MeagreAger

Vertically challenged, ha! Good alternative to 'short'. In the second picture, it seems they're posing for the purpose of showing their stomachs too.

MeagreAger

What's that you're wearing across the bridge of your nose? Is your septum pierced too or is that part of the upper thing?

MeagreAger

Cool hat

mstateglfr 

The same stuff as when I ride my non vintage road bikes.
I dont view the bike as the determined for how I should dress.

If I am riding with the family or riding for under 90min, ill typically wear a quick dry t-shirt, some compressions, and mtb shorts or whatever shorts I have on. Its 50/50 as to if I wear running shoes or spd cycling shoes as it usually depends on which bike I choose.
If I am riding for 90min or more its almost certainly on my own or with the your team I work with and I plan to ride hard. So some bibs and a jersey are worn because its simply more comfortable the longer and harder I ride. Spd shoes every time for these rides.

...and always a quick dry cycling cap under the helmet, usually backwards.

canklecat

I had one of those but all this bike riding keeps stealing my precious reserves of belly fat. I need to start drinking beer and eating donuts again to recover my peak C&V form.

texaspandj

HeeHee.
Looking good C-Cat.

Pugs2xLove

Wear whatever is comfortable to you. Just make sure they fit right because I sure as Hell don't want to see any plumber's crack on the trails. Seen it a few times on guys and I wouldn't want to see it on ladies either.

ofajen

I am of similar mind and would dress the same if I had a bike less than 30 years old.

Otto

Salamandrine 

Uh, yep wool jerseys. Still a good choice if it's a bit chilly when you start, but will get warm later. If you're really curious, look in some old Palo Alto Bike shop catalogs.
(scroll down for the download). Oh yeah, standard procedure was to put a sheet of newspaper under your jersey in the front if it was chilly. This was before stowable windbreakers.

80's cycling shoes for the most part looked like the ones that came before. Black leather, with a bunch of holes punched in them, and laces. By the 80s pretty much all shoes had an adjustable plastic slotted cleat. By the late 80's, as clipless was slowly but steadily taking over, things go a little wackier WRT colors and design. Last slotted cleat shoes I had were some silver leather Rivats. They were lace up, but had a velcro flap to cover the laces IIRC. New wave man.

Cycling clothes then as now were primarily meant to be functional. If you were going to ride for 3 or 4 hours +, basketball shorts are going to be pretty uncomfortable. Cycling shorts didn't chafe, and managed your sweat better. Jerseys, even wool ones, didn't flap around in the wind and slow you down, and the pockets in the back were convenient for keeping your keys, a couple bucks and some change, maybe a patch kit, and couple bananas. Shoes were always considered to be the most important clothing. There was a saying something like shoes make as much difference as a new better bike. To this day even if i'm out for a casual ride in floppy clothes, I'll still always wear cycling shoes.

steelbikeguy

it is nice and fun to have some vintage jerseys, as well as repro's of vintage jerseys. I've managed to acquire a handful of Raleigh jerseys to go with my Team and International.

These two are from the early 80's, I believe.....





this is very early 80's, as used by the SRC (Skunk River Cyclists). I wore this one day at the 2015 NAHBS, and was surprised at the folks who would pull me aside and tell me their SRC stories.


an early 70's jersey with front pockets and embroidered RALEIGH text.


and a modern reproduction, suitable for hot & humid days.


Steve in Peoria

canklecat

Soft merino wool was surprisingly comfortable even in hot humid weather. It wicks sweat well, and compared with cotton doesn't get as chilly when wet from rain and wind chill.

People differ in skin nerve receptors, which is why some folks are comfortable in wool while others find it unbearable. But merino wool is much softer than the type of wool associated with wool Army blankets, Pendleton shirts and my old Navy pea coat.

I prefer synthetics now, especially for jerseys. Much easier to care for, no worries about blocking and stretching or shrinking. No worries about critters nibbling on wool. Just as effective at wicking sweat, cooling in summer or staying warm in winter.

Detto Pietro made the classic shoe that was most common up until clipless was developed in the late 1980s. I got a pair of Dettos in the 1970s and wore 'em for years. But I wouldn't go back now unless an event ride required them. The fixed metal cleat position without float was bad for my legs even when I was in my 20s. It'd be miserable now. It's probably possible to design hard plastic cleats with some float.

Part of the problem I had back then was the misguided notion that there was one and only one proper foot position and pedaling style, regardless of individual differences in physiology. I usually ended up with shin splints, arch cramps and knee pain on longer rides. Nowadays with clipless I shove the cleats as far back as possible and I'd prefer the cleats nearly under the arch in the middle of the foot, rather than under the ball of the foot. When I ride my hybrids with flat pedals I rarely use the balls of my feet on the pedals.

And cleated shoes with toe clips and straps weren't practical for commuting. Occasionally I'd wear them to and from work, leaving the left foot strap loose. But those metal cleats were like ice skates setting a foot down on gritty mixes of sandy pebbles at intersections. I switched to sneakers for commutes.

Digger Goreman

Started out in t shirt and dockers with band around right leg.... Soaked in sweat both ways. Lycra, now, because it works!

Shoes are reinforced/steel toed, leather, work boots (usually low quarter) with good heel. Waterproofish, not too hot, and keeps me on the platform pedals.