a random thought

[scubadude]

Markh said:

well thats my point, these seem to be normal people out for a ride, and did not feel the need for idiotic dress code like in the UK, the UK is so style over subsatnce, "do I look good, I am a serious athlete" are you bks!, your an idiot with too much cash!, cycling is the new golf

You don't own a burger cafe in London and drive a black disco do you?

[yellowjack]

ewenm said:

I don't get why cycle-criticism nearly always includes the clothing people on bikes choose to wear. Are people intimidated by others wearing lycra? I'm pretty sure many cyclists are aware they don't look brilliant in lycra, but as it's the best tool for the job they use it anyway - are the critics envious of this decision to disregard the appearance for functionality?

For the OP - when I cycle to collect my daughter from pre-school I don't wear any lycra. What you're seeing in France (and would see even more in the Netherlands) is people using bikes as transport rather than as a hobby/recreation/sport. It's the same in the UK.

I still don't get why people seem to care SO MUCH about what others choose to wear though.

This is the truth. I'm under no illusion that I look good in my Lycra®. Having a wife and kids more than willing to openly mock me before I leave the house sees to that

When I was a teenager, my road biking was done in running shorts and a T-shirt. It was better than jeans and a sweater, but not brilliant. Then, when I got back into road biking in my late twenties, I wore mostly running gear again. No padded shorts, and jackets without a long 'tail'. Again, better than 'normal' clothes, but not ideal. Later, in my late thirties, I was given a few pieces of Lycra® kit by a new riding buddy, tops that she'd long stopped wearing after buying more 'female specific' jerseys. Having found it better for riding in, I bought a few cheap bits from Aldi/Lidl, and eventually moved up to some decent kit. I wish now that I'd bought good quality Lycra® stuff from the very start. It's better designed, better made, and more comfortable as a result. Even now, having lost a bit of weight over the last year, I'm not kidding myself that it's a "good look". Hell, even the pros can look a bit daft in it. It just works, so I wear it. To hell with anyone else's opinion. There's nothing you can say, no comment that you can make, that I haven't already thought myself upon looking in the mirror...

[S10GTA]

Markh said:

I am spending some time in France, Nice, Cannes, Paris etc,plenty of cyclists enjoying the roads, going to and from work, for pleasure, exercise, etc, and an obersvation must be made in comparison to home, so few of them need to find the need to dress up in silly clothes, no lycra, no camera's just enjoying the road. why oh why do the British feel the need have 'all the gear' seems a very sad inditiment on our national identity

Why does it matter to you what people wear?

Does it bother you that blokes go to the football on a Saturday wearing their teams football shirt?

[SixPotBelly]

OP, why does it irk you so that others have an athletic pursuit?

It should irk us UK tax payers that people who've led sedentary lives cost the NHS so much every year. They're the sadder inditiment (sic) of the state of the nation.

[Black can man]

scubadude said:

Markh said:

well thats my point, these seem to be normal people out for a ride, and did not feel the need for idiotic dress code like in the UK, the UK is so style over subsatnce, "do I look good, I am a serious athlete" are you bks!, your an idiot with too much cash!, cycling is the new golf

You don't own a burger cafe in London and drive a black disco do you?

[S10GTA]

Actually, this thread has really fked me off. What does it matter if someone is wearing lycra. If you actually got off your ass and made an effort to do any exercise you'd realise that doing it in jeans and a t-shirt makes it a pretty unpleasant experience.

Do you swim in jeans? No, you wear swimming trunks or shorts.

Do you go for a jog in loafers? No, you wear trainers.

Do you play tennis with a cricket bat? No, you use a tennis racket.

You use or wear the most suitable equipment for the job.

We know full well we look ridiculous, but I'd rather look ridiculous and enjoy the sport I've chosen to take part in than not take part in it at all.

Now fk off.

[Fugazi]

S10GTA said:

Now fk off.

[neilr]

Its interesting isnt it. Cyclists have worn similar variations of what we know as cycling clothing for serious riding since the late 19th century. I find it really odd that despite many many sports and leisure pursuits that have clothing specific to them, only cycling gets real vitriol for it. When you think about it, that's pretty odd.

Also, by and large, people who wear lycra to cycle (myself included) don't care if people choose not to. But people who choose not to cycle in it seem to really care about "I'll never wear lycra" etc. Ive come across that attitude a few times from pretty keen cyclists too. Even to the point of dropping it into converstation "I just dont want to look like w*&ker" type comments. Pretty weird if you ask me as I don't care at all what they wear.