New Bib Shorts Fun
 

So I'm looking around at some of the higher end bibs as I’ve shrunk out of my Specialized XXL bibs that I bought last year. After reading countless threads on what’s hot and what’s not, I decided to take a look at Santini. What the?!?! Are like all European’s tiny people. The sizing chart indicates that an XXL is for a dude with a 35 inch waist. A small is for a dude with 29 inch waste. Are these made strictly for children? :D Needless to say, Santini’s are out!.

I'm looking at PI P.R.O.'s and Sugoi RS's now.

for what its worth, i like performance bib shorts. theyre cheap and fit me well. theyre always on sale and if i outshrink them, its not a big deal to pick up another couple pair. sizing has been pretty accurate too.

Maybe I'll give them a shot. I'm just weary of “cheaper” bibs sometimes as I have a whimpy butt. :D

from what i read, the sugoi's run a little small, and are not meant for long torso-ed people...

just out of curiosity, what waist/hip/chest size were you when you bought the specialized bibs, im trying to figure out the sizing...

well, they have the next step up, which look pretty comfortable to me. i purchased the mid level ones to give performance bibs a test run, without dropping a boatload of cash. they passed the test and i was going to pick up a couple pair of the "top of the line" performance bibs, but my situation changed a bit this year.

speaking of whimpy butts, i once held 75 watts at the state fair for 8 minutes. human powered broadcast. i about died. very poor setup

I finally succumbed to all the hype on how comfy they are and bought my first pair of bib shorts. I have not worn them on a ride yet because it's been cool and unlike when it's hot out it's not unusual to need to take a tinkle. As I was putting them on my wife pointed out this logistical challenge -- she said something about women being more aware of these sort of clothing issues.

So how do you take a quick relief break when wearing bibs?

i prefer to ride one leg up as far as i can get it, while pulling the elastic gripper sleeve off of the thigh a tad without stretching the elastic too much and then maneuvering the junk towards the opening.

+1 on the ultras. I got a pair for $35 in December and they're amazing, though I haven't tried any high-end bibs. Online reviews have complained of their durability but I don't see any trouble yet. Probably ~500 miles on them and will definitely buy them again when needed.

Sorry, I don't know any of those numbers. But I do know I was 6'3" and was pushing 235 or 240. Now I'm 6'3" and almost down to 220. I got and XXL and would probably go XL now.

I have Performance Elite Bibs and I just pull them down in front. I think the straps are really stretched out on mine or were too big to begin with so it is easy to do that way for me.
XXL fit me well enough when I was probably a 50 waist and were a little loose in the thigh and now I'm 44 so it is looser up top but the legs are really tight. The thighs on an older pair that hadn't been worn in a while did a little tearing sound when I put them on. It was the same sound that occured when I tried the XL long ago and hadn't pulled it on all the way. They really need to add a leg measurement or something to the sizing chart I think I may always be an XXL.

Regarding lasting I have had 4 pairs for over 2 years probably pedaling about 1200 hours between them just washing them and using the dryer on gentle. Some are showing some wear up shoulder part is but the shorts sections are all good.

Another vote for the Performance Ultra bibs.

I've got a few thousand miles on a pair, and they're just going to need replaced this season. Many many century rides, 200k, and even a double while wearing the Ultras.

I'm 6'6", 250 pounds and the XL fits well. I'll be buying another pair or two as replacements for my commuter/training gear.
As for high-end bibs, there are some companies who cater to the more generously proportioned cyclist. I'm looking at a pair of Assos FI.Mille bibs for my ultradistance shorts. Their TIR size is what they used to call XXLW (2x wide). Designed specifically for those of us in the 200+ set. And not all of their gear is $350 for a pair of shorts; the Uno and the Logo can be found around the $150 mark, putting them square in with the PI P.R.O.
Now, for comparison in the padding: The Ultra has a very VERY (I can't stress this enough) EXTREMELY thin, low density chamois pad. If your butt isn't comfy on your saddle in a pair of cutoffs, then you will not be comfortable in these shorts. The padding, IMO, is there as a sweat mop and a holster for chamois creme.
The 3D-PRO and new 4D-PRO from Pearl Izumi... there's good and bad about it. It's a high density split pad, so it cushions your sit bones at the saddle and the split offers some pinch protection against having your junk fall asleep. There's a good amount of forward padding, so if you ride in the drops or other aggressive position, you're not riding your unit up over the front of the chamois. HOWever, the cover material is a felted antibacterial porous microfiber. Sure, it feels great even after 3, 5, heck, 11 hours in the saddle... but you'll go through chamois creme like a fiend! Its wicking capacity is astonishing, and when you sweat and start to thin out your chamois creme, that padding will sop it up pretty quick. On a 200k a couple weeks ago, I had to re-apply 2 times during the ride after an initial application just before the start.
As I haven't used the Assos bibs yet, I can't give a personal review; but here's the scoop from the guys at my LBS and some friends who wear them: The chamois on all of them is of the same material, it's the amount and the placement which are different between the Uno, 13, Mille etc. The less expensive ones have a thinner padding than the Mille, which is their ultra-high milage short. (It's also been suggested by my randonneuring friends NOT to wear the Mille for distances under 300k because the price::benefit ratio just isn't there. You don't get the full benefit of the Mille until you spend 20+ hours on the bike, according to them.) The chamois is high-density PU foam and gel, breathably porous, and from what I could tell by checking them out in the LBS, the covering material doesn't seem too absorbent. I think they rely more on the breathability design of the padding to keep them dry, so that they can use a material less likely to sop up your chamois creme. I'm willing to give the Mille a try for my 300k and 400k this fall, and the Uno or Logo a chance for shorter (100k and 200k) rides just to see if they live up to the hype.

