aerotechdesigns
 

Hey guys, I see aero tech designs recomended a lot for clydes clothes and have some questions. I am a 42 waist and am looking for shorts. I ride from 10 - 30 miles now but I really want to do a century.

- How do the http://www.aerotechdesigns.com shorts compare to other companies like PI? For instance the Top Shelf Bike Short versus the PI Ultrasensor?

- They seem to be a little cheaper then the big names and look just as good. Are the aero tech as comfortable and durable? Do they have a better fit for a bigger guy? I would think a PI short is cut different then an aerotech.

- Also any input on the baggy bike shorts? I think I would like to start out with them until I lose a little more weight. Anyone use them?

http://www.aerotechdesigns.com/baggy_bike_shorts.htm

- Last I seem to fall under a XXL size for most of there shorts. The thing is in the regular category and the big man category they both have XXL. Are they identical shorts or is the bigman cut different? There is a $10 difference and they may be the same short. I doubt anyone would know the answer to this but its worth a shot.

Thanks for all the help. This site and especially this forum is the greatest

Well, as to durability? Excellent! As to comfort, Equal to my Sugoi bibs, that were $125.00! Chamois is a little thinner, but is better at wicking then the Sugoi chamois. I'm happy with them! Jerseys are excellent as well! Breathe well and wick moisture very well. In short, would I recommend them? Whole heartedly! (and no, I don't get paid for the endorsement, but I should!http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/7581/moskingqa5.gif)

I'd take a tape measurerer to your waist - I found out that my 42" waist really was 46"+ according to the truth tape :) That's just in general, not sure how they measure (pants size or actual waist size).

Email Aerotechdesigns! I'm requested info several times and they have been very helpful and forthcoming with their answers. They are great folk!

I just ordered a pair and they should be delivered today......I only ordered one pair to see how their product is.....if it's as good as all the comments online, I'll be ordering some stuff for winter riding as well (here in Wash DC, winter isn't too bad). I spoke with them on the phone and they were very helpful. Oh and yes, Merry Christmas and Happy 2007.

definately let me know how they are as i am expecting to place an order in a couple of weeks. also what model did you buy?

classic bike black short $34.95 + 4.85 priority mail shipping.....still the same price as if purchased locally.........

they just arrived.....very happy with them.....padded chamois that is also sanitized....if anything they are cut a bit larger than what I had expected........am going to order some more things from them now that I know the quality of their merchandise. and it's made in USA... they'll keep my businesss even when/if I'm no longer a clyde!

I still commute in a pair of old Aerotech shorts that I've had since back in the day when the company was still called "Schaubelt Shorts." Great fit, quality design, and excellent durability.

I started ordering the "Top Shelf Shorts" with the multi layer chamois and I found them to be much more comfy for me than the Pro Shorts with the single layered chamois. I started in a 5x and I am now down to a 3x. The jerseys are especially nice in the sweltering summer in Florida. I was cleaning out my closet to get rid of all my old clothes that did not fit any longer :D, and since they were in such good shape and I didn't want to just throw them out, I donated them with the other stuff that no longer fit.

That is a good feeling having to buy smaller clothes, :beer:, been a while since I had to do that.

My 4X Baggy shorts & 4X jersey just arrived from Aerotech Designs. I am big with a 52" waist and a 48" chest.

The shorts and jersey fit great. Plenty of room in both of them and nice padding and "back stretch panel" in the shorts. I ordered some other 3X jerseys from another place and it was like putting a condom on....maybe that's how they are supposed to fit for people who do all riding but but I'm just an old man hopefully on his way to losing 50#.

I agree about getting out the tape measure before you order.

Nice people to talk to on the phone and the stuff is put together right there in a suburb of Pittsburgh, PA. Pkg. arrived right on time even with the Christmas rush.

The skin tight fit is for racing. Club or Touring cut is baggier!

advice about the baggy shorts, I bought two shorts one was the lycra and the other a "baggy" bike short.
I really only use the lycra because of the comfort... because its is tight, it doesn't bunch up under your rear so it is more comfortable...

I can't speak for a comparison to PI as I've never heard of PI. I can say that I have a friend I used to ride with (also a Clyde) who had shorts from Performance. When they started wearing out in a year or 1 1/2 years, he was looking to get a new pair. I kept talking to him about getting them from Aerotech instead of Performance again. Eventually, he decided to try them as they were only about $5 or $10 more. The next time we rode after he got those shorts, he just couldn't stop raving about how comfortable they were compared to the Performance shorts.

