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long time cyclist, first pair of cycling "pants".

Old 04-16-16, 07:20 PM
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long time cyclist, first pair of cycling "pants".

up till this week, my favorite things to wear for rides between 10 and 100 miles were, depending on the weather, old, well broken-in cutoff dockers, or mesh basketball shorts. no sores once on either ever.

I only took the dive into these spandex Bellweather things because I just moved to a town where cycling is so in fashion (in the USA!), there's even cute young women out mashing away on carbon racey looking things...

issue 1) am I supposed to have them hiked up to my belly button and *completely up on one side or the other of my danglies? how high? I noticed the pants hanging on the saddle nose and inch by inch lifted them to the point that I had to choose a side before I could be confident that I wouldn't be turning them into vented pants. once they were that high, they were up to the button... are they just made to accomodate folks with some weight to lose and someone bony like me just needs to get them hemmed way down so that while the crothc is high, the top chills on the hips like normal?

issue 2) chafe. aside from aerodynamics and/or racey pretense, how are these better than mesh shorts? I did miss this winter, but I already had over four hundred miles in the saddle since March before buying these. Last Friday I did seventy miles, careful not to overdo my winter butt, did 40 on Monday and was AOK, bought the pants yesterday and barely fit twenty miles in and came home hurting a little, but expected to be more than ready for 90 on Sunday. nope.
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Old 04-17-16, 12:16 PM
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Sounds like you should go back to dockers or basketball shorts. Why fix something that's not broken?
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Old 04-17-16, 12:43 PM
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For the first issue it sounds like *maybe* you have too large of a size.

I usually ride in cargo shorts or whatever, but I do have a pair of "real" bike pants for a group I ride with on Saturdays that is mostly roadies. I've gained and lost weight several times so I have one of each of two or three different sizes and what you describe sounds like what happens to me when I've lost weight and put on the pants that are too loose. I wear them not so much because I *need* them but to fit in with the rest of the people on that ride.

(I used to ride in whatever, and on one ride when it was in the 40s, one of the other cyclists said, "You do pretty good for a guy in blue jeans!" He didn't mean it in a derogatory way, but I realized that to that group, wearing something other than bike kit seemed a little odd, so I usually where "proper" bike clothes with that group.)
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Old 04-17-16, 05:50 PM
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Originally Posted by gl98115
Why fix something that's not broken?
This^^^^
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Old 04-18-16, 06:29 AM
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Originally Posted by gl98115
Sounds like you should go back to dockers or basketball shorts. Why fix something that's not broken?
like tightening a new bolt with pliers rather than a socket wrench, I figure that the equipment made specifically for the application ought to be better in some way. I did look better with the black tights than if I had had my pale winter legs glowing neon between my shorts and socks
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Old 04-18-16, 07:50 AM
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all shorts are not equal. Finding a brand of shorts that fits you is only the beginning. The cheap ones actually work better for me, but then again I haven't tried the real high-end shorts

I'm not sure why you chose to post this here instead of, for example, general cycling. Most long distance cyclists have a lot of experience, and have found some idiosyncratic combination of clothing and other techniques that works for them, but may not work for the general public. And many of us are of an age where appearing attractive to the opposite sex is not a consideration in contrast to comfort over a couple hundred miles of riding.

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Old 04-18-16, 04:57 PM
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Originally Posted by MattoftheRocks

issue 1) am I supposed to have them hiked up to my belly button and *completely up on one side or the other of my danglies? how high? I noticed the pants hanging on the saddle nose and inch by inch lifted them to the point that I had to choose a side before I could be confident that I wouldn't be turning them into vented pants.
You're probably wearing shorts that are way too big. Look at the manufacturer's sizing charts and compare to your measurements.

once they were that high, they were up to the button... are they just made to accomodate folks with some weight to lose and someone bony like me just needs to get them hemmed way down so that while the crothc is high, the top chills on the hips like normal?
If you're a skinny climber type, you're probably XS to small depending on hip size and how snug a given model is supposed to fit.

