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Gads am I glad I am a bent rider.

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Gads am I glad I am a bent rider.

Old 07-08-17, 07:12 AM
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Gads am I glad I am a bent rider.

In the new Bicycling magazine, there is a piece on jerseys. I think the cheapest was $70, and one is $190. Since I ride pretty much every other day, I would have to have around $800 wrapped up in just jerseys.

As I have posted else where, since I dont need bike clothes to protect me from my bents, I am saving tons of money. I wear T-shirts I get free with bike tours, or buy others for approx $15. And too I still buy rugby shorts on sale for $15 too. OTOH is some peacocks want to impress others with their high priced garb, more power to them.
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Old 07-08-17, 07:16 AM
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You only need One.
Hand wash it everyday.
Doesn't take long to dry.
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Old 07-08-17, 07:25 AM
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Many, if not most, bent riders wear cycling-specific jerseys. Most nonbent riders wear non-cycling-specific jerseys.

If expense is an issue, decent bents cost two to three times as much as comparable nonbents.
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Old 07-08-17, 08:37 AM
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I wish bent-specific jerseys had side pockets rather than belly pockets.

If I had any sewing skill at all (well, patience also), I'd deconstruct regular cycling jerseys (which are MUCH cheaper than recumbent jerseys) and move the pockets to the "love handle" area - sized appropriately , of course. I'd lose 1 of the 3 pockets (the center one), but gain comfort and accessibility.
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Old 07-08-17, 08:39 AM
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Originally Posted by dual650c
I wish bent-specific jerseys had side pockets rather than belly pockets.

If I had any sewing skill at all (well, patience also), I'd deconstruct regular cycling jerseys (which are MUCH cheaper than recumbent jerseys) and move the pockets to the "love handle" area - sized appropriately , of course. I'd lose 1 of the 3 pockets (the center one), but gain comfort and accessibility.
I have some Large DF jerseys and wear them backwards.
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Old 07-08-17, 12:51 PM
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Originally Posted by rydabent
As a bent rider I dont have to buy high priced clothes to protect me from my bike.
I doubt there was anything on that $190 jersey that protected DF riders from their bikes either...

Originally Posted by rydabent
As I have mentioned before I wear T-shirts, and rugby shorts, both costing $15.
... & those T-shirts probably have no pockets & likely not made of hi-viz, wicking fabric that incorporates functional storage pockets.

Originally Posted by rydabent
OTOH if some cyclist want to be impressive peacocks, and they have the money, more power to them. At the age of 78 I am not trying to impress anyone.
I haven't tried nor needed to impress anyone for many years. However, whether as a DF rider (road or mtb) or bent rider, I can appreciate some of the peacock's attire:
- hi viz - recent Bicycling Mag articles highlighted how much hi-viz clothing (especially on the parts that move - like legs) help motorists notice us. I recently purchased some knee-high fluorescent socks just to help being seen.
- artistic - many of the designs I see are very interesting / cool. I really wish I could still have that many choices in bent attire
- functional - well designed biking jerseys typically have pockets, often bright colors, wicking fabric & sometimes reflective areas built in (I appreciate all of those things)

I get it that you like to wear T-shirts on your rides but I don't think we need to denigrate the choices of others who make different choices ... Your ongoing attempts to enlighten the DF-riding population about the benefits of bent riding seems to alienate more people than educate.
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Old 07-08-17, 02:14 PM
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I wear cycling-specific stuff for 99% of my rides. It didn't take me long to discover that street shorts with loose leg openings made very good bee scoops. I decided I didn't like wearing bee scoops, especially considering where the bees ended up. So I wear lycra shorts, both with and without pads. I don't need the pad to protect me from a saddle, but it does no harm. Since lycra shorts don't usually have pockets, cycling-specific jerseys become part of the package. I don't mind the rear pockets. The center one isn't useful but again it does no harm and I use the outer pockets all the time. I have one bent-specific jersey. It's OK, but really the side pockets don't work any better.
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Old 07-09-17, 04:46 AM
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Side pockets may or may not be for everyone. The one side pocket jersey I've tried (some one else's loaner) worked well for me on both a trike and a Bacchetta Corsa. (offered the friend $25 for it and he turned me down...) To each his/her own.

Designs? I've got a couple of "outlandish" (at least for me) ones but tend not to go for designs... Solids tend to be cheaper in the bargain bins I look at.

Colors - hi-viz? I HATE those. Granted that it may actually BE more visible, but almost every hi-viz jersey grates on my eyes. I prefer daylight visible (mostly brighter red, green but not yellow) solids to any true hi-viz jersey.... Obviously, mileage varies on this issue.

Either way, wear what you like and what you feel comfortable riding in. If they can't see your large shape, a specific color on your upper half probably won't be a huge difference maker IMHO.
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Old 07-09-17, 02:24 PM
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Originally Posted by rydabent
In the new Bicycling magazine, there is a piece on jerseys. I think the cheapest was $70, and one is $190. Since I ride pretty much every other day, I would have to have around $800 wrapped up in just jerseys.

