voyager1

surak

1. Varies by bib. Some come up to around the navel, others much further down. Higher is better for folks with a bit of belly that would otherwise hang out, lower better if you are male and need to take a whizz.

2. Your shorts might have below par stretch fabric or leg grippers, or are just the wrong size for your thighs. Good fitting* bibs aren't supposed to wrinkle anywhere.

3. I'm a cheapskate who buys all my bibs on sale online, but I can't imagine an LBS refusing returns on bibs that were tried on but unused, pretty much same policy online shops have.

4. You wouldn't wear a "shirt" under bibs, but you can wear a baselayer for wicking and/or thermoregulation purposes. A baselayer can help reduce nipple chafing from the bib straps, but that doesn't affect everyone.

*One thing to add is that bibs may seem too small when standing up straight because they are meant to conform to your body in riding position. I'm always amazed by reviews from people around my height or even shorter who complain about strap length on the same bibs I have but two sizes up. While it may take a bit of contortion to get your arms through, good bibs have straps that can stretch just fine and fit a wide range of heights.

voyager1

ericzamora

Once i tried bib shorts, i never went back to normal shorts. This was back in the 80s.

Different manufacturers have different designs, but it seems most are addressing the nip-area issue by using wider straps. But placement can slightly differ as well. Try them on if you can. Also, i started wearing a sleeveless baselayer top under the bibs. i went with these cheap $15 tops.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZ8RBTM..._OzzCCbMPN0WSZ

eric/fresno, ca.

TimothyH

Assos Milleshorts are cut low in the front. It is supposed to fit better for guys who need a little extra room at the belly if that's a concern. I find them easier to use at the toilet.

Don't go cheap. Buy the best pad you can. Elastic Interface pads are extremely good and worth the extra money. Some pads are light, built for speed and will be cooler while others are cushy like riding a Cadillac but can be hot in summer.

A base layer under the straps is more comfortable. I haven't worn bibs without a base layer in years.

Some brands have straps that are simply too short even in the riding position - Castelli is well known for this. Buy from a place where you can return them. Backcountry will let you return them for free if you work with one of their gearheads.


-Tim-

Dopefish905

BengalCat

Any manufacturer of quality bibs and there are many will have a size chart. Just follow that,( with one caveat), in making your selection. That caveat is to check online to see if the sizes run true. For instance, if you were to check with other riders that use Castelli bibs you would find that at least the consensus and most likely the majority will say get one size bigger than indicated on the size chart as Castelli's run small in fit.

As to the selection offered of quality the sky and your pocketbook are the limits.

TimothyH

I would put the 7Mesh MK2 bibs in the same category as Rapha and Assos.

They have a super plush ride but are very warm - not for summer here in the deep south. This is what I'll wear on long, cool season gravel rides where the extra cushion is appreciated. They are the chushiest shorts I own.

$139 at REI right now.
https://www.rei.com/product/138498/7...ke-shorts-mens

$149 at Backcountry
https://www.backcountry.com/7mesh-in...bib-short-mens

7Mesh has them for $150
https://7mesh.com/mens-mk2-bib-short


-Tim-

Chad h

canklecat

Depends on your budget. My entire road bike cost only $200. I'm not spending that much for bibs. That's a year's budget for all bike necessities.

Black Bibs are good for $40. Plain but functional. Good pad.

I don't wear them as often as I'd expected. Bibs weren't the revelation and game changer I'd hoped for. Maybe I've ridden too long with shorts and didn't have any particular problems that needed to be fixed. And bibs are a PITA when I need to pee.

Regarding the nipple chafing issue, I had that problem as a kid and younger man but not since. I remember how uncomfortable it was when I was a beach bum though. There are lots of great baselayers with smooth tech fabric. Don't cost much either. I like Pearl Izumi's discontinued minerale fabric but can't find 'em anymore. That baselayer is comfortable year 'round. Pricey too, when new, like $50. But Champion Vapor, RBX Xtrain, Skora and others all use the same tech fabric from the same mills. You can buy these for $10 or less from Amazon, Ross, Marshall's, any discounter. Good stuff for cheap, odor resistant, easy to wash and hang dry overnight when I need it ready to ride the next day and don't want to bother with the laundromat. I've tossed out most of my older poly and cotton tees.

Best pad I've tried is the Przewalski 3D cycling shorts. Unlike anything else I've worn or seen. Thick, dense, resilient, smooth surface feel with a golf-ball-like dimpled texture. I usually prefer thinner pads like the Aero Tech Pro shorts, but the Przewalski pad is so comfortable I wear it on long rides where there's a lot of chip seal and bombed out pavement. Doesn't feel soggy. Basically it disappears -- I never notice it. That's a good thing.

No idea about the Przewalski bibs but if they're made like the shorts they're a great value at around $30. Only gripe I've had about the shorts is the leg hem is just a little loose and the leg length is a little short -- but I have mutant legs, long skinny thighs, so I'd need to pony up for custom shorts or bibs to get a better fit. Not a big deal because I'm more concerned about waist fit and pad comfort.

BTW, I'm not anti-elitist. If I could afford the Domane I really want, I'd pony up for pricier bibs and jerseys too. Nothing wrong with enjoying the best you can afford.

GlennR

I wear Segoi RS Pro which come up a bit above my belly button. I like the extra support and they make me look slim. But the straps do have enough stretch that I can take a "natural break" without removing my jersey.

MagicHour

TimothyH - quick question, would you know if the s7 Milleshorts are cut lower than the T.equip models? Is this in their mktg copy? Trying to decide if I want another pair of the s7 t.equips, try the t.milleshorts or wait/splurge for the new s9 model - not sure if I'd want much lower cut in the front though.

caloso

This.

Dan333SP

IDK. I received my first pair of Rapha bibs for xmas, believe they're the "classic flyweight" model. They're nice, but honestly I prefer the fit and feel of the brand my team used for a few seasons that I own 5-6 pairs of-

https://www.cutaway.us/collections/b...omp-bib-shorts

They're a little bit cheaper than Rapha, they look better, the grippers are nicer, and they just fit better overall with less irritation from the bib straps. YMMV, of course, but I was honestly a tiny bit disappointed in the Rapha bibs given all the talk about how great they are. Maybe the "pro team" bibs are a bit better, who knows.

79pmooney

I am very picky selecting: shorts/bibs esp re: the details of the "pouch" and the thigh/torso area as I find things going to the wrong places very uncomfortable, sometimes even dangerous. I have to try them on. I go to the LBS wearing clean briefs.

Now, I am not a fan of bibs. Nice idea but not very practical. I am old school who learned from one of this country's great racers (back when no one had any awareness of bike racing what-so-ever. John Allis. Look him up. He was famous for always wearing suspenders with his shorts. His mentees (including me) did also. They work. All the advantages of bibs (except the brownie points), cheaper and far more practical. (At multi-day group rides where the important functions of life happens inside a Port-a-Potty with a wait line outside, also far more courteous of others.) Bib users will point out the lack of a restricting waist band. Yes, when the suspendered shorts are new but it doesn't take long for the suspenders to stretch the band, then it's the same bliss the bib users rave about. And when the suspenders get old, adjusting them tighter to account for stretch is really easy, no needle and thread required to maintain the perfectly snug chamois.

And if you ride all year, your old shorts now are winter liners. Still the comfortable, snug fit long after you want anyone to see them. Big drawback - they cost you $10-20 less every pair. More lost brownie points. Plus your wallet weighs more.

Ben

Dan333SP

Always a good choice.