armybikerider

I've been averaging 5,700 miles a year for the last 6 years. But upon my retirement from Army last year, I've been able to increase my mileage quite a bit. I'm now riding 700 - 800 miles per month. Mostly 30 - 50 mile rides, but almost every day.

So, I've been a fan of Performance Elite bibs for several years now. I like the fit and quality is OK - especially when you can get them on sale for less than $50 per pair. And I was getting maybe a year's worth of wear.

But now with my increased mileage, I'm wondering if there are bib shorts that don't cost an arm and a leg - say <$100 (I'm on an Army pension), but might last more than a year (8,000 miles)??? I'm not brand loyal at all.

Sy Reene

I'd be more inclined to suggest instead of getting one $100 pair of bibs, stick to the Elite's you like, but get 2 pairs so that altogether they last 2 years together. And heck, washing your bibs every day so you have clean ones for tomorrow...?

ptempel

I'm with Sy in that you should just get another Elite or Ultra bib. I like the 2016 Elite bib that I recently got. But with the amount of riding you're doing now, I'm not sure if any bib can last long with that much wear and tear by itself. I also have some older bibs that I swap in and out so my new one doesn't get worn every day.

memebag

I have 5 jerseys and 5 shorts so I only have to do laundry once a week or once every other week. You're allowed to have multiples.

floridamtb

At $150 a pair the Bontrager Velocis bib is the absolute most comfortable pair of bibs I've ever worn. More than you want to spend but well worth the comfort. I've only had them 6 months and rotate through about a dozen kits so I can't speak to how well they hold up for how long.

cyclezen

won't tell you how many bibs/shorts I have...
iff'n you're ridin 7 days a week, you can't have less than 7 bibs/shorts, correct ???

I find garneau (LG) bottoms to be good quality, good fit and not 'italian' sizing. Good price, excellent when I can get a sale price.

dim

my LBS says that the best bibs are Rapha

he does long distance riding over several days (Audax rides) and has tried/used most

rpenmanparker 

We wash every day. More than once often.

rpenmanparker 

Just two of us.

cyclezen

I prefer to have variety, soz I can pick for the weather/conditions and what else I'm wearin. And my commute shorts/bibs/warmers are diffferent from my regular riding stock. Also got have some Navy and Dark blue.
Not surprisingly, except for one pair of blue with white trim, all others are some variation of solid black (some with nightbright piping, some with a bit of color on flatlock stitching, but otherwise black) - I'm still old school on that...
I do have 4-5 pr with some ID panel on them - club shorts and such, but greatly prefer solid black.

For many,many years USCF racing would ONLY allow solid black shorts... it gave our small sport a more professional look when doin race loops around a downtown area. And all jerseys required to have sleeves (short or long)... all quite a bit before Tri came on the scene.

I wash once, on the weekend - there's always a full load of cycle kit to do.
each his/her own.

rpenmanparker 

I plenty of variety. Probably 10 shorts, 20 jerseys. We don't wash that often because we have to. Rather because we want to.

inspclouseau

I wash immediately after a ride, bacteria can break the material down, or maybe the chemical make up of sweat does? Or maybe the internet lied to me?

dougphoto

I've been loving USA Made Cycling Apparel - Premium Quality Road and MTB Technical Apparel Voler bib shorts for over 20 years. They are made in the USA and start at around $80.

StanSeven

I've tried a lot of shorts and bibs. I personally think the best value is Pearl Izumi PRO in-r-cool. They are on sale now many places. Excel Sports, for one, has them now at $127.

Cychologist

I don't skimp on bibs, but do buy at least one pair a year when they are on sale. With proper care, they last for years. (Sports wash and air dry.) I have about a dozen pair I rotate, riding 3-4 times a week. I usually pay about $120 for bibs with a msrp of over $200.

My jerseys wear out quicker than my bibs. I am currently rotating 29 of them.

rpenmanparker 

The dryer works fine.

AristoNYC

If you like performance, why not try the Ultras, they are on sale for $55. I like them.
Performance Ultra Bib Shorts - 2016

Cychologist

I wouldn't subject any of my cycling bibs or jerseys to the high heat of a dryer, personally.

FIVE ONE SIX

i think the first thing you should address is how you're taking care of your current bibs, cause i don't know a single rider who would get a year or less out of a pair of bibs, and they're clocking over 8,000 miles a year...

how do you wash them, and how do you dry them?!

if you want them to last, wash them in cold water using the gentle cycle with Woolite. if you can't find Woolite, Tide Free would be fine, but Woolite would be best...

as far as the dryer goes, i usually use the dryer on low for say 30 minutes and i never had a problem, but like others said it's best to hang them inside out and let them air dry...

you could go old school if you want to, and bring the jersey and shorts with you in the shower and wash them by hand while you're in the shower, then just hang dry them inside out and let them air dry when you're done...

so i'd say just get more of what you're using now, if you like them, and just be a little more careful with them in the washer and dryer. and if you're doing exactly what i said now and not getting good results, than look into the LG Fit Sensor 2 bibs on Amazon or maybe even a local shop, they're great for $100ish...

rpenmanparker 

Suit yourself, but I have done it for 33 years with no apparent ill effects.

Sy Reene

Hard to equate your story to the OPs. If my calculations are correct, with your dozen pairs, it means you wear the same bibs only once every 3 weeks. IOW, the OP wears his pair 21 times more frequently than you do. Of course your bibs last for years.

armybikerider

After EVERY ride I immediately hand wash my shorts and socks in a deep sink with a little clothes soap in warm water, then hang them up to air dry. Very occasionally I will step into the shower and wash them there. My bibs have NEVER seen the inside of a washer or dryer.

So no way does my clothes washing technique reduce the lifespan of my shorts.

Dan333SP

Just curious because you didn't specifically mention it in your original post.

How are they wearing out after a year? Is the lycra splitting at the stitched seams, or is the chamois losing its cushiness, or is the fabric actually wearing through on the contact points with your saddle?

I have a bunch of bibs but I only really regularly wear about 4 pairs. The newest is 2 years old and my 4 "active" pairs all get machine washed and dried with no ill effects from what I can tell.

I've thrown some bibs away over the years where the chamois just got worn flat so it no longer offered much padding, but that seems to be more from sitting on it than washing incorrectly.

armybikerider

The fabric just above the chamois on the back wears thin and if I use them long enough it is almost transparent.

RushFan2112

Well, it's just about the most expensive. 'Best' is pretty subjective. I have a pair of Rapha bibs, and while they're very good, I don't think they're worth what I paid for them.