What is wrong with Spandex...

@m@Robertson, made a good point. I happen to like Carhart work shorts. But there is one problem. It is like having a rock in your shoe but worse. There is a certain spot where the left inseam meets the right and the front crotch inseam meets the rear. At that one spot it is four times thicker!
 
PedalUma said:
@m@Robertson, made a good point. I happen to like Carhart work shorts. But there is one problem. It is like having a rock in your shoe but worse. There is a certain spot where the left inseam meets the right and the front crotch inseam meets the rear. At that one spot it is four times thicker!
Click to expand...
I've tried several brands of shorts for riding and have had the best luck with DuluthFlex "dry on the fly" style. Light weight with Just enough stretch to make them comfortable and they dry in minutes when you sweat 'em up.

Men's DuluthFlex Dry on the Fly 9" Cargo Shorts | Duluth Trading Company

Take a stand (or crouch) against soggy, constraining shorts with free-moving DuluthFlex Dry on the Fly 9" Cargo Shorts.
www.duluthtrading.com www.duluthtrading.com
 
6zfshdb said:
I've tried several brands of shorts for riding and have had the best luck with DuluthFlex "dry on the fly" style. Light weight with Just enough stretch to make them comfortable and they dry in minutes when you sweat 'em up.

Men's DuluthFlex Dry on the Fly 9" Cargo Shorts | Duluth Trading Company

Take a stand (or crouch) against soggy, constraining shorts with free-moving DuluthFlex Dry on the Fly 9" Cargo Shorts.
www.duluthtrading.com www.duluthtrading.com
Click to expand...
Yup those are the brand that has the extra crotch gussett that is so important when riding in a lean-over position. For males at least. You lean forward with a saddle that has a nose pointing straight forward and this leaves you with... um... reduced space for anatomical protrusions down there. I've learned the hard way that the Duluth shorts with that extra gusssett are a big deal. With my Apostate recently coming into use, which has a strong lean-over posture, that extra room was critical and I can't ride with normal shorts on that bike.
 
I wear lycra/spandex every. single. day. (lycra leggings/shorts + lycra tank top). I work from home and I workout (spin, weights, yoga, step, bike, swim) every day. It is a very functional material for exercise. If I don't put it on first thing in the morning, the likelihood of my not doing my workout (inside or outside) increases exponentially. I don't think it's exactly the biking gear you are referring to here, but you can pry my Lululemons from my cold dead hands! (And on swim days I wear my lycra/spandex Speedo...)
 
We are tolerant and accepting of alternative lifestyles here in San Francisco. One kid was told that he would attract chicks if he put a potato in his Speedo at the pool. The only problem was that he put it at the back.
@Rome, There is that section of Honolulu Beach to the south and on the lawn where all the guys in Speedos congregate. That is not the place for me. Just saying.
 
Last edited:
When I was a teenager roller blades were just getting big. So my friend and I are riding our freestyle bikes in front of my house and a mutual friend comes whizzing around the corner on roller blades BUT he was also wearing spandex shorts and a tight shirt! We instantly called him Fruit Boots and he zipped away. We wouldn't have clowned him as bad if he was at least dressed normal. When I rode road bikes I wore joggers most of the time, with the right leg strapped tight.
 
sc00ter said:
When I was a teenager roller blades were just getting big. So my friend and I are riding our freestyle bikes in front of my house and a mutual friend comes whizzing around the corner on roller blades BUT he was also wearing spandex shorts and a tight shirt! We instantly called him Fruit Boots and he zipped away. We wouldn't have clowned him as bad if he was at least dressed normal. When I rode road bikes I wore joggers most of the time, with the right leg strapped tight.
Click to expand...
I used to LOVE inline skating. I used to regularly do the London Friday Night Skate and sometimes the Sunday Stroll (and I just looked it up and amazingly they still do it: https://www.lfns.co.uk/ ) back in the early 2000s. I still have my skates for some reason, I'm sure I'd break a hip now if I even put the things on. 😂 No lycra then though, that was my skater grrl phase!
 
