Bike Specific clothing, Is it worth it?
 

Are specially designed biking shorts, that have the padding and such helpful?
I am just getting back in the swing of mountain biking, and I never bothered with the bike clothing before, but my new bike's saddle is a little less forgiving than my last bike's. Also, is there a such thing as padded biking gloves? Or maybe I should just buy more comfortable grips.
Also, any suggestions on good brands to go with, or is there really no difference?
The guy that sold me my bike said these accessories are hard to live without, but I just wanted to see if this is totally true before i drop some money on some biking threads.

Thanks!

The day after getting my Trek 4500 I bought me some Fox High Frequency shorts with the padding and lycra liner underneath and chamois and I'm glad I purchased them. They are very comfortable to wear, dont have seams, and absorb sweat like a mofo. The padding to me makes all the difference in the world.

Bike shorts are the goodness. Your backside will thank you after a long ride.

I don't really think jerseys are all that crucial, I own a couple, but a good synthetic shirt like an UnderArmour or just a generic athletic shirt works just as well for the most part.

don't buy that 100% Polyester crap from like academy. I find that they are more hot than just wearing a white Cotton shirt lol.

I'm desperatly seeking a good cool shirt solution. I was out today around noon riding the trails and my shorts came through, they absorbed sweat and kept me pretty cool, it was my freaking upper body that was Baking and hot.

Personaly i wear troy lee almost exculusivly because the store i ride for gives them to me for cost. They realy pay off when its a realy hot cali day and your sweating like a realy fat kid running the mile.

I wear sweatpants and a t-shirt when I bike :). I don't (yet) see a need for that stuff since it is quite pricey and that money could go elsewhere.

Who sells stuff in XX and XXX? I would love a pair of shorts but dont see any in the 44-46 range.

I never have and probablyt never will bother with cycling specific clothing for an MTB. Well i take that back partially, i always wear My FOx sidewinder gloves and the shoes for clipless, also a little band around my right pant leg to keep pants out of chainrings and my face off the ground.

Bike shorts, by far, are a great bike-specific piece of clothing. Your rear end will thank you for it on long rides.

I also got a cycling specific long-sleeved jersey/sweater thing. Very comfortable and works well on coolish days.

Have to agree on the bike shorts at a minimum. Ever since I made that switch, there's been no turning back. They make long rides worth it. Since it gets so hot here in AZ, I also get the jersey's, usually something not too dark. They are lighter and breath better than a regular t-shirt does. I always look for sales when I look for a new cycling gear though, they do cost way too much brand new.

I have a pair of padded shorts now, I got them cheap at a Peal Izumi shop. Until I got them I used some Champion brand compression underwear and a pair of board shorts. That does the trick of keeping you cool, but doesn't pad you in any way. As far as shirts go. I wear moisture wicking t-shirts from Target. I see no need to spend the extra money for jerseys when these shirts do the same thing.

I love my bike shorts. So soft, so cool, so comfortable. I'll forego 'em once in a while, but I'm a happier camper with them on. The padding works, and there are plenty of stylish options for mountain bikers (not so for roadies).

As for jerseys, when I'm on my mountain bike I'm just as happy in a plain ol' technical tee bought on clearance from Campmor or whatnot. The benefit of mt bike specific jerseys is usually just a rear pocket to stow stuff, but that's unecessary if you're using a Camelbak or a saddle wedge. On my road bike it's a different story, though. I'll use the pockets, and road-specific jerseys are closer fitting and more aero.

And finally, yes, Virginia, there are padded bicycling gloves. In fact, most have at least some padding. Gloves like Pearl Izumi's Gel Lights have pretty significant padding, but some people find too much padding to cause numbness on longer rides. Your grips (or handlebar tape) should be providing some cush', anyway. Think of your gloves as being there to give you better grip, to protect your hands in a fall, and to make you look all badazz.

Sorry to hijack your thread but,

What are some good, but cheap brands of bike shorts? I saw a pair for $70.00 (i think) and that seems pretty pricey for a pair of shorts with padding in them. Thanks.

I have bought 4 bike short things:

• Bike underwear from MEC.ca for me to wear underneath any shorts or pants I have. I paid just about $20 for these. http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_d...=1117113188525
• Baggy shorts from MEC.ca that I paid about $40 for. Can't find the link from MEC.
• Cannondale baggy shorts from eBay. Paid $27 + shipping. I think these shorts were manufacturing defects. The back of the short rides down so I feel like a plumber. Still, they're cool shorts. http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...tem=7153263363
• NEMA baggy shorts from eBay. Paid $34 + shipping. By far the best shorts of the lot although the inner lining is probably made for guys with skinny legs. I have to pull them up otherwise the chamois lies too low and it feels like I'm wearing diapers. Once I pull them up, they're good. http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Overall, I think eBay is your best bet. The stuff in the local shops is way too expensive.

Edit:

And don't forget what the Underwear Nazi says. Underneath any of these bike-specific shorts, be they underwear with chamois, lycra with chamois or baggy with a chamois - do NOT wear your normal underwear.

Once you've ridden in a good pair of bicycling shorts, you will never ride without again! I'm still riding in t-shirts, but plan to get 1-2 jerseys for longer rides and triathlons, otherwise a any quality running shirt should do.

velowear.com has good prices on shorts.

For me the advantage of bike shorts was in reducing chafing. Regular shorts and underwear get moist and bunch up in the crotch after hours of pedaling, and the bike shorts do not. The padding is a nice bonus, but I don't feel like it's that important. I've got a pair of Sugoi shorts that I got on sale at the LBS for < $50.

Heck yes. The shorts will save your ass (as will a cutout gel seat) and the jerseys actually wick the moisture away from your body as advertised. I'm a commuter and would not ride if I didn't have CoolMax on my back and a chamois where it counts.

I stop at shorts, but I may purchase a jersey for cooling purposes. Here in South Texas we have avg of 95º+ weather and humidity like a mofo.


I never liked gloves, they actually hurt more than just going without them.

Dunno what sweatpants are so I'll just say that I agree but I wear shorts. :p

sweatpants = warm-up pants?

I like a road jersey for the full length zipper - gives nice control over body temp. I do stick things in the pockets - a snack, Clif Shots, cell phone (not that I want to talk but I'm basically always "on call"), etc. But I guess I could just stuff that stuff in the pockets of the shorts I wear over my road shorts.

Surprisingly, I found there was a BIG difference in fabric between a nice Pearl Izumi jersey and Performance's cheapest jersey.

You guys have never heard of sweatpants? They're just drawstring pants made out of the same cotton-fleece material as sweatshirts, usually with elastic cuffs.

Awesome! Thanks.

I use army surplus. Basically, the trousers (pants to the USians) are loose, fasten at the bottom to stop getting caught in the chain, and are ripstop, so when I take a tumble they survive and stop me from losing skin. Plus, they are very, very cheap.

An accident bad enough to destroy a pair of camos, isn't going to leave you with legs to put in them, so I'm covered either way.

Then again, I use my bike primarily for commuting, here in London, where the biggest issue is avoiding being mashed by things with engines. Survivability, rather than comfort, is the buzzword.

I'm guessing if he doesn't know what sweatpants are he doesn't know what a sweatshirt is either! I think
"sweat-X" is an Americanism. So maybe they call them warm-up pants?

Yeah, cotton-fleece. Basically feel like a t-shirt on the outside, fuzzy on the inside. Very warm and soak up sweat like mad.