General Cycling Discussion - Used bike shorts?

Would you wear bike shorts used by someone else, even if washed, disinfected and irradiated?

Some thoughts to consider:

Would you wear another persons used underwear? If you have ever been to an estate auction, did you see used underwear for sale? No? Why is it thrown away rather than sold? Why doesn't the United States Government allow used underwear to be given to clothing pantries, homeless shelters or shelters for abused women?

And, finally, which is more disgusting: your underwear after a day's use, or your shorts after a good ride?

I realize this is an emotional subject, but...

To really investigate the matter, what makes your bike shorts more angelic than someone else's? Maybe your bike shorts are the ones that are in violation of the Federal Sanitary
Standards Act, and you wear them! :PU smiley:

Then again, maybe MINE stink...

:eek:

Originally posted by velocipedio
Would you wear bike shorts used by someone else, even if washed, disinfected and irradiated?
I detect a slight bias on behalf of the thread starter ;) as evidenced by the words, "even if..."

However, there are only a few reasons I would wear someone else's bike shorts:

1) They had withstood the kind of washing I am famous for, and one of the following:
2) They belonged to my wife, and #1 above.
3) They belonged to me, and #1 above.
4) They belonged to my girlfriend, and I was not married, and #1 above.
5) I had been drinking some of Mike's "Bikeshorts Homebrew," and #1 above.
6) I had nothing else to protect my dear "softies" from chafing,
and #1 above.
7) You offered me money (#1 does not apply.)

:beer:

Originally posted by Pete Clark
7) You offered me money (#1 does not apply.)
How much? I have a REALLY nice pair of Garneau half shorts that are... let's see now... six years old... :D

Had to vote to make the score even. As I said, if they fit, enjoy the ride!

Sure... beat 'em on some rocks in a stream, and they're good as new.:D

To really investigate the matter, what makes your bike shorts more angelic than someone else's?
They have MY cooties on em :D , and I know how they have been
washed/treated since they were assumedly new
(don't even go there!).
For me its like Dive equiptment, not that I wouldn't use
someone elses (excluding wet suit),
I just know how my kit has been maintained
and I'm more comfortable with it.

And selling used shorts on e-bay, whats up with that?

Marty
(and there is NO indecision on this one!)

Maybe. If they were really good ones, and there were no visible skid-marks, etc.

Originally posted by LittleBigMan
what makes your bike shorts more angelic than someone else's
It's kind of like I told my wife... "my f@rts don't smell as bad as everybody elses."

I think there should have been a third choice. Like "maybe, depending on the condition." Roadbuzz's 'skidmark' post made me doubt my sure answer. :confused:

The whole idea is just plain disgusting. I can't believe any of you would even CONSIDER it !

Does wearing or not wearing used -hand-me-down-shorts make one a FRED, PHRED or POSEUR?

...and there should be a "maybe" in the poll.

Iotek. I have been diving far from home, like Hawaii. People do rent used wet suits. One I rented in Kauai really stunk. It was use it or don't dive. It was a great dive. And you know what people do in wet suits, during those long dives.
Think this is a sensitive subject. No I prefer not to use someone used bike shorts. Yet, we have all been to someone's home with a pool and came up, use who ever's swim suit or don't swim, since didn't bring one. Think I can recall that situation happening to me.
Remember the movie with Ben Stiller, "Meet the Parents." Message here, always bring you own swim suit. In those unlikely situations, like to believe in the strength of color bleached Cheer for colors. Always add an extra scoop.

cyclezealot

there are 2 types of divers: those who wee in their
wetsuits and those who lie about it.....

I've used school wet suit, I do know that most
schools,shops etc. rinse and disinfect wetsuits...
alot of the stink is just due to mildew etc. from
being wet and stored incorrectly.
Marty

Ditto Dirtgrinder. Just how bad are these shorts?


Have they been through multiple bananas?

:D
Hey, if one day you woke up and ALL of your riding shorts were gone FOREVER except that one disgusting charity pair...would you quit riding (and no, an allowable answer here is NOT "I'd have them Fed-Ex'd from Performance") ?