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I live near the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and every weekend I see loads of bikers flying by headed to La Canada or the Rose Bowl and they all one thing in common, the clothing. Now my question is besides the cool water bottle holders on the back of the shirt what’s it doing for them? Keeping the heat in and the cold out? Is it like Under Armour? Is it worth giving up the cargo shorts and t-shirts?
They are made from fabric which wicks away sweat and dries quickly. So in that way, yes, cycling apparel is like UA. But, as you mentioned, shirts tend to have back pockets, which can be very helpful, as well as a few other cycling specific design features (longer in back than front, etc.). And the shorts have padding to make sitting on the saddle for long periods (or short periods) more comfortable. And then there is the aerodynamic advantage of tight-fitting clothing.
Whether you should give up your t-shirts and cargo shorts depends on how/why you ride. If you are riding for sport/fitness, investing in a kit or two might be a good idea. If you are doing long rides, at very least a good pair of shorts is probably a wise investment.
Personally, I like having clothing that I can also wear off-bike too (and I don't have the dreads to pull off the Living Colour look), so I layer bike shorts under dickies and then tend to have a more wool-centric approach to shirts/jackets/socks. Wool clothing tends to look better, work better as far as staying dry and keeping you warm/cool, and doesn't end up nearly as smelly as "technical" fabrics.
i'm in the same area, we just moved here. i trip out on how many people i see with the pro cyclist costume on
i am not from the la area, i come from ojai/ventura/santa barbara area, we'd mountain bike and bmx all around, none of us ever had this costume and never needed it. my butt got used to the seat, i've pedaled up many steep hills in many different places without any of that specialized cyclist outfit gear
maybe i'm the lamer though ;) ...board shorts, t-shirt, adidas style running jacket if it may get cold, regular old sneakers. i'm very comfortable in this type of costume and can bike all day long without issue in it
my biggest gripe is that the costume just looks lame. maybe i am vain, but the tradeoff seems pointless to me, i don't get the reason, i dry off quickly, my butt is just fine, i have passed countless pro cyclist outfit wearing people on their track bikes huffing it up the hill on my heavy knobby tired mountain bike, yeah they're aerodynamic i guess but man i zip right by them on up hills with kind of baggy-ish attire...if it was practical and there was a real reason maybe i'd succumb, just seems pointless to me and looks lame on top of it all
keep on rockin' your cargo shorts and t-shirts if it's working for you man, you don't need to dress up to get a good solid ride in, imho of course
peace to all who dress up in costume and all who do not, lets just go ride bikes!
I grew up around there. A lot of people wearing the kits are wearing them because "that is what cyclists wear" and they have the disposable income to wear that uniform.
At first i thought rbi was just being a dick, but if you scrape off the asshole tone, he has a point. which is, DO WHAT YOU WANT.
Personally, I would love to try riding in a kit, just for the experience. But I don't want to buy one, and I'm perfectly happy with the clothes I have, and they look fucking stupid.
If you can afford it, and you're really curious, get one! There's probably people reading this who can suggest a cool one, most likely containing references to beer.
lackflag responding to a comment by natefrogg
02.8.11 - 9:45 pm
im ashamed to be from the same area as natefrogg. i bet you are slow as shit. i challenge you to a race from surfers point to the towers at the top of sulphur mtn road. and no, not the backside from casitas springs.
There's so much I wanna say about how useless this thread is. Truth is you will never see the need until it arrives. Keep on riding your little bikes in your baggy rags. Eventually, you're gonna want to go farther and faster and you'll realize how inefficient you'll be in your cargo shorts.
sancho1 responding to a comment by natefrogg
02.9.11 - 10:26 am
I've never understood the desire to dress like a billboard on wheels.
I've always pretty much ridden is street clothes.
I do however appreciate, local ridazz flipping that look ... I think the first kits I saw that took it to the next level was when "Bike Swarm" did kits with Orange 20, Scoops, Bike Kitchen etc. logos on them ... that was pretty tight.
I have to admit ... getting a pair of "skinny" jeans was a revelation for me.
It was nice being able to ride without having to roll up my pant leg.
