I don't know about bike socks, but I know the socks I get from my local running store (LRS?) are microfiber, which are a world of difference from cotton athletic socks.

Let's face facts. We are "posers" I'd rather be a comfortable poser than miserable and invisible.

Don't be silly.

I had that fear too, Giacomo, and I'm a girl, so you'd think we'd be used to lycra, right? Well not on THIS 50+ year old body! Six or seven years ago I still had good legs, but the body parts age, lol. I started with the socks first, as the tops are nicely ventilated with micromesh and my feet get hot and sweaty. They were great, and I got PIs on sale for $4 each. Then I tried a cheap pair of padded bike shorts, and wore them under black running shorts, along with running shirts. I got a better pair as they were more comfortable. As it got hotter I took the extra pair of shorts off, which would get caught on the saddle nose anyway. I loved the coolness of the lycra fabric, plus it holds my stomach in . However, I have to admit I haven't gotten over the no-underwear idea yet.

The jerseys I actually liked from the beginning, because as a female I like nice looking clothes. And there are some real nice, if pricey, jerseys. But that was the one item I felt like a poseur wearing riding on my upright Trek Navigator, and just couldn't justify. But cycling clothing, especially the jerseys, ARE cooler and more comfortable for riding, and I was able to find a brand that was a little more relaxed fitting and not skin-tight. So it felt more like a shirt but with plenty of pockets and ventilation. I really feel better on my rides dressed in cycling clothing, and you do get used to it very quickly. In fact, I was somewhat mortified when my daughter was doing her first triathlon in a heavy cotton T shirt and shorts in July heat. Soon after we did our first charity ride together, where she started off scoffing about wearing cycling clothes (she always scoffed at mine as well). Almost everybody in this 750+ crowd, regardless of age or weight, wore cycling clothes. By the end of the ride she was looking at the cycling jerseys for sale, and very disappointed that they didn't have her size left in the one she wanted.

And I've come to enjoy tweaking this group and watching all the hidden stuff come out.



-don

This ol' lady LIKES those sinewy leg muscles.

Excellent duceditor!

I think you really got the blood boiling here!

Great story Bunnicula, and that is probably the route that I'm going to go down, slow and easy.

PS- you really do like old mens sweaty, sinewy legs shod in spandex?
!!!

Yup!

For short rides (under a metric century for me, YMMV) you don't need a padded diaper if:

1. You have a good saddle that is positioned correctly
2. Merino wool or poly boxers/briefs with flat seams and gusseted crotch (I love my wool boxers, but the Champion performance boxer briefs from Target are much cheaper and almost as good)
3. A decent pair of short with flat seams and gusseted crotch (Prana Mojos, RailRiders, just about any MTB short with a removable liner)
4. Your butt is broken in and used to riding without a padded diaper.

Granted, as you dial in your saddle and break in your butt, you may want to start with shorter rides and work your way up...but trust me, once there you'll rediscover the joy of cycling without looking like a gay superhero with bladder control problems.

Don't get me wrong, I love bibs too...but I don't need them to enjoy the vast majority of my recreational, utility and commuting rides.

I'm 66 and won't wear anything else. I wear only bibs.
No one is looking at me -- they're looking at my bike.

OK, i'll play this silly game (and I already know I am going to regret this - but this is a silly thread, anyway) , and I don't shave my legs, so forgetaboutit. These are 71 year-old legs. And anyone who worries about Lycra - well . . . (And, I don't really enjoy being your toy, duceditor)

I would have expected a little more maturity in the 50+ forum.

Which looks worse?

- A guy over 50, who is in good shape from years of cycling, and is wearing lycra shorts out riding on the road,

OR,

- a shirtless guy in his 30s with very serious case of Budweiser gut,(Or "Dunlop's Disease", if you prefer) in the grocery store?

As for teenagers "being embarrassed" because dad has taken up wearing lycra, are they for real? Seriously, some of the outfits I see today's
teens wearing make them look as though they are trying out for a job with Ringling Brothers.

For the record, my daughter is embarrassed by her peers who dress that way also. She's a down-to-earth tshirt+jeans girl.

And heck yeah, we should be quite proud of our comparatively fit bodies in stupid Lycra compared some of the much-less-fit folks wearing civilian clothes. This is a subject for another thread, but in the grocery store I see so many people headed straight for early heart disease and diabetes and think to myself, "Please, just buy a bicycle before it's too late!!"

I wear the technical gear because it works. In winter it keeps me warm and dry, in summer it keep me cooler and chafe free. I did the mountain shorts once on a non paved trail. It started to rain and the trail grit clung to the wet fabric and turned it into very functional wet sandpaper. Ouch!

