I don’t understand why so many people seem to have so much homophobia about wearing spandex — first, I don’t understand why anyone would think a cyclist was gay because he was wearing it, and second, I don’t understand why anyone would care if they did.
Maybe it is because I live in an area where cyclists (road and mountain) are very common, so seeing men wearing spandex shorts is hardly remarkable. But from a functional point of view, nothing else works as well. And to me, it is even more an issue mountainbiking than on the road — who wants to keep snagging his crotch (well, the crotch of his shorts) in the seat while trying to move around on the bike, or who wants to snag a pants leg on a passing branch on a narrow trail?