Shimagnolo

If your voice sounds like Michael Jackson while wearing them, they are too tight.

Machka 

I'm not sure I'm following you ...

It is critical that you have your saddle at the right height so that your leg extension is efficient and won't cause you pain. And it is critical that you have your saddle in the correct foreaft position so that your body is in the right position and your knees especially are in the right place. And it is critical that your saddle is wide enough so that you can perch lightly with your sitbones.

As as for the comment that it is not comfortable or practical ... it IS both comfortable and practical, especially if you've got the core strength to do it. Plopping most of your weight in the saddle is uncomfortable and not practical ... you know all the people complaining of saddle sores. My bet is that a lot of these people don't perch, they plop. And all that extra friction causes sores.

I'm no pro, but I've learned to ride mainly in a perched position (which is very natural and comfortable), and logged a lot of kilometres with only one saddle sore.

JusticeZero

Because the purpose of the chammy has absolutely nothing to do with padding.

Celos

So what about the "double shorts" that have a pair of cycling shorts with the pad inside a more traditional pair of shorts? I like this style for more casual riding, or for times when I might stop off somewhere and don't particularly want to look like a walking billboard for the splendor of my crotch.

The problem is, most of the ones I've seen really have pretty normal outer shorts -- they don't have the cycling panel stitched in and I end up sitting on a big ol' seam anyways -- at which point I might as well wear cycling shorts under a pair of regular shorts. Does anyone know of a set of double shorts (sometimes called mountain biking shorts) that have the panel sewn in?

Doug5150

Yea, and you have to lean over with much of your weight on your hands to ride that way, which then leads to hand numbness.

And normal people don't ride that way.

Okay, here's a classic Amsterdam bicycling page:
https://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles/
As I look, I see that almost all of these bikes have the handlebars set high, and the riders are sitting up pretty straight on their saddles. Many of the bikes have the pedals shifted forward as well (like the Townie does, with the bottom bracket set forward of the seat tube) making it even less likely that they're supporting any of their weight on their hands or feet.
You think they're doing it wrong?
~

DataJunkie

Incorrect. There is no such thing as normal.
Comparing the US to Amsterdam is an insult to Amsterdam. Anyhow, many of the riders I encounter daily ride with their weight distributed between their back and hands. My back flips out when all of my weight is supported by it. Consequently, a bike with a decent saddle to bar drop is comfortable to me.

harleyfrog

+1 on the Brooks. Hard as a bowling ball the first time you use it (B.17 in my case, the aged series are already broken in), but given enough saddle time, it will conform to your sit bones and give you a comfortable ride. I also wear bike shorts/tights, mostly because I don't like having loose fabric flapping in the wind.

staehpj1

I disagree. It is just good riding form and if you are serious about your riding it is what you should be doing.

Granted, more casual riders will not likely achieve this form, nor do they need to if they will be riding shorter distances and are not performance oriented.

FWIW: I am fussy about shorts, but not so much about saddles as long; as the saddle isn't too soft or too wide I am usually fine with it. I really like Pearl Izumi Ultrasensor shorts. They have the right amount and placement of padding and are made of materials that wick moisture away nicely and dry quickly. They are also reasonably comfortable even if soaking wet.

I rode coast to coast with the stock saddle that came on my bike and the PI shorts with zero saddle complaints.

staehpj1

I ride my road bike with the bars 5" below the saddle and my touring bike with them just a bit higher, but still pretty low. In both cases my hands are resting lightly on the bars and most of my weight is supported by my legs. Core strength is the key.

Normal people? It depends what you call normal.

Does everyone need to ride the way I describe? No.

Is it a good thing to strive for if you are serious about your riding? I think so.

Is there anything wrong with a more casual approach? No.

staehpj1

No they aren't, it is fine for the kind of riding they are doing. It doesn't look like anyone in those pictures is interested in either riding long distances or performance oriented riding. If they were you would probably see different bikes, like those on this Amsterdam bicycling site:
https://www.elynx.nl/onactivity.php?1...php?Sports@@@@

Paul Barnard

And to think the poor OP asked a simple question about saddle and shorts padding.

bbattle

"Ordinary folks" should not be riding racing bikes. The geometry of the bike dictates the style of riding which dictates what type of saddle one should use. A wide saddle on a racing bike hinders leg motion; the back of your thighs will be hitting the saddle. But too narrow and your sit bones aren't supported. Everyone's rear end is different, hence the myriad saddles for sale. But not even the pros ride those ultra light weight weenie saddles; those are for the Poseur crowd aiming for a 13lb. bike.