As I have posted else where, since I dont need bike clothes to protect me from my bents, I am saving tons of money. I wear T-shirts I get free with bike tours, or buy others for approx $15. And too I still buy rugby shorts on sale for $15 too. OTOH is some peacocks want to impress others with their high priced garb, more power to them.
I don't understand. I rode DF bikes for decades wearing t-shirts and whatever shorts I felt comfortable in at the time. That's part of how I originally acquired the Retro Grouch nickname. How are recumbents any different?
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Old 07-10-17, 09:26 AM
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I am so glad I am not a bent rider
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Old 07-10-17, 10:56 AM
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Yes, "Glad I'm a bent rider" looked like a thread about the joys of recumbent riding (which would actually be interesting!) But it's a slam on riders with expensive kit instead.

Do you worry about bees flying up your rugby shorts? They've been known to fly into unzipped jerseys.
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Old 07-10-17, 12:03 PM
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Originally Posted by rm -rf
But it's a slam on riders with expensive kit instead.
Correct.
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Old 07-10-17, 12:19 PM
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Originally Posted by trailangel
I am so glad I am not a bent rider
Me too.
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Old 07-10-17, 03:58 PM
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Why take the fun out of cycling by criticizing other riders choices of gear?
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Old 07-10-17, 05:56 PM
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Cycle clothing used to be reasonably priced before trendiness affected the market. There's an incredible mark up on such gear now.

I'm not much of a curmudgeon yet, but I do enjoy deliberately wearing t-shirts and cargo shorts as counter culture when I ride. But never cargo shorts on the tadpole trike - wind and bug collectors!
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Old 07-11-17, 07:25 PM
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Yes, it's an anti-lycra thread; kind of like a thread for anti-snob snobs. Somehow the 'lycra crowd' never feels the need to denigrate the 'cotton t-shirt' crowd; but the 'cotton t-shirt' crowd sure likes to razz the 'lycra crowd.'

So, yes this is an anti-lycra thread; kind of like a thread for anti-snob snobs. But with a bent bent.
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Old 07-12-17, 04:48 AM
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Originally Posted by BlazingPedals
So, yes this is an anti-lycra thread; kind of like a thread for anti-snob snobs. But with a bent bent.
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Old 07-12-17, 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted by trailangel
I am so glad I am not a bent rider
Try a bent or a Trike you might find the many positives of both suit you.l
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Old 07-12-17, 10:30 AM
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Originally Posted by rm -rf
Yes, "Glad I'm a bent rider" looked like a thread about the joys of recumbent riding (which would actually be interesting!) But it's a slam on riders with expensive kit instead.

Do you worry about bees flying up your rugby shorts? They've been known to fly into unzipped jerseys.
Nope never had a bee in my Rugby shorts, they are not that loose any way. If one did he would probably take one look and fly out immediately.
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Old 07-12-17, 10:32 AM
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Originally Posted by Trsnrtr
Correct.
Actually not--------------just my opinion. Take it that way or leave it.
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Old 07-12-17, 10:34 AM
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Originally Posted by BlazingPedals
Yes, it's an anti-lycra thread; kind of like a thread for anti-snob snobs. Somehow the 'lycra crowd' never feels the need to denigrate the 'cotton t-shirt' crowd; but the 'cotton t-shirt' crowd sure likes to razz the 'lycra crowd.'

So, yes this is an anti-lycra thread; kind of like a thread for anti-snob snobs. But with a bent bent.
Actually if you post that you ride in cheap cotton T-shirts, you normally get a lot of blow back on wicking and aero dynamics.
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Old 07-12-17, 10:36 AM
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I have ridden a trike. I would never ride either in traffic. I don't think they are safe.
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Old 07-12-17, 02:36 PM
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Originally Posted by trailangel
I have ridden a trike. I would never ride either in traffic. I don't think they are safe.
I'm lucky to be alive! Hope to make it home from work in one non-mangled piece.
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Old 07-12-17, 03:18 PM
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My wife commonly wears her old DF style jerseys on her trike. She told me she could carry stuff in the rear pockets and it didn't bother her. I tried it and now I occasionally wear DF style jersey's on my trike too. I frequently wear baggy gym style shorts on my trike too. Never had an insect issue of any kind.

So far as riding a trike in traffic, I think that motorists give me more consideration and space on my trike than I ever did riding a road bike.
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Old 07-12-17, 03:21 PM
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Nope, they are entirely unsafe. Death vehicles. I just can't understand why I haven't gotten invitations to the funerals for any of the avid trike riders I know from town. We should all be dead by now. It must be a miracle that I have ridden recumbent trikes over 40,000 miles since 2003 and nary a scratch. Nearly all of it is on urban roadways within the Las Vegas valley. It's really no different from many other places in the US either.
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