While jeans would seem to be restrictive ... they just worked well for me.
That particular pair (levis 550s) i wore so much in 2008 that my seat eventually ripped a giant hole in the ass.
Another revelation was borrowing my lady's spandex running pants for a halloween costume. Spandex keeps yer junk feeling just right!
I've purchased some simple riding clothes from Bicycle Fixation and had good luck with those.
Back when I used to ride Wolfpack ... I'd do it in Jeans ... with no problem.
Well ... WP has never been "no problem" for me.
But, I never felt that the wind resistance provided by my jeans & tee-shirt were the root cause of me not finishing with the front pack.
.................................
Lets face it.
People like to fit in.
I feel more comfortable in street clothes or street friendly bike clothes.
I think part of biking for transportation is the ability to slip back into society like everybody else that arrived in some form of motorized transport.
Biking clothes do have a practical application but I don't even consider using them unless I'm gonna ride more than 30 miles at at time.
And I just cant see myself being a billboard for somebody else's team, label, company etc. It just seems silly to me.
But then a again ... put me in a sports bar during the playoffs and I'll be the one guy not wearing a Kobe jersey.
I've seen roadblock ride wolfpack and often pull for many people dressed in full kits.
He's usually in cargos & a wind breaker (with some spandex underneath shhhh).
I've seen him do this on hard 40-60 mile rides week after week after week after week.
Always hanging with or outriding guys on fancier bikes and with more etched out garb.
Its not about what you wear or what you ride. Its about legs and heart.
All my favorite ridazz know this.
It's just a matter of wearing the proper clothes for the situation. Believe me, there is infinitely far more fashion awareness among the hipster commuter costume than the road racing set. I wear both and am very guilty of being appearance conscious. On a road bike where you're putting in 70 miles for a training ride, you need good padding (obviously), sweat wicking material, and most importantly fabric that isn't fluttering in the wind.
Street commuting you primarily need pant bottoms and laces that don't get tangles in your gears. Everything else is fashion statement or lack thereof.
As for the billboard aspect on road riding wear, in most cases that's just silly or a way to identify yourself with your riding club... La Grange, LA Wheelmen, etc. But that's really no different than the spokecards on our rear wheel.
p.s. that's a nice sounding ride, never did sulfer mountain but we'd do nordhoff high school to surfer's point and back on freestyle bikes, this was before they had that nice bike path going the entire way, this was in shorts and a t-shirt, oh well, i don't get it, i'm slow as shit, you win
natefrogg responding to a comment by ruinedbyidiots
02.9.11 - 3:30 pm
thank you trickmilla, well thought out post there, no personal attacks or being a dick to me because i think the costume is ridiculous, i am hearing what you have to say loud and clear.
i think i might actually try on and pick up a pair of these levi 550s over the weekend, i never liked the rolled up pant leg thing but it was a means to an end, the shorts are great but man, often i end up in bike and hike situations, it's nice having a bit of protection on your lower legs when you're stumbling through bramble
just checked the site you linked, the knickers are weird man, feel like i should be on a penny farthing with something like that, still far better than the spandex billboard look by far though...i think the 550s might do it for me
natefrogg responding to a comment by trickmilla
02.9.11 - 3:47 pm
Mesh basketball shorts and a wifebeater are my new outerwear of choice at polo. Just won my first major tournament with that setup. Highly recommend it, weather permitting. Both my double centuries I rode in a full 'kit' and they were cool, but they do kinda limit u to the road, and make trips to the mall or somewhere, a little awkward.
Kits are for racing, and training for those races - only. period. no exception. any time else you are just being an attention whore... "oooh, look at me, I'm a racer..."
no one cares. In fact you look stupid.
Regular people wear regular clothes when they ride their bikes.
I remember when RBI was opposed to that bullshit. But he's become a serious cyclist, shaves his legs and everything.
What Dak said. Overpriced garish clothing to ride a fucking bicycle is just retarded.
Consumerist culture is so embedded in American society it's pathetic.
If you can ride 100 miles in Lycra (BTW a product of the most conservative people hating capitalists in the country, http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer) you can ride 100 miles in jeans.
