I cycle in jeans...

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mrskatmus

New Member
I know, I'm awful. I rarely go on 'bike rides' per say; whatever cycling I do tends to be for commuting rather than for pleasure, and I rarely have the opportunity to change into regular clothes. So now I'm looking at actually going on rides, and I was wondering if people had any advice for me? Apart from obviously "dont cycle in jeans you utter tool" etc.
 

Davidc

Guru
Location
Somerset UK
I cycle in normal clothes (shorts for much of the year though) or general purpose sports clothing. The only cycle specific gear I have is gloves and some sports glasses. I also have a helmet I wear sometimes.

Although I do use jeans sometimes I do find they are hard and rub if I go any distance in them.

You will get some peer pressure to wear lycra in some clubs.
 
Purpose, speed, terrain, temperature, weather etc would be my considerations for a slow commute circa 5-10 miles in summer or a longer winter commute or unhurried trip where I'm unlikely to sweat, I'll wear work trousers. If I'm going for a more intense ride, I'll wear shorts/longs.
I'll occasionally wear jeans but they'll be for pretty short and low intensity rides (to short and slow for chaffing to be a problem) and when I know its not going to rain.
 

fossala

Guru
Location
Cornwall
If I'm nipping out down the shops or bank, I wear what I have on at the time. If I'm going for a ride or commuting (13.8miles (Cornish hilly ones) each way) I'll throw on some bibshorts and a jersey and clip in.
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
On longer rides, if your bum is up to it, just wear normal casual/sports gear, shorts or trousers made of material that doesn't rub.
I found the kind of outdoor trousers with a soft fleece lining very comfy on colder days.
Or you could wear padded cycling shorts under ordinary shorts/trouser.
I wear padded only for rides over 50/60 miles, @Rickshaw Phil on here done 100 miles with not a bit of Lycra on him :eek:
Everybody is different, experiment with clothing to find the most comfortable gear for you.
 

Profpointy

Legendary Member
With a decent saddle, which for me, but not everyone, is a Brooks, I can happily cycle a reasonable distance in any old trousers (70+ miles in my youth).

But remember to stick your trousers in your socks, or get bicycle clips else you get up oiled up in th chain.

That said, i now do wear cycle shorts, but you do lose something with all this "special shorts, special shoes" rubbish.
 

Rickshaw Phil

Overconfidentii Vulgaris
Moderator
Thinks: How did @Pat "5mph" know I didn't have padded shorts under what I was wearing???:scratch: (She's right, but that's not the point :ohmy:)

:hello: @mrskatmus :welcome:. I too ride in jeans (mostly in the winter - too warm for that still at the moment) and get on okay with them provided the ride isn't too long or too fast. The problem with jeans is that they soak up moisture and tend to hang on to it but if you're not bombing along or riding in the rain you'll probably be okay.

For the record, I don't have a lot of cycle specific clothing: 4 wicking tops and a couple of pairs of mitts. The rest is all fairly ordinary gear and works fine for me.

For the 100 mile ride Pat mentioned, I was using my new Brooks leather saddle, which has made all the difference. I won't claim it's perfect by any means but I couldn't have done that kind of distance on any previous saddle.
 
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Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
Thinks: How did @Pat "5mph" know I didn't have padded shorts under what I was wearing???:scratch: (She's right, but that's not the point :ohmy:)
I did read your first 100 miles thread with due attention :thumbsup:
 

Ern1e

Über Member
I tend to wear mole skin trousers during the winter months (nice and warm and they tend not to cling when wet) my wife cycles using jeans (stretch versions) and she finds these fine but she doe's have padded shorts underneath for extra comfort.
 

deptfordmarmoset

Full time tea drinker
Location
Armonmy Way
[QUOTE 2664728, member: 259"]
I used to cycle for hours in jeans when I was a teenager, but I was extremely fit and basically indesctructible then and I didn't ever sweat.[/quote]

Jeans used to be standard wear when I was a teenager going down to the coast and back of a weekend. 175 miles in jeans is my record.

Complete torture in the wet though - cold, heavy, and the seams start to chafe and once they've started they don't stop.
 
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