Road cycling in street clothes?
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Road cycling in street clothes?
I use my track bike for every day things and wear street clothes, but I'm currently saving up for a Specialized Allez Compact as my first "real" road bike. My question is; do you guys occasionally ride in regular street clothes? I can't see myself in spandex, haha.
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To be honest I dont when I train/exercise. Only when riding an older road bike around the city.
I know it is a little hard to get used to , but once you start wearing it, you will get used to it pretty soon. You may not have ever worn skintight outfits and it may look silly to you at first. But once you step outside you will realize no one even gives you a second look. You simply look like every other roadie out there.
If anything, it is street clothes that make you kinda stand out and look out of place. If you get serious enough, you will get to a point where the street clothes will start to feel awkward. Also, you will get to a point where you start caring more about comfort and performance. For these two things, cycling specific clothes can make a big difference.
So my advice is: Throw away your notions of what looks weird. It does not apply on a roadbike. Wear the "spandex" or "lycra", also wear the goofy helmet. I will leave it up to you whether you want to shave your legs
I know it is a little hard to get used to , but once you start wearing it, you will get used to it pretty soon. You may not have ever worn skintight outfits and it may look silly to you at first. But once you step outside you will realize no one even gives you a second look. You simply look like every other roadie out there.
If anything, it is street clothes that make you kinda stand out and look out of place. If you get serious enough, you will get to a point where the street clothes will start to feel awkward. Also, you will get to a point where you start caring more about comfort and performance. For these two things, cycling specific clothes can make a big difference.
So my advice is: Throw away your notions of what looks weird. It does not apply on a roadbike. Wear the "spandex" or "lycra", also wear the goofy helmet. I will leave it up to you whether you want to shave your legs
Last edited by Cookiemonsta; 09-25-12 at 01:04 AM.
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If your clothes flapping in the wind doesn't bother you - then you aren't riding fast enough.
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Because my road bike is also my commuter, I often find myself riding in street clothes.
Verdict: I will never go more than ten miles in street clothing because it sucks. I got over feeling silly in biking clothes really quick because I feel light and dry, and if I'm going to go to public places, I can get away with MTB shorts and a long-sleeve jersey which aren't as aerodynamic, but look like a long-sleeved shirt with baggy shorts that still wick up sweat quite nicely.
However, whenever I bike in street clothes, I feel like I'm tied up: blue jeans stick to your legs, making you feel constrained, pant cuffs get caught in the chain wheel or water bottle cages, the lack of cycling shorts hits me right where you'd think it would, underwear (no matter what kind) bunches up, cotton shirts don't breathe or dry out, baseball caps feel scratchy because they're either too tight or too loose, and every time I have to ride in sneakers, I miss my clipless shoes because sneakers just don't grip properly, even on a flip-flop pedal.
And the worst part? Because most pants aren't made to take the sort of stresses that cyclng shorts are (lots of movement and friction in the butt and crotch area), those parts get threadbare fast.
Verdict: I will never go more than ten miles in street clothing because it sucks. I got over feeling silly in biking clothes really quick because I feel light and dry, and if I'm going to go to public places, I can get away with MTB shorts and a long-sleeve jersey which aren't as aerodynamic, but look like a long-sleeved shirt with baggy shorts that still wick up sweat quite nicely.
However, whenever I bike in street clothes, I feel like I'm tied up: blue jeans stick to your legs, making you feel constrained, pant cuffs get caught in the chain wheel or water bottle cages, the lack of cycling shorts hits me right where you'd think it would, underwear (no matter what kind) bunches up, cotton shirts don't breathe or dry out, baseball caps feel scratchy because they're either too tight or too loose, and every time I have to ride in sneakers, I miss my clipless shoes because sneakers just don't grip properly, even on a flip-flop pedal.
And the worst part? Because most pants aren't made to take the sort of stresses that cyclng shorts are (lots of movement and friction in the butt and crotch area), those parts get threadbare fast.
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all the time, I only wear jerseys in group rides or races, or warm sundays. I will wear bike shorts under my shorts. I like wearing regular t shirts. And I like pockets I can reach.
Generally I feel like a tool in spandex, and more like a target for cars.
I will admit that the back sweat sucks
Generally I feel like a tool in spandex, and more like a target for cars.
I will admit that the back sweat sucks
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I ride regular clothes when commuting. Because it is easier to change clothes that way (I don't have to carry that much clothes with me, since I wear most of it).
My commute is about 11 km, no hills, just some strong headwind sometimes. And still miss the cycling clothes and jersey (more comfy and super handy pockets at the back).
My commute is about 11 km, no hills, just some strong headwind sometimes. And still miss the cycling clothes and jersey (more comfy and super handy pockets at the back).
