>>1228158>don't understand the hatred of lycra. Hasn't anyone here worn a pair of football pants? A wrestling singlet?It is the correct uniform for the sport, but you're missing a few things
1. There it's a lot of marketing hype in cycling. Significant pressure industry to buy everything needed to look like a pro that you don't need. Consumerism tinges a lot of these arguments I see
2. A lot of us want to bike to places, specifically to get off the bike and enjoy other activities. Packing a uniform change is silly overthinking
3. Many of us don't care about speed. If Lycra is so comfortable, why don't you wear spandex onesies when you're off the bike?
4. There are plenty of comfortable options that are not Lycra, and serve multiple purposes. Some running shorts or even cut off pants are fine
5. It prevents people from getting into road cycling. Regardless of how you feel, the average person is so concerned about appearance that even helmet law significantly decreases ridership.
When the average man sees Lycra, he sees declining mating prospects (looking effeminate) and writes off road riding entirely. I know a bunch of MTB guys who wouldn't ride a road bike for this reason (though they'd never admit it)
The Grant Peterson/Ultraromance types are way more appealing to the average person. If the industry embraced their mentality, we'd have more cyclists in the USA - but there's no profit in it, not like selling a dentist a full rapha wardrobe and a carbon road bike
