Mickle's tip of the week - Lycra shorts

[youngoldbloke]

Whats the big deal? I have worn 'proper' cycling kit for over 50 years. It is comfortable and looks right on the bike. When I were a lad there wasn't Lycra - we wore tight fitting fine wool shorts with real chamois pad. Jerseys were wool too, figure hugging. PITA to wash and dry. Modern fabrics are just so much easier. The styling wasn't really all that different, and you can still buy 'York' tights, for example. The close fit is functional. It works. You just do not need baggy shorts or tops getting in the way, flapping about in the wind. One of the most ridiculous sights I have seen recently was that of a triathlon competitor, down on the aero-bars, flapping along in loose T shirt and baggies - obviously one of those averse to Lycra!

 

[Lard Armstrong]

Oh please !

You can play Rugby in ballet shoes if you really want to, but why would you ? For me, cycling in anything other than bibshorts is pointless, what's the point ?

Wear the right clothes.

End of

 

[GTTTM]

Oh please !

You can play Rugby in ballet shoes if you really want to, but why would you ? For me, cycling in anything other than bibshorts is pointless, what's the point ?

Wear the right clothes.

End of

are you offering to buy if for me

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Oh please !

You can play Rugby in ballet shoes if you really want to, but why would you ? For me, cycling in anything other than bibshorts is pointless, what's the point ?

Wear the right clothes.

End of

The best clothing to wear when cycling is the clothing you are comfortable in. It doesn't matter whether its padded or unpadded, ordinary clothing, cycle specific clothing or any other sports clothing. If you're comfortable, happy and enjoying it that's all that matters.

 

[Fiona N]

A small old-style film canister with a bit of Sudocrem ...

Oh my gosh - a use for 35mm film canisters missed by the Guardian's (lengthy) correspondence on the matter* - you should right at once




* This is possibly a bit of a Guardian readers' in-joke - sorry

 

[Fiona N]

I've been cycling for a very long time, when I first started I wasn't aware there were cycle clothes....

Good lord you must have been cycling for a long time as I started cycling in about 1965 (to and from primary school) and even then I was aware that 'proper cyclists' wore cycling clothes - although at that time no one had explained the chamois pad and what not


On the topic of long distances ridden without padding/lycra, I have had an unfortunate experience when my 2 pairs of newly washed cycle shorts were removed form the washing line at the campsite at Norseman on my trip across the Nullabor (Perth to Melbourne in 3 weeks). After that, all I had to ride in was a pair of black nylon tracksuit bottoms - which I hacked off at mid-thigh for reasons of keeping reasonably cool in the Australian sunshine - over ordinary ladies knickers. I still managed to ride between 200 and 400km each day but the experience was enough to convince me that no matter how good your saddle is, lycra with a proper pad is best for day in/day out comfort. An occasional ride, even a long one, maybe 'ordinary clothes' are OK but why settle for OK when you can have really good ? Just to preserve your dignity. Like the old Army aphorism has it - any fool can be uncomfortable

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Good lord you must have been cycling for a long time as I started cycling in about 1965 (to and from primary school) and even then I was aware that 'proper cyclists' wore cycling clothes - although at that time no one had explained the chamois pad and what not


On the topic of long distances ridden without padding/lycra, I have had an unfortunate experience when my 2 pairs of newly washed cycle shorts were removed form the washing line at the campsite at Norseman on my trip across the Nullabor (Perth to Melbourne in 3 weeks). After that, all I had to ride in was a pair of black nylon tracksuit bottoms - which I hacked off at mid-thigh for reasons of keeping reasonably cool in the Australian sunshine - over ordinary ladies knickers. I still managed to ride between 200 and 400km each day but the experience was enough to convince me that no matter how good your saddle is, lycra with a proper pad is best for day in/day out comfort. An occasional ride, even a long one, maybe 'ordinary clothes' are OK but why settle for OK when you can have really good ? Just to preserve your dignity. Like the old Army aphorism has it - any fool can be uncomfortable

My Dad taught me to ride when I was a small boy in the mid fifties, in the early sixties I was riding to and from school, in the mid sixties I was riding to and from work, in the late sixties I stopped cycling. In the late seventies I started cycling again, I have been commuting continually since then, in the mid eighties I started club cycling, The Coventry Nomads, in the late eighties I moved to my present club, The Coventry Road Club, It was only after joining the road club that I became aware of cycling clothes, started wearing cycle shoes for the first time, but it was only in the last few years that I have had money to spend on cycle clothes, mortgage paid of and kids left home. Thing is if its not broke why try and fix it, I'm very comfortable without the pad, with what I'm wearing and what I'm doing I'm very comfortable, I see no point in changing something that works.

 

[youngoldbloke]

I joined Solihull CC in the early 60's and we were very aware that there was cycling kit (as in my post above) - club kit too. Shoes were soft leather, with fine leather soles, Italian - things of beauty. My first ones had perforated uppers - summer shoes. Shoe plates (cleats), used with clips and straps were nailed to the sole. I can still almost smell that soft Italian leather, after all these years ........

 

[brockers]

Although I'm a fair bit younger than you youngoldbloke, I had a pair of those leather soled race shoes which you had to nail the cleats into as well. Something for you here though should you wish to push the boat out. Must say I wouldn't mind a pair either; they'd look great on the Tweed Run!

