Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

Cheap Cycling Shorts

Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Cheap Cycling Shorts

Old 03-06-07, 11:23 AM
  #51  
Portland Fred
 
banerjek's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,548

Bikes: Custom Winter, Challenge Seiran SL, Fuji Team Pro, Cattrike Road/Velokit, РOS hybrid

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 232 Post(s)
Liked 53 Times in 35 Posts
Originally Posted by kyledr
How about this? I have an economical bike (105 part), I've done everything else economically, and I'm trying to find a cheap AND comfortable short. There must be good and bad cheap shorts, and I intend to find the good ones.
105 probably gives the best bang for the buck, but it ain't exactly cheap.

Shorts are like that. If I'm on a bent, I find that the shorts don't matter too much. However, on a DF, they are no place to cheap out. Good shorts last longer and they're FAR more comfortable if you'll be in the saddle more than a few hours.

Having said that, the Performance century short with an integrated gel chamois definitely meets my needs and I can recommend them if you're looking for a bargain. I've used it on double centuries and on other long rides and I never feel sore. On sale right now for $30, and an excellent value.
banerjek is offline  
Old 03-06-07, 01:55 PM
  #52  
Senior Member
 
willieb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: South GA
Posts: 420

Bikes: 2006 Trek Madone 5.2

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I have a collection of about 6 or 7 pair now. I must say that my Pearls are the absolute best quality and the most comfortable, well worth the extra money paid. Others I have consist of performance, price point, verge, and primal.

I messed up one day and wore my wifes Pearls when I was in a hurry and couldn't find a clean pair. Although a little tight on me, I was sold.

It is significant to say, however, that I have worn the verge shorts on a bike for 8.5 hrs and my butt was the least of my worries.
__________________
~willieb
willieb is offline  
Old 03-06-07, 04:13 PM
  #53  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 292

Bikes: Cervelo R3, Moots Vamoots SL, Litespeed Classic, Trek 5500

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I'm all for saving money ... but not on contact points. I don't scrimp on shoes or shorts, period. I'm not fussy about jerseys but nothing but the best for the boys down under.

A lot too will depend on how much you ride and how often you do.

Only Assos on my assos!
tobycat is offline  
Old 03-06-07, 11:58 PM
  #54  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Herndon, VA
Posts: 592

Bikes: 05 Fuji Pro, 06 Mercier Serpens, 00 Ducati 750ss

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I have 7 pairs of these and cant stop buying them
https://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,...s-for-Men.html
Not sure what my problem is. I have no need for shorts at this point.. got like 15 pairs and for some reason I keep washing the same pair and putting them right back on.

Other shorts I've worn are the performance classic, performance century, canari pro (those are a little rough in my opinion..) and some random PIs I got from a bike shop years ago. I've got a closet full of these things and Im fighting the urge to buy a few more pairs... of course, if I didnt have this sick habit of hoarding stuff I'd be a lot richer.. but then again, my closet full of shorts cost less than 2 pairs of OCP shorts
No Exit is offline  
Old 03-07-07, 08:05 AM
  #55  
Making a kilometer blurry
 
waterrockets's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Austin (near TX)
Posts: 26,170

Bikes: rkwaki's porn collection

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Liked 91 Times in 38 Posts
Originally Posted by No Exit
I have 7 pairs of these and cant stop buying them
https://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,...s-for-Men.html
Not sure what my problem is. I have no need for shorts at this point.. got like 15 pairs and for some reason I keep washing the same pair and putting them right back on.
You're obviously concerned that you won't be able to find them for the rest of your cycling life. What if they stop making them next year? I know, I'll just wear one pair until they wear out, and I'll have a brand new pair waiting for me.

Not a bad way to go. I'd wear them more than once before washing, depending on sweat levels.
waterrockets is offline  
Old 03-07-07, 08:11 AM
  #56  
Up on the Down Side
 
CyLowe97's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Chicago(ish)
Posts: 6,334
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 4 Posts
Originally Posted by waterrockets
I'd wear them more than once before washing, depending on sweat levels.


That's nasty, regardless of how short your ride may have been. Wash the shorts, man.
CyLowe97 is offline  
Old 03-14-07, 12:18 AM
  #57  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Herndon, VA
Posts: 592

Bikes: 05 Fuji Pro, 06 Mercier Serpens, 00 Ducati 750ss

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I couldnt resist. I've been thinking about shorts all week now... 6 more pairs to add to the pile. God forbid I ever gain or lose a bunch of weight.

Anyways, for those interested, there's a 20% coupon from SierraTradingPost.com... its 53214. Dont know how long its good for but I just used it right now. Got my shorts for $20.76 a pair.
No Exit is offline  
Old 03-14-07, 12:27 AM
  #58  
Senior Member
 
cyclezealot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Fallbrook,Calif./Palau del Vidre, France
Posts: 13,230

Bikes: Klein QP, Fuji touring, Surly Cross Check, BCH City bike

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1485 Post(s)
Liked 73 Times in 64 Posts
cheap shorts usually are ineffective . a waste of money. The chamois is like paper thin. Make you investment worth it. Spluge at 40 dollars, when you will find many chains have sales.
cyclezealot is offline  
Old 03-16-07, 04:12 PM
  #59  
Senior Member
 
bernmart's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Pasadena, CA
Posts: 813

Bikes: Specialized Roubaix Pro

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by roadie gal
I have a few pairs of Aerotech shorts. They seem to work very well. www.aerotechdesigns.com The "classic" short if $25 (US) and the "pro" is $50. The ones I have are the pro version for women.

