I only wear the road cycling shorts for rides that will be over 50 miles. I choose the larger size because generally don't like wearing tight pants. I wear cool (temperature-wise or breathable) athletic shorts over the cycling shorts. When first buying cycling shorts it was explained to me that the more separate panels of nylon fabric are in the shorts, like 8+ panels, the more they maintain their own shape and show less of yours.

Wow! We went from trying to talk the OP out of being bashful and try riding in cycling shorts to a recumbent vs. upright war. My wife rides a bent and she wears anything that is made of fast wicking material for shirts and pants. She only has one riding jersey but no riding shorts. This really works well for her. She is comfortable and keeps cooler than if she was in regular street clothes or cotton shorts and shirts.

I, on the other hand, wear cycling jerseys or stay-dry shirts and cycling shorts. I don't wear them because they are fashionable or because I race, I wear them because they really do help when riding long rides. At 64 and after being married for 42 years, I don't really care if they are impressive to other women, dogs, cats or whatever, they are more comfortable and they don't get me fatigued. The better the cycling shorts, the more comfortable I feel in the saddle. The shorts do get a bit expensive depending on which ones you get, but the jerseys, I get at Dick's Sporting Goods. They start at $35.00, about what some people pay for a fancy tee-shirt.

Can't we all just get along?

Since we are in a 50+ forum, please define babes!

Yeah, but what fun would that be?

Four topics likely to cause arguing:

'bents (I don't know why, but even the mention)
spandex/what to wear
helmets (use or not use)
Mileage aficianados vs smile riders

Besides saving money, if you're riding by the park and see a rugby game 1 player short, you're good-to-go to join the game.

As has been mentioned, wear what is comfortable for you. I have found lycra shorts to be the most comfortable for longer rides (25+ miles). I find bib shorts to be the most comfortable for 62+ miles.

My 50+ wife would shoot me for posting her picture in response to this fine and important question, but beautiful babes come in all ages.

...nor your lack of understanding.

And no, it DOES make a difference. The science shows that it does. Whether or not it has meaning for an individual is the question to be answered.

Not to me. Actually I thought it was incidental that the guy who made the initial challenge rode a recumbent. I've read similar comments from folks who rode triangle frames, so I didn't take his comments to be recumbent-specific.

Yes, but with these types of posts (regardless of who started the post) it's like discussing politics or religion. You won't change anyone's mind. Even if there is some proof on your side, they will have some proof on their side as well. Bent riders feel one way and upright riders feel another way about bikes and riding in general, so why make a big deal out of it and turn any thread into "bicycle wars?" Someone did the same thing on the Recumbent Forum and it's probably around 6 pages (last time I looked) and they are still bickering over who is right. You're not going to get a democrat to agree 100% with a republican and you aren't going to to get a bent rider to agree 100% with an upright rider, and visa-versa. I must admit that some of the posts are amusing, but to keep the same thing going for three or more pages doesn't make sense to me because the guy on the bent hasn't sold it and ran out and bought a conventional bike and I don't think a bent is in your near future. Just saying.....

which is my point...thank you!

One doesn't even have to be 60 to not care. I'm still relatively young and would show up to classes (immediately following a ride) with my kit on. Friends bust your balls (no pun intended), but they're friends! Everyone else either doesn't care or doesn't matter.

I find that I'm more comfortable riding with cycling shorts on and that's the end of it. Like you said, I stopped caring what people thought of me at about the same time I realized high school was a joke.

Just remember that the science remains true.

if we depended upon science alone in cycling, we would all be riding fully enclosed 'bents.

Assuming we stayed on flat lands...

and could stay awake


...and don't forget, electric motors are science too ya know!

flat

Actually I take hills in stride. Ten thousand miles of bent riding has given me "bent" legs. Also being able to "wedge" between the seat back and the pedals lets me deal with hills quite well.

BTW the slightly loose rugby shorts allow some air to circulate and keep the boys and their big friend somewhat cooler.

Agave,

If those are the types of babes that dig you when you ride, it isn't because of the spandex riding shorts. You either have big money falling out of your pockets, a johnson that you can use for a cane or you can lick your belly-button standing straight up.

A true 50+ mindset. I actually declared out loud(for anybody that cared, nobody did) on my 50th birthday that I no longer cared what anybody else though about what I did, said or wore. It was a liberating moment. If you care.

Now on to leg shaving.........................

Oh_the_humanity.

I wear mountain bike shorts because I have some left over from when I use to mountain bike. I also wear them because I'm not ready to go to lycra. What the hell, go for it.

Shaved legs are science too ya know!

True, but it's not a problem for me. I have essentially no leg hair...