Lycra- does it stretch?

Good shorts last a long time. I've got a pair of the top-o-the-line
Performance shorts that are 7 years old, with with three of actual hard
use. No stretch. I had to repair one seam that split. Just a tiny bit
of pilling, otherwise as new.

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I was under the impression that lycra doesn't
stretch, what is happening here? And I thought shorts would last more than
a year.

It doesn't stretch out unless you've stretched it way too far, were
the shorts a good fit to begin with?

But it does rot eventually, the fabric becomes thinner as the elastic
fibers degrade, leaving only the nylon or polyester, which feels a
lot like stretched-out elastic. Can happen fast or slow depending on
treatment and chemicals -- don't wash on hot, avoid getting sunscreen
on them, don't use bleach, etc.

--
[email hidden] is Joshua Putnam
<http://www.phred.org/~josh/>
Updated Bicycle Touring Books List:
<http://www.phred.org/~josh/bike/tourbooks.html>

"Callistus Valerius" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

20 lbs, I wish. But the shorts seem to be twice as big, and it's
irritating, especially where you get the big space in the crotch area,
where it should be tight or snug. The end of the shorts, on your legs
stretched too. But I solved that with a gadget from Walgreens called
the buttoneer, where I could take some of the slack out (I can't sew).
I was under the impression that lycra doesn't stretch, what is
happening here? And I thought shorts would last more than a year.

Most certainly Lycra, or Spandex for that matter, stretches with wear. As
for shorts lasting for more than a year, it depends on what you mean by
'lasts'. It's far easier for a fall to make a hole in a pair of shorts than
with normal usage. However, I consistently find a new pair of shorts (your
usual Cannondale or Sugoi or Nike) to have stretched beyond acceptable
limits after approximately 9 months of hard usage. This means wearing the
same pair 3-4 times weekly. I wear the correct size and follow washing
instructions scrupulously so the stretching cannot be due to lack of care
or ill-fit. As you've noticed, the stretching is especially intolerable in
the crotch area since that's the part where you need a good fit to avoid
saddle sores. That being said, I have many cycling buddies who wear 3-4
year old shorts. Some of these shorts are so worn as to be translucent and
terribly saggy. It goes to show that there's just no accounting for
personal tolerance.

Perhaps you should look out for blowout sales at the usual online stores?

Knog

Callistus Valerius said:

Having had two of my bikes hit 20,000 miles, I had to spend quite a bit
to replace cranks, wheels, BB's, shifters, rear der, ......seems like all of
it wears out. So my bike budget, hasn't allowed me to spend on shorts for a
couple of years. The shorts, I have, don't have holes, or you can see them,
but they have seemed to stretch. I haven't lost 20 lbs, I wish. But the
shorts seem to be twice as big, and it's irritating, especially where you
get the big space in the crotch area, where it should be tight or snug. The
end of the shorts, on your legs stretched too. But I solved that with a
gadget from Walgreens called the buttoneer, where I could take some of the
slack out (I can't sew). I was under the impression that lycra doesn't
stretch, what is happening here? And I thought shorts would last more than
a year.

Yes bike shorts stretch. They also become see-through. Many people seem
oblivious to this.

Peter Cole said:

They also become see-through. Many people seem
oblivious to this.

With terrifying results.

Josh Hassol said:

Peter Cole said:

They also become see-through. Many people seem
oblivious to this.

With terrifying results.

Usually, but sometimes charming.

Callistus Valerius said:

... I was under the impression that lycra doesn't
stretch, what is happening here? And I thought shorts would last more than
a year.

Lycra fabric is made from elastic and nylon threads knitted together,
sometimes with other fiber content as well. As the elastic threads
break over time, the fabric loses some of its rebound capability,
eventually sagging to its maximum size. As the nylon threads wear,
the fabric gets thinner as well. For most people, a pair of shorts
lasts a long time because they don't ride 200 miles in a week's time.
For someone who rides more than that regularly, a year is probably a
good figure for the life of a pair of shorts if you've only got two to
spread the wear across.

--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

My experience is that my shorts (all Voler now, due to my club
membership and Voler's discount program for club members) is that they
last several years. I'm in the habit of wearing the shorts once before
washing them, and I rotate enough shorts that I go about 7 - 9 days
between wearing the same pair again. My main reason for wearing them
once is that I want to avoid any irritation that wearing unclean shorts
might cause. (When I still rode to work, I would hang the shorts to dry
after my morning ride, and wear them home, counting that as "one use".)

Years ago, I took a bad fall when I hit an oil puddle while making a
left turn at speed (well, speed for me - maybe 25+ mph). The shorts I
was wearing seemed undamaged, though the same could not be said for my
left hip. I wore those shorts a couple of more years, until they did
stretch too much to be a good fit. So, yes, I've had bike shorts that
stretched out of fit, but not many.

Currently, my shorts seem to wear out by going thin at the top of my
thighs - sometimes left, sometimes right, sometimes both. That is
obviously a heavy wear point, as the legs move up and down, and the
upper body is bent forward. (A bike shop owner kindly pointed out that
I'd worn one pair at least one ride too long recently, as I was paying
him $31 for replacing a spoke and re-truing my wheel. It felt like he
should have given me a pair of shorts after that charge.)

I wash my shorts and jerseys, even my windbreaker style jackets, on a
cold water setting, using Woolite. (The bike socks and undershirts go
in the same washer loaad, too.) I put the cycling clothes on hangars to
dry.

Callistus Valerius said:

I was under the impression that lycra doesn't
stretch, what is happening here? And I thought shorts would last more
than
a year.

It seems like I'm the only one who has really long lasting shorts. I have a
pair Hind shorts and a pair of Hind bibs, both from the around 1985, and the
material is still very solid in both. There is some noticeable abrasion in
the sit bone area, but the fabric still has its thickness even there (not
see through even when stretched). In other places like the legs, the fabric
looks like new. The fabric in the shorts is a heavy nylon/lyrca blend with
a firm stretch. I rode about 8,000 to 10,000+ miles per year split between
the two for about 5 years and then used them less frequently as my cycling
habits changed (from "training" to easy after running workout rides around
the neighborhood or commuting in street clothes).

In contrast, I have also owned infrequently worn Hind running tights made of
a much stretcher blend that quickly wore to panty hose like thinness, with
runs even. I don't remember ever using them when they were in good shape.
It seems that I gave that pair of tights much more use as long underwear
after they were already thin and torn than before.

Peter Cole said:

Josh Hassol said:

Peter Cole said:

They also become see-through. Many people seem
oblivious to this.

With terrifying results.

Usually, but sometimes charming.

At first, I read that as "sometimes charring."
--
Phil

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Having had two of my bikes hit 20,000 miles, I had to spend quite a bit
to replace cranks, wheels, BB's, shifters, rear der, ......seems like all of
it wears out. So my bike budget, hasn't allowed me to spend on shorts for a
couple of years. The shorts, I have, don't have holes, or you can see them,
but they have seemed to stretch. I haven't lost 20 lbs, I wish. But the
shorts seem to be twice as big, and it's irritating, especially where you
get the big space in the crotch area, where it should be tight or snug. The
end of the shorts, on your legs stretched too. But I solved that with a
gadget from Walgreens called the buttoneer, where I could take some of the
slack out (I can't sew). I was under the impression that lycra doesn't
stretch, what is happening here? And I thought shorts would last more than
a year.

Lycra doesn't stretch out, but the elastic fibers do break. If you see what
looks like tiny white threads in certain areas, that is a clue as to where the
fibers a breaking.
---------------
Alex