But, hey, everybody is trained to think they NEED THAT PRODUCT to survive. Fuck that. It's bullshit. You need beer, water, food, oxygen, shelter sometimes, and weather protection sometimes.
Yeah, I used to wear Lycra when I was a naive racing obsessed money burning member of consumerist culture but thankfully grew out of that phase of life years ago. I also used to spend big bucks to save 3 grams on my bicycle even though I was never a pro and never planned on being one so IT REALLY DIDN'T FUCKING MATTER AT ALL.
Well, I cycle between 6,000 and 8,000 miles a year, and padded spandex/lycra shorts are a must. Cycling jerseys (sans logos) a little less so, and I could never figure out why I should spend $10 for one pair of thin socks. I do use those 3 pockets in the back of jerseys often.
Gloves, arm warmers and tights come in handy right now too.
Other than that, I layer with cotton long sleeve shirts and micro fiber t-shirts which any thrift store is over stocked with these days.
Also, "outdoor" thin material pants are easy to find in thrift shops. I buy em baggy so I can roll up the pant legs when I get warm and wear them over the cycling shorts.
Most of my jerseys came from thrift stores, $2 to $4 each. I've even scored a few really nice cycle shorts, but make sure they are clean (!) and gently worn.
I would never ride 100 miles in jeans! Cycling shorts make it so much more enjoyable.
all the major points have been already covered. i will only mention that the cycling jerseys have a more ergonomic cut than a regular athletic top, and the rear pockets means you do not need to bring an additional bag when riding. i will also say that i used to wear cargo shorts/basketball shorts when riding and i've had my shorts get caught on the saddle (when transitioning from seated to standing, etc) and once i had the bottom of my cargo shorts catch and pull a water bottle out of the bottle cage on the seat tube. if you want a more everyday/casual look, check out offerings from cycling-specific clothing companies like swrve, etc.
I recently got some levi 511s with 1% spandex
They have a nice flex and don't get caught in my chain.
Plus they have 4 pockets I can use for various things.
I'm gonna get fuzzy iron on letters (snoopy italic) and iron on "Radio Shack" on the back side of my right leg so everybody knows what team I am down with. ;-)
ride mean. live clean.
booze culture is lame. drug culture is lame. bicycle culture is lame. the world is slowly immolating around us and this is what you bide your time with. god help us all.
wow, i can't say i've ever had those things happen...umm, i did eat shit very hard skateboarding in these ridiculously large "rave" pants like 15 years back though
swrve is a bit pricey, but they have some decent clothing, normal non douchey cyclist appearance along with practical things like wind and water resistance, thanks for turning me on to that company!
natefrogg responding to a comment by tfunk408
02.11.11 - 2:13 am
well crud, i'm kind of a dickies guy mostly, had no idea that levi would retire a cut, i'll check 511s, i do like having plenty of pockets, a tiny bit of flex might be welcome
natefrogg responding to a comment by trickmilla
02.11.11 - 2:15 am
Do what works for you Two Feet. Personally I find bike shorts way more comfortable. I only tend to wear 'em on longer or faster rides though. Bike clothes are all about function.
As far as the jerseys, same idea. I wish all shirts had three pockets in the back. They are super useful for keys, wallet, cell phone etc. Just watch out for sweat (especially in summer) wrecking electronics, money etc. Some people put important items in a zip-loc bag in the jersey pocket for that reason.
dood, its padded shorts and a jersey made with sweat wicking material
its comfortable.
it makes ur butt feel good. it keeps u dry on hot days. it has pockets in the back so u dont have to carry a backpack for ur tools and stuff.
just because someone wears lycra doesnt mean their being an attention whore. its practical for long rides.
calling someone an attention whore for wearing practical shit makes no sense.
arent that guy with the big plugs in ur ears and all the piercings on ur face? and u also ride a tall bike? someone can easily call you a little attention whore. being apart of some scene.
get over urselves.
its fucking lycra. there's a reason why generatios of cyclists have chose to wear it time and time again.
