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Skatefurther Ben · ????

Ive been doing this for a while now (mostly pushing, but over the past 6 months pumping too) and the clothing i skate in has become more and more important the more seriously i take things. I already skate in running tights and base layer, but is it time for us to follow the inliners down a very slippery slope?????

I'm strongly considering buying one of these. I've always had a healthy respect for the inliners attitude towards thier sport. They take it seriously as an athletic discipline, something i also try to do.

http://www.luiginoracing.com/apparel/suit/suit.html

Ben

pavedwave

Hehe, even the topic line is embarrassed to show itself.

Premise: I'm not touching the topic of inliners vs. skateboarders... I'm just talkin lycra here...

IMO, spandex/lycra serves one important functional purpose -- it holds your muscles tighter together and enhances circulation. For this reason alone I think it's a huge advantage to wear in cold weather, especially for long durations, marathons, ultras, weekenders, etc. And if it rains and you plan to continue riding, spandex will dry out in just minutes, whereas cotton sweats will take far longer and weight you down over the drying process. All the world-class expert runners, triathletes, etc., have to be on to something here.

Aerodynamic drag is not that significant at 10-15mph LDP speeds however, so I'm not really motivated by the "aero" angle. In fact, at slower speeds its been found that slightly textured, rather than "slick" fabrics create less wind resistance. Check this:

http://home.comcast.net/~pavedwave/images/gear_spandexAeroKamen.bmp

Appearance is obviously the biggest reason macho men can't handle the sight of lycra. I suggest if you're not crazy about putting your genitals on display, just wear some light shorts over the stuff. Personally I like sweats or loose fitting shorts on top of lycra, just for the handiness of having pockets.

blake

I like wearing sports wear and some kinda layer like lycra under my shorts. i have started moving towards shorts with like knee high socks. I have also moved into what bikers wear that stuff works the best and there jackets are sometimes water proof so that helps a lot too. i likes my riding cloths a little baggier just cause i feel like it gives me more motion and is slightly more comfortable for the those long rides.

wafflesole

lycra power socks. ends at the knee.

stridey

Lycra is a deeply unethical material. if your Lycra items are marked as 100% Lycra they will have been made from farmed Lycra skins. The method of skinning is cruel as for the best Lycra skin you must kill the Lycra at the moment of first 'stretch' the poor animal makes in the morning. The lesser the percentage of Lycra means that the animal is skinned later in the day, and thus has less stretch. Cheaper, farmed skins are removed from animals by peeling them after boiling, and for good stretch they are boiled alive.

The Lycra is native to the North island of Japan, and is an endangered species. Farmed Lycra is mostly done in mainland China. The Lycra is a mammal, similar to the European 'Mogul', whose winter homes give the name to the bumps you see on ski hills.

Personally I think wearing Lycra is like wearing a fur coat, once it was fashionable, but in these more enlightened times people with conscience should really be looking to wear more ethical clothing.

I don't and won't wear the stuff.

wafflesole

no offence mike, but im glad.

x

pavedwave

damn hippies! love the lycra story. love my lycra too, tenderized and fresh off the barbie' with some lime juice and a tequila chaser.

if its good enough for chris chaput, kenny mollica, and barefoot ted, it's good enough for me! of course, those first two guys wear it for the psyche-out on race day Smile