The top needs to be high enough your belly stays covered if your jersey rides up a bit.

issue 2) chafe. aside from aerodynamics and/or racey pretense, how are these better than mesh shorts?
The chamois moves with you, while the outer short stays parked instead of the inner fabric moving around. It's wicking, so the part near your skin should stay drier.
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Old 04-18-16, 06:42 PM
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Originally Posted by MattoftheRocks
like tightening a new bolt with pliers rather than a socket wrench, I figure that the equipment made specifically for the application ought to be better in some way. I did look better with the black tights than if I had had my pale winter legs glowing neon between my shorts and socks

I am confused. Are we talking about bike shorts or are we talking about tights? Are we talking about tights with chamois or not? Bellweather "thing" doesn't give us a single clue. Maybe if you can be more precised with what you are discussing, we can be of real help.
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Old 04-19-16, 01:14 PM
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Something I want to try this year is tights with cut-off Dickie's over top. I cannot bring myself to ride down the road in skin-tight Lycra for all the world to see my @ss. Yeah, it would look hipster-ish, but worth a try. Just me, though.
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Old 04-19-16, 03:12 PM
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I have some mtb pants that I tried over bike shorts on a 100k, and they didn't work at all. I am going to try liners. These pants actually work ok over boxer briefs for shorter rides, but I feel like there is a limit to how long they will work
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Old 04-19-16, 03:19 PM
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I have a few different pairs of cycling shorts. 2 pairs end normally, below my belly button. The 3rd pair, when pulled all of the way up, is above my belly button. And yes, you do have to pull them all of the way up and "pick a side." I certainly don't think that the 3rd pair is too big, as they're still freaking tight. I doubt anybody much bigger than me could fit into them.
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Old 04-19-16, 03:19 PM
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Originally Posted by unterhausen
I have some mtb pants that I tried over bike shorts on a 100k, and they didn't work at all. I am going to try liners. These pants actually work ok over boxer briefs for shorter rides, but I feel like there is a limit to how long they will work
Too many layers to move around? Curious what your take is on this.
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Old 04-19-16, 07:54 PM
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Originally Posted by steve-in-kville
Too many layers to move around? Curious what your take is on this.
I had trouble keeping the pants in place with shorts underneath. Not enough friction, they would drop a bit and then they didn't fit right. With that much fabric flopping around they were somewhat abrasive to the body parts that move. When I use underwear under them, there is a lot less friction, but enough that I'm sure that I would end up with a lot of abrasion on the saddle-skin interface. So in recap, the pants move to much relative to my skin with shorts underneath, and with underwear they moved too much relative to my contact area on the saddle. I just bought some mtb shorts that came with a liner that also snaps into the pants, so hopefully that will fix these issues.

Note that the mtb pants didn't work that well with suspenders, I had nearly the problems with suspenders over bike shorts than without the suspenders. They have grippers that work when there isn't any smooth fabric underneath them.

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Old 04-19-16, 08:31 PM
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@Rowan me too. thread title said cycling pants. In my eyes, they're tights with zippers at the ankles and nothing else. No chamois. Riding a semi-broken in brooks pro which feels aok under basketball shorts and nothing else. I think the chafing occurred during the first ten miles or so while I had them sitting low and they were shifting around.
@steve-in-kville that is what my plan was, but after gambling on rocking the tights to my pt job at the mall, and then to campus, I recommend just showing off dat a$$! I got a pretty good reaction my first time out dressed like a comitted cyclist. I'm definitely now planning on getting another pair...