KiMS1 responding to a comment by the reverend dak
02.11.11 - 9:12 am
it seems like the people who are dead set on wearing cotton and denim 100% of the time are more snobbish than the lycra crowd. some people just care too much.
fuck your church. hail satan.
the kid asks a simple question on the benefits of lycra and all these little whiney bitches chime in blah blah blah, consumerist this, corporate logo that, selling urself out, etc etc.
fuck man, what a bunch of fucking cry babies.
if someone wants to wear a fucking quickstep kit, then so be it. its no different than some kid wearing his favorite basketball players jersey.
KiMS1 responding to a comment by ruinedbyidiots
02.11.11 - 9:36 am
its not ok to wear jerseys that have actual cycling teams and actual cycling sponsors on them when youre riding, but its ok to whore yourself out to mtv for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. it all makes sense now.
I rock the deep v's to make the ladies scream
I pull tricks with my dick sans the kit
Baggies or lycra is for the hoto's
rocking my cock just for the popo
then we all bitch and moan back and forth, me included being a whiny bitch, yeah i'll cop to that
...corporate logos? consumerism? scene? culture? mtv? pb&j? cock? beer? i don't think op cares about that stuff, i know i don't...well beer and pb&j are nice though, as well as hairy legs since i am a man.
fuck, i just want to ride my bike while combining something comfortable that doesn't look that idiotic.
things i keep in my jersey pockets during a ride: keys, cell phone, money, a tube or two, bike pump, allen multi tool, arm warmers, two or three clif bars, and a gu packet.
I get it that you like to play the angry nihilist that's above it all but....
you can't jack off to GG ALLIN records then pretend to be above "booze and drug culture"
Furthermore, I have to say ... if midnight ridazz were smurfs ... you'd be Vanity or Pretentious smurf... Ive seen the lengths you go to keep your bike looking cool, with fancy bike parts ... not to mention the effort it takes to groom that curly mane.
hahaha
then again, I can never tell if you are ever being serious because everything you say is so ridiculous. I hope none of this silly shit talking is in ernest, because you jumped the shark a loooooong time ago.
I'm just gonna assume your fucking around cause ur too smart to take that shit seriously.
see ya all tonight ... i'll be wearing some grey skinny jeans and a midnight ridazz tee
trickmilla responding to a comment by ruinedbyidiots
02.11.11 - 6:01 pm
"its no different than some kid wearing his favorite basketball players jersey. "
Which is great for a kid, retarded for anyone over the age of 16. Adults who can't seem to exist without identifying with some overpaid professional athlete or team are pathetic.
Sitting in my barcalounger is more comfortable than riding a bike. What's your point? And riding a recumbent is more comfortable than riding an upright bike, why aren't you riding a 'bent if it's all about comfort?
Ok, let's jsut say that wearing plastic is better than cotton - performance wise.
I'm just riding my bike to my friends house, WHY THE FUCK WOULD IT BE BETTER TO BE WEARING [pick your trademarked, brand-name, corporate-sponsored synthetic sports material]???
It simply is NOT.
Please explain to me why I should buy a kit, ever.
my iro was a piece of garbage. i guess the midnight ridazz crowd would think its a nice bike, or whatever. i still dont get what those pictures are supposed to tell, other than what i looked like while doing stupid shit three years ago.
yess but it looked cool
and btw/ i wasnt looking for a picture of you drinking beer in a beer shirt
i swear.
i just googled tyler / ruined by idiots / ridazz and thats what came up.
srsly.
and yes its been a minute since ive ridden with you,
have you forgone pretty bikes for ugly pieces of shit?
no matter
i'm sure you don't a fuck about what your bikes look like
they just happen to look fucking cool.
i get it
i have the same problem
trickmilla responding to a comment by ruinedbyidiots
02.11.11 - 7:51 pm
"Adults who can't seem to exist without identifying with some overpaid professional athlete or team are pathetic."
whats wrong with having heroes and someone to look up to? whats wrong with pretending to be ur favorite pro cyclist when ur riding?
like sometimes when im descending down something, ill pretend im mario cipollini or whoever. its fun dood.
its all in the name of fun.
is it wrong for someone older to have some fun?
you go into the desert and camp out and goof off with ur buds, its fun right? well im sure others will think that a 40+ year old getting shit faced with 18 year olds on a camping trip is pathetic.
but so what? it's FUN isnt it?
