VeganRider

Someone I have a friendship with on a professional (a non cyclist) level told me the other day, "Remember what you thought about how road cyclist looked like to you a long time ago before you were one? Well that's how the majority of the public sees you today!" That comment really bothered me, I saw a gay Tinker Bell and Peter Pan with a helmet! OMG! The clothing bothers me when the neighbours are all all out in the evening and here I am, mid 40's, home owner, in tights, a wild jersey and helmet on a bicycle leaving from my driveway, and wonder what they think of me! Then I'm out on the streets and feel just fine with all of it. Sometimes I ride at night just to not have them see me! Am I alone on this or is anyone else self conscience about it? What should I do? They are still very friendly to me but I'm starting to wonder if they think I'm weird, like a kid that hasn't grown up yet? Is this normal? I need to get over this fast!

Chris L

To be honest, I really don't let what people think bother me all that much. For one thing, it's just about impossible to gauge anyway. Just how does your friend know what "the majority of the public thinks"? Has he asked them? Or is he just referring to his relatively small circle of friends? Not that it matters either way. I've long believed that people's opinion on any particular issue tells you more about the people than the issue in anycase.

ultra-g

I think of Tinker Bell and Peter Pan when I imagine what a Vegan looks like.
Just kidding.
Why let it bother you? I don't dress like a cyclist when I go out riding and I wish I could afford the padded cycling shorts, dri-fit jersey, cycling shoes and a $200 Giro helmet. But I can't so I look like a half-assed wannabe.

Zin

Just imagine a 215lb fat guy in lycra, goatee on a 30 year old bike. That would be me. Now, to me, that is a far better image than the 340lb guy in sweats sitting on the couch watching TV. Which, by the way, was what looked back at me in the mirror for many years!

I'll take looking like a "fairy" or "gay" over looking like a "dead man sitting" any day of the week.

Besides. I think you would be disappointed to find out how few people actually even notice you in your cycling kit.

To answer your question, NO. Why should you care what they think about your cycling attire? Just go out and ride. Enjoy it! And don't give this a second thought.

Bob

PriO

I think people respect a guy wearing full cycling gear as oppose to a normal joe riding a bike just to get somewhere.

VeganRider

Hey hey hey now... you have the wrong idea about vegans! you don't want me to end up with a complex do you!? lol

johno

One of the few nice things (very few at that) about hitting mid 40's is that I could give a rat's hindquarters what anyone else thinks about me. It just doesn't matter, and is no longer important in the grand scheme of things. I'm the only person I feel motivated to impress anymore. Geez, why couldn't I have that peace of mind when I was in my 20's?

Having said that, I still can't bring myself to get out on the road in shiny lycra. When I can average 25mph for an hour, I'll start wearing the full kit.

Chris L

I'm 27 and I've had that piece of mind since about 1997.

J-McKech

haha I know how you feel. I worry but at the same time, I take pride in myself. I know lots of people who can't or won't get on a bike. Only the select few (us) can do what we do. Some people can draw pictures, some people can play the guitar, some people build fast cars...well we ride some of the baddest bikes ever built!

fogrider

Why should you worry about what they think of you? Most of my neighbors are over weight and wish they can get on a bike. They're afraid to be away from home unless they can drive their cars. And I see what they look like in street clothes, seeing them in tights would really be a scary thing! When I see my neighbors, I think they are thinking, "I wish I could be out there riding!"

DnvrFox

I know what they think of me at 64yo and my wife at 66.

They think, "Oh oh, there goes those Foxes again, getting exercise and doing things that I can't even start to do. Darn!"

And you know what? A bunch of our neighbors have started walking for exercise. And you know why? Because of my wife's and my example. The guy directly across the street has lost about 60 pounds. I may have saved his life!

And a couple have started to bike.

Keep up the good work.

oldspark

The morons that think we look funny in our cycling clothes are not worth worring about.

Retro Grouch 

Well, we're all the sum of a lot of different factors. I don't expect all of my friends to agree with all of my views on politics, religion, diet or what I choose to do as a hobby. Truth is, I think that too much agreement would be boreing. I don't want the people around me copying everything I do.

