Originally Posted by
genejockey
I think the issue is that if your chest is XL, your waist is almost certainly NOT M, especially if your thighs are too large for Medium bibs. What chest and waist size are we talking about here?
There's also a problem buying bibs based on waist size, at least with one maker (Louis Garneau). I've been buying XL-sized LG bibs for years, but then in 2020 I lost about 30#. I saw the old FitSensor 2 bibs at a big discount and based on the waist size, I bought some in L. Turns out they're also SHORTER in the leg. So much shorter, in fact, that I can't really wear them on the road, because they look like women's shorts on me. They fit okay for riding in the garage, so that's the only place I wear them. Lesson learned.
The OP doesnt seem to know what is what as a 17" thigh for a grown man is...surprising.
But the OP's confusion aside, I used to have a pair of fitsensor2 shorts and loved them because the pad was thin yet effective. When I tried the fitsensor2 bibs, I was shocked to see about 3" of untanned skin. Honestly, it may have been 4" of untanned skin. Those bibs were so much shorter than the identical model of shorts. I used them to zwift with for a season then got rid of them. My bibs were the same size as the shorts too. I bet even some women's bibs have longer leg than those fitsensor2 bibs. Just goofy short.