#7
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I also commute on my road bike in everyday clothes, no problems whatsoever. My clothes are pretty loose and unrestrictive, and I've never relied on chamois padding to keep me comfortable, so no problems there
Cycling specific clothes make a difference for me once the ride becomes long enough and hard enough for sweat to become a problem.
Cycling specific clothes make a difference for me once the ride becomes long enough and hard enough for sweat to become a problem.
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If I'm specifically going for a ride to ride, then I'll put on the spandex. If I'm going to run errands, commute, meet up with people, or troll other roadies, then I'll wear regular clothes.
The difference in functionality and comfort is huge. If you're considering exercising in your street clothes just because you think it looks cooler, I think you might be mistaken about how cool a person on a bike looks.
The difference in functionality and comfort is huge. If you're considering exercising in your street clothes just because you think it looks cooler, I think you might be mistaken about how cool a person on a bike looks.
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#10
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Thanks for the response guys.
I think that's the issue right there - I don't use cycling for exercise. I use it for commuting, so my personal performance is not that high up on my priorities list. As to why I'm getting a road bike just to get around, I just like owning different types of bikes for the heck of it. Oh, plus I love speed. Anyways, I'll probably end up getting at least one cycling outfit anyways, knowing me. I just wanted to see what others' opinions were.
If I'm specifically going for a ride to ride, then I'll put on the spandex. If I'm going to run errands, commute, meet up with people, or troll other roadies, then I'll wear regular clothes.
The difference in functionality and comfort is huge. If you're considering exercising in your street clothes just because you think it looks cooler, I think you might be mistaken about how cool a person on a bike looks.
The difference in functionality and comfort is huge. If you're considering exercising in your street clothes just because you think it looks cooler, I think you might be mistaken about how cool a person on a bike looks.
Last edited by Training.Wheels; 09-25-12 at 03:39 AM.
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Most of the time I wear cycling-specific clothing, but not always. We're travelling around the world and cycling in various countries these days, and I've opted to wear cycling shorts because I find them comfortable, but instead of a jersey I go with a wicking T-shirt. And sometimes I'll wear capris over my cycling shorts.
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#13
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If you're riding through the neighborhood by yourself, it doesn't much matter. If you go do a bike rally with several hundred or thousand other cyciists, then you'll feel out of place in jeans. If you ride when it's hot, cycling clothing works better. If you ride when it's cold, cycling clothing works better. You may be thinking about what you look like as you ride, but nobody else really cares.
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Personally, I wouldn't be caught dead on me road bike in anything other than the racey look of bib shorts and kind of tight road jersey, both usually with logos all over them. On the MTB or me hybrid: I wear the mountain biker look (baggy cargo shorts, loose jersey or muscle shirt, regular cycling shorts underneath, clippless MTB shoes/pedals).
#15
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Wear whatever you like, and don't worry about what other people think. The only thing that matters is that your choice of clothing is functional and comfortable.
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if i wanted to wear street clothes (non cycling specific) while riding then I would ride a hybrid or something different.
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Being someone who use to wear basketball shorts over my spandex and having finally dropped them. It took a ride or two to become comfortable(read:dont give a crap what you think) Realizing how much more comfortable of a ride it actually is. Not having your shorts bunch up under your arse as you sit down is really nice.
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Just put some running or training shorts over it, that tights are not the only thing you are wearing. That's how I do it.
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Being someone who use to wear basketball shorts over my spandex and having finally dropped them. It took a ride or two to become comfortable(read:dont give a crap what you think) Realizing how much more comfortable of a ride it actually is. Not having your shorts bunch up under your arse as you sit down is really nice.
If you're worried about what other people think, you're living life wrong.
as rooftest said If your clothes flapping in the wind doesn't bother you - then you aren't riding fast enough.... also if you're able to hear people talk smack as your passing them, you're not going fast enough
But I will wear street clothes and flip-flops for anything under 5-8 miles for errands and meeting up with friends and stuff
Last edited by kmill065; 09-25-12 at 08:52 AM.
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Wear whatever is comfortable for you, not what other people think you should wear.
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I slowly transitioned to my current all Lycra outfit for riding. Started with cotton T and bball shorts. Now it's cooler out I'm wearing cycle shorts under tights, UA compression top.
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The side effect of riding in clothes that you already own is that you wind up with hundreds of dollars staying in your bank account that would otherwise buy you a costume fit for professional wrestling.
You don't have to shave your legs, either.
Obviously, some clothes are more suited to riding a bike than others.
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You mean like 10 minutes ago, as I rode to work? Fun fact: you can even wear a tie and your bike won't assplode.
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none the less, I rarely feel justified in my skin suit just to shave seconds off my record setting attempts.