the lbs has on clearance some cold/wet weather tights/pants with a built-in chamois, any idea if that's a worthwhile thing for >50*F?
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Old 04-20-16, 03:13 PM
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I bought a pair of *real* cycling shorts last year. Have yet to wear them. Also bought a pair of running shorts. Still haven't them but once around the house. I am doing a 5K this Saturday and I'm debating whether I want to debut these sexy legs..... decisions....
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Old 04-20-16, 04:04 PM
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Originally Posted by MattoftheRocks
@Rowan me too. thread title said cycling pants. In my eyes, they're tights with zippers at the ankles and nothing else. No chamois. Riding a semi-broken in brooks pro which feels aok under basketball shorts and nothing else. I think the chafing occurred during the first ten miles or so while I had them sitting low and they were shifting around.
@steve-in-kville that is what my plan was, but after gambling on rocking the tights to my pt job at the mall, and then to campus, I recommend just showing off dat a$$! I got a pretty good reaction my first time out dressed like a comitted cyclist. I'm definitely now planning on getting another pair...

the lbs has on clearance some cold/wet weather tights/pants with a built-in chamois, any idea if that's a worthwhile thing for >50*F?
Well, there you go. You actually do need a pair of cycling shorts with chamois to go under the tights, and for wearing by themselves in summer. You're sort of half way there in the comfort stakes with the semi-broken-in Brooks saddle, and who knows, once it's all the way there, you can wear padded or unpadded clothing every time you ride (I can on most of my Brooks saddles).

Essentially, padded bike shorts help wick away sweat from the butt and groin, and help reduce the risk of chafing. The padding adds a small element of cushioning, and that is handy on long-distance rides. The lycra shorts themselves are structured to keep the chamois in place.

However, buying a pair of bike shorts that suits you can be a gamble. You have to make sure the chamois suits you. It's the one time when you really need to go to a bike shop and try on different brands of bike shorts to see how they feel around the groin (bunched up is the biggest complaint) and that they have adequate coverage with the padding around the back where the sit bones are.

Tights are an optional extra, in my book. They depend on your type of riding. I'll use (in order) knee warmers when the temps are around 15 deg C, leg warmers when between 10 and 15 deg C, and tights of various weights below 10 deg C. If I am touring, I am just as likely to wear shorts with pockets over the top of bike shorts, or lightweight travel pants with the cuffs tucked into my socks or with leg bands.
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Old 04-20-16, 06:09 PM
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@Rowan I have never in my life heard or read "travel pants".

Are "bike shorts" and chamois fitting ever really do-able in one shot, or is it like learning your bike fitting over the course of the ownership and many hundreds of miles on several bikes?

Is there such a thing as a bike shop which stocks more than two brands of cycle clothing? Does anyone know of one in upstate NY? Seems like a big-city kind of thing.
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Old 04-20-16, 06:40 PM
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Originally Posted by MattoftheRocks
@Rowan I have never in my life heard or read "travel pants".

Are "bike shorts" and chamois fitting ever really do-able in one shot, or is it like learning your bike fitting over the course of the ownership and many hundreds of miles on several bikes?

Is there such a thing as a bike shop which stocks more than two brands of cycle clothing? Does anyone know of one in upstate NY? Seems like a big-city kind of thing.
Travel pants, AKA hiking pants or trousers. Made of lightweight synthetic material. Available at REI and the like.

As to bike shorts fit... rarely do-able in one shot, but you might be lucky. You might find a pair that seems to fit just right in the shop, but reveals difficulties after 200km on a ride.

My personal favourites are Pearl Izumis. Even after 10 years (and I mean, I have pairs that are 10 years old or slightly younger), they are my go-to shorts for randonnees. I have other shorts that fit OK, but which become problematic after around 100 miles.

What I am illustrating here is that once you find a brand and model that fits, stick with them. And buy up a few more than you think you need because inevitably, someone at the company decides to make changes to the chamois design, so you might end up back at square one.
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Old 04-21-16, 06:26 AM
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what do you wear to fittings... boxer briefs?
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Old 04-21-16, 03:39 PM
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Originally Posted by MattoftheRocks
what do you wear to fittings... boxer briefs?

Yes.
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