Cychologist

Bibs are just more comfortable than shorts. Except for mountain bike shorts, I haven't worn them for years.

When I see someone riding with shorts over their biking apparel I think they are either shy about their appearance, not a serious cyclist or both.

I buy one set of nice bibs, usually expensive but on sale, a year. I take care of them, including in washing them without fabric softener. They last, so I now have several pair.

I have different brands which means whatever seams and pads they have, I'm not getting any hot spots from rubbing the same place day after day.

Too much padding is worse than too little.

McCallum

Actually folks I wore cargo shorts over bike short/liner combo last summer to have pockets for keys and cell phone, couldn't find my Bike shirt last year. I had no problem; I was only riding 10-12 miles two days a week so that may have been the reason I did not have issues but if one is use to having the seams without a problem there may not be a problem?!?

Also check any LBS or internet shop (Bike Nasbar, preformance) and one can find shorts for 20-30 dollars.

Juan Foote

I like that username Cychologist, whitty.

You would just have to understand the mindset around here concerning the spandex, there is a really negative attitude regarding them around here. Lots of rednecks and really conservative religious types, etc. They don't call this the bible belt for nothing. I have found that my interactions with individuals tends to go smoother when I am wearing a set of shorts over the spandex.
As to the fit issue, I have found it is according to the material you put over. Cloth like cotton doesn't ride well as it slides too much, but a set of nylon, or other modern fiber shorts, single ply and very light I have no issues at all with comfort or heat.

fast89fox

I can only say that I have had no problems wearing gym shorts over cycling shorts. Don't doubt its more comfortable sans the gym shorts, but I feel more comfortable with them on.

Mithrandir

I thought that at first as well; very conservative area here. But then I noticed that I get made fun of for cycling in the first place, and for being fat while cycling especially ("nice ass!", "get off the road fat-ass!", etc). So I figure, what difference will spandex make? They already hate me for no apparent reason, it's not like spandex will make it any worse.

Seve

%99.9 + of all our fears turn out to be unfounded.

I can recall how petrified I was with putting on spandex tights to go biking after many years away from riding. I even thought about the time of day etc. when there would be the least amount of people who could see me.
I felt the same way about having to go to a gym or even exercising after my heart attacks as I was woefully overweight and was anything but a picture of Adonis.

The same fear of being a kid at school and having the bad fortune to not be wearing the right clothes or sneakers and knowing it.

Logically, why would I have that fear or concern, I'm in my 50's and have seen and done a lot of things around the world?

Go to your local Mall / Wal_Mart and sit there and just watch the people that go by.

Wear whatever you want for whatever reason you choose.

StephenH

One thing to realize is that if you're overweight, you're going to look silly in just about anything, so the idea that you'll look silly in spandex but not in gym shorts doesn't really fly.

When you start wearing this stuff, you also discover that nobody much cares what you wear. Get some interesting jerseys and nobody'll even notice what pants you have on.

kenoshi

Don't get stressed out about what people think...Its what you think that's most important. Really, if you don't mind, then it don't matter. I can give a rats behind what people think when I ride by. If my sexy spandex behind offends them then they are more than welcome to shut their eyes or look the other way.

Oh I wear Pearl Izumis, have 3 pairs of their attack shorts, and various jerseys. Elastic bands at the knee keeps it from riding up, and its fairly comfortable...And I just like the fit of their jerseys over ones from say performance bikes...

Profgumby

So you "double pad"?

perspiration

once you get in the full swing of cycling and start timing yourself and measuring your mph, you'll already have sexy quads and calves and be happy to be wearing the cycling shorts!

just one more plug from bibs, I think it was Neil_B or another regular who said he's never heard anyone complain going from shorts to bibs....they're just generally better

Pachydermatous1

I'm bib short shopping. But at 6'1 and 380 I want to know if the Love2Pedal bibs will be big enough... The Aerotech goes up to 6x but I still want things tight where they should be. Anyone near my size wearing the Love2Pedal? Should I just take a shot and order their biggest size? I need to get something in place. Riding in street clothes is hurting my boys, lol.

Neil_B

Love2Pedal 3x or 4x should fit you. And they will exchange them if they are too large or otherwise not right. How big around is your waist? I ordered the 4x and they were far too big for my 48'' middle.

Neil_B

Sometimes called "double bagging." I did it once, the day after a brutal ride. Didn't help much, and the compression was pretty intense.

Neil_B

It was someone else. I know of at least one poster here who went back to shorts.

Neil_B

Love2pedal 4x might fit. Check the sizing chart.

Neil_B

I wonder if this is a problem caused by the shorts, or by being on a bike in the first place?

Pachydermatous1

Depends on what you mean by waist... Where I wear my pants it's 51", but that is further south than my widest point which is running about 10 inches more. I'll just order the 4x from love2pedal and see what happens. My belly can hang through the "U" in the bib, lol (for now). Anyway Ive never heard of 4XL fitting a 42-44" waist. I wear 2XL Champion mesh shorts and have to tie off the drawstring.

I just wrote to Dan@love2pedal.com with my specs and I'll see what he says. Thanks guys.

Neil_B

4XL should fit you. It's amazing how squishy fat is. I think you will be OK. And besides, it's coming off, right?

BTW, here I am sporting the 3xl Falconi's at the end of a 30 some mile ride in 2010. 48 or so inch waist, about 300. Jersey was from a charity ride I did two years before when I was about 40 pounds lighter - now THAT is a little small on me. :-(

goldfinch

Today I rode 23 miles. The plan was to ride about 10 so I skipped my padded shorts and just wore a stretchy pair of pants I have. No problems! I think that I am deeply in love with my saddle.

Pachydermatous1

Dan says I may want to go with the non-deluxe bibshort because it reportedly runs big. I'm not sure. The snob in me still wants "deluxe" model lol. How are the standard falconis? All reccomendations here have been for the deluxe bibs.

Neil_B

The ones I have are the "non-deluxe" models from 2009. I think they are fine. I wore them on my 2009 two week tour from Pittsburgh to DC and through Delmarva, and they were fine for day after day wear. (With washing in between, of course.)

Juan Foote

Admittedly, this area is not cycle friendly at all and when I am on the bike I don't think it matters what I am wearing. Off the bike, in a shop or whatever, the awkward looks are just that much less with the shorts. I would not give up my cycling pants though, much too comfortable.

ed strodtman

On a road bike, I like regular bike shorts, the baggy type just don't seem as comfortable. As far as people looking at you funny, that comes with riding a bicycle. Dress for the ride, not for the audience!

Pachydermatous1

My wife is looking too. Are the women's falconi shorts from l2p as good as well? Lot cheeper than say Terry T Shorts!

FutureHero

I, like some of you, am not ready to rock the spandex only, so I went with baggy mountain bike shorts. https://www.louisgarneau.com/us-en/pr...E_SHORTS#third . Now, I have no experience with bibs or regular bike shorts, but I absolutely love these shorts.