Why baggy shorts?

Enid_Puceflange":l5mk0w2j said:

I wear Lycras under my baggies

Comfort (padded ass) underneath (hidden shame as well )

Style and pockets on the outside

WINNER

G

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I do the same

You can get baggy shorts for cycling? Those crazy kids.

Enid_Puceflange":155j5uwj said:

I wear Lycras under my baggies

Comfort (padded ass) underneath (hidden shame as well )

Style and pockets on the outside

WINNER

G

Click to expand...

Another +1. The only men of my age that can get away with wearing lycra in public are Voigt and Hincapie as its their job. Mind you my current combo of winter tights and baggies could never by called stylish. The lycra gang probably shave their legs n all.

Ah baggy shorts are for 98> users only.

The great thing about this topic is everyone has an opinion, and they vary widely. Here is a shot from the 35th anniversary of Repack this last October 21 with every variety of clothes from jeans (JB , CK, Alan Bonds and Billy Savage wore them as an old school costume tribute) to baggies, to lycra under baggies, to knickers (myself and others) to long tights, to lycra shorts. Just goes to show that no one fashion is predominant, at least around these parts.

FairfaxPat":2lt3r60g said:

The great thing about this topic is everyone has an opinion, and they vary widely. Here is a shot from the 35th anniversary of Repack this last October 21 with every variety of clothes from jeans (JB , CK, Alan Bonds and Billy Savage wore them as an old school costume tribute) to baggies, to lycra under baggies, to knickers (myself and others) to long tights, to lycra shorts. Just goes to show that no one fashion is predominant, at least around these parts.

Click to expand...

To me, THAT is mountain biking at it's best. Loads of different folk getting together having fun on bikes.

Anyway, the lycra thing was brought in by the emerging "professional" racing scene in the late 80's/early 90's... I don't think lycra was worn before that, was it?

On a road bike anything baggy or loose is going to rub and chafe pretty quickly, so lycra is really the practical option. Off-road you need that bit more protection, sometimes a bit more warmth, pockets to store the odd essential item (i.e. cake). On and off road have their distinct styles and it quite a practical difference. Of course you can wear lycra off-road, no problem but it's best used in race situations or in very hot weather.

I'm still trying to find some nice riding trousers that don't cost the earth. They seem to be coming back in for riding, which is good to see, as unless it's really warm some well cut trousers are way more practical than shorts.

if hot summer then lycra if mild & wet then baggies over the lycra

I always used to wear lycra and still do. Trendy it may not be but I always used to find, back in the 90's where all clothing was baggy and about 3 sizes to big when off the bike, that the crotch of baggy shorts used to get stuck on the back/front of the saddle when I was trying to move my weight around - be that right over the back for v. steep descents, forward for ascents (or more specifically when getting back in to the saddle, in that case).

Also my local trails were quite narrow and had quite a bit of gorse, so tended to find that baggies got stuck on stuff. So lyrca has always been for me, pure for practial reasons.

Having said that - if I pop to the shops on the bike I always wear baggies or trousers - purely out of decency (and also 'cause I nearly got laughed out of a local town center in my younger days when turning up on my bike in red lycra bib shorts (ones with shoulder straps) and a grey t-shirt - perfectly acceptable on the trails... less so in Woolworths )

Lycra can look cool

The humble opinion number 5 of Si, "Lycra is quite gay" would obviously account for my preference of the shiny tight stuff.

For some reason, the older the bike that I'm riding, the more casual & baggier the clothes seem.







Oh, and you know who you are - kindly provide an explanation for why you didn't point me towards "that" picture featuring those 5 chaps.

Pip.