Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Your choice of cycling attire is lycra?

Always
155
60%
Mostly
61
24%
Sometimes
23
9%
Never
19
7%
Would if I could
1
0%
 
Total votes: 259
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Aushiker
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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby Aushiker » Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:02 pm

il padrone wrote:It would not surprise me if GE came out with a merino-blend for their knicks too.
Looks like they have, well for winter anyway.

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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby il padrone » Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:03 pm

Ohh, disappointingly low % of merino. I have some Rapha items that are 100% merino (lovely road socks and a retro road jersey) and they are wickedly soft on the skin to wear :twisted:
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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby RonK » Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:48 pm

Aushiker wrote:Merino bike shorts ... think I will pass :)
I dunno about merino, but cycling shorts (and jerseys) were definitely wool when I started my cycling career - with a real chamois insert too. They were bloody uncomfortable and got clammy and saggy in Darwin's tropical humidity, but were still better than anything else to sit on my old Brooks bumsplitter.
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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby human909 » Wed Jan 16, 2013 6:59 pm

il padrone wrote:Ohh, disappointingly low % of merino. I have some Rapha items that are 100% merino (lovely road socks and a retro road jersey) and they are wickedly soft on the skin to wear :twisted:
I've been meaning to get some merino cycling nicks. I love merino. :D

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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby Lukeyboy » Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:13 pm

il padrone wrote:Ohh, disappointingly low % of merino. I have some Rapha items that are 100% merino (lovely road socks and a retro road jersey) and they are wickedly soft on the skin to wear :twisted:
Rapha socks... love em to death! :D

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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby elStado » Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:41 pm

Aushiker wrote:BTW those Ground Effect ones have Lycra in them :)
No they don't. They have 'lycra' (aka spandex), not 'Lycra (R)'. I've checked..
Ground Effect wrote:We get our Hyperactive fabric manufactured in Italy, and our Intercool in Auckland. The same Auckland mill also makes our nylon-lycra. I use a small 'l' in Lycra because we don't actually use "Lycra", but use the term lycra as a generic way of describing stretch-knit fabric. 'Nylon-elastane' is unlikely to mean much to most of our audience.
...and the factory that produces the HyperActive fabric has Bluesign accreditation too.
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il padrone
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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby il padrone » Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:06 pm

I have been led to believe that lycra and spandex are the same fabric essentially :? Just different names in different regions of the world.
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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby elStado » Thu Jan 17, 2013 12:15 am

il padrone wrote:I have been led to believe that lycra and spandex are the same fabric essentially :? Just different names in different regions of the world.
You've been led correctly. "Lycra" is nothing but a brand name to describe nylon-elastane type fabric.
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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby Aushiker » Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:50 am

il padrone wrote:I have been led to believe that lycra and spandex are the same fabric essentially :? Just different names in different regions of the world.
That is what Wikipedia seems to suggest ...

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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby kb » Fri Jan 18, 2013 7:25 am

I vote for sidestepping the whole issue. Let's have more WNBR days. That will encourage everyone to cycle ;-)

I think the crossover point to cycle-specific clothing for me is between 5-10km. Funny thing, I don't care what I wear on the tourer or CAAD10 but did feel group pressure to go road pedals rather than SPDs or flats!
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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby njc » Fri Jan 18, 2013 11:16 am

Nobody wrote:
warthog1 wrote:
Mrfenejeans wrote:I never considered "Not wearing" lycra as an option :P
It's not.
It is.

Plenty of people wear plain clothing that don't have to be the fastest.
Do not you want to show off all your curves and freshly shaven legs? :wink:

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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby schroeds » Fri Jan 18, 2013 6:24 pm

Hey if you've got it, flaunt it I say.

And if you haven't got it, still flaunt it ... coz then you might make me look like I've actually got it :D
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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby boss » Fri Jan 18, 2013 6:29 pm

I rode home in shorts and boxer briefs and it was horrible. And it was only 6km.

It was also into a stiff headwind which made for a very frustrating ride.

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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby il padrone » Fri Jan 18, 2013 6:34 pm

boss wrote:I rode home in shorts and boxer briefs and it was horrible. And it was only 6km.
Shorts a la stubbies or shorts a la knee length? Riding to work in summer (>25C) I wear knee-length shorts with few problems.

Boxer briefs? I'll leave them for the boxers. Jocks all the way, and again no problems on my 10km commute. Maybe the leather saddle helps there ??
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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby Mulger bill » Fri Jan 18, 2013 7:56 pm

il padrone wrote:
boss wrote:I rode home in shorts and boxer briefs and it was horrible. And it was only 6km.
Shorts a la stubbies or shorts a la knee length? Riding to work in summer (>25C) I wear knee-length shorts with few problems.

