burnthesheep

It doesn't bother me because:

1. People watch American football with dudes in spandex pants slapping each other on the bottom and reaching their hands between the guy's legs.

2. Guys and girls wear what are essentially panty hose as pants these days. So tight you can make out a female's vulva from 30 yards away. Gasp if you must, but don't you look at car accidents or fires? Cause you know they're going to do some yoga in the middle of the grocery store aisle.

3. Once you've snagged shorts on a saddle or part of the bike, you'll wish you weren't covering your bike shorts up.

4. Bike shirts are soooooo handy and good at what they're designed for. They hold your food, a hand pump/spare, a wallet, wick away sweat better..........etc.

5. Cause more aero.

livedarklions

Surak--I just hope your grasp of reality is a bit better than your ability to describe a thread.

If the comparison is between "flapping clothing" and aero kit, there would obviously be a bigger difference than there would be if the comparison was between aero kit and what I wear, which is a relatively snug t shirt and cargo pants.

Yes, I understand that my claims are "unverifiable" but so are pretty much everyone else's on this forum. I don't lie, but I really don't care whether you choose to believe me. But you know what else is unverifiable? A pro's claim that X factor caused his victory, and there's plenty of reason to be skeptical of the pro's motivations in saying so.

caloso

Pro cycling's dirty little secret: pros are only wearing cycling kit because they're being paid!

HarborBandS

Yes, the rear pockets. They're a HUGE convenience, though I often get a cramp in my neck trying to reach for something back there on really long rides.

rumrunn6

riding more will help you adjust to perceived discomfort. 10 miles is an ideal commuting distance. if you drive now, you can stock supplies with your car & try a bike commute once. also try it on a quiet Sunday morning. a nice 20 mile round-tripper. check out the bike commuting subforum for strategies to deal with cleanup & changing, etc. such as a shower before you leave home & doing a complete strip down, washcloth wipedown & dressing in fresh clothes. I put up a list here

Illgot

I quicky got over how silly I looked when it was 109 degrees with 90% humidity and my regular shorts kept pinching my manhood.

I never wore a wicking jersey or sportswear before bike shirt/shorts and was amazed at how cool/dry it felt when the wind hit me.

wipekitty

Once upon a time, I refused to wear bike-specific clothing. Even did a century in "normal" clothes.

Then, padded shorts happened - under other clothes, of course. It was much more comfortable and put an end to various problems. Next, I got tired of carrying a bag around and got a jersey with pockets. I already felt like a dork in the jersey, so stopped wearing anything over the shorts. Eventually, I found tighter jerseys and bibs more comfortable and decided that bright colors were probably a hot idea.

Somewhere along the line, I just stopped caring. Now, I have no problem wearing bike kit in the grocery store or walking into work. The stuff is comfortable and practical, especially in non-ideal weather conditions. At this point in my life I'm too old to be cool, anyway.

02Giant 

If the dude wants to ride in his underwear, who are we to judge...

Cyclist753

..

KraneXL

You ever hear of "eye candy?" Well the reverse also exists. Answer: because we're the ones that have to see him.

zjrog

For the OP. Years ago,I resisted wearing cycling shorts. But a 50 mile ride without padding changed my mind. I was in pretty decent shape at the time, but I wasn't super comfortable in my skin, so to speak. After a month, I wasn't even thinking about it. Before the cycling shorts, I was running in unpadded compression shorts. And for some reason, that didn't bother me... Odd, I know. Took a couple more years to switch to a jersey... The pockets are great, but being able to unzip the front when getting hot is killer!!!

Fast forward 20 years or so... After 15 years off a bike, I had a knee replaced and decided to get back in shape. The bike was my choice, and after losing a few pounds I ordered some shorts, for my hour plus on the bike on a trainer. When the weather warmed, I didn't even think about the shorts when I started riding outside again. Had that pair cut off me a few months later when I crashed bad...

I won't bore you with that recovery and such. I gained a LOT of weight. Last year I had weight loss surgery. I'm down 110 pounds form that, and 132 from my heaviest. And I thought nothing of bike shorts. At first. I think I need a better padding... As my posterior has lost all of the excess and then some. Basically, I wear the shorts away from the bike as I need to, and just don't even think about it. Actually, I look a lot better in kit now than I would have a year ago!

Last week, I stopped at a convenience store after a ride. A little old lady, prim and proper, whispered to me, that I shouldn't be wearing such obscene shorts in public... I whispered back, "you shouldn't be looking!" And winked at her... My inner fat guy was jumping up and down... But my grin was stuck on my face for hours... Best compliment ever for a guy at 246 pounds...

SpinClassSara

I take spin class three times a week, for about 8 years now. I always wore padded shorts and have gotten many pairs free or used online. I would never want to ride without them.

TimothyH

I would never buy used cycling shorts.


-Tim-

Milton Keynes

But make sure you stick it down the front.

caloso

Are there threads on scubaforums.net where people post about not wanting to wear a wetsuit lest people think they look like scuba divers?

Loose Chain

Yes.

pickettt

I don’t know where that comment came from, but I wholeheartedly agree.

one4smoke

Haha...

one4smoke

Don't want to mistake sides!

Loose Chain

Used bicycle shorts! I will pass on that.

I hate padded shorts.

And the OP is not getting over wearing cycling shorts, he is trying to get over wearing underwear as an outerwear!

I would have a hard time getting over that too. Clothing etiquette you have to admit is a bit weird anyway. What passes as appropriate in one place is not in another. But generally speaking, perhaps some exceptions, underwear is generally not appropriate as outerwear.

dkatz1

When I took up riding, there was NO way I was going to wear cycling shorts. Couldn't understand why anybody did. Or: tights in the winter...I rode in street cloths..ugh. I broke down first in winter. Wearing jeans, I sweat, the wind blows through you chills you....tried a pair of tights and it was remarkable how much better I felt.
So when it got warm again, I bought my first pair of cycling shorts....left my house, and by the time I was about half a block away had to ask myself: why didn't I do this a long time ago? SO much more comfortable in so many ways (but not much fun when you're NOT on a bike).

KraneXL

Its only weird when its out of place. Imagine football players wearing suits during a game on the field. Now imagine them wearing their play uniforms at an after game victory celebration. During the activity, the uniform of the sport is not only aprpr8iate but expected.

On the other hand, I wouldn't wear biking shorts to go out away from the activity. Although women do now wear leggings as street wear so times can change.

livedarklions

Wrong analogy--this is general cycling. Better analogy would be people on a swimming forum telling people they need to wear a wetsuit to do laps in a pool.

You can prove anything you want using analogies.

livedarklions

I assume that's addressed to me, and I didn't say that. I said that "you should wear x while you commute because pros wear x" is a stupid argument. One of the reasons is that pros do make some choices based on getting paid, so when they say "x is important" as opposed to "y is important", you really don't know their motivations. That's not saying that kit isn't important to them, just that they have a financial incentive to make the kit seem more important than it is.

The other rather obvious reason is that the kit and equipment needs of a racer have about as much to do with those of a commuter as a Formula 500 car has to do with an SUV.

I also just rode 200+ miles in 2 days wearing cargo shorts and briefs, so I just feel a need to push back against the "serious riders all wear X" nonsense I see on these forums every day.

Try them and if they work for you, great! If they don't really seem like they bestow any benefit, though, you shouldn't feel a need to wear them because people tell you they're a necessity. Most people who bike have never worn cycling shorts ever.

TimothyH

People need to get over themselves, not shorts.



-Tim-