How old is too old for Lycra 🥴

[Sharky]

but surely nobody actually rides exactly the same route every time they get on the bike

Sad tho it is, I do have one loop that I ride for the majority of my rides. Life commitments, caring for our autistic daughter who is between care homes leaves little time for much else. Occasional longer rides up to 25 miles and the regular evening 10s are the only variations.

 

[Alex321]

Sad tho it is, I do have one loop that I ride for the majority of my rides. Life commitments, caring for out autistic daughter who is between care homes leaves little time for much else. Occasional longer rides up to 25 miles and the regular evening 10s are the only variations.

I was like that for a while after we moved to our current house in 2020. During the winter of 2020/2021, I almost always rode one of two routes - one was 16.4 miles, the other was 9.8. This was usually in the dark, as most of my riding is after work, or after dinner in the evening.

But then as I started riding in daylight more when the spring arrived, I started exploring a bit more, and found loads of other routes. Apart from my commute (2 days a week now), I hardly ever ride the same route twice in a week, and have something like 15-20 main routes I ride fairly often.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I have what I find to be a comfortable bike for the type of riding I want to do.

Can’t be that comfortable if you need to wear Lycra with padded stuff

 

[Alex321]

Can’t be that comfortable if you need to wear Lycra with padded stuff

I'd always thought you were a cyclist.

Clearly I was wrong, or you are just trolling.

 

[icowden]

I'd always thought you were a cyclist.
Clearly I was wrong, or you are just trolling.

Probably a bit of both - people are allowed to be different.

I've just been reading The Downhill Hiking Club (Dom Joly hiking across Lebanon) and one of the details in there is that Dom and Chris are appalled that their third team mate, Harry not only has no proper hiking gear but that he also intends to hike commando rather than wearing proper wicking underwear. Naturally Harry has no issues down below.

I wear what makes me comfy.

 

[Brandane]

I'd always thought you were a cyclist.

So we're back to that old chestnut, are we? You can't be a "cyclist" (whatever one of them might be) unless you wear lycra, helmet, bright green socks, ride carbon frames, and look down your nose at all those lesser cyclists.
Good job we are all different.
Incidentally, I do possess all the items I listed with the exception of the bright green socks. But my "go to" bike is a steel framed Genesis Croix de Fer. With a Brooks B17 which negates any need for padding.

 

[Gwylan]

IT doesn't look great, but I don't wear it for looks, I wear it for comfort.

"it's a comfort thing, Marge" Homer Simpson

 

[Alex321]

So we're back to that old chestnut, are we? You can't be a "cyclist" (whatever one of them might be) unless you wear lycra, helmet, bright green socks, ride carbon frames, and look down your nose at all those lesser cyclists.

No, we aren't back to that at all.

His statement though showed a total lack of understanding that many forms of cycling aren't inherently "comfortable".

If he genuinely thinks the answer to the fact that some of us need lycra (or similar) to be comfortable in the type of riding we do is "get a more comfortable bike", then he isn't enough of a cyclist to understand how various people ride.

I think he probably does understand perfectly well actually, and is just trolling.

 

[ExBrit]

I'm pretty sure they're trying to be funny and people took it seriously. I cannot imagine anyone thinking you can be too comfortable on a bike. It's like answering the question "How can ride faster?" with the answer "Pedal harder".

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I'd always thought you were a cyclist.

Clearly I was wrong, or you are just trolling.

Nope I’m a long time cyclist but if you need padded clothing it means your bike isn’t that comfortable. Surely you can see that?

 

[ExBrit]

When you're 200 miles into a ride, you need everything to be comfortable. Shorts, short liner, butt cream, saddle, frame geometry, tires, frequent standing, everything you can do to be comfortable you have to do. If they only make padded shorts from lycra then that's where you have to go. If someone thinks you're too old for lycra and you're finishing up a double century, obviously they're wrong.

 

[Alex321]

Nope I’m a long time cyclist but if you need padded clothing it means your bike isn’t that comfortable. Surely you can see that?

No, I can't see that. And I don't understand how any semi-serious cyclist could fail to understand this.

I can ride my bike for 2-3 hours without discomfort when wearing the proper shorts (I could probably do more, but haven't to date). If I ride with "regular" shorts, I can't manage more than half an hour or so before I start getting sore. But that isn't the bike as such, it is the fact I am exercising fairly hard while sitting.

 

[ExBrit]

Nope I’m a long time cyclist but if you need padded clothing it means your bike isn’t that comfortable. Surely you can see that?

You may be a long time cyclist, but you've never cycled for a long time.

 

[ianrauk]

Nope I’m a long time cyclist but if you need padded clothing it means your bike isn’t that comfortable. Surely you can see that?

But to be fair, you are a recumbent rider so don't need padding. Would you have attempted LEL on an upright with no padded shorts?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

But to be fair, you are a recumbent rider so don't need padding. Would you have attempted LEL on an upright with no padded shorts?

I wouldn’t attempt LEL upright full stop these days. But I don’t wear padded shorts on my upright when I do ride it.