Too often ordinary Joe wants that racing bike and will not consider anything else; even though he's never going to ride more than 5 miles up and down the greenway. Then he rides less because his butt hurts so he buys that big fat gel saddle. Feels good for a few miles then hurts worse than ever. Bike gets pushed to the back of the garage to collect spider webs. Hopefully he sees the neighbors riding together on their cruisers around the neighborhood and decides to get one for himself but more than likely Joe will just go inside to watch tv and drink beer.

vaticdart

I use a relatively uncushy saddle, Selle Royale Viper, and ride without padding. I've done 70 mile rides no problem. It's all about getting the adjustment right, which took a few weeks of fiddling. I might wear padding on 100 mile + rides, but I'll try it first without.

cyclezealot

Some here say you need that bike short chamois for speed. Don't forget distance.. Soft saddles don't substantially reduce friction.. Plus, I get tired of leg openings interfering with leg movement, due to the up and downs of pedaling. Good luck. Go great distances and see if you don't have saddle sores... Good luck with that, one way or the other.

Rogue Leader

I mentioned earlier in this thread I use Fox Racing BMX shorts which have the panel sewn in and fit and work great, even with underwear on.

I exclusively use these for all my riding (30+ miles sometimes) and also spin classes with underwear and have no problems with saddle sores, pain, irritation, or anything else.

eminefes

I just bought two pairs of Fox Mid-Ranger shorts, which are baggy cycling shorts. So far I've done a 30 mile road ride and the shorts felt good. I did not wear underwear with them, btw.

Rogue Leader

Cool, they are great I love them. I have the mid rangers (I think) and the base short, need to buy a couple more pairs.

I wear underwear cause the inside seems a bit too fuzzy, like I don't think they intended for you to go commando in them. Aside from having swamp ass from so many layers, I am comfortable with smooth cotton boxer briefs underneath the Fox Racing shorts.

registrar

Why not wearing bike shorts if you don't mind the tight fitting in public ?
No matter how far you ride (of course, not only a few minutes ride !!!), 5 km, 10 km or 20 km ... the padding gives you extra support and comfortable feeling.

Bike shorts are designed for cycling, not for swimming (Tri-suit is different attire), not for sleeping!

WHY NOT WEARING CYCLING SHORTS FOR BIKRING **********?


Don't bother any other people's opinions, Do whatever you feel likely to do (except illegal things or unusual behaviours) .

Go wearing BIKE SHORTS FOR CYCLING .....GO GO GO !!!


Thank you !

Lone

my bike shorts recently tore, so instead of buying a new one, i'm using what i have (regular shorts). i recently bought an ergonomic seat with a cut-out relief section. instead of sitting on the narrower front part, i just moved to the top part, and it feels great.
i have used a cheap $20 seat, but the seat cushioning had no cut out. it was actually opposite of a cut-out, it buldged in the middle length-wise.

edit: i should point out that i have the seat tilted down (at an angle below horizontal) at the front, so that's why i said i sit at the top of the seat. in other words, i sit at the wider back part of the seat. to do this, i also vertically lowered the seat-post significantly.
the cost of the seat recently purchased was less than the cost of the quality bike shorts that had torn.
i also ride a fixed gear, but have not used this seat arrangement. my weight may shift differently on the seat when riding fixed gear and spinning down hills at high rpms.

BlazingPedals

True, if your bike has a saddle. OTOH, if your bike has a lazyboy chair, the chamois is unnecessary and you SHOULD plunk yourself down, put your feet up, and enjoy the show.

Little Darwin

Someone did a search and replied to a 6 year old thread...

But just to join in on the thread, I wore biking shorts under other shorts for a while, but just decided to go with exposed spandex to keep a little cooler. At 321 pounds, some would not make my decision, but I'm comfortable with it.

fietsbob

Was Chamois, the skin of a Goat, now easier to wash and dry synthetics are used ..

its the seamless sweat absorbant surface that helps, the Spandex shorts hold it agains your Body.

..so.. saddle friction has the 'Shammy' and the fabric of the shorts to rub against, not your skin..

RPK79

What an interesting topic that hasn't come up since 2008.

mrodgers

It's fine when it is another question someone has on the subject and he searched as he should have and read the thread without a complete answer to his question. It's quite different when someone somehow finds the thread and answers the original first post question 6 years later as if that original poster will see it and finally be satisfied that his question was answered after 6 years of waiting like this one was.

RPK79

Not only did they "answer" the original post, but they did so with so much emotion. As if the thought of NOT wearing bike specific clothing caused a blind rage in them.