The Great Lycra Debate

 When you think of lycra, you see fluro spandex, leotards and of course camel toes.You wouldn't be far wrong. Trouble with sports I partake in, is that baggie cotton trousers or flappy shorts hamper the progress of my session, whereas lycra skins fit snuggly to my body and I don't have to amble along hoisting them up when the elasticated waistband starts to slip or the drawstring needs re-tying - this is why the majority of my wardrobe is sportswear, largely of the lycra genre.

When I first started cycling, I had no idea of the apparel required for it, I remember my first ever road club ride, I rocked up in my running tights, and vest and being told that when I got out of the saddle, you could see through them and the hearts printed on my knickers. At that time I hadn't really had much intention of becoming a "cyclist"so didnt really think anymore of it.

As I started to ride more, my friend Lee suggested some proper cycling trousers.... "Meh" I thought, but he bought me a pair and when I looked at them, inside was a weird padded gusset! They looked so unattractive! He instructed me to ride in them, without knickers.... apparently the whole idea of the padded gusset was to 1) absorb sweat........! (Not that I sweat mind you, being a lady and all) and 2) prevent chaffing from knicker lines and such. So since then, I've acquired many pairs of padded garments.. shorts, tights, bibshorts, thermal, water proof and then I started mountain biking....

Well of course mountain biking requires baggy shorts, I'd seen the guys riding off road and they don't wear lycra. Only roadies and the serious MTB guys do - it compliments their smooth hair free legs. So I set off to buy some baggy shorts, the ones I chose looked cool, I went to try them on and inside was something else... a pair of lycra padded shorts... it turns out you need to wear lycra liners under the baggies. So why not just wear the lycra ones?

Because Mountain bikers don't wear lycra of course.

The more time I spend riding with my road club, the more lycra shorts I see, and the more I realise how lucky I am to have love for such a heavily male orientated sport. Baggy shorts may look cool but lycra is brilliant on blokes... firm thighs being displayed through varying colours of lycra shorts, (can you tell who's just been watching Tour de France? ) OK so there are some people who really *shouldn't* be seen in lycra, but if you've got it, show it off. I've since started riding off road in lycra - not because I look good in it you understand, cause I don't,  but I actually find it much easier to move around in, it doesn't catch on branches, OK so there aren't pockets but that's why I carry a camelbak off road.

My other quandary is that my baggy shorts have shrunk so I can't actually wear my lycra padded liners underneath anyway and since lycra stretches, even when they come out of the washing machine half a size smaller they stretch back over - also useful after a few beers or a big meal..... I've noticed it's the same sort of people who snub roadies are the same ones who snub lycra, can't we all live in a biking, lycra world of harmony?

I've noticed though more lately that lycra is appearing a bit more on the trails... more  of it would be welcome I say!