WTF with all the fancy pants bike clothes?

[Spats]

PSA: most people don't get to spend much time riding, and a lot of them have more money than time (career, probably family). Thus, they spend most of their time on MTBR talking about gear and what they would be riding if they actually got to ride more than once every few weeks. The increasing price range is just a consequence of the older generation actually having careers and money.

As for myself, I've ridden in hockey practice jerseys for years now. They're far superior to anything else in hot weather because they flow more air. As a bonus, they cost under $20:

http://www.gnolls.org/136/the-best-h...tice-jersey-2/

Second place goes to cheap button-down rayon Hawaiian shirts.

For shorts I've used Brooks Rogue Runners for years. Extremely lightweight, lined, and have pockets for when you're off the bike. Not cheap, but not spendy either:
http://www.amazon.com/Brooks-Rogue-R...g=gnollsorg-20

(No, I don't like padded shorts. I'd rather have the padding on my seat so I can wear lightweight shorts and not get sweaty butt funk.)

[Pegleg]

As for myself, I've ridden in hockey practice jerseys for years now. They're far superior to anything else in hot weather because they flow more air. As a bonus, they cost under $20

That's fucking genius. Though I've gotten my last couple of biking jerseys for around $30 from SAC, not bad for pretty nice 3/4 sleeve freeride jerseys that usually last me 3-4 seasons.

[Name Redacted]

I get up a few mornings a week and ride around a 3 mile loop with the dog super early. I'm usually wearing a pair of Champion b-ball shorts and a dirty cotton t shirt from the hamper. I feel sorry for anyone I pass, but I rarely see anyone. For actual rides, I upgrade to a cleaner tshirt, sometimes it's even a ten year old TNF poly (that also stinks) and whatever shorts I can find. If I'm really getting serious, I have a pair of bike shorts that have an ass pad built in. But then it feels like I'm wearing a diaper.

[54-46]

Yeah - wear whatever makes you comfortable. Shorts last about 3-5 years unless I crash, and I've had some Castelli jerseys for about 12-15 years. I won't pay stupid prices for Assos or Rapha, but if that's how someone wants to roll, fine by me...

[iscariot]

Biking is the new golf.


And like golf, everything is now ridiculously over priced for what it actually is.

[Roxtar]

We spend our money on what's important to us, whether it's Ferraris or Bronsons.
Saying Performance shorts are the same as Assos is as stupid as saying a Chevy is the same as a Porsche. Putting someone down for buying the higher priced option is just as stupid.
As Ferris Bueller said, "If you have the means, I highly recommend it."

[Shredhead]

Putting someone down for buying the higher priced option is just as stupid.
As Ferris Bueller said, "If you have the means, I highly recommend it."

I enjoy good gear. But I ride everyday and I normally don't take the time to properly launder it.
Right now I just wear sweats under gortex shells. When it gets sub 0, I'll break out the good stuff.

[Shadam]

back in a previous life I road biked alot ...

but I couldn't get over the jersy thing. $140 for a 7-11 jursey that some drugy wore while winning the tour-de-farce !!! fark rite off !!! you'd have to pay me to wear it with all its skittle colors n shit ...

be farked if I'm gunna pay to advertise your logo's ... they should pay me !!!

shit it was hard to find gear that fit well and didnt have the skittles look, and without a price that made me sick!

but everyweekend there would be all these guys with "the kit" $8g bike, god knows how much for the rest of their kit. shit it was fun riding around thier group beaking at them for being 4 wide swerving and taking up the whole road, oblivious to other road users and then ride away from them. always a few would try to hold my wheel but alota crazy would shake them.

money doesn't make up for that beer gut !!! ... fark that pissed a few off ...

[WaistDeepGroomers]

Tanktops and jorts. Only way to go when the temps are right

[markcjr]

for road biking, tank top, board shorts, flip flops and a bowl and a couple beers, no helmet. Thats how I spent my first year in truckee on a $35 motobecane from the thrift store. Head up old 40, grab a few brewskis at the interchange, and ride back home! not neccesarily smart, but fun at 23 years old, especially smokin old doods on the climb up.

[Shredhead]

It was 39, pouring rain and blowing hard this morning. Good day to have nice rain gear, even if it was caked with mud by the end.

