Link?

That was one out of 5. The others have lasted over 1,000 miles, and I replaced the one that failed. Grand total for almost 6,000 miles has been $180. And I only have to wash every 5th ride. Still not seeing an upside to $200+ bib shorts.

1000 is 6 weeks of riding for me. The $70 (on sale) Performance Elite cycling shorts have 15k miles on them. Still in decent shape. Glad I snagged a second pair on the sale rack as they changed the chamois the next year and it felt like wearing a diaper.

So the argument for $200+ bib shorts is that if I spend $1,000 on them they will last 75,000 miles? There are no other tangible benefits?

Don’t know what sizes are left:

https://www.bikeinn.com/bike/craft-b...B&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.bikeinn.com/bike/craft-b...ts/136462024/p

Small update. I was at a local sports shop today and got to try on a Castelli jacket. I am not a large guy and the XL was almost too tight. Do their bibs run that small?

Here's their size chart

The argument is that often cheap stuff is made cheaply and won't last. Kind of like bikes :-) I try to find the price point of diminishing returns for additional price.

More expensive bibs don't chafe your taint after a long time in the saddle. This is 80-90% of the advantage, according to me.

They also stay in place better, feel more comfortable on the body in general and manage heat/cold better. That's the other 10-20% of the advantage, according to me.


I like some of the higher end Gore stuff as much as I like the newer Assos stuff. In my mind Assos chamois' were perfect in ~2010. I tried them again a year or two ago and didn't like them as much as the old stuff or the Gore bibs.

Yes..

Try the $30 Baleafs, then. I've worn them on multiple centuries with no chafing. I've worn them on 100° rides and 32° rides. Perfectly comfprtsble.

Do you really want us to describe, in detail, the sensations we're having in our crotches? Do we really have to?

No. You can describe the tangible differences in material and construction. Or just a vague "my crotch sensations are good" will do.

OK but I'm not really your sage on this matter. I don't have any high end shorts or tights. The sweet spot for value is probably in the mid range. One reason bike clothes are so expensive is that it's a low volume market niche. You might get a cutting edge design in the more expensive brands. In fact, you do. But that's an even smaller niche, and they have to make it up with prices. You could ask at your shop if they have last year's cutting edge.

And my crotch sensations are good.

I'm still looking for a reason to consider anything over $30. The sweet spot seems to be the low end if no one can tell me what I'm missing out on.

If you’re happy with $30 shorts, stick with them.

They may come with better pads which put less pressure on your soft tissues.

I preferred flat synthetic leather chamois over modern shorts until I tried a pair with better chamois (Voler with EIT pads having 120 kg/m^3 beneath the sit bones; with EIT also making Assos and Rapha pads).

I found shorts without padding (flat synthetic leather chamois) more comfortable until I tried > $100 shorts with 120 kg/m^3 foam beneath the sit bones.

I don't know about you, but I *WANT* to describe those sensations to you in detail.

Check out this website Chamois For Road Use - Cycling Pads They make some of the high end chamois. These pads alone probably cost more that the $30 dollar value bibs you are using. Perhaps you can find the answer you are looking for there, but I suspect not.

I've done 4 centuries wearing those $30 Baleaf bib shorts and never had any discomfort from the chamois. Perhaps I just have an iron taint? God, that would be my favorite Indian name.

There's your answer. If you like the shorts you wear after four centuries, they are perfect for you. Some of us have more specific needs. I haven't tried a century recently wearing cotton briefs and shorts, but I suspect I wouldn't like them if I did a century in them, yet I like my cycling shorts on long rides. On short rides, I don't care what I wear.

Check out Starlight Custom Apparel https://www.theblackbibs.com/ decent quality, low price and it's a small outfit in Virginia. I've ridden with the owner and have a few of their kits.

Those look interesting. I just ordered a pair.