wooljersey

My wife and I are both extra large cyclists. I have been riding for decades so I am used to lycra, etc. My wife however has been reluctant to ride. I finally bought her a woman's bike that really fits (Specialized Dolce) and now she is excited about riding.

My question how can I help my wife find comfortable cycling clothes. She has a Mt Borah Jersey and Pearl Izumi shoes but I don't know what to do about shorts. She has a large stomach (and thankfully doesn't read this forum ). I bought her a pair of Terry shorts in her size but she found the elastic across her stomach uncomfortable. She has not actually ridden in padded shorts but she finds them uncomfortable in the dressing room.

Does anyone have suggestions? Baggy shorts perhaps? Brands? Vendors?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Condorita

Tell her to keep trying what she has until she finds something she's comfortable with on the bike. There is no truth to the notion that the cycle police will arrest you for *not* wearing team kit.

wiredfoxterror

She can try some cycling underwear under some elastic waist baggies.

deep_sky

https://www.love2pedal.com/ carries a lot of sizes for the plus size crowd. Perhaps she can try some shorts from there. Stores don't generally carry sizes beyond XL for women.
Some brands and models (don't know if on that site) have ones that dont have an elastic band per se, but just have the front built so that it secures things without having a pinching band.. Bibs are an obvious solution, but I've found the selection very limited for women, and the issue with using the facilities would be one I'd not want a new cyclist to have to deal with if they are already unsure about lycra clothing.

Fern53

I have XL Pearl Izumi ladies cycling shorts but wear a stretchy pair of chinos over them so that I don't feel self-conscious. (Fashion police notwithstanding, I don't think the world is quite ready to see me in Spandex.)

Cycling jerseys tend to be too fitted to suit me. I've resorted to wearing men's, but another option is to just get a unisex polyester wicking shirt. They are cheaper and I tend not to use the back pockets anyway.

Also, Terry has a plus line of ladies cycling wear that you might want to check into: www.terrybicycles.com

Rhodabike

This site was referenced on another cycling forum. I'm not personally familiar with it, but their sizes seem to run pretty large.
https://www.aerotechdesigns.com/topshelf-women.htm
https://www.aerotechdesigns.com/pluswoman.htm#baggy

pinsonp2 

She might look at the Terry Bella short that has a mid-rise with wide waistband and elastic-free front yoke, https://www.teamestrogen.com/prodTY_610010.html

Also REI has the Novara Mezzo knickers with a non-binding waist band, https://www.rei.com/product/809715/no...-tights-womens

I have both and prefer the chamois in the Terry, but the others are fine as well.

I have some women's apparel from Aerotech Designs. They are a great value and well made. I would prefer a slightly higher rise in the back. Their waistbands are not too bad either.

Hope this helps,
P2

goldfinch

I also agree with the person who mentioned Terry's line of women's bike clothes. They come in plus sizes, which may be more comfortable than extralarge. REI also carries some of the Terry items. Terry has skorts that have mesh padded liners that are not so tight. I bought this skort in extralarge:



It was a bit big for me even though it measured my size. But it is really comfortable. The padding isn't too much and it is kind of nice not being tight. I got it from REI where there were more choices (I wanted black, not some of the more outrageous colors).

Another place to look for cycling clothing for women is www.teamestrogen.com. They have a number of skorts that she might want to try. Team Estrogen is really fast on sending stuff out.