[creaky fossil]

that first longish ride wearing underwear & casual shorts, and getting chafed to hell by the underwear, that made a good argument for lycra/chamois, no matter what Grant Peterson tries to tell you the equivalent of cotton boxers and khaki pants won't your best choice unless the bike isn't getting ridden for long

if you ride from home you don't have to worry about chamois loitering, package display, etc

roadie jerseys are nice if you're riding in the wind and a lot of road riding is in the wind, you can find ones w/o any logo at all

don't know why the layers after need to be cycling specific though, unless you have a uniform quirk

[Roxtar]

Yesterday in Los Alamos. 37* w/ 25-35mph wind.
Six of us on a trail ride in the canyons. Those of us with good clothing, ie, good chamois, windproof tights, gore-tex (or similar) shell, & skull cap had a great ride. Econo shorn riders did not.

[stuckathuntermtn]

I refuse to buy bike jerseys since I have an adequate supply of ripped or stained t shirts

[Roxtar]

I refuse to buy bike jerseys since I have an adequate supply of ripped or stained t shirts

Cotton + sweat = suck

[bsavery]

It was kinda alluded to farther up the thread, but really, compared to skiing the cost of bike clothes doesn't seem to be holding many people back. Consider this. Most people spend at least a thousand on a pair of skis and bindings (not even including boots). And then a decent ski outfit is at least 500? Whereas a top of the line bike kit is around then compared to the equipment cost of a decent new bike being $5K ish

And like others have said in biking vs skiing you can much easier get by with your cheap board shorts, t shirt, hockey jersey, etc in nice weather.

Now that said I do have a pair of Kitsbow shorts that I found on the list of craig for something like $150 new. Best shorts I've ever worn, probably worn them 150-200 days this past year commuting, mt biking or just around.

[stuckathuntermtn]

It doesn't matter in the middle of summer on a bunch of dirt. It's hot. It's dry. I can just take my shirt off if I'm sweating too much. I wear a little pack anyway, so breathability doesn't matter much. Also, since it's 80+ degrees out, I'm not gonna freeze if I get wet. I'm gonna dry off. Also, falling is gonna rip stuff since there isn't a nice blanket of snow over everything.
It's Missoula. Mostly we have a few low altitude trail networks. Some high country if you wanna drive an hour or more. People really don't need to be riding around in $300 worth of Spandex. It's ridiculous. It's like guys in climbing helmets at Snowbowl.

[kidwoo]

It was 39, pouring rain and blowing hard this morning. Good day to have nice rain gear, even if it was caked with mud by the end.

What do you use for britches?

I need something wind/water resistant that breathes a little better than the moto pants I've been wearing.

[XXX-er]

I always shopped the cheaper mec stuff but I finally I sprang for a pair of Castelli endurance bibs AND they are fucking comfortable, I'm not gona wear them to go 2 blks for a latte but they sure are nice for a 2 hr ride around the lake, if a chafing sweaty crouch makes you feel more core ... go for it!

[kidwoo]

Meh

I do plenty of 3+ hour rides and haven't worn a diaper in probably 5 years. I just took a seam ripper to all my diaper shorts a few years ago and bought some compression shorts that are pretty much the same thing. The only option to wearing a chamwow is NOT cotton boxxers.

Like hands, you just gotta build those callouses up in the spring (not really)

[XXX-er]

removing the chamwow sounds like something roj would do? IME after awhile a diaper gets shitty when the lycra wears and doesn't hold it firmly in place

[chatton18]

I just scored a new pair of stay dry Dickies shorts I am using for riding for 19 bucks. I'm also bringing back cotton t's. If you carry a light weight rain parka you are all good unless on a super epic. Cotton feels so awesome when it's hot and sunny.

maybe in arizona where its 0% humidity...

wicking tech tees are a necessity for the mid atlantic swamp

[kidwoo]

removing the chamwow sounds like something roj would do? IME after awhile a diaper gets shitty when the lycra wears and doesn't hold it firmly in place

I used to ride road bikes a lot.....and then didn't. So I had a lot of them I wasn't using. 10 minutes with a seam ripper isn't that big of a deal. Most of them have worn out and been tossed and I just buy synthetic underoos which work just fine.

Should I put them back because it "sounds like something rog would do?" Seriously, I hated having those things hanging off my ass in anything not sitting down and pedaling.

I really don't care what anyone does I'm just saying that the idea that you NEED a chamois to go mountain biking without chafing just isn't true. And if you don't like 'em, don't wear them.

[Roxtar]

What do you use for britches?

I need something wind/water resistant that breathes a little better than the moto pants I've been wearing.

I wear/carry these and they are awesome:
http://www.endurasport.com/products/?ProductID=101

Endura is based in Scotland. They know something about wet and cold.

[kidwoo]

Thanks!

Don't get too sweaty in those? That's actually my biggest complaint.....freezing to death on descents after sweating on the way up. I've been carrying a 'descending layer' pants included lately. It's kind of annoying.