Hi all,

I'm looking for a slightly better alternative to commuting in jeans or track pants. I saw these:
Men's Commuter Pedal Pushers Cycling Capri or Biking Knicker

Is Aerotech pretty good? I like the practical features like the zippered pockets, etc. Don't need padding. I will wear a liner with padding for long rides.

But I've never worn knickers before. I feel a little self-conscious about 'em. I plan to wear them with socks rolled all the way up to hide any skin. Still, I can't help but think of them as "flood pants."

Knickers, no, I wear them all the time for cycling and hiking... unless you are trying to make a fashion statement, cut off Dickies are cheap, last forever, and very tolerant of grease if you do any wrenching.

These look like the 'shorts' that nearly every male of a particular age group wears around here.

You like them, wear them.

Edit: But forget the sock thing. Unless you idolize Steve Erkel!

Who cares/why are you asking us? If they work, use them, if not, don't?

- Abdy

Knickers are awesome for cycling. I tell people that I moved to Portland and now I wear capri pants and carry a purse (because my briefcase is small enough to fit in my pannier). You'll get used to them and who knows you may start a fashion trend.

Those look cool. I might get some for myself. One benefit to be a women is that we can wear knickers or capris.

Those aren't real knickers, just saying. And socks rolled all the way up won't cut it with neither real knickers or the ersatz knickers in question. There are much longer socks made for use with knickers that will need to be purchased to "hide any skin". I just don't have the time right now to look for links but if you are going to do the knicker thing right you will want to find some Army Surplus websites and see what they have available. There are authentic knickers around as well but they can get to three figures. In the meantimre you can do this: https://www.amazon.com/Leg-Shield-Sup...37J6XE661TPH3R.

H

I have two pair from aerotech and love them. I find myself wearing them all weekend after rides and wore them paddleboarding when the weather turned cool. Take the belt out before you wash them, it has a tendency to come loose and twist up till it breaks.

And at 48 it is not a fashion statement, it's a DILLIGAFF.

I got my knickers from Ibex. They are wool, have lots of pockets and I love wearing them when it's warm enough.

Nobody has ever commented about my appearance in them. And if someone ever does, I still won't care what anybody thinks I look like.

Also, I don't know if you think they are dorky. Only you know.

Is there something you can wear that makes you not look dorky riding a bike?

In the winter I wear spandex-type knickers (otherwise known as bike shorts that come past the knees) with a pair of loose fitting shorts that stop just above my knee over them. Do I look dorky? I imagine so, but it keeps me warm.

I wear a pair of Aerotech knickers, more than for utility riding or commuting.
comfortable, but generously sized, have worn well - work fine when I want something other
than the running short look.

REI has a pair for pretty cheap.
REI Sariska Long Shorts - Men's

I have this exact pair of 3/4 shorts, in black. After removing the kinda cheap feeling belt, I wear them pretty frequently. It doesnt get super cold where I live, but those shorts and a long sleeve top of some sort works pretty well for me. I have had them about a month now with no issues. They handle the washing machine just fine, feel good, and in my humble opinion look pretty decent.

The biggest concern I had was the zippers, but they seem to be pretty sturdy, and the pockets dont seem to agitate me on my admittedly short 3 mile commute.

I would definitely recommend them though, I am about to put in an order for another set.

Cycling plusses/knicks/breeches are definitely more fashionable (and socially acceptable) than walking around in tights. But are they dorky? Judge for yourself:


I have a couple pairs of cycling knicks that I wear with long wool socks (I have both socks and knicks in various materials and thicknesses to suit different weather conditions) that I like very much. Mine have all been exceptionally cheap - $3 thrift store pants hemmed short.

Yes, regular street clothes.
[h=2]Are knickers dorky? Yes.[/h]

Lots of things that qualify as "regular street clothes" could also qualify as dorky so I'm not sure we should be judging.

Personally, like lots of fashion that's sort of on the edge of mainstream, I think it depends on the person wearing it and the context. A 20 something guy wearing knickers on a bike in a bike friendly US city wouldn't even be noticed. That same guy working for some Silicon Valley startup probably would not be remarkable even in an office setting.

Now take a 55 year old guy working at an insurance company in the most bike unfriendly suburb you can imagine. That guy is going to standout in a negative way.

What's "DILLIGAFF"?

Someone else mentioned they wear spandex knickers under shorts when it's cold. So maybe I'll settle for Aerotech shorts instead. Men's Commuter Bike Short | Multi Sport Short | Aero Tech Designs I can just wear long socks too instead of knickers underneath.

I guess I'm just not confident enough to pull of the knickers look. My main issue is that it looks weird when you're OFF a bike. I feel like I need a beret and a vintage golf bag to go with them.

BTW, I'm 45, a man, so can't do "capris" or "purses." haha.

They're just long shorts, nothing unusual at all. Normally worn with short socks or no socks, but long socks wouldn't be odd.

Personally I just wear my work clothes and wrap a velcro strap around the pant cuff.

What is dorky to some is fine for others, that is your decision/fashion statement. I fall in the MAMIL category (Middle Aged Man In Lycra) and some would think that is dorky, but I like it, not specifically for the look but dressing in cycling clothes gets me pumped up for cycling.

Those Aerotechs look great, really surprised they are so cheap. I might have to grab a pair.

Knickers are just another tool in the kit. I wear them when it's cool. I like to keep my knees covered when it's below 60 degrees, my knee's like me for it. I prefer knickers over knee warmers generally. I have knicker bibs and shorts for road rides and looser ones for MTB rides, commuting or around town rides, not unlike the aerotechs. Knickers are nothing special, they work for a particular set of conditions. How they look to others is not my concern.

No, trust me, people riding bikes in regular street clothes look dorky they just don't realize it.

I have Chrome knickers, and like them a lot
handy features built in for riding

But, I would rather wear pants or shorts since you can't wear knickers everywhere and not feel like a tool.

Pictured in post #14 are knickers. Linked in the o.p. are not knickers nor are the "long shorts" or other ersatz knicker offerings suggested by others. Ideally, the knickers pictured in post #14 would have some kind of cinch to snug the leg opening around the wearers calf. Calf being the operative word. Proper knickers come below the knee and reach to at least 1/4 calf. Long shorts are not designed to be used with socks. Knickers are designed to be used with tall socks that will reach the wearers knees. That's about as clear as I can make it. The closest I've come to cycling knickers were the purchase of a pair of cross-country ski bib knickers decades ago. They were originally over $200 and had a matching jacket that I didn't buy. They must have been seriously discounted because I don't think I would have paid that much for an item of clothing then or now. They were fantastically complex and expensive feeling and looking. I got some red (the bibs were powder blue) wool socks to go with them. I usually wore them when I was out on my fixie in mid-winter NYC (circa 1977). Oddly I don't know what became of them. I still have other items of clothing from that era of my youth but not those knickers. Hmmm.

H

Seriously, do you know who you're asking? The only reason some of us are more fashionable now is because so many people are wearing high viz clothing.

I had to look it up.