Cycling tights, or, why I want gender equality

[Dan B]

Dresses are great for babies, you can change a nappy without poppers.

 

[Ganymede]

Been around a long time, chaps!

 

[winjim]

Dresses are great for babies, you can change a nappy without poppers.

There is that, but you can't hold them one handed or put them in a car seat properly 'cos the dress gets all rucked up and uncomfortable.

 

[Ian H]

I have never understood why cycling tights are called that. Being of the female persuasion, the fact they don't have feet makes them leggings to me and on the same theme why are cycling Bib shorts or Bib leggings called knickers ?

They aren't knickers in anyway shape or form

Most cyclists I know refer to 'longs', not tights. 'Knickers' in this case is short for knickerbockers (which is still inaccurate in that they're not loose-fitting).

Two men around here commonly wear longs (or tights if you prefer). One is an elderly, bearded hippy who wears what might be described as gender-neutral clothing in bright colours and patterns. The other is leather-jacketed, mirror-shades wearing, also long-haired, but with climbing longs, who looks like a parody of scary.

 

[RichardB]

Tights, because they are close-fitting. Cf 'slacks', which aren't.

 

[Julia9054]

I'm with @vickster on this - cannot abide tights. Stockings for under skirts & dresses. Leggings are for cycling or exercise.

You know when you see little girls with the crotch of their woollen tights round their knees because they're too big or have just worked their way down? That's how I always feel in tights

+ 3 for also hating ordinary tights.
I can never get any that fit well and being a clumsy person, I bump into things and ladder them.

 

[Citius]

but I'm not sure I can pull tights off.

They usually come off quite easily. I wouldn't worry.

 

[DCLane]

I wear tights/leggings all winter; they go over my shorts for the commute.

In fact I had them on today

 

[Gravity Aided]

Been around a long time, chaps!

Nice helmets, too.

 

[Sbudge]

When I was younger I used to skydive regularly and it gets a little nippy up there at 120mph. Plenty of us would put on a pair of tights under their jumpsuits, made a huge difference. Some of the old-timers used to swear that fishnets worked the best but I suspect they had other issues!

 

[MiK1138]

Just to clarify: I'm talking about wearing tights - not cycling tights - off the bike. I don't have a problem wearing them whilst cycling. I was also not being entirely serious (or was I? I'm so confused)

Oil rig Workers and Brickies have been doing it for years

 

[Nigelnaturist]

and miners, when we had any.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I got some nice Pearl Izumi 3/4 lengths at the Goodwill for $5, new with tags. I wear them in cold weather, with the usual support stockings as well, so impossible to tell from longs, and work out quite nicely. Below 32F or 0C, I may go to the insulated work bibs from there. There are days in the winter when I'm the only one out there putting miles on locally, according to Strava or National Bike Challenge.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Baxk when I did ride roadies more seriously & was happy to wear lycra longs overtly, I got more Max Wall (google him young un's) comments than thoughts I was wearing lady oriented clothing.

I still do have a pair of bib longs and thigh to ankle leg warmers for the coldest of cold days but they're under a pair of trousers or 3/4 shorts & its not a roadie bike.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Gravity Aided Illinois, gets much colder than the UK usually ( I believe), I have some standard female lycra leggings which I modify and they do down to about 0C after that I have thermal longs or leg warmers, but they don't get worn often.