mooder

I bought the Castelli Free Aero Race see:
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5040-3...Race-Bibshorts

I first had a bib from ebay then bought a Craft bib for 112$ (with tax). I was first very impressed but the padding was a bit too much. Despite the comfort improvement, I was still getting soreness and pain after just 50km. This is something I got used to but I can't do more than 70km or I just don't enjoy it in the end.

I just tried the Castelli today. Took a size above and the fit is perfect. The padding is very minimal and I feared it wouldn't be enough. Well now I feel my saddle and I can tell now it is way is too far behind. No wonder I was so uncomfortable, I was sitting only on the front of the saddle... I can feel my sit bones are not supported, especially when I am using an aero position.

I still haven't tried to adjust the fitting but I hope this time I will get the right fit!
In the end I spent 180$ for a new bib... way too much money. When I bought my bike used, I thought I was good to go with a cheap bib\jersey combo. 4 years later, I nearly put as much on clothing. Not a financially viable hobby for a student! My friends think I am crazy to spend 300$ for shoes and as much in clothing. When I try something cheaper, it's just not a good fit or comfortable (shoes and bib).

FeltF2Tarmac

I have the same bibs. My absolute favorite piece of cycling gear. Really comfortable and fit my body really well. I agree the price is hard to swallow at first but I feel like these will last me. Since winters coming they are about to be put away for tights that always seem to have a little extra length than I need.

rpenmanparker 

Ya gotta do whatcha gotta do...but many folks don't have to do that. I like Performance Elite and Ultra shorts at around $30 and 50 when on deep sale. I like Specialized Comp shoes at $170. I have never found that shorts had any effect on what distance I could comfortably ride. Apparently YMMV.

bruce19

When I switched from PI and Castelli to Assos it was like enlightenment. Couldn't be happier. A very individual thing but when you find the one, you know it.

Vicegrip

Peformance bibs for the 30 mile round trip commute then into the wash each day . Assos bibs for the long rides and well worth it. Great fit proper room for the man bits and all day comfort in the padded areas. The older version of the Peformance bibs were better I am waiting to wear them out so I can find another cheap daily ride bib.

Chandne

I mostly wear Assos and Castelli. They just end up being way more comfy so the others sit around. Too bad my cash flow is taking a hit. I'll have to wait and buy some more, and will look into those Castellis you bought. They look good.

Nachoman

20-30 miles is the sweet spot for me where I can wear any of my bib shorts without noticing any difference.
But if it's a ride over 30 - 40 miles, my butt becomes more persnickety.

RoadLight

Greetings,

For long distance (100 miles / 161 km), I use Pearl Izumi Pro In-R-Cool bibs. They are the most comfortable bibs that I've ever used and I like their full compression fit. For daily training (usually 35 miles / 56.3 km), I use Pearl Izumi Elite In-R-Cool bibs. They are the second most comfortable bibs that I've ever used and have a moderate compression fit. One pair of the Elite bibs lasts me about one year of training (5,000-6,000 miles / 8047-9656 km) before the fabric starts to "pillow" where it contacts the saddle and the elasticity begins to slacken.

Kind regard, RoadLight

cycledogg

Ditto. But I do own a few Castelli and Performance bibs.

mooder

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll definitively try Izumi bib... next year (had to break my piggy bank for the Castelli bib).

RiPHRaPH

Yes yes.castelli and assos are Awesomes.also like craft and canari.
At least we are all in agreement that bibs are much comfier for keeping the junk in place than shorts alone.

RoadLight

Hi RiPHRaPH,

Not at all! Comfort and keeping the "junk" in place has absolutely zero to do with it---at least not for me. I find shorts just as comfortable and just as effective at keeping things in place. There are two reasons why I use bibs some of the time:

1. I hate flashing my stomach when I dismount and stand straight. I'm tall (6'2") with a slightly long torso for my height. Most of the time the jerseys are about 1-2 inches too short for me and when I stand up straight, the front of my jersey will rise above the waist line of my shorts if I haven't recently tugged my shorts up to their full height. And if I raise my arms---I'm guaranteed to flash someone if I'm wearing shorts. The bibs insure that my hairy tummy stays hidden. Because I ride a lot, I'm fairly lean (body fat less than 10%). A size "large" jersey would fit me best if it came in a "tall" size. So I'm forced to buy mostly "extra-large" jerseys to get a little more length---but they are not as tight-fitting as I'd like. I prefer an aero fit for the wind---I ride in lots of wind.
2. In cooler weather the bibs are warmer than shorts when you aren't yet ready to switch to tights.

But there are also some disadvantages to bibs:

1. They are difficult to pull down to urinate. And you have to remove your jersey to pull them completely down to defecate.
2. In hot weather they can be too warm. (However, I will usually wear bibs for a century ride even if it's hot because I'll be around a lot more cyclists and will be extra embarrassed if I flash my hairy tummy.)
3. The shoulder straps do not look good under some jerseys.

I have many more shorts in my cycling wardrobe than bibs for summertime use. I probably wear shorts 75% of the time, bibs 15% of the time and full-length tights over shorts or bibs 10% of the time. If the temperature drops below 50°F, then I move my bike indoors and mount it on my trainer. Indoors I always wear shorts. (My nose runs too much in cold weather to make outdoor long-distance riding comfortable.)

Kind regards, RoadLight