Recreational & Family - Do I really need padded pants/shorts?

Hi all--first I want to say thanks for helping me try to decide which bike to get! I have decided on the Trek 7.3 fx and am going to order it tonight--should take 3 days to get it in!

Now...on to other things I am clueless about :) I am going to get some bike pants (6 panel), but do they really need to be padded or do you think I will be ok without? After spending $500 on a bike, I won't have a lot of $$ for all the other stuff and need to know where I can cut corners. I am also going to get a helmet (any advice on which one?), a bag for my bike, repair kit and maybe gloves. Haven't even started thinking about shoes yet! I think I will want to go clipless in awhile, but not right away. I would like to get to know the bike more first.

Thanks again for any help!

Get the padding.... no question. Do not cut corners protecting the portion of your body that most of your weight will rest on. Chaffing there will ruin you desire to get on the bike at all. Baggy short and a pair of boxers (or even tighty whities) simply won't cut it for anything beyond going to the store to get a litre of milk.

Yeah, get the padded shorts. Part of the benefit of bike shorts is that the material wicks moisture to keep you dry and minimize chaffing. The benefit of the pad (or chamois) is not really for cushioning, but to cover the seams and provide a smooth surface on which to sit. Again, it's a chaffing thing. It's also not intended that you wear underwear with padded bike shorts - adding cotton/polyester material and the seams from the underwear between you and the chamois kinda defeats the purpose of both the wicking ability and the smooth chamois. With today's spandex materials, the number of panels in the shorts really doesn't matter so much.

For helmets: most shops sell Bell and Giro. There are a few other brands on the market too, but you can't go wrong with these two (which I think actually have the same parent company). A cheap helmet will protect your head just as well as an expensive one (they have to meet the same safety standards), but the more expensive helmets have a lot more vents to help with cooling. Try a few on, and buy the one that fits your head best. I fit Bell helmets better than Giro, but you could easily be the other way around.

Other stuff: under-seat bag, tire levers, patch kit, spare tubes, chain lube and pump are pretty much must-haves. Mini-pumps are only really designed for emergency repairs, so I'd suggest getting a floor pump to use at home (you will need to inflate the tires probably every few days to a week - tubes are made of a slightly porous rubber that will lose air over time). If you can't afford both pumps, I recommend a Topeak Road Morph. It's essentially a small floor pump with a mounting bracket for your frame, and can handle the daily tyre pressure adjustment duties as well as on-the-road flat repairs. I'd also be getting a bottle cage and a bottle to fit it, if you don't have these already. A mini-tool is also a great thing to carry, just in case somethings comes loose while you're out riding and a long walk from home!

Enjoy the new ride!

Mandatory to post pics after you get it... :D

It really depends on how far of a distance you plan on riding. Anything under 30 miles RT in one given day does not require padded shorts for me. If the trip is over 30 miles or I ride trips of 30 miles in consecutive days, then I need padded shorts. However, that varies person to person.

On the other hand, they are very comfortable. I tend to wear padded shorts more often than not.

You mentioned pants. I would recommend unpadded tights over padded shorts for several reasons:
1) Padded items need washing after each ride.
2) You can use the tights for other things like jogging.

Performance has cheap tights and shorts that could get you started for less $$. I find them adequate. However, I am now looking at more comfortable shorts by PI. Also, Performance shorts really have the diaper look going on. I'm hoping to find a pair by PI or another manufacturer that does not have this issue.

Cannondale shorts have a thin, but comfortable, padding in them. Everyone has different perferences regarding shorts and saddles.

Get shorts - they reduce chafing and wick away moisture from your sensitive areas. See Voler for great closeout deals on excellent shorts and bibs:

Voler (http://velowear.com)

Funny you should ask... I recently bought a pair of gel padded shorts (Canari) for use when the weather breaks, and got into a discussion over on the 'general cycling discussion' forum about them. Overwhelming response to the gel vs a simple chamois patch over the seams question was AGAINST any gel padding. So they are back in the car waiting to be returned for a pair with just a thin cloth liner!

What do I know (confused...)?

Steve

It really depends on how far of a distance you plan on riding. Anything under 30 miles RT in one given day does not require padded shorts for me. If the trip is over 30 miles or I ride trips of 30 miles in consecutive days, then I need padded shorts. However, that varies person to person.

.
I agree with DataJunkie, I don't use padded shorts for distances under 30 miles and have never had a problem with chafing or anything else. They can definitely make a difference on long rides but as the OP stated:

'I won't have a lot of $$ for all the other stuff and need to know where I can cut corners'

As this is the Recreational & Family forum and the OP is just getting back into bicycles after a long absence, I am guessing she will not be doing any long distances initially. I wouldn't bother with any special equipment apart from the bike itself. Don't worry about buying tools unless you are mechanically inclined. If you need to pump the tyres or something looks loose just go to your LBS, likewise for flats - you may want to learn how to fix them later but the most important thing now is to just get out and ride.

