Bike shorts for old butts
 

Hi,

I'm 52 and my husband is 58. We just this weekend bought a couple of bikes for riding around town and maybe some longer bike paths, probably never more than around 10 miles round trip. (We both bought Trek 7.2 FX, since I know someone will ask! :o)

So we are buying necessary stuff like locks, pump, helmets, a couple rear-view mirrors. (The type you afix to a helmet doesn't work with progressive lenses! I had to exchange it for the kind you put on your handle.) My seat hurts from two days of cycling, so I'm considering my options. Here's my question: Are there any bike shorts that aren't tight and spandex-y? That us aging boomers can wear into a store, coffeeshop or restaurant we might want to bike to?

Neither of us is overweight, but gravity has taken its toll, and I would prefer not to advertise that fact to the world via spandex.

Thanks in advance!

Regarding mirrors, not everyone likes bar mounted mirrors...they sometimes vibrate which rattles your image, they can catch your hand, you have to look down, etc. I wear progressive lenses and do very well with glass frame mounted mirrors. I recommend Take A Look.

REI is one source for Take A Look: http://www.rei.com/product/752285


You might consider touring or mountain bike shorts which look very much like street shorts (for that matter, street shorts work for shorter rides depending on how you ride.) Look here for an example:
http://www.rei.com/bike/TOC/Clothing/Cycling+Shorts?

And, keep posting ... somebody here always has an answer-- and sometimes we're even right! ;)

Thanks for both tips, CrossChain! And yes, I'll keep posting. This is a great forum. I've been lurking for a couple of weeks now.

Bought a pair of Performance Mesa mountain shorts a couple of weeks ago. Comfy and look like regular shorts. Course, my gut still looks big and my legs still look scrawny. :( http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=1122

Congrats on the bikes. I use the Mirrcycle on both my commuter and my road bike. Probably the best addition I have made to either bike, except for the Brooks saddle.

These can sometimes be found at other places for less money.

http://www.mirrycle.com/mountainmirrycle.htm

REI and Performance sell a base layer brief and boxer that have padding in the strategic places and by wearing these you make any pair of shorts bike shorts. This way you can wear a less revealing style and still get the advantage of the padding. Now the padding isn't as thick as a regular pair of bike shorts but if you have a comfortable saddle they are pretty nice. I was like you and your husband I was not gonna wear those sissy padded shorts, my first ride over 6 miles convinced me otherwise.

For bicycle shorts, I wear these:

http://www.rei.com/product/733249

or

http://www.rei.com/product/719117?vc...HP_CYCLING_TOC

For women, how about these

http://www.rei.com/product/720478?vc...HP_CYCLING_TOC

or

http://www.rei.com/product/750556

Ha, that's what we said when we first started out in March. :)

Welcome!

Like you, I'm not quite ready for tight spandex. I wear a pair of Champion (C9) black crop pants from Target's sports apparel section, like these ... mine have a drawstring waist and a cargo pocket on the outside of each leg in which I carry my ID.
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...sin=B000LJA3HU

They are super comfortable and cool. Under them, I wear padded bike liners which are snug-fitting shorts with chamois padding.

Hi LastPlace,

That's the same mirror I bought yesterday. It's great so far. Took some installation, tho! I winced to see my husband digging into the new handle with his pocket knife to poke a hole big enough for the wedges to fit. But once installed, the gouge is invisible. Good to know that you like this mirror enough to buy two. Thanks for sharing.

I'd go with the baggy mountain bike type shorts. You can find them with pockets. The briefs with the chamois built in are nice, but if you wear them under something, go with an outer layer that doesn't have a large seam between you and the seat.

Great suggestions, everyone! It's a relief to know I have some options here. I like all the baggy shorts, and those cropped drawstring pants from Target look cute.

Hey, Waldowales: My husband and I went on the South Beach diet about 5 months ago when he had some routine bloodwork done and the results showed cholesterol at 300 and a pre-diabetic glucose level. Scared the bejesus out of both of us. Following this diet, he lost 20 pounds in 3 weeks, all from the gut. I lost 10 and we are both doing pretty well keeping it off. (But it's only been a few months, so we'll see if it's easy to stay on it.) It seems a pretty sensible diet. We just knocked off the potatoes, rice, white bread, and pasta. Keep your fingers crossed for us; he just had blood work done and we are hoping for more healthy readings.

I'm down 30 lbs. doing the Weight Watchers points plan, easy to follow mostly just reduce portions and cut out the junk and get moving. Now I don't look as bad in spandex but still not great.

Congratulations, stringbreaker! I've heard great things about WW, but all the credit goes to you and your determination to lose weight and get fit.

I didn't mention it before, but the medical scare that prompted us to lose weight also made us start walking a lot more. The bikes were the natural progression to increase our range and remain interested in getting out and about without the car. (Just so many place you can walk to around here!)

Our first ride was to the Peet's in our downtown area. We were nervous as cats locking up our bikes for the first time and leaving them to go in and order our coffees. We sat where we could keep our eyes on them. If one bike is a temptation, two shiny new bikes secured as one must be like manna from heaven!

A cultural observation. Hardcore Harley riders (pre-Yuppie-groovy) used to line their hogs up outside some roadside tavern. These days, we bikers line up our carbon fiber "hogs" outside some nonfat latte watering hole like Starbucks or Peets.

I've seen quite a few of those carbon fiber "hogs" lined up outside establishments that serve refreshments stronger than nonfat lattes:rolleyes: Of course this usually occurs at the end of the ride.

Welcome to the biking world! Its addicting and you will never regret it. Like Bev, the 10 mile thing was what I said when I started biking three years ago! Pretty soon you might find yourself riding way more than 10 miles and a bit faster every time you go out.
The main thing in shorts is to not get anything that puts a large (even a small) seam between you and the saddle. When (not IF) you start riding more, you will see what I mean.

Welcome. I second the baggy shorts thing. You can get a decent pair at an LBS for around $50.

My wife wears bike skorts. They might look OK, they're functional, and they leave a bit to the imagination.

For a mirror, the "take a look" that clips on your glasses, is the best that I have found. I don't leave home without it.

For shorts, try a pair of Andiamos. They are padded underwear and can make most any shorts riding shorts. I have found Andiamos at REI but I do not like the REI brand Navaro underwear because of the seam on the pad.

There are no rules for cycle wear, whatever is comfortable for you: high tech spandex or cotton cargo shorts. There are plenty of messengers who spend all day on their bikes in Carhartt pants.

Nashbar used to offer cycling undershorts. worn under any pair of bulky shorts you have, They are quite comfortable. At the moment, I cannot seem to find them on Nashbar's website. At the moment, they are offering these which seem similar.

Doesn't REI own Nashbar?

I think you have Nashbar confused with Novara which is their house brand bike

Thanks. In our merger happy world, I simply cannot keep track of who owns who anymore.

Sort of off-topic: I always liked Nashbar, but I miss the good old days, when their whole catalog was printed on newsprint stock, and their prices really were terrific.

Try a LWB recumbent seat. They're the solution. bk