sitting here with my new bike shorts on...

[Sinister]

Is all this gear really necesary? I have a $200 bike, Athletic shoes, cargo shorts(for the pockets) and a t-shirt. I'm fine like that, never noticed a problem?  Am I missing something?

Climb a lot?  Clipless and stiff shoes are the shit.  I just got a pair of 'lycra-boy'-esque MTB shoes that are stiff as hell.  I'm not used to them yet; I also have a pair of hike-able clipless shoes for high alpine hike-a-bike riding.  The riding shorts are a no-brainer, but get baggies, not that lycra shit.

[sbrguy]

bike shorts have padding in them, the theory is that if you have the padding in the shorts you dont' need as much on the seat,

there is a reason why tour de france guys that ride average 100 miles  a day for 21 days wear these shorts, they work.

the whole spandex thing, once you "get over yourself" and remember that nobody is reallly looking at you because you honestly are not that great looking in spandex even if you do look like lance, then just wear them, as long as you are comfortable what do you care?..

also the whole wearing shorts over the bike shorts, is really done in mtb bc when you fall the outer shorts will take the brunt of it so that you don't tear your 150 dollar bib shorts you are wearing underneath.

when you are riding a road bike, then wearing baggy shorts on the outside is sorta lame, just get over yourself and wear the biek shorts liek you should with nothing outside them.. wearing baggy shorts here is akin to wearing a full moto gp style 1 piece leathers and kit while riding a 50 cc vespa, sure you can do it and people will make fun of you, but honestly you know and i knw that its overkill and sorta lame looking.

also once you go to clipless pedals you won't go back, the only guys that seriously bike that don't use clipless are bmx and downhill riders bc they do so many jumps and don't want to be clipped to the bike, but for everyone else they are great.

try the bib shorts for a long ride once you do you will wonder why you didn't get them earlier.. they are that good.. its like riding  a 1970s honda cb and then riding a modern sportbike you will be literally amazed a tthe difference in the ride of teh bike.

[triangleforge]

Is all this gear really necesary? I have a $200 bike, Athletic shoes, cargo shorts(for the pockets) and a t-shirt. I'm fine like that, never noticed a problem?  Am I missing something?

Actually, that's about what I look like most of the time on my fixie, though I've got clipless pedals on it. For running around town that's all you need. But if you wanted to go out and ride 20, 40, 100 miles, things like good shorts, a saddle that fits you & other gear start to make a bigger and bigger difference. That's not to say that folks haven't ridden 100+ kitted out just like you describe, but it's a whole lot less fun -- saddle sores are some nasty stuff, believe me.

And the MTB shorts (most of which have a lycra bike short and pad inside 'em) are a good option if you're not ready for the whole skin-tight thing. Mostly, roadies wear the traditional bike shorts, mountain bikers wear the cargo-short-with-bike-short liner ones, and each makes fun of the other. It's the circle of life. I keep meaning to spring for a pair of the MTB shorts, but so far I just wear pre-crashed road shorts when I'm out on dirt, so I don't really care what happens to them.

And everybody laughs at the guy who shows up with panty lines underneath his bike shorts from wearing briefs or (shudder) boxers underneath. One really fast guy on our team lived with the nickname "Underwear Bob" for all the years I knew him, because he showed up for one early training ride with briefs underneath. Don't let this happen to you.

[Sinister]

also once you go to clipless pedals you won't go back, the only guys that seriously bike that don't use clipless are bmx and downhill riders bc they do so many jumps and don't want to be clipped to the bike, but for everyone else they are great.

I need to learn to ride/jump with flats.  It takes some getting used to, from what I hear.

[FatguyRacer]

Lets be honest here. The only reason MTB'er wear cargo shorts is to have a place to keep thier stash.

[Le Pirate]

I need to learn to ride/jump with flats.  It takes some getting used to, from what I hear.

I can bunny hop something fierce (due to years on a 20") with platforms....I can only imagine what it'll be like to do it with the bike attached to your feet 

[Sinister]

I can bunny hop something fierce (due to years on a 20") with platforms....I can only imagine what it'll be like to do it with the bike attached to your feet 

That's the thing with clipless: you get lazy and use your feet to pull up the bike instead of bunny hopping right.  Flats make you a better rider.  So much of the stuff I do is hike-a-bike, anyway, I've been pondering going to flats.

[KnightofNi]

I can bunny hop something fierce (due to years on a 20") with platforms....I can only imagine what it'll be like to do it with the bike attached to your feet 

be careful with that. when i first went to clipless i went to hop off a curb and pulled the back of the bike up way too high which resulted in a few things.
1) i got an uncomfortable meeting with the horn of my seat
2) i was over my front wheel before i realized what was going on
3) i pulled an impressive stoppie into moving traffic without touching the front brakes

[triangleforge]

Lets be honest here. The only reason MTB'er wear cargo shorts is to have a place to keep thier stash.

True stories from the start line of a road bike race: a bunch of super-fit guys nervously explaining to one another how badly the previous week's training went.

True stories from the start line of a MTB race: a bunch of super-fit guys nervously explaining to one another how hungover/stoned/hungover AND stoned they are.

And at 'cross races, it's all of the above...

[triangleforge]

That's the thing with clipless: you get lazy and use your feet to pull up the bike instead of bunny hopping right.  Flats make you a better rider.  So much of the stuff I do is hike-a-bike, anyway, I've been pondering going to flats.

Makes lots of sense to me. I know I really depend way too much on being attached to the pedals, and my extremely limited vertical range shows it.

[FatguyRacer]

The bunny hop thing is all well and good, but how many of you fellers can trackstand your motorcycle?

[Sinister]

The bunny hop thing is all well and good, but how many of you fellers can trackstand your motorcycle?

I wouldn't even try.  I can't trackstand a skateboard, man.

[KnightofNi]

The bunny hop thing is all well and good, but how many of you fellers can trackstand your motorcycle?

i actually do a bit better on the moto than i do on my road bike.

[somegirl]

i actually do a bit better on the moto than i do on my road bike.

I think I do as well....