Use comfortable clothing, whatever you would use for going for a walk. Just beware that sneaker laces can get caught in your chain - so remember to tuck them in under the other laces so they don't flop around.

I ride shorter distances (20-25 miles) without bike shorts all the time with absolutely no problem.

I find there seems to be a great difference between the sensitivity of people's butts. I seem to have an iron butt, and, in about 30,000+ miles of riding my bicycles since 1998, have never had any sores, chafing or whatever. And, I am one of those strange folks who does wear underwear while bicycling. So, I frequently ride shorter distances with just regular shorts (with large leg-hole openings) and underwear. Sometimes for short rides and in winter, I even wear levis. I use large rubber bands around my pants leg, and tie my shoelaces real short with multiple "ties."

However, for a longer ride, I don't wear bike shorts, I wear padded bicycle bibs. The bibs are much more comfortable than the bicycle shorts, and I would recommend them to all, especially if you are a Clydesdale, or have a bit of extra padding in your front side.

A Brooks saddle is much more cost effective that several pairs of shorts. ... and with it you'll only want bike shorts for VERY long rides.

Hi all--first I want to say thanks for helping me try to decide which bike to get! I have decided on the Trek 7.3 fx and am going to order it tonight--should take 3 days to get it in!

Now...on to other things I am clueless about :) I am going to get some bike pants (6 panel), but do they really need to be padded or do you think I will be ok without? After spending $500 on a bike, I won't have a lot of $$ for all the other stuff and need to know where I can cut corners. I am also going to get a helmet (any advice on which one?), a bag for my bike, repair kit and maybe gloves. Haven't even started thinking about shoes yet! I think I will want to go clipless in awhile, but not right away. I would like to get to know the bike more first.

Thanks again for any help!

Check out
Terry's bicycle clothing for women (http://www.terrybicycles.com/product.html?c=Apparel)

For some extra style while on the bike: Trashy Cat (http://www.trashycat.com/)

Performance Bike clothing link (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/category_clothing.cfm)

There are some '05 Canari cycling shorts for $16 at this site (http://www.rei.com/outlet/category/22000504.htm)

There's a wide variety of styles to suit anyone's tastes.

While t-shirts and tanktops are fine for cruising around the neighborhood, as soon as you start putting in some good mileage(and you will, it's fun), the cycling shirts are the way to go. Moisture is wicked away, leaving you cool and dry.

I also would recommend some gloves, half-fingers in the summer and full fingers in the winter. Very useful in a fall, also keeps the handlebars from being all sweaty.

There are shoes made for cyclists that don't have cleats; the soles are nice and stiff. Also, check out shoes marketed at people that exercise on spinners.

None of this stuff is required; you can just jump on the bike and go. But they sure make the rides more enjoyable and comfortable.

Come to the dark side . . . (black padded cycling shorts).

Pad = Good

There's a reason cyclists wear the shorts we wear. As for price of cycling shorts...think of it this way...spend what you would spend on a pair of "regular" shorts or jeans that you would wear for the same ammount of time.

Helmet: Anything that has passed normal acceptable industry safety standards that fits well that is comfortable and easy for you to use. That way you won't have any excuse not to wear it (As mentioned before check out Bell and Giro)

Gloves: Believe it or not I had a cycling guru tell me when I was a child that he considered gloves an essential safety item (in case of wrecks). I don't know that I would go that far, but I do feel that gloves are essential (personal preference). In my experience I have found that my "cheap" Performance branded gel gloves have out lasted my more expensive PI gloves time and again. These can usually be found for around or below $20.

Happy riding!

just ride the bike and as you accumulate mileage reward yourself with accesories. This is the way that keeps me motivated and justifies my purchases.

Well, since you said you were getting bike shorts anyway, you might as well get the ones with the "chamois". I think they are about the same price. I've found that finding bike bib shorts without padding is not that easy.

Well, since you said you were getting bike shorts anyway, you might as well get the ones with the "chamois". I think they are about the same price. I've found that finding bike bib shorts without padding is not that easy.
This is late and you've probably already made your decision...... but, when I bought my bike in May (a Hybrid with a big squishy satin pillow seat) I also bought a pair of padded liners to wear under my jeans. I didn't wear them at first, figuring I'd have them if I ever needed them. Eventually I replaced the jeans with a pair of black Champion (C9) crop pants I found at Target which are much more comfortable to ride in and the fabric is much cooler. I also replaced the saddle. The first ride with the new pants (thinner fabric than the jeans) and firmer saddle told me I needed to wear the liners under the pants for additional protection and padding. What a difference! The liners are like very snug-fitting shorts with a large chamois crotch area for padding and protection. Now I always wear them whenever I ride. For very short rides around the neighborhood in cooler weather I'll probably just wear my jeans without the liners, but for longer rides I won't leave home without them.

I agree with one poster's advice to just start riding and then decide what else you need to buy based on your needs.