"Endurance" Shorts/Bib
 

Looking for advice on endurance bibs. You know, a little extra padding? What's everyone wearing?

Extra padding is not always better. Sometimes it's worse!

This is such a personal issue that you need to try and find what works best for YOU.

Remember to stand up for a dozen pedal strokes every 10-15 minutes, that may be better than more padding.

7Mesh MK3 or the older model MK2 if they are still available.

The Elastic Interface Space 2 pad is super cushy, like riding on a sofa. Front coverage is great too, if that matters.

The shorts are warm and not for the absolute hottest days here in the deep south but they are my choice otherwise for all day rides on rough gravel.


-Tim-

Pactimo

Yes
 

I do. Why I asked is that there's always another brand or choice I've never heard of. So now I have a couple of possibilities. The trouble is, you can't really tell what works unless you're in the saddle for a long time. So you make your best guess based on the description and reviews.

Voler Black Label and PI Pro are there best endurance chamois I have used. I haven't tried everything of course. I have a pair of the Boure Elite bibs that are supposed to be designed for long distance, and I don't like them at all. There are a few other threads on this topic in the long-distance sub-forum.

For several years, I've worn Assos T.Cento_s7 bib shorts for any ride longer than 90 minutes. They have served me well for distances well over 150 miles, whether on pavement or gravel. I think the advantage of these bibs is that the chamois extends to the legs without any seams between the middle and the edge. A lot of chamois have seams where the crotch meets the legs and I tend to get hot spots at those seams.

Their Ascent bibs are my favorite for longer rides but I can't claim to have tried near as many as most people. They have really good sales a few times a year. 25 % off Fathers Day sale at the moment for mens stuff.

rapha classic

There are quite a few brands that make first-class bibs. There no way an accurate recommendation for a specific what's best for you recommendation because it all comes down to anatomy and style of riding on a properly fit bicycle.

When choosing for myself there are three factors I consider regarding a quality brand bib.

1. Fit.

2. Flat chamois v 3D chamois v independent right and left side movement of chamois.

3. The lines that all my bibs come from, (after trial and error over the years), are Castelli and Cuore.

The anatomy issue will with experience determine the not only the fit but the thickness of the chamois for most. It is a myth that thicker is better. For some definitely and others definitely not.

These would be my second choice.

They are just so comfortable and I don't hesitate to wear these on centuries.

Bonus if you can find them on Rapha's archive sale page.


-Tim-

I'm liking my this spring's purchases: Castelli Endurance and Voler Black Label.

Depends on the saddle. Years ago I wore merino wool shorts with chamois, which wasn't really padding. But my saddle had a little padding, just enough to be comfortable for century rides and two-day rides of 200-250 miles.

One of my road bikes has a fairly stiff saddle with little padding, and I wear thicker padded shorts with that bike. I can ride that bike up to 20 miles with unpadded shorts, but it's not comfortable beyond that.

The other road bike has a fairly thickly padded saddle, as road saddles go, and I prefer Aero Tech Pro shorts, with a barely-there microfiber pad that's the closest thing I've found to old school chamois. It's been comfortable on long rides. But with thicker pads it's uncomfortable. Too much padding puts more pressure on the perineum and makes it worse.

Most comfortable pad I've tried? The 3D pads on inexpensive Przewalski shorts. Their shorts and bibs cost $15-$25 on Amazon and worth more than that just for the pads. The shorts themselves are pretty okay, about like the low priced Aero Tech Pro shorts. But the pads are exceptional. Thick, dense, very resilient and resistant to compression or losing loft, with an unusually smooth surface with dimples like golf balls. Comfortable on all day, all night rides. Hard to describe but it's terrific stuff. Wicks moisture well, yet never feels soggy. My only real gripe is my skinny thighs could use snugger fitting leg hems. But I have that same problem with all shorts and bibs. I need to buy longer leg shorts/bibs.

I found Boure' from from a BF post that was about finding thinly padded shorts , but they also make other chamois styles. Their quality and customer service is fantastic.

My favorite is Castelli Free Aero Race, but it uses the same pad as the Endurance.

Both are available for about $120 or less.

Where can you find the Free Aero Race for <$120?

Men's large or extra large at Excel Sports.

Looks like just XL now.

women's are often less than $120

At that price, I always did find that I had the hips of a woman 😁

Your screen name starts with "Princess" , so I thought you might be a woman. Sorry if I was wrong.

Did you just assume my sexual identity? 😄 I'm just a dude that likes to refer to himself as female royalty...that rides an allez 🙂

Yeah. Imagine how embarrassed I am for thinking someone with the name "Princess Allez" would be female.

:rolleyes:

Rapha makes a great pair $270.00

Rapha does make good stuff. I'm waiting for them to get the Pro-Team Training bibs back in my size. Their Core Bibs are a great value too and are very comfortable. I have a pair of Eliel Hollywood Bibs arriving today as part of a Father's Day promotion they were offering so I'll see if they are as good as their jerseys.

Same, that's all I wear now. My team kits are Free Aero Race, and I picked up a couple from Excel, couldn't beat it for that price! I have some other bibs that just don't get used any more, the Castellis are so much better.

Voler Black Label + 1.

In addition to proper bike fit and bibs, the best way to reduce saddle discomfort is always to improve your own fitness, particularly the core strength.