KiMS1 responding to a comment by toweliesbong
02.11.11 - 9:09 pm
wearing lycra is comfortable and more practical on long rides!
maybe ur comfortable with riding 100+ miles wearing jeans and tee but i guarantee you that the majority would feel more comfortable in lycra.
lycra and padded shorts have been developed SOLELY for practicality and comfort.
some guy didnt just figure oh wait dood, im gonna invent this super skin tight material for cyclists to wear just for the hell of it.
of course, if ur just going around town and doing a short ride, lycra and padded shorts arent necessary but on a long hot summer day when ur putting in 100 plus miles? would you srsly rather wear jeans, a tshirt, and a backpack instead of padded shorts and something that keeps u cool?
KiMS1 responding to a comment by toweliesbong
02.11.11 - 9:14 pm
Back in the day, when cyclist were real cyclist,
Pre Hipster era.
Those who wore street clothes and showed hairy legs were called FREDS!
In general if you happened upon a Fred during your ride,
it was best to stay clear of them as they were more likely to be
an inexperenced rider who could cause a mishap.
So if you want to look like a total Fred,
then continue to wear your Hipstergarb.
at least it is obvious where you are coming from now. You thought it was cool, being who you were back then. And realized how STUPID you actually were, and now that you have seem to have found your "niche" (for now), everything before is lame.
Don't forget that aesthetics is everything to some people. No one likes to look stupid. Most (MOST, not all) want to fit in, at least to some (some, not completely) extent. There is nothing wrong with that. But if you give shit a shit about it, you're the one being shallow about it.
those jackets are just silly, i like them in a teenager into ac/dc type of way, wouldn't wear one myself but yes they are superior in style to sponsor plastered lycra
natefrogg responding to a comment by ruinedbyidiots
02.12.11 - 11:27 am
shit ton of road rash over the years right here, it never crossed my mind about being shaven for the healing process, but i see your point, in hindsight i feel it would've been a lot easier to deal with sans the hair...
i don't plan on shaving anything but my face and/or head any time soon though
natefrogg responding to a comment by Joe Borfo
02.12.11 - 11:31 am
Actually you missed MY point. There are people that have no intent or interest in racing, training, or long distant rides. Some people just ride because riding a bike is fun. I make fun of the newbie cyclist as much as anybody, but I'm trying to help them become better riders on the street. I don't give a shit about the latest tech, its performance benefits or disadvantages of riding whatever. If everyone rode a bike, no matter how or why, it would be rad.
The real snobs are the ones that belittle anyone and anything that encroaches on their scene, which is "dead" anyway according to them.
i was young and stupid. i thought i was invincible. then i got older and wiser and realized that alcohol and diabetes dont mix. not everything is black and white.
I have and it's not that bad. Not just from cycling but from skateboarding. You shouldn't be crashing that much anyhow. I've heard all the excuses for it and there's no good reason to shave your legs except thinking that it looks good, which is just weird. How far up do you go?
now we get to the root of your sickishness: self loathing
just because your old self was "young and stupid", doesn't mean that people who do the things that you used to do are "stupid"
But hey if calling us stupid keeps you from making bad decisions about your personal health... by all means, go ahead.
I know that your an equal opportunity hater (starting with yourself) so I never take it personally... but wow, the level of self-awareness is pretty stunning.
Welll I suppose we all suffer from this... it's just not as glaring with the rest of us who haven't delved as deeply in the the arts of self-righteousness sickishness.
as for "midnight ridazz" calling anybody "fags" ... more projection i think. As you will see fags is one of the most underused insults on this forum and I'm pretty sure you are the only person that has used in in relationship to peoples' shaved legs and bicycle garb.
trickmilla responding to a comment by ruinedbyidiots
02.13.11 - 10:35 am
I love how people use silly insults such as "hipster" or "fred" to dehumanize and demean others. So we can think of people as stereotypes rather than individuals.
The funny thing is ... on board I see so much stupid name calling, on rides, I almost always see people being treated as individuals. People are held accountable for stupid actions ... everybody else just has a good time.
