or have some other problem on my way in to work, I can teach in my riding clothes if I really, really have to as long as I'm not displaying my bum in spandex.

Sometimes I wear lycra, a lot of times I don't.

Spandex is more comfortable than street clothes, the longer the interval of time spent on a bike, the more this is true. It is also more aerodynamic than baggy shorts, particularly noticeable when riding into a headwind.

If I feel like stopping somewhere, I stop. If someone takes offense to my apparel, then they have a problem. I never try to dress to someone else's aesthetic satisfaction, and don't care what they think about it.

I like my spandex when I ride because to me at least it's more comfortable. Occasionally I'll wear baggy short or jeans, but invariably there's a seam in the wrong place. As well I prefer greasing, road filthing, and rarely crashing in my cycling specific clothes. I slide across the road much better in spandex. :p

+1

If you're cycling and wearing bibs... chances are you're not a 400 pound slug who makes others uncomfortable by wearing incredibly inappropriate spandex.

The vast majority of comments that I get are from admirers. I usually discount any snide comments from folks who obviously haven't exercised since they were 11 years old.

I say rock on with the cycling spandex!

I don't think this debate will ever be settled, but perhaps we could be a little less heated about it?

What is it with the US and lycra?

You've got porn channels, top shelf mags, naked/semi-naked women in ads, singers with waistbands round their pudenda and who knows what else and people have to debate it?

If someone objects to it, tough luck. If you feel embarassed to wear it, put on mtb shorts

Please, leave the subject alone - it's just not grown-up

My ride is only 7.5 miles each way, but I much prefer to wear cycling-specific clothing, be it tights or MTB shorts. First, it is just more comfortable on the bike. Second, like Mr. Cjolsen I have to wear slacks, shirt, tie, dress shoes at work (more rarely a sports coat or suit). I'm not going to wear them on a bike. If I ride, then change on hot summer days, I'm cooler and less sweaty than if I'd taken the T (light rail) into work in my dress clothes. Third, a highlight of my day is climbing "my" hill and hammering home. Much more fun to do with the right clothes.

When I commute to and from work 8.5mi each way I wear non-padded cycling shorts and an ANSI lime T-shirt.
When I run errands over 1mi I wear regular shorts over non-padded cycling shorts and a white T-shirt usually (If I don't want to sweat up my other shirts, so I change back into them when I get home) Shorter distance errands are with whatever I happen to be wearing.
Most of my riding is done in 100F+ heat. Often 115F. Of course in the 3mo of winter I ride in 26F-55F temps.
Al

Heated?
This thread is actually civil.

I had the same thought. Perhaps it was a pun on the hot spot friction and warming effect that some types of clothing worn while cycling can cause.

Al

I'm not 400 lbs, but I was 375 and I did wear it cause it was incredibly more comfortable than cotton. I lost 85 lbs since I started riding, and I did it all in spandex not once thinking about what anyone else thought, cause I just did not care.

We are, for the most part, a nation of prudes. Always have been.


-----

As the OP, I should point out that this was meant to be more about location than the spandex. I ride every day in spandex. Walk in and out of all kinds of places in it, and am in good enough shape that I'm not repulsing most people (with the possible exception of the homophobic).

I just found it interesting that I was a little uncomfortable in this particular place. I went back the next night to pick up some more books so it clearly didn't bother me that much.

Only fight bars.

Hey! I won't move my bike from one side of the garage to the other without first putting on my full Lycra outfit, helmet and clipless shoes.

The spandex isn't such a big deal for me. I've never tried to get served wearing spandex, in a fancy restaurant though. Cleats can be a problem on old tile floors and hardwood.

I put on my cycling clothes when I get on my bike because they are my exercising clothes... to wear something else would just get one more shirt/ pair of shorts sweaty that I would have to wash.

Hey Jax...

You are definitely not one of those "slugs" that I'm talking about! I'm talking about those people who find themselves waaaaay overweight and would rather complain than do something about it.

But I have good reason for having very strong opinions about the subject... please let me explain:

I'm an insulin dependent diabetic, and I wear an insulin pump. I was an unlucky soul who developed juvenile diabetes at age 28... right in the middle of preparing to attempt my first marathon. The diabetes made me afraid to exercise... because I let others frighten me away from lengthy aerobic exercise sessions. As a result, I found myself 80 pounds overweight... and I stayed that way for years.

Carrying that extra weight around took its toll on my body, and diabetic complications loomed in my life... mainly the threat of losing my vision because my retinas were leaking blood due to my lack of diabetic control. I decided to do something about it.

Now you have to understand, for a Type I diabetic to do strenuous exercise can actually be dangerous. It takes planning and care. If you miscalculate your food and insulin intake rates... or you badly misjudge your exertion levels (like hitting an unexpected headwind that makes you work harder than anticipated)... you can be in big trouble. I carry a blood glucose meter, glucose gels, and Powerbars with me always. If I were caught out on the road without some way to get my blood sugar elevated in an emergency, it could actually be deadly... and I'm not just being melodramatic.

Which brings me to my pet peeve:

I resent those people who are healthy except for the fact that they carry around tons of extra weight. And the ones who REALLY piss me off are the folks who just want to complain about how bad they feel every day... but never do anything to fix the problem. In my eyes, they have it so easy compared to us diabetics. Their exercise program could be so carefree and simple... if they were to choose to actually exercise. If they make a big mistake, they get a pulled muscle or something like that... they don't have to poke their fingertips and arms to test blood 6 or 8 times a day just to stay safe and alive. But yet they stay sedentary.

I'm an engineer in an office full of technical workers and designers... our jobs are very sedentary. I'm perhaps one of two or three people in my office who isn't overweight, and I watch my coworkers eat crappy diets and wash down their Lipitor and Synthroid pills with sugary soda. My boss is probably 150 pounds overweight and proudly proclaims that he hates exercise and refuses to do it... yet he complains every day that his cholesterol and blood pressure medicines make him feel terrible. Hmmmmm...

I commute by bicycle about 10 miles each way, and my coworkers think that I'm crazy for dancing with the traffic out on the roads. I think they're crazy because they don't.

I applaud you, Jax... You wear that spandex with pride! And you keep on going... and going... and going!

The funniest thing is when I'm dressed in bike clothes, and someone asks "did you ride your bike today?".

+1

It happens to me on a regular basis. When I get to work, I usually sit down outside the backdoor for a few minutes and catch my breath before heading to the elevators. I've actually had people ask if I rode to work when I am sitting there in full kit, next to my bike. I give them a little eye roll and say, "What do you think?" I do it all with a smile so as not to look like too much of a tool.

Ever try padded shorts? My Pear Izumi microfiber shorts are shear comfort... no way I would do my commute in anything less.

I do however pretty much follow your protocol. Short trips require nothing special... and those are the typical trips to the grocery or hardware store.

YEAH my commute is 20 miles each way and i wear jeans/corduroys and have a brooks... theres not much difference in feel between it and my lycra and tri-stryke saddle except after like 60+ miles

riding a bike is not supposed to be "comfortable" anyways...

i think lycra off the bike or outside of a race is silly... unless of course you are having to stop at the store for food and water in between mile 80 and 100 because you ran out.... or are a hot chick :)

OH...&....i have to look nice in the office too.. (im'a architect) so I keep some pressed shirts/pants, a jacket and some shoes at the office if i need to change

What gave you that idea? If your bike is uncomfortable, you need to look into frame fit, saddle height, etc.