OneTinSloth

i don't.

boze

i love bike clothes. whenever i see roadies in the city i check them out with full admiration whether they're a cute girl in some team jersey or a slightly stout older guy on a twenty year old trek. i love the look of somebody in a simple pearl outfit on a decent road bike and i love the look of the racers out training. what i'm saying is this: the aesthetics of cycling and cycling apparel are a big plus for me as opposed to something i need to reconcile.

if anything, i'm a bit snobbish about non-roadies and folks on bikes in street clothes (with the exception of short range commuters i guess). while biking is better than not biking, the past ten years or so have seen such an explosion of mtb purchases - i dunno how to say it - i just don't buy the idea that mtb's have their place on paved roads. i can't count the number of times i've heard the 'potholes' argument as a justification for riding around on some dual suspension huffy with knobby tires or a hybrid with a suspension seatpost and the bars as high as a beach cruiser.

the look of these other bikes in a road context is just so backward to me - when i get passed by a mtb and the rider looks really strong my first thought is always "that's too bad: if they had a roadbike then they'd _really be fast".

there are two other looks i like apart from the roadie look. one is the indie trackbike look and the other is the manhattan supermodel on an antique 3 speed look - every city seems to have a few of those. roadies are still my fave though. a cute girl roadie is the cutest thing ever.

pjbaz

I too am a fan of the cute girl roadie.

As far as my cycling clothing, etc. I wear stupid bright shirts because I want the moron drivers (not all drivers are morons I know) to see me before I get run down. When I was hit in Sept. I was wearing just a plain light grey t-shirt. While I'm not saying that's why I was hit (she never looked left and rolled through a stop sign!) I'm sure it didn't help.

I'm 30, married, and could care less what I look like. Hell, I even have brown shoes with black socks on right now.

PJ

khuon

Wait! That's a fashion no-no? Oh well...

halfspeed

Mid 40s, home owner, driveway... Let me guess, 2.3 kids? You're a suburban white guy; the dorkiest thing on the planet! You couldn't be any =less= cool. Unless you think you think you still have a shot with 20 year old soriority girls, give it up and make peace with yourself. And yes, I'm a suburban white guy in lycra too.

shokhead

Boy,he speaks for alot of people,do they know that?

VeganRider

Now that you have shown your prejudice to all that read, believe it or not dude, you can be in your mid forties and be none of what you just described! Your text and photo (lol), fit well together! BTW, I is white, but I is friends with many BLACK home owners, many actually do buy houses! I live in the inner city with *no wife*, not the burbs and love it, and I'm anything but a "dork";no one believes my age, and yes I've 'had' women (girls) half my age! And I don't plan on changing! Oh, and my son (only kid) is white too!

DnvrFox

YES - and there is some pretty good research what shows that a solid color bright shirt is much more "seeable" by drivers than shirts with many colors and designs, which tend more to act like camouflage.
.

So? I wear black shoes with brown socks. Is that OK?

RobotSonic

i used to be kind of timid when i first started wearing lycra. the timidness stopped when i sprinted pass somebody driving on my street. suddenly everybody didnt give me the looks anymore (one guy on my street actually cheers when im giving it my all)

TrekRider

If you go through life worried sick about what other people think, or if you let stupid comments bother you, then you might as well buy a stationary bike and stay inside.

I am 58 years old, stand 6'3" tall and weigh 240 lbs. I wear lycra bib shorts, wild, bright jerseys and ride in broad daylight. I could not care less what my neighbors think. I love to ride and the clothing I choose make it more comfortable and safer.

VeganRider

Hey thanks you guys!!! most of you have brought up some very good points; thanks for the comments and I smacked myself a few times since yesterday. As I said, it's just the neighbours that bug me, but it was so very strange, this morning while I was setting up the sprinkler for the grass a lady from across the street came by with something sticking out of a bag and asked me if I could use a bicycle tire pump! I told her no but thanks, (I saw the wooden handle and figured no way) and she explained, "I use to have a bike but had to get rid of it" and she looked down to the sidewalk quite sad. We chatted and she left. Ended up doing a 65mile solo ride today and I stopped at a cafe for a great cup of coffee and a couple women sitting at a table outside moved next to mine just to talk with me! Im sitting there soaking wet and had on one of my favorite wild jersey. It seemed like they were tickled that I would joke around with them; I know they were impressed. I think I'm ok now! thanks so much! bye....

operator

What prejudice? Do you even know what that means? He didn't mention anything about blacks not owning homes.