BroadSTPhilly

Analogy fail. Key Difference: driving = nonphysical activity, biking = physical activity. Therefore it is often impractical for people to cycle to work in clothes that they will work in and could drive in. I have to wear something different to ride to work than I wear at work. So sometimes I wear cycling specific gear because it is comfortable and is well suited to cycling. I am not going to wear jeans and a t-shirt to ride my bike because I don't see any reason to be uncomfortable on purpose.

noteon 

"Normal clothes riding" will never be popular when the distance is more than a few miles.

highroller

dont need to dress like you are in a cycle race to commute no matter how long the distance.

zeytoun

(disclaimer: the following does not apply to anyone who wears lycra or street clothes of any kind, for reasons of comfort, performance, practicality, etc etc)

The issue is not lycra or fancy jeans per se. Not everyone who wears a full kit is doing it for image control. There are practical benefits to lycra. I am miserable on long hilly rides in the Summer in anything but bike shorts. And there are practical benefits for choosing casual bike specific clothing. I don't like wearing bike shorts on easy rides to social events, but cuffs get caught in the chain. I roll my pant legs up and incorporate it into my style.

But as Thoreau noted, "Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes."

The idea of "normal clothes riding" becoming more common as bikes are more accepted as transportation is simply not true. It's not exclusive to bicycling. It's American poseur culture. It happened in Japan post WWII, and it's happening here now. It's a product of homogenized suburban life, which sends many humans into an identity crisis of sorts. This craving for meaning and individuality, in the face of the mundane, is funneled into one of many subgenres, such as punk, goth, hipster, cyclist, vampyre, neo-pagan, etc. etc. As long as this need to self-label into an exclusive small group, in search of identity, and by means of appearance exists, there will be cyclists who ride full kit for the sake of image, and cyclists who ride fixed gear in tight jeans, for the sake of image.

caloso

My taint says otherwise. Maybe it's more sensitive than most, but I doubt it.

noteon 

It depends on what you mean by that.

If you mean I don't need company logos and colored panels plastered all over my body, sure.

If you mean I don't need the cycling shorts and jersey, you were misinformed.

DataJunkie

Dang it!
Does that mean I can't wear a nascar fire suit while driving my car? Man. Y'all are so picky. We really need a rule book to make everyone happy.

Rules:
1) You can't wear lycra while riding a bike to work
2) Wearing normal clothes is also bad.
3) Thus, you may only ride to work in a suit, tux, or swimwear.
4) You must move closer to work.
5) All riders in an area with weather not conducive to cycling must move or drive a car.

bikecopXXX

allow me to clarify. by normal clothes, i mean normal-looking, as in no gaudy TEAM-issue racer wear. I am fully aware that cotton jeans etc. do not work for commuting. I must have wicking, wind-blocking type fabrics. no argument. My issue is with people needing to look racey.

if bikes are serious commuting vehicles, then no racer wear is needed. just like commuting in a car.

better?

zeytoun

I really think that a lot of this is really insecurity about ourselves, expressed outwardly.

The newbie Fred wearing expensive full kit, and going super slow? Why hate him/her? It's their own money they spent, and you can pass them.

The emo kid with tight jeans and over-dyed hair? Why hate him/her? You're more comfortable being and acting as you are, so keep riding.

The fast roadie that left you in the dust on that huge climb, wearing lycra and riding on carbon fiber? If you're not jealous, then just keep pedaling.

That hipster wearing vintage wingtips and pedaling down the road? Maybe he really does have an in depth understanding of existentialist literature, and his band actually sounds really good. You don't know.

We have a hard time getting over other people and how they look, because we've bought into the labels. We craft imaginary behaviors for these people, and pretend to judge them on those (that roadie is a rich snob, that hipster drinks overpriced PBR and is a pseudo-intellectual). But really, we're judging them on how they look... And when it ruffles our feathers, it shows what we fear about ourselves. We fear becoming a poseur ourselves, so we have to condemn it in its hypothetical manifestation in others.

Just ride and let ride.

caloso

Okay, but my wife is going to complain when the package of generic jerseys and shorts arrives from Nashbar. She's going to say "Why did you buy all those bike clothes when you have a whole drawer full of team kit?"

And I'll say "Well, some guy on the internet says I look lame if I wear team kit on my ride to work."

noteon 

I have a more pragmatic theory. A lot of this is really sheer boredom at our jobs, expressed sneakily.

zeytoun

Individual style is completely unnecessary for survival. We ought to all switch to plain, uniform clothing. I'm guessing you already have?

Seriously, stop pretending that we don't each like to exhibit our personal style. I have a funny moustache, and wear fedoras and argyle socks. Some people like "racer" jerseys. Some people like t-shirts and jeans. It's all vanity, but so what?

zeytoun

Oh, you're right, I'm sure.

Obsession with what the other earthlings are doing is universal. (I'm here commenting too)

(I was referring more narrowly to the condemnation of others for their style choices)

MNBikeguy

In 134 posts, not ONE person has mentioned bent riders.

We all know those lazy good for nothings have beards and are either professors or engineers.

It's part of their club. They got their own secret handshake and stuff....

P.S. (Is my sarcas-o-meter turned on??)

lil brown bat

So what the hell, now we have to spend $360 for a pair of jeans, just so we won't look like we're wearing cycling-specific clothes and thereby pop certain people's insecurity breakers. And the thread comes full circle.

As one of my favorite beer commercials said, "Duh-umb."

bikecopXXX

yes pretty much, except for reflective bits. I do have a style. it's just not racer style. why pretend. i'm slow and i know it.

DataJunkie

I have a theory. You over analyze.
Are you a psych major or professional in said field? Your posts do actually make sense.

DataJunkie

Repeat after me for any monitoring.

I love my job.
My CEO is swell.
I love my job.
My CEO is swell.
I love my job.
My CEO is swell.
I love my job.
My CEO is swell.
I love my job.
My CEO is swell.
I love my job.
My CEO is swell.
I love my job.
My CEO is swell.
I love my job.
My CEO is swell.

CCrew

You can't get Jabba the Hut in a kit. Burlap bag- maybe.

squirtdad

+!

Dheorl

I never get what the thing is with normal clothes and cycling. I've done some pretty hefty rides and have never owned a single piece of cycle clothing (may change soon... will just have to wait and see) and never had any comfort problems.

Mind you, I did all those rides with flat bars as well which everyone *****es and moans about and the only problem I had with comfort was that I have rubbish grips and occasionally forgot to wear gloves.

tjspiel

I used to ride everywhere in regular clothes too. It's not like I was ever in excruciating pain or anything. Now I find I'm more comfortable in cycling clothes (at least shorts) when riding longer distances.

tjspiel

1. Wearing NY Giants football jersey while cycling - fine
2. Wearing Boston Celtics Basketball shorts while cycling - not real attractive but also fine
3. Wearing any cycling team jersey while cycling - not fine

Huh?

I'm assuming that wearing a NY Giants football jersey while playing a pickup football game is also OK. Shouldn't it be OK to wear a cycling team jersey while cycling?

I don't own a football jersey (anymore) or a real cycling jersey but I don't see what the problem is.

See Sig. FWIW I was afraid the lycra wars had taken a winter break.

lil brown bat

So where exactly is the over-analysis? The whole comment was pointing out how you don't know jack about someone based on appearance. How is that over-analysis? Seems like the opposite to me.

DataJunkie

Just because you can do something a certain way doesn't mean a better or at least a different method exists.
Cycling clothing has been around for quite sometime for very good reasons.