Originally Posted by
dobber
Is this a rotund 230 lbs, or a muscular 230. Are you five foot nothing, or 6 foot. Pot bellied?
I tip at about 240 (5'-9"), barrel chested and I get away with XL just fine. I prefer bibs these days though. Going with the cheapest shorts isn't necessarily the brightest move, inferior construction, poor fit, etc. While I'd be hesitant to drop $200 on a set of Assos, $75 for a good pair of Pearl would be reasonable, IMHO.
I prefer the BlackBottom line. Heavy duty, old school chamois, inexpensive. I generally wear a pair of MT Bike shorts over them.
Last year I was clearly rotund, but I am 5'11" so I guess by your stature scale I would have to classify myself as pot bellied. By this time next year I expect to have all overweight references not applicable to me. I started at 313 pounds. The rate of loss has slowed, but it still continues in the right direction. Another 20 pounds or so and I will be at 18% body fat according to all the measurements my doctor has done. He says I should be between 15 and 18% to be healthy. I will see how I look when I get there and decide for myself.
I am not really looking to go with cheap shorts exclusively to save money, although saving money is always a good thing. I am assuming that my commuting distance doesn't really necessitate higher end shorts. Last year I was wearing just whatever I had in the drawer and would periodically have issues with chaffing thanks to the seams in standard shorts. Over the winter I have been wearing pants made for me by Lou at Foxwear, but warmer weather is coming and I don't want to go back to chaffing.
So, the rationale goes that I can get a few cheaper pairs for commuting, then have something nicer for longer weekend rides. I just don't want the cheaper ones to be too much of a disappointment so I was interested in the opinions of everyone here. There is definitely some interesting information here to follow up on.