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Although I'm a fair bit younger than you youngoldbloke, I had a pair of those leather soled race shoes which you had to nail the cleats into as well. Something for you here though should you wish to push the boat out. Must say I wouldn't mind a pair either; they'd look great on the Tweed Run!

I remember that type of shoe, My first cycle shoes were like that, I used mine with clips and straps but no cleats, the shoes you linked to look lovely, but I wouldn't pay that much for a pair of shoes

 

[GTTTM]

The best clothing to wear when cycling is the clothing you are comfortable in. It doesn't matter whether its padded or unpadded, ordinary clothing, cycle specific clothing or any other sports clothing. If you're comfortable, happy and enjoying it that's all that matters.

+1 - as a novice back in he saddle I couldn't agree more. Of course if I'd waited until I could buy the "proper" cycling clothes (And a "proper" bike) well.....................then I would probably never have got back into the saddle at all.



I actually found the OP to be very useful, and informative, should I ever decide (and have the money to) buy some lycra shorts I now have a better idea of what I'm looking for.

However, I dislike the idea that I "should" wear "proper" cycling clothes. After a couple of 6 mile rides in the last 2 weeks I managed a 22 mile one today (not in proper cycling clothes and not on a "decent" bike). But I guess there was no point in that as I was on the cheap(ish) MTB and in my normal clothes...........

 

[youngoldbloke]

Although I'm a fair bit younger than you youngoldbloke, I had a pair of those leather soled race shoes which you had to nail the cleats into as well. Something for you here though should you wish to push the boat out. Must say I wouldn't mind a pair either; they'd look great on the Tweed Run!

Very nice! I would go for the the 'Race' version though - as I use Look cleats. Tweed Run NOT my thing, however, oh no no no .

 

[Deleted member 1258]

+1 - as a novice back in he saddle I couldn't agree more. Of course if I'd waited until I could buy the "proper" cycling clothes (And a "proper" bike) well.....................then I would probably never have got back into the saddle at all.



I actually found the OP to be very useful, and informative, should I ever decide (and have the money to) buy some lycra shorts I now have a better idea of what I'm looking for.

However, I dislike the idea that I "should" wear "proper" cycling clothes. After a couple of 6 mile rides in the last 2 weeks I managed a 22 mile one today (not in proper cycling clothes and not on a "decent" bike). But I guess there was no point in that as I was on the cheap(ish) MTB and in my normal clothes...........

All those years ago when I came back to cycling the people I saw cycling were in ordinary clothes, these days most people I see cycling are in cycle clothes, the problem with this is if people think that to cycle they need to spend a lot of money on both clothes and a bike there's a good chance they wont bother. I had a lot of fun years ago riding in ordiary clothes and riding bikes that I had either cobbled together from spare parts or brought second hand, cycling on a shoe string.

 

[youngoldbloke]

+1 - as a novice back in he saddle I couldn't agree more. Of course if I'd waited until I could buy the "proper" cycling clothes (And a "proper" bike) well.....................then I would probably never have got back into the saddle at all.



I actually found the OP to be very useful, and informative, should I ever decide (and have the money to) buy some lycra shorts I now have a better idea of what I'm looking for.

However, I dislike the idea that I "should" wear "proper" cycling clothes. After a couple of 6 mile rides in the last 2 weeks I managed a 22 mile one today (not in proper cycling clothes and not on a "decent" bike). But I guess there was no point in that as I was on the cheap(ish) MTB and in my normal clothes...........

- Don't think anyone is suggesting that you can't enjoy cycling without the 'proper' clothes or the 'proper bike', or saying that you should, and I imagine we all started by wearing whatever we had to hand. However, the more you do, you may find that, over a period of time, mainly for the reasons expressed by many above - mostly function and comfort - you begin to acquire some items of cycling kit. In which case the OP will be very helpful. (Padded shorts needn't be expensive, by the way - Decathlon are great value, for example.) However, beware! It is possible to reach a point where it is difficult to justify buying 'normal' clothing.

 

[GTTTM]

- Don't think anyone is suggesting that you can't enjoy cycling without the 'proper' clothes or the 'proper bike', or saying that you should, and I imagine we all started by wearing whatever we had to hand. However, the more you do, you may find that, over a period of time, mainly for the reasons expressed by many above - mostly function and comfort - you begin to acquire some items of cycling kit. In which case the OP will be very helpful. (Padded shorts needn't be expensive, by the way - Decathlon are great value, for example.) However, beware! It is possible to reach a point where it is difficult to justify buying 'normal' clothing.

I am more referring to some later posts asking "what the point" of cycling without the "proper" clothing is and the like

If you read my last post (or maybe the one before??) you'll see that I said that the OP was very helpful. It's some of the dismissive later posts which could put someone not as stubborn confident as me off in the first place if they felt they they shouldn't really start cycling without all the proper clothing. - I have cycling lot in the past, so knew it didn't matter, a complete novice could read opinions such as those and be put off.

Believe me - on my budget there's no risk that I won't be able to justify buying normal clothing - I've just bought myself new clothes (couple of tops and jeans) for the first time in 3yr years...................