Boxer briefs? I'll leave them for the boxers. Jocks all the way, and again no problems on my 10km commute. Maybe the leather saddle helps there ??
Total agreement.
Never wear boxers. Sooner or later, one of the lads will shift position when standing and when you sit down again, you'll find out the hard way that it shifted into a position between your thigh and the saddle. Ask me how I know... :shock:

Leather saddle is also one of the great gifts.
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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby outnabike » Fri Jan 18, 2013 9:01 pm

That's good info guys, just as an aside, how long would you say it takes to break in a new leather saddle? I have been thinking of getting one as it is all we ever used to own as kids.
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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby Aushiker » Fri Jan 18, 2013 9:29 pm

Trained and rode tonight in my bib shorts and cycling jersey ... such a thrill :)

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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby il padrone » Fri Jan 18, 2013 9:44 pm

outnabike wrote:just as an aside, how long would you say it takes to break in a new leather saddle?
If you're lucky (and many people are) the saddle should be the right shape and comfy, if hard, from day one. Generally you can expect 1000-1200kms to get it well broken in, but you can also buy pre-aged saddles now that are pretty right from the start.

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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby boss » Fri Jan 18, 2013 11:10 pm

il padrone wrote:
boss wrote:I rode home in shorts and boxer briefs and it was horrible. And it was only 6km.
Shorts a la stubbies or shorts a la knee length? Riding to work in summer (>25C) I wear knee-length shorts with few problems.

Boxer briefs? I'll leave them for the boxers. Jocks all the way, and again no problems on my 10km commute. Maybe the leather saddle helps there ??
Shorts were slim fitting chino style.

Boxer briefs...They are tight fitting shorts. Not baggy and silky or whatever.

I'll just wear Lycra under my shorts,

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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby Metor » Sat Jan 19, 2013 2:34 pm

I always wear lycra on bike rides. Without is not an option for me...
No boxers, no shorts over it. Just lycra bib and jersey (and more if it gets colder :wink: )

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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby munga » Sat Jan 19, 2013 3:23 pm

so, generally:
people who view a bicycle primarily as sports equipment are pro-lycra,
people who view a bicycle primarily as transportation are lycra-neutral,
and people who don't ride a bicycle are anti-lycra.

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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby DavidS » Sat Jan 19, 2013 4:27 pm

il padrone wrote:
boss wrote:I rode home in shorts and boxer briefs and it was horrible. And it was only 6km.
Shorts a la stubbies or shorts a la knee length? Riding to work in summer (>25C) I wear knee-length shorts with few problems.

Boxer briefs? I'll leave them for the boxers. Jocks all the way, and again no problems on my 10km commute. Maybe the leather saddle helps there ??
I ride 18km to work and 20KM home, shorts all year round and jocks. No problems with my original saddle (just the standard Giant CRX saddle with some gel padding) and now no problems with the brooks B17. Only wear boxers to bed.

My Brooks didn't need breaking in, comfy from day 1 except that I couldn't get the adjustment right because of the short rails, fixed that with a better seat post.

Munga, I suppose I am lycra neutral. I consider lycra to be a fashion crime but I can see the practicality of it and also take the view that if people want to commit fashion crimes they are well within their rights to do so. That said, lycra is a practical and not fashion item, so what it looks like is actually not part of the design brief. I have now bought one cycling jersey and will get a few more, but lycra shorts will never grace my bike, each to their own.

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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby elantra » Sat Jan 19, 2013 4:33 pm

I just wish that Lycra pants came in more colours.
Black is not very flattering.
More colour = more visible = more safe

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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby elStado » Sat Jan 19, 2013 4:36 pm

DavidS wrote: Munga, I suppose I am lycra neutral. I consider lycra to be a fashion crime but I can see the practicality of it and also take the view that if people want to commit fashion crimes they are well within their rights to do so. That said, lycra is a practical and not fashion item, so what it looks like is actually not part of the design brief. I have now bought one cycling jersey and will get a few more, but lycra shorts will never grace my bike, each to their own.

DS
It really depends on one's body 'shape' and proportions. I've seen a few people around Perth who look really good in cycling kit; fit, strong, athletic and pro. Seeing some of these cyclists actually makes me want to get a roadie and wear kit as well some days. Wearing looser fitting civvies/touring kit and riding a heavy, slow touring bike everywhere is all well and good but does get annoying sometimes.

However I've also seen more than enough MAPILs (middle aged people in lycra) with big bellys/phat behinds wearing tight cycle kit and I find it pretty gross.
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Re: Show of hands - who cycles in lycra?

Postby munga » Sat Jan 19, 2013 6:20 pm

elantra wrote:I just wish that Lycra pants came in more colours.
Black is not very flattering.
More colour = more visible = more safe
pro team bib knicks come in heaps of colours - shorts/pants, not so common.

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