Bomb Komodo

I have a nice saddle (sette turbo italia) but I have been ridding a lot in a small amount of time while I get back into commuting. To make it worse, I have just been wearing nike dry fit shorts (with liner) and no undies when I ride in. I can tell this is a bad idea due to the soreness I have experienced. I know I need to get some bike shorts to wear under some normal shorts just for padding. I have a few questions :

1. where can I find good pairs that are inexpensive? LBS's really kill me on clothing.
2. how many pairs do you need for a person commuting 3-5 times a week?
3. how do you keep them clean for the commute? Using a Washer all the time seems like overkill..could I do quick washes in the sink at work?

Just sorting it all out.

hurley81388

1. i usually get my cycling shorts on amazon for 35 bucks free shipping no tax. i'm sure if you waited for performance bike/nashbar sales on their own generic shorts you could get better prices but the reviews are always meh so i'm hesitant to get those. i can recommend these pearl izumi shorts on amazon which i'm currently using in size medium (6'1 and around 155 pounds)

https://www.amazon.com/Pearl-iZUMi-Qu...9178372&sr=8-3

2. to be honest, i only have one pair of cycling shorts (i'm cheap) and wash them as often as i can. when i can't wash them, i just hop in the shower with them which i think is a fairly common practice.

hope this helps!

chipcom 

get a better saddle and you won't need a padded diaper

that "padding" is a chamois for moisture management and to reduce chaffing, not padding for your sensitive tushie

if you need cycling shorts, try the Performance Ultra brand of shorts or bibs.

wash when needed...I have never felt the need to wash them at work. Take a shower before you leave in the morning, then let your shorts dry thoroughly during the course of the day, then wash and hang dry that evening at home, and you'll be fine.

Bomb Komodo

Ok thanks guys. I should be clear that my main issue is chafing as well. I am fine wearing boxer briefs, but to me it is impractical to wear briefs for a commute and then have to swap out of them. In my opinion. I have a good saddle, but I could be wrong..haha. The shower before leaving advice has been great

Hurley, thanks for the shorts advice. I agree I could go cheap, but if I only need 1 pair, why?

so are you guys just hopping in the shower and cleaning them with regular soap and water?

Bomb Komodo

Other question.would these be ok if I am wearing shorts over them?

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...LAID=914584518

I believe they make mens and womens versions of these.

tsl

Listen to chipcom.

There are two definitions of "pad" and padding" at work here. Pad and padding as in "cushion" is not why cyclists wear cycling shorts. It's pad and padding as in "absorption" that prevents chafing.

Wicking that sweat out of the other side of the pad is what keeps the pad dry and prevents chafing, and why thick pads are less effective at absorption than thinner ones. It's also why, in the three-seasons, I don't wear anything over my cycling shorts. It traps the sweat I'm trying to get rid of.

On this basis I doubt "liner shorts" would be much better than whatever you're doing now.

I work a four-day workweek, and have six sets of commuting wear for each season. This way I'm not washing stuff constantly.

I've had no issues with washing my cycling wear with my other clothes. Just remember, no fabric softeners and no dryer. This way I'm not dealing with partial loads, a particular problem for those of us with coin-op laundry.

I found shorts and summer jerseys that work well for me at Nashbar. The shorts were a closeout from five years ago that's no longer available. I can get through this year with them. When they need replacement, I'm going to try Aerotech Designs.

sggoodri

Liners with chamois can work well with the right shorts over them. It all comes down to the seam pattern, in my opinion. If the seams are in the wrong places, in either the liner or the overshorts, you can still have chafing. After having used normal street shorts over underwear-type liners with chamois designed for cycling, I've switched to "normal" looking shorts that are designed for cycling, but still use separate liners or spandex bike shorts under them. The cycling-oriented designs usually have materials and seam patterns that provide more durability and flexibility with less chafing.