This guy likes to roller skate with Donna Summer or the Pointer Sisters blasting in my home town. Check out the bibs. You can see more when you put 'roller skate Petaluma' into your browser. This is what spandex is all about, for those who are into it.
1651596085053.png
1651596113993.png
1651596142508.png
 
  • Haha
Reactions: rtp
minigrrl said:
I wear lycra/spandex every. single. day. (lycra leggings/shorts + lycra tank top). I work from home and I workout (spin, weights, yoga, step, bike, swim) every day. It is a very functional material for exercise. If I don't put it on first thing in the morning, the likelihood of my not doing my workout (inside or outside) increases exponentially. I don't think it's exactly the biking gear you are referring to here, but you can pry my Lululemons from my cold dead hands! (And on swim days I wear my lycra/spandex Speedo...)
Click to expand...
I do see benefits of wearing proper fitting Lycra/Spandex cycling shorts for the mere fact that they stay in place when my legs are in motion. The last thing I want are shorts/shirts that bag, bunch up or sag. Definitely limits the amount of chaffing and rubbing during my rides. The 8-panel versions I wear have silicone bands on the insides of the legs that provide great grip. I also wear arm/zipped leg warmers on colder days to keep the chill to a minimum and these can easily be peeled off when no longer required and tucked in the back pocket of a jersey or jacket.

I am no pro racer/wannabe by any stretch but I appreciate the comfort and fit that a proper fitted pair of padded Lycra shorts provide. I also find the team racing look to be a bit ostentatious but that’s just my personal POV. I guess to each his own. However, I think that a LBS promoting itself on jerseys in a non-garish manner isn’t over the top. It comes down to a rider dropping the elitist attitude once he/she slips on that team jersey.
 
The reason mammalian males have bits that dangle is to catch the breeze. These spherical parts need to be kept lower than body temp or they do not function. Having them trapped, smashed and overheated is not my idea of a good time. I would much rather just get a better saddle, forgoing the spandex to those who like steamy salt and vinegar huevos.
 
PedalUma said:
The reason mammalian males have bits that dangle is to catch the breeze. These spherical parts need to be kept lower than body temp or they do not function. Having them trapped, smashed and overheated is not my idea of a good time. I would much rather just get a better saddle, forgoing the spandex to those who like steamy salt and vinegar huevos.
Click to expand...
they will be jammed on any seat. but a better seat is one you need padded shorts on. the padded seats are far harder on you in the long run. they tend to cut the blood flow off because of such a large surface putting pressure on your butt. having yours dangles swinging around is a good way to get them hooked on the nose of the seat.
 
Last edited:
fooferdoggie said:
they will be jammed on any seat. but a better seat is one you need padded shorts on. the padded seats are far harder on you in the long run. they tend to cut the blood flow off because of such a large surface putting pressure on your butt. having yours dangles swining around is a good way to get them hooked on the nose of the seal.
Click to expand...
The Bontrager Boulevard is amazing.
1654709543513.png
 
I was body surfing once and had a seal pop up from under the water about 3 feet away from me. After I realized it wasn't "Jaws", I thought how much like a Labrador it looked like. We just looked at each other for a few moments, and he / she dipped back under the surf.
That's a pretty good hijack, spandex to marine mammals.
 
chunk said:
I was body surfing once and had a seal pop up from under the water about 3 feet away from me. After I realized it wasn't "Jaws", I thought how much like a Labrador it looked like. We just looked at each other for a few moments, and he / she dipped back under the surf.
That's a pretty good hijack, spandex to marine mammals.
Click to expand...
I am more concerned about them getting caught in the cogs than by seals. Ever see a surfer in a Speedo?
1654713753905.png
 
I'd appear naked now if I wore my Speedo from competition days. Sorry if you have a picture you can't get out of your mind now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Turbo Vado 5.0 Three-year review
Replies
9
Views
3K
Kayakguy
K
BurroBabe
8+ months of research, 100s of hours, know what I need & want but can't find it
6 7 8
Replies
157
Views
11K
Stefan Mikes
Stefan Mikes
Doggyman1202
Evelo Omega and Priority Current compared
Replies
3
Views
3K
tgianco
tgianco
B
Carbon X vs. Dahon Unio E20
Replies
7
Views
4K
harryS
harryS
MrCaspan
My 1000w motor journey and fear mongering by users of the forum!
7 8 9
Replies
178
Views
21K
Rexlion
Rexlion
Back