I often cycle commute and the jersey pockets are extremely convenient for carrying gear. The shorts dry quickly and don't snag. I walk my bike into work wearing my gear, then head out to the showers with work clothes. In my office four of the five ladies contributed to my charity ride this September -- so they don't seem to mind my lycra -- just sayin

I'm a 59 year old 250# Clyde cyclist and if anyone is offended by me wearing Lycra riding shorts and a jersey they can look the other way. I'm a lot more concerned about my comfort than I am about anyone else's opinions. I'm just getting back into riding after a major back surgery, after which I gained a lot of weight. I'm confident I can get it back off and get back to my normal weight of 215-220#. At 6'4" I don't look too bad at that weight for a Clyde.

^This^.

Consider it as activity-appropriate wear. Would you (or your friends) wear golf knickers and spikes to go bowling, or bowling shoes to weed the garden, or a straw hat to go swimming? Wear the specialized bike clothes if you want to, don't if you don't want to, but for goodness sake, don't choose your wardrobe based on what you think a poll of the neighbors would pick!

I fully agree here. I think the problem with most new cyclist over 50 is that we are of a different generation that looked at things much differently than people do today. Most of you remember what we thought back then if we saw a guy in lycra tights. I think this stigma still sticks to many of us. Fortunately, the last several generations have a different mind set than what we had and it seems that no one really cares anymore.

Before I stared riding, I didn't wear regular shorts because the medication I take for my leukemia removed the hair from my legs, my underarms, my chest and back and my most of my eyebrows. I was very apprehensive about people thinking that I was shaving my legs. When I started riding, in October of 2009, I was wearing long gym pants so I didn't have to show my legs in shorts. When my daughter bought my first pair of riding shorts that Christmas, I was ready to take them back because I would never wear them. When it warmed up, I tried them and as I mentioned in my earlier post, I don't ride anymore without them. I am now wearing regular shorts out to the mall and places that I never would wear them. Since my leg muscles have excellent definition now, I have even been asked by ladies at the mall what I did to get my legs so muscular. And yes, some even ask if I shave my legs when I tell them it's from cycling, but I have learned to snicker and tell them its from the medication.

Sounds like you got some self image issues, don.

SP
BEnd, OR

There are a large variety of 'mountain bike' shorts to choose from. Lots of variations of 'traditional' cycling shorts, too. If you search long enough maybe you could even find a 'real traditional' pair of wool cycling shorts with a leather chamois. The wool shorts I had long ago were less revealing than typical spandex.
Just find some shorts you like and ride your bike.

+1

I think that anyone who posts in this forum should be well past being concerned about what other people think. I also suspect that the only equipment folks will be checking out will be the mechanical equipment you're riding.

The way I see it, you have three choices here:
*wear regular street clothes and walk funny until the blisters heal. Eventually you'll toughen up those buns enough to get away with wearing what ever you wish but you'll always sweat.
*wear cycling shorts and jerseys and enjoy the comfort and breathability of cycling specific clothing .
*Ride naked. (note: not recomended...but it's your call)

I'm 62 years old and generally wear what I want. It tends to slow traffic on my street a bit when I am out working kilted in the front yard. But for me a kilt is the most comfortable and coolest item of clothing that I own for that type of work, so it is what I wear. I'm probably the only person in these parts who wears a kilt for anything other than a funeral or a parade. Though I have yet to have the occasion to need special bicycling garb, I know I'll have no fear of the garb when the time comes....

Wear the tight shorts Giacomo1, they work well. Unlike football players, the guys will not be patting you on the fanny. On the other hand, some of the women are very bold.

I'm 59 and in pretty good shape, but I detest those stretchy polyester cycling shorts and I think wearing 'team jerseys' is kind of dumb. I don't really see the point of either one. They're just imitation racing gear.

People outside of cycling think cycling apparel is all about looks. The reverse is actually true--it is primarily about functionality. When I bought my road bike in April, the salesman took me aside and said, if you have a choice between buying a very expensive bike and no accessories/apparel, or buying a less expensive bike but top of the line accessories/apparel, err on the side of topnotch apparel. It contributes just as much--if not more--to your comfort than the bike does.

This was some of the soundest advice I have received. I almost choked when I saw the price of the cycling shorts (Sugoi RS), but I bought a pair anyway and it was one of the best decisions I have made. Later I bought some really nice cycling jerseys and gloves. (It did take me a while to decide to buy "cycling" socks, but I eventually did and I find I like them as well.)

Unless you are going to ride just around the block, do yourself a favor and buy a nice pair of cycling shorts. They provide necessary padding and moisture management. The form-fitting lycra prevents the shorts from bunching up and restricting your movement. I find the compression feels good, too.

And, don't forget--you have to go "commando" with the riding shorts (i.e., they are worn without underwear). It felt a little strange the first time, but I kept reminding myself that it would provide a more comfortable ride, and now I don't even think about it.

As so many others have said, no one else cares about how you look. I know that when I am out riding, the last thing I think about is how the other cyclists look (I am too busy checking out their bikes!).