tsl makes good points about moisture. Longer rides with two layers are less comfortable than with a single layer bike short. I always wear spandex cycling shorts (no extra layer) for anything over a few miles in warm weather.

clasher

Handwashing the shorts while you have a shower after the ride home is something I started doing when I do longer rides. I use a natural olive oil soap for all my showering and it works well on the bike shorts. I haven't chaffing problems but I either go commando in plain clothes or just wear the regular tight chamois-pad shorts. This has worked for me for distances from 0-50km. I'm not skinny either, probably back to 220lbs now.

chipcom 

For my short 5mi commute...and for the vast majority of my rides of 50ish miles and less (and even some metrics and centuries), I don't even bother with cycling shorts anymore. I get along just fine with either flat-seamed merino wool boxers or Walmart Starter-branded poly/spandex undies (much cheaper than merino wool) as my base layer, flat-seamed, gusseted crotch, not-too-baggy shorts (Prana Mojos are my favs) and a properly positioned Brooks saddle.

I do wear bibs from time to time, mostly for 50+ mile rides on the road bike when doing roadie things...more to look the part and not freak out others in the group than for any comfort need. Granted, bibs can be cooler, but they are also darn restricting too! Mr. Winky hates being all bottled up like that!

MK313

I wear cycling undershorts, with a pad in them, that go under regular shorts. Andiamo & Pearl Izumi are the brands that I use. Both were fairly inexpensive. I think that Andiamo ones have a buy x, get 1 free offer on their website (They did last time I checked). I bought them all last year & have worn them for 1 and a half years now & they all are still in great shape.

Any shorts with a liner are a bad choice for commuting. the liner works like a cheese grater.

groovestew

How long is your commute, and how long have you been doing it? If you're just getting back into riding a bike after a long period off the saddle, you may just be in a transition period where your butt and legs are getting used to the saddle again. For my 10-mile (each way) commute, I wear cotton boxers under cotton shorts - probably the worst thing you could possibly wear according to many cyclists - and I have no problems with soreness or chafing. I save my technical gear for long rides. Just saying that you might want to give it time before spending a lot of $$$ on cycling gear.

chipcom 

The only real knock against cotton is that it holds water.

Praxis

Befriend, pay, or marry someone who sews. I did the latter, and now I have stuff like:

- Inexpensive cycling shorts with (synthetic) fleece padding (it doesn't hold moisture but is wicking, possibly the perfect material).
- Inexpensive merino wool shirts (I don't like jerseys--too garish and I can't use them off the bike). Merino wool is pricey, but wait for a sale and it costs us about $25-20 in material.

RonH

Try www.voler.com.

Bomb Komodo

haha..yeah i am not liking it. I do have my MTB shorts that I will use in the meantime since they have a chamois in there and that should make a difference.

I found some regular spandex in the meantime..I can wear them under my MTB shorts and I may be good to go...I will try that tomorrow.

My commute is not too long..6 miles each way. I ride everyday about 5-15 miles depending on the day and what i have going on.

SactoDoug

1. I have had good success buying jerseys and shorts off of eBay. You just have to know your sizes and exactly what you are buying.

2. It depends on how often you plan on washing them. If you wash them once a week then you need enough sets to last one week.

3. I wash them in the washer after they are used. I never put on a dirty set. A dirty set is more likely to chaff and it is more likely to have bacteria in it. NEVER let them go through the drier. Take them out of the washer and hang them up to dry. You can also hand wash them in the sink if you are only washing a couple sets.