Well fuck it.
If guys in kits doing loops on Ballona creek path think i'm "hipster-fred" or whatever because I do my (very occasional) 15 mile ride to work in my work clothes (Jeans & a tee or collared shirt) on my only bike (a 1972 fixed gear conversion)... fuckem. If it means they will get out of my way because they are scared ... all the better.
trickmilla responding to a comment by Dedicated818
02.13.11 - 10:47 am
this thread is ridiculous. you'd think that someone kicked the shit out of an air conditioner or something.
just to clear a couple things up:
a Fred is not someone who rides in jeans or cargo shorts and a cotton t-shirt. that's just a regular bike rider. a Fred is someone who does loops on Ballona Creek Path in a Discovery Channel or Astana cycling kit. "real roadies" only wear kits from the team or club that they actually belong to -- or they will will wear a jersey without any team markings. also, "real roadies" don't do loops on Ballona Creek. they do loops on Topanga Canyon, Palos Verdes, Glendora Mountain Range, Angeles Crest and sometimes Mandeville Canyon if they just want a quick easy workout.
funny enough, anyone who calls themselves a Fred is not really a Fred (just like that whole "you're not a hipster if you call yourself a hipster" thing) unless you're a triathlete. all triathletes are Freds by default.
as far as the billboard thing goes, the lycra set don't mind being billboards for whatever sponsor logos are on their jerseys -- assuming they actually belong to the club on the jersey. in fact, in most cases they paid some hard-earned cash to be able to adorn those logos (annual club dues plus the cost of the kit).
additionally, it's common for the team's sponsors give team members "the hook up" (i.e. a whopping 10% off retailprice!) in exchange for the wonderful advertising opportunity of having their logo emblazened on someone's spandex-clad ass. i know a guy who was in a club and Peet's Coffee was one of their sponsors. he would keep his jersey in the glove box of his Prius so he could throw it on whenever he stopped at Peet's and he would only have to pay $3.50 for his medium nonfat soy chai mochaccino. i mean -- how cool is that???
oh and on the subject of leg-shaving... there is a very good reason cyclists shave their legs and it's the same reason why some of you posted that you'd rather not show up to the mall in a tight-fitting spandex uniform with neon sponsor logos all over your butt.
on the other hand, if you're worried about fitting in then GET A CAR!
speaking of butts, to those of you who think that a long ride is uncomfortable without a chamois (butt-padding) and moisture-wicking material, i say harden the fuck up. in the same respect, to those of you who are too embarrassed to walk around a mall in spandex shorts i say harden the fuck up. besides, what the fuck are you doing in a mall if you don't agree with the capitalist/consumerist concept of a cycling jersey with sponsor logos? dude... you're in a mall.
I like how you took the time to write paragraphs, but didn't capitalize anything. I did a loop today on Ballona creek in some shorts and a t-shirt, what are you trying to say? I was like "fuck it, I want to ride my bike right now". I have some well-worn Sidi Genius shoes so everyone knew I was legit. I'm sorry though I need that chamois after about 40 miles. Your junk must be harder than mine. I wouldn't walk around the mall in my kit just like I wouldn't wear my karate outfit outside the dojo. I wouldn't walk around the mall anyway, fuck the mall. We should all just ride bikes... I stopped taking this forum serious in about 2008.
Velocipede responding to a comment by onethirtynine
02.13.11 - 5:38 pm
"In terms of postmodernity, consumer culture has been seen as predicated on 'the "narcissism of small differences"...to achieve a superficial sense of one's own uniqueness, an ersatz sense of otherness which is only a mask for an underlying uniformity and sameness'[7]."
trickmilla responding to a comment by Sigmund Freud
02.14.11 - 6:38 pm
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Ridazz Roulette!
I live near the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and every weekend I see loads of bikers flying by headed to La Canada or the Rose Bowl and they all one thing in common, the clothing. Now my question is besides the cool water bottle holders on the back of the shirt what’s it doing for them? Keeping the heat in and the cold out? Is it like Under Armour? Is it worth giving up the cargo shorts and t-shirts? 