I have never used chamois creme.

I strongly advise checking out the Assos Mille line (I think the current line is FI.Mille.S5.Stuff.and.things.why.is.our.naming.convention.so.awful or something). They use the EIT chamois, which is, well, I'd get banned for explaining how nice it is... and the Mille like is looser/larger than their racing or Uno line. It's for endurance/larger riders, and the XL is 36-38" waist, with XLG going to 40" and TIR going to 42". They are expensive, seriously expensive, but . . . well, I think they're easily worth it.

Here's a link. You can find them for closer to 180-190 if you look. I will say I don't much care on 20 mile rides, but by mile 40, I'm glad I'm not wearing my Sugoi or PI nonsense, and by mile 60-80, well, the difference is awesome. Lots of other brands use the same Chamois, and if you have a particularly long torso the Assos will pull on your shoulders a tiny bit, so you might want to look around.


http://www.competitivecyclist.com/ro...749.159.0.html

I typically don't for shorter rides. When it gets to be 8 hours for me it is a safe way to go and once it gets to 20 it is a definate.

Like evblazer, for shorter rides (50mi and less) I don't need it. Getting up to the 100k mark, it's more comfortable with it, and on century and longer rides it's a necessity (for me). I know plenty of people who don't use it and they're just fine without it.

Castelli and Giordana Sizing
 

Last summer I tried on a pair of XL Castellis and Giordanas, which is the size I wear in Pearl Izumis. I think parts of my body inverted for a few minutes. Those parts were traumatized for a few days afterward. I ended up ordering a pair of XXL Giordana Tenax bibs. They're excellent. Felt like I was wearing a thong under them for a couple of rides but they have fit perfectly since.

Where are you finding these for 180-190? No way I'm going to 240! :D

I've considered Giordana too. Can I ask your weight and height?

Usually google marketplace has a few, and ebay has some volume retailers who sell them at that price (yes, new. I'm not one to mess with used bike shorts).

I picked up some Castelli bibs from Longs Cycle (www.longscycle.com) for under $30. They are very comfy. They were "grab bag" items but if you want a cheap way to try out some good bibs, this is a good deal. S+H was $5 and the order arrived quick.

6' 1" and 240.

whats a good size for someone 6'5 270 ? ???

What are your waist sizes? This is how I size our bibshorts
2X is 38" to 40"
3X is 40" to 42"
4X is 42" to 44"

4X is the largest we make them in.

One of the challenges in making 3x and 4x is that there is a much bigger variation in body shape among guys with 42" waists than guys with 32" waists. In other words there might be a guy with a 42" waist with who has an athletic build and another guy with a 42" waist with skinny legs, no butt and small chest-totally different builds.

On nice thing about bibs is the waist size is a bit more forgiving than with regular shorts because bibs don't have elastic at the waist.

Dan

Lickbike has assos on sale right now.. The Mille Bib shorts are my go to bibs for anything over 50 miles.. The pad is a little thicker but the shorts are the best.. If you take care of assos they will last, I have some roubaix knickers that I have been using for over 7 years.. Here is the link:

http://www.lickbike.com/sectionsubli...E=%27SHORTS%27

Thanks for all the input folks. I ordered a pair of Sugoi RS bibs thru my local shop (where I have a $50 gift certificate). I ordered XXL. They stock them so if they don't fit I'm not obligated to purchase them.

I keep going back to the Assos bibs, but I just don’t know if I can go to $200+ for bibs. Plus, I keep getting different stories on what size to get? There are certainly no shops around here that stock those.