Also, keep in mind there are two types of soreness that you get in your nether regions from riding: chaffing and pressure. Chaffing is cured by using chamois cream. Some symptoms of chaffing are rashes, raw spots and scabs. Pressure relief is more complicated requiring proper positioning of the saddle, the correct pad for your body and the correct saddle for your body. Some symptoms of pressure issues are pain, and tingling/numbness in your bottom and/or your feet. Heavier riders tend to benefit more from thicker gel pads more than the lighter riders. I am riding with a 2 cm gel pad until I lose 35 pounds. It has made a world of difference for me compared to a standard 12 mm pad.

old's'cool

I guess everyone has their solutions, technical or otherwise. I just wear everyday tighty-whities underneath padded cycling shorts and have no comfort issues, as long as I get the "boys" properly positioned before I mount. I get pretty sweaty on my 11.5 mile ride and always change when I get home, but don't find it necessary to change when I get to work, although I could easily do if I wanted to. I work inside in an air conditioned office, and my butt dries out soon enough.

idc

I'm mostly fine with whatever. I usually wear my mountain bike shorts (which have a chamois liner) for the commute because I'm not brave enough to turn up at work in spandex. I have one of the $15 nashbar under liners. They're ok actually, someone I'll wear those under jeans but the moisture ends up in the jeans, so...

I do now own 3 pairs of regular spandex/polyester shorts with chamois. I got each one for ~$35 on nashbar, three different brands just to try and see what I like. These are an investment for weekend riding though.

I usually do my own laundry for bike stuff every 2-4 rides. I put it on the "delicate" or "handwash" setting, and it doesn't get really dirty anyway. It line dries easily too so it's really fast.

nkfrench 

I don't think there is any reason you can't sink-wash cycling shorts with dish/hand soap. Just make sure you rinse them out well and the soap leaves no residue. Don't wring them out, you can blot with a towel and hang dry.

I am prone to skin infections and never wear cycling shorts more than one day. Salty sweat abrades both fabric and skin so the shorts and nkfrench will be in good repair longer with clean shorts. I machine-wash them in cold water with my other clothes. Tide coldwater detergent, no scent/softeners. I have been told not to machine-dry them, they do go in my clothes drier on low setting just for convenience.

The investment in enough bike shorts to make it through 2 weekends and the workweek was well worth it to me. I don't like adding chores to do when I get home from a bikeride.

travelmama

Check out the triathlon shorts online, at the local REI or Sport Chalet on the off season. They can be found cheap and usually hold up well. I bought a few pair for a buck last weekend at TYR. They will be worn when I wear dresses while cycling. I have about ten pair but wear only two because I wash them regularly.

HappyStuffing

Boxer briefs and shorts from Zellers (soon to be Target) for 2+ years here. So far so good. Routinely do 100km+ and 160km a few times a year.

I think cycling shorts can be nice, but I wouldn't get all nutty buying too many if you are mainly commuting. Save the money to buy nice parts for your bike

commo_soulja

I commute daily riding 10km one way. I wear spandex bibs and jersey as they provide the needed comfort and wicking ( I sweat even when it's cooler, > 50deg F). They dry out in a control room next to my office and they're dry by the end of the day for the ride home. I don a fresh pair each day and launder on weekends.

I couldn't imagine having to use the same shorts and jersey each day. They'd either get all funky if you don't wash them daily or they wouldn't last as long with repeated washings.

Voler make excellent bike shorts at reasonable prices. I have been buying from them for years. Get on their mailing list for occasional sales.

clasher

I found an old pair of wool slacks that I wore the crotch out of winter commuting, so I've trimmed them all down and taken out the pockets. I used this blog entry as inspiration except my trousers had a liner in it I removed... and they are pure wool instead of dickies. I also took apart the cut-offs and will arrange them to form crotch pad that'll cover the stitches in the crotch, though they never bothered me before. I don't find them itchy and with the liners and pockets gone they don't feel too bad at all.

pallen

I bought most of my shorts at Academy or off Sierra Trading Post. I have a 10 mi commute and wear cycling shorts. I could get by fine without them comfort wise, but I have to change clothes at work anyway and cycling shorts are the most comfortable thing on the bike.

JLStout

If your commute is under 10 miles you really don't need bike shorts. Just get your buttskin toughened up a little. I go 7 each way and just wear boxer briefs and athletic shorts. No problem in the 100 degree weather.