General Cycling Discussion - Shredding your shorts. . .

Have any of you ever crashed or whatever and as a result torn your shorts so that you were "indecent" to ride home?

Or is it that if you tear you shorts that badly, most likely you and/or your bike is not capable of making it home?

If you had to ride home, what did you do about your clothing?

I have wondered about that dilema..I have read that has happened to pros in the european races.. Embarrassing ..
ANother reason to carry a set of soccer shorts in your jersey pockets... Isn't lycra pretty tough...?
This has not happened to you I hope. This has occured to me, that it could happen... W/O shorts to cover up..Guess you are just stuck. A counter argument to the Underwear Nazi.
For all that..Bike disabled, a back up is the bus...But, would anyone want to get on a city bus, if something were exposed...

Have any of you ever crashed or whatever and as a result torn your shorts so that you were "indecent" to ride home?

You mean like what happened to Michael Barry in the 2002 Vuelta?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2002/sep02/vuelta/stage8/LVbarryhurt.jpg



Or is it that if you tear you shorts that badly, most likely you and/or your bike is not capable of making it home?

That's why we all need a sagwagon to follow us with a rooftop full of spare bikes. :)



If you had to ride home, what did you do about your clothing?

If it were really bad, I would probably cut it off me rather than risk further injury by trying to peel it off.

I've done it. And the last thing I was worried about on the ride home was indecency. It is scrubbing all the asphalt and other road debries out of the road rash that I think about. I hurts like the dickens just to get it clean enough to go to the doctor to get it checked out.

Guess it depends upon what is exposed? But, I hear you..Pain has a way of getting top priority..

Never happened to me but I doubt I'd worry too much about the embarrassment. I came to cycling by way of triathlon. Tri-geeks have no shame.

what happens if the cops see ya? why don't shorts have kevlar sides? and also, if it's just yer arse then be happy that it's a nice firm cycling arse and show it off. :D

Kevlar isn't the stretchiest thing in the world. Though I know a company Schoeller that does incorporate kevlar fibers in some of their softshell fabrics that are extremely tough and stretchy. I'm surprised they haven't made their way into bike clothes. I have an arcteryx jacket that I've falled off at 18mph and slid on my side, the fabric looks brand new.

A counter argument to the Underwear Nazi.
For all that..Bike disabled, a back up is the bus...But, would anyone want to get on a city bus, if something were exposed...

They don't let people with bleeding asses on the bus. You'd have to call a cab.

Oops! They don't let people with bleeding asses in a cab either! Now, you have to call an ambulance.

If the ambulance crew are not cyclists, they will immediately go to work to stabilize you as they rush you to the ER to have your third degree road rash treated. They won't care if you are wearing undies. In fact, they'll probably be happier you aren't. It will be easier to work on your injuries.

And if the ambulance crew does includes cyclist, they'll just laugh at you for wearing underwear.

No underwear under bike shorts for any reason, ever, CycleZealot. Not even false modesty.

Underwear Nazi
No excuses

Bad enough road rash would probably cut through both bike shorts and underwear, anyway. God, I would hate for that to happen to my prized Bonjour shorts...Can't be replaced anymore...Plus,they are not cheap. Yes, they need inject some kevlar to protect your clothes and arse.

Yes, they need inject some kevlar to protect your clothes and arse. I can just see it; the next medical luxury craze, dorsal kevlar injections.

If your naughty bits are showing, just hold your helmet over 'em as you're on the train home.

I'v never ripped my shorts but I have torn my jersey. I usually have a light cotton undershirt in my backpack though, so I was OK.

If your naughty bits are showing, just hold your helmet over 'em as you're on the train home.
So where do you put your helmet between the train depot and home...Either something might flop where it shouldn't ..Could be a pinch point...Or else don't need to worry about overheating your parts.

Heh....definately a cause to have a second pair of shorts on you.

It's called a cell phone. Use it to call spouse/friend/significant other/sibling/parent/grandparent to come get you, but remember to ask them to bring spare clouths, when ever this happens.

Do you mean sorta like this?
Of course, the shorts weren't this bad from the crash. The lady in the ambulance did a good job ripping them up! :eek: And I'd only won them once or twice prior to my crash. :mad:

My shorts were torn when I was hit by a car, not all that bad but they wanted to cut them off. I wouldn't let them so I would have soemthing to wear (albit holely) when I walked out of the ER.

If I was on the road and they were torn badly, I'd ride home.

Do you mean sorta like this?
Of course, the shorts weren't this bad from the crash. The lady in the ambulance did a good job ripping them up! :eek: And I'd only won them once or twice prior to my crash. :mad:

Dang, that looks like it woulda hurt later. The most road rash (knock on wood) I've ever gotten was crashing, hitting my elbow and imbedding some road trash in my elbow; I still have the scar from that.

Do you mean sorta like this?
Of course, the shorts weren't this bad from the crash. The lady in the ambulance did a good job ripping them up! :eek: And I'd only won them once or twice prior to my crash. :mad:

That reminds me of a picture I saw in last month's Twentysix magazine that showed a female rider who went down in a big pile-up during the start of the short track event in a NORBA race in Waco, TX. She had bandages in the same spot but used duct-tape to keep the gauze bandages in place so she could keep riding. The picture in the magazine was rather interesting... if her shorts were pulled down just a little more, they might have had to place that particular issue alongside all the magazines with covered wrappings.