I do want to make one warning about Aerotech though. This is just of late too. They have started carrying some brands that actually aren't their own and the quality may not be the same. For example, they have started carrying the Primal bike jerseys (they make the cool ones with band album covers on them and such). I have a Primal jersey that I bought at Performance or Nashbar and they suck. They are not soft at all...kinda rough and itchy.
http://www.aerotechdesigns.com/designer.htm#pinkfloyd

Be wary and try to make sure something you order is not just another brand they are reselling.

I agree with Tom on the email them suggestion. I've emailed with the lady a few times and she's very nice and will answer any question you have.

PI = Pearl Izumi......they have good stuff but you pay the price. I just received a pair of their 8 panel shorts and they fit really nice.

Oh...OK. Didn't catch that...duh!!

I have "felt" PI shorts in the store before, and my aerotech shorts and the PI shorts felt nearly identical to me in terms of material.

Im a 42 waist (most of the time) anyway I bought 3 pair of Top shelf shorts from Cathy at aerotech

very nice gal by the way. anyway the shorts are well made and comfy No complaints.

getting the right size is tough without being able to try them on.

with Lycra I end up wearing a smaller size than normal due to the stretch 2XL was too big .

again cathy is alot of help so give her a call and shell work it out with you.

"John"

Hello people. I immediately went out and bought my first pair of cycling shorts after a 40-mile ride in stretch pants with a seamed crotch. God, I wish I had known better at the time. Anyway, based on advice from this site, I bought a pair of Aerotech Design shorts. I am used to wearing close fitting pants for yoga classes, but nothing prepared me for the uber tight fit of cycling shorts. The waist is comfortable, but the leg bands seem tight. They are not uncomfortable, but they rather dig into my flesh and do not make for a smooth looking silhouette. Is this what leg bands are supposed to do? Or did I purchase the wrong size? I wear a 6. So I bought the small as suggested by the sizing chart. Should one generally buy up a size when buying cycling shorts? I appreciate your words of wisdom.

The tight fit on the legs will go down a bit as you replace the adipose tissue with muscle in your quads. The tightness also helps with moisture wicking as well as circulatory support. Do they really dig in or is it just a little indentation in your thighs?

Thanks for your reply Tom and helping to make me more intelligent in regards to the benefit of tightness. To answer your question, the leg bands don't really dig in. They do create an indentation (that's the word I was searching for) that I don't particularly care for. My quads are already mostly muscle with little adipose tissue. Perhaps the indentation is normal and the problem is me, or more accurately, my inexperience with bike short fit. Anyways, I talked to a rep at Aerotech. She says she thinks the medium or small would work for me. Seems that my body type is right in between these two sizes. I'll ponder the situation and figure out what to do. No long rides for me in the meanwhile though.

More questions: do the bike shorts themselves ever relax and become less snug? Or is that the very thing that they are NOT supposed to do?

Eventually, even Lycra loses it's stretch. This can be extended further out though by hand washing or using delicate cycle and Woolite. Air dry after rolling in a towel to wring out any excess moisture.

Send them back for a pair of medium ones--they are super people to work with.

They once sent me a shirt with a little tear in it and I sent it back. When I received the new one back she included a pair of socks and a couple of energy bars to cover my end of the shipping.

My only (somewhat minor) complaint with Aerotech is that they have started carrying other brands that are not their own. Their stuff is high quality, but now they carry some lower end stuff that is not up to the same standards. If you pay attention, you will see its a different brand, but you have to be looking for it.

For example - They carry Primal jerseys. I've bought a couple of Primal jerseys in the past....the quality isn't all that great. Nothing like Aerotech jerseys.

Example2 - The baggy bike shorts they carry are Mt. Borah. They aren't bad, and I can't compare them to others as they are the only baggy bike shorts I've ever had, but they don't seem to be along the same lines as the Aerotech Lycra shorts I've had.

I typically by 2 pairs of bibs at a time and rotate and will get about 4 months out of them before they lose enough elasticity that they are uncomfortable or I have lost enough weight that I need to move to the next size down. I've also learned that hand washing will help extend their longevity.

Another tip. If leg grippers are bothering you on the rides flip them out for a little bit for a break. Just roll them. Easiest way to take care of the shorts is to wash and rinse cold in the washing machine. Then put them in th dryer on No heat (Fluff). Get's everything nice and dry. I do shorts, jerseys, Road ID, and Polar heart strap in one load by itself.

Thanks for sharing all your advice and experiences. I decided to keep the shorts and recently wore them on a long ride. They worked perfectly. I believe my initial misgivings were due to me being unused to the overall tight fit.