What are the best brands of cycling shorts to buy. Wool vs spandex?

spandex. always with the spandex. love the spandex.

and thank you for not calling it (ugh) lycra

Wool has its uses. It goes with the Retro style and works for me as an intermediate layer in cold riding. A straight Spandex outfit would go better with a rubber fetish. Brands? I like PACE, tho it is hard to get in my area.

Izumi pearl are great, a little pricey, but ulitimately worth it. I've got 2 pair. Use them as liners for errands/commuting or single layer for weekend group rides. 'Attack Shorts' are the product name. The seatpads are top notch and hold their shape after many washings. I've got a couple of wool sweaters 100% wool, handmade. Very warm w/a baselayer (poly-pro)and wind/waterproof jacket of Gore-Tex. Thick, thermal tights and you're pretty much done. Balaclava, nose cover, hood, liners and Gore-Tex Gloves(+liners) or Mittens(+liners) w/woolsocks, sealskinz sock, neoprene booties and cycling shoes. If it's really bad I break out the sugoi pants from 10 years ago that have a 550 per inch thread count in the front and a 225 per inch thread count in the rear for ventliation purposes...and they work! Clear googles from Home Depot for 5.00 per pair. I drill holes in the lenses for ventilation...it works! Coat outside of lenses w/rain-ex and the inside w/Fog-ex and it keep my glasses very clear.

I just picked up my first long sleeve wool jersey. Seems perfect with a wicking base layer for those 50 degree mornings. No harm in having some wool and some spandex. That said, I don't commute in spandex (I wear street clothes for the short 4 mile ride). I could conceivable pull of the wool cycling sweater at work if I wanted...

you live in fort lauderdale, so perhaps synthetics.

my wool bike shorts all have spandex, they fit just like the rest of the bike shorts out there.

I love wearing wool in the cooler and colder climates. It doesn't stink, it's durable as heck, and I usually don't have to wear another layer of clothing on top of the wool. But for hot places, I'd stick with synthetics.

If you have excess $$ assos or giordana

For the more thrifty: velowear.com

I like wearing cheaper stuff for my commutes and save the nicer shorts for centuries or recreational weekend rides.

What, no love for polypro?

I use a combo of Lycra(R) (you like that Nico? ), wool and polypro in the cool weather. Example: Lycra shorts and jersey, wool knee warmers, polypro / wool blend baselayer. But remember,

I live in the midwest. Right now (40-60s) short sleeve wool jersey, arm warmers (in the morning), and maybe a vest with regular synthetic cycling shorts, knee warmers in the morning are perfect for me. When it's warmer and humid I leave the wool home and go with a regular synthetic jersey. Wool is great in the cool, but I don't wear it in the summer much.

https://www.velowear.com/ : I REALLY like these clothes. They seem to hold up well in the wash. Also, though you can get gaudy race stuff from them, they sell plain colored jerseys and shorts with only a little logo creep.

30% off wool at ibex through Monday:

https://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...ing.php?LPID=1
https://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...ing.php?LPID=2

If I were going to make the leap to bike shorts, this might be the time I would try. Never going back from smartwool shirts, that's for sure.

edit for clarification: Smartwool shirts are great, but I don't like the one ibex t-shirt I got, too tight and tiny (but that would not be included in the bike sale anyway)! Ibex I am curious about their shorts, and I suppose if you are into bike jerseys their cut should be typical...

My commute's short so wool pullovers and if I really need too, silk longjohns. Silk is actually comfy and warm, regulates temp well and doesn't smell like synthetics do after a few uses. If it's really cold, then the thicker longjohns come out.

Hey Hardy, how are the ibex jerseys cut? Athletic or will they accommodate a clyde?

I have an ibex t-shirt and it's beyond 'athletic' to the point of not being there, I don't wear it. I was deliberate about specifying smartwool brand shirts. The shorts or knickers I figure well that's pretty much what you get anyway so I'm willing to give ibex the benefit of the doubt on that, esp. w/ 30% off (but haven't pulled the trigger yet). I guess I didn't really spell that out clearly in my first post...

I'll stick w/ Smartwool and Icebreaker. I think Icebreaker's actually finished better than Smartwool, but it's also more expensive.

Cool, will check them out, w/ holiday season on the way!

Ibex makes great, modern wool cycling bits as well.

Wow, I really didn't know you could still get wool shorts. I remember when wool was all that was available.

These days I love my microfiber Pearl Izumi shorts... and they feel so much more comfortable than I ever remember wool feeling. And I never get scratched by the jersey like I used to with wool back in the day.

I think some of you are looking for warmth though, and for that I understand the desire for wool.

I wore my wool t-shirts (and boxer-briefs) all through the summer. No scratch; they've been making sheep much better lately!

GREAT ANSWER

I like wool for jerseys, warmers and socks, but definitely not for shorts. They act like a big sponge, gathering in sweat and not letting it go. After a hard ride I can hang them on the line and they will still be wet the next day. Lycra is the way to go for shorts (actually, bibs for me).

I'm a wool convert. I refuse to wear shirts or socks that aren't wool now.

Shorts are another issue. I'm sticking with standard bike shorts. One of the advantages of wool jersey/socks is that I don't have to wash them that often. I would, however, want to wash the shorts every day. Wool just wouldn't hold up as long. I'm sure I'd still like them better, just can't justify the expense since I already have other shorts.

I've got a mix of ibex, smartwool and icebreaker. Smartwool is lower quality, but it's considerably cheaper as well.

BTW, don't get sucked into the Ibex sales. A froogle search will generally turn up prices as good or better than their sale prices - without waiting for a sale.

Superheros and cyclists wear tights.

wool tights use spandex.... as do wool jerseys, wool shorts, wool knee warmers.....

I think this thread should have been more accurately titled .... 'synthetics or wool'?

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Sizing

wool.
earth wind and rider.
ibex.

and ya don't need bike clothes to ride bikes either. even when i'm on longer rides on my ti rando campy fancyass bike, i rarely wear "official" bike duds.

WAY more eco-friendly (lycra is made form plastic basically) and way less stinky.

all ya need.