Wow. I never ever thought I'd wind up wearing lycra. The story goes something like this: if you look at all the skate racers they pretty much all wear lycra-based skinsuits, usually shorts cut to just above the knee, but also frequenly full length pants. The people who make lycra have claimed that it can lead to energy savings of up to 30% by preventing unproductive muscle "jiggling". It is also warm on cold days yet breathes well and is not constrictive allowing full range of motion. I figured I'd give it a try. Surprise, skating in the lycra pants feels better than the lightweight nylon shorts I had been wearing all last year. The main disadvantage is that I don't want to get all suited up and radical looking out on the loop of Central Park without at least having some performance to be able to back up the look.