Considering how prevalent Lycra is – a lot of fetish guys have a piece or two in their gear collection – I realised it was fairly odd that I'd never given it a try. Rubber, leather and other types of sports gear I've got a taste for, but Lycra I've held at arm's length.
Truth be told, though, my reasoning's not all that strange. As someone who spent the majority of his teens and early 20s on the plus end of the size spectrum, Lycra always seemed a little too close for comfort. You could argue that rubber fits equally as close, but with rubber there's a slight cinching element that keeps everything held in check. From Lycra, there are no secrets. I am attracted to the aesthetic, as a comic book geek on the sly, though, so maybe it's time to give it a go.
I figured if I'm going to experience it, I should do my best to go all out. I scanned the listings to see if there were any sports gear nights coming up and I came across Spandexguys at Backstreet in East London – a monthly event for guys into skintight gear. This was an easy win, as I love Backstreet, (it's in walking distance from my house) and the night seemed tailor made for a first-time airing. I marked it in my diary.

Next: what to wear?
I thought maybe a singlet. I tried a singlet. Turns out I'm not a singlet guy. I dunno what it was, but the proportions all seemed off on me. This did not feel like a good start. Then I turned to the Recon cycling gear. OK. This was better. I didn't hate the additional coverage it offered, and it gave me definite super hero vibes (semi-obscure comics reference: I felt it looked a little bit like what Marvel Boy – Noh-Varr – used to wear). It also felt really nice on. The longer I wore it around my flat, the more I wanted to keep it on. Lunging and stretching about the place to see how it felt in motion. It certainly passed the touch test. More importantly, though, I really liked how I looked in it. Yeah, some bulges could look smaller…and maybe one bulge could look a bit bigger, but overall it looked pretty good (if I do say so myself).
Lycra also gets added points for the ease at which you can put it on. After a year or so of leaning towards rubber, it was nice to be able to just pull it up. No lube, talc or care required. I love the whole rubber process, but this felt like gear on the go.

The night of Spandexguys arrived and I headed out to Backstreet. Full disclaimer time, I'd had a pretty heavy one the night before, so was feeling a little worse for wear, and was slightly worried I'd not be all that engaging with the other guys in attendance. I entered the venue, got changed, stood in a toilet cubicle for minute regaining my composure then went through to the club proper.
I got myself a pint, found myself a bar stool, had a brief moment of worrying about my gut bulge as I sat down, then had a look around. The place wasn't heaving yet, but there was a nice collection of guys in various types of skintight gear having a drink and chat, or making their way to the darker corners. After a little while I decided to have a wander round. I didn't get too far before I was stopped by two guys who complimented my gear. I slipped into sales mode and started pointing out the features and benefits, and where they could purchase this exclusive item should they choose to. I also started offloading on them about it being my first time in Lycra gear. They were incredibly sweet and made me feel more at ease.
Now, with a little more confidence, I liaised some more with the other patrons. Had a chat. Had a flirt. Et cetera. I don't tell tales outside of school, but I will mention a nice new sensation; that of Lycra on Lycra. It wasn't something I'd expected, and it gave me a bit of a charge. When your Lycra clad body is moving up against the body of another guy in Lycra, the sensation is really pleasant. Like, slippy, but not wet. Synthetic, but natural. I think that it was maybe this feeling that swayed me over as a potential convert. It certainly had me wanting to experience it some more.
After an hour or so I was feeling a bit too ropey for public consumption, so I headed over to a "friend's" still wearing the gear. I arrived and he had on a footy kit. I realised in this moment that maybe it was time I started keeping an eye out for future spandex nights, and that I should definitely add Sports Gear as an interest on Recon.

So, will I wear Lycra again? Yes, I will. I don't know if all Lycra is for me – I'm still not sold on a singlet – but I definitely think I'll be looking to get some more cycle gear. I may not have the body of an Adonis, but it's not really about that. It's about how the gear makes you feel, and this gear made me feel horny and confident, with a small dash of being a superhero.
(fra Recon News)