I am not affiliated with the company, BTW.
I was curious enough to buy a pair of the "pro" shorts for men, and so far I'm very impressed. I've got a long, long club ride tomorrow and I'll have a more useful judgement then. But they're very comfortable, fit well, and raise no issues with my. . .issues. Definitely a competitor for #1 with my Performance Century shorts.
__________________
Specialized Roubaix Pro
Specialized Sequoia Elite

Last edited by bernmart; 03-18-07 at 12:40 PM.
bernmart is offline  
Old 03-18-07, 08:30 AM
  #60  
#@$!!$
 
bratan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 149
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by bernmart
I was curious enough to buy a pair of the "classic" shorts for men, and so far I'm very impressed. I've got a long, long club ride tomorrow and I'll have a more useful judgement then. But they're very comfortable, fit well, and raise no issues with my. . .issues. Definitely a competitor for #1 with my Performance Century shorts.
Let us know how do you like it. I'm interested in those as well. Also it looks like Pro is now $30
bratan is offline  
Old 03-18-07, 08:38 AM
  #61  
Senior Member
 
canonball's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Kansas
Posts: 50

Bikes: fuji finest al

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I had good luck with probikekit.com. They have clearance shorts for around 17 bucks that are just fine.
You have to check from time to time 'cause their clearance stuff changes often. Sometimes they are there and sometimes they are not.
canonball is offline  
Old 03-18-07, 10:25 AM
  #62  
Senior Member
 
Nessism's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Torrance, CA
Posts: 3,059

Bikes: Homebuilt steel

Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2180 Post(s)
Liked 419 Times in 332 Posts
Originally Posted by matthew_deaner
+1
I'm very happy with my volar shorts and bibs.
Voler is the sweet spot for me...and I've tried a LOT of different brands. Subscribe to their newsletter and they will send you monthly specials. Their regular shorts used to be available for as little as $40 on sale and are first rate. Their prices have increased recently though but they are still a good value. I'm not so enthused about their jerseys though - very thin. Great for hot weather usage but a base layer is needed if it's on the cool side.
Nessism is offline  
Old 03-18-07, 10:32 AM
  #63  
.
 
botto's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 40,375
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 15 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 27 Times in 12 Posts
Originally Posted by waterrockets
You're obviously concerned that you won't be able to find them for the rest of your cycling life. What if they stop making them next year? I know, I'll just wear one pair until they wear out, and I'll have a brand new pair waiting for me.

Not a bad way to go.
I'd wear them more than once before washing, depending on sweat levels.
why do you hate personal hygiene?
botto is offline  
Old 03-18-07, 12:39 PM
  #64  
Senior Member
 
bernmart's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Pasadena, CA
Posts: 813

Bikes: Specialized Roubaix Pro

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by bratan
Let us know how do you like it. I'm interested in those as well. Also it looks like Pro is now $30
I wore them, brand new and unwashed, through fifty miles of sweaty riding yesterday. Not a twinge or a tingle of irritation. The chamois seems just about ideal (I've turned away from gel chamois, a la Nashbar). The fabric on the shorts seems very stretchy and not very thick, compared to my Performance Century shorts. This makes for excellent fit, but only time will tell how durable they are.

I'm well satisfied, and will probably order at least one more pair. BTW, note the edit of my earlier post. It was the "pro" short that I bought.
__________________
Specialized Roubaix Pro
Specialized Sequoia Elite
bernmart is offline  
Old 03-18-07, 01:05 PM
  #65  
My idea of fun
 
kensuf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Gainesville, FL
Posts: 9,920

Bikes: '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '02 Kona Lavadome, '07 Giant TCR Advanced, '07 Karate Monkey

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Liked 59 Times in 36 Posts
Originally Posted by caloso
Let me suggest Voler. May be a bit more than you said you wanted to spend but they are a very good value in my opinion.

www.velowear.com
I've been pretty happy with the Ion chamois, but recently I had one seperate after only 6 rides and it left me feeling a little chaffed.
kensuf is offline  
Old 03-19-07, 08:56 PM
  #66  
Destroyer of Worlds
Thread Starter
 
kyledr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 446
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Well, I'm back from Spring break, and it turns out we didn't do as many miles as I thought we would. It was more like 50 mile days instead of 100 mile days. I have a 30 in waist, so I got the Bellwether shorts in small, and at first they felt very tight compared to my medium Pace cat 3s. I stretched them out by hand a before each ride, and after doing that and riding in them, they feel looser, or at least I got used to them, but I think they are the right size for me and the Pace shorts are too big. I actually prefer these Bellwethers over the Pace shorts, but that could be a sizing issue. They were pretty comfy for the 50 miles we did. No chafing or anything either. The chamois in the Bellwethers is actually quite nice. We have these team bibs that we got custom ordered, and the cost to us is $69, and those have an identical looking chamois, although the lettering is different. Considering three pairs cost less than $80 before shipping, I'm pretty happy. The shorts are normally $50, so try to get them on sale and with a 15% off code like I did.
kyledr is offline  
Old 03-19-07, 10:07 PM
  #67  
1/2 man,1/2 bear,1/2 pig
 
ManBearPig's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: .
Posts: 1,122

Bikes: .

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
The $90 PI Ultrasensor shorts are cheap by my standards, cheapest I can tolerate, sagging like a diaper and not feeling all that comfy. I use them for my shorter riders. The $150 PI Ultrasensor 3D Pro are still my favorites, conforming to my body much more closely and not feeling too thick. The Assos F1.mille are my 2nd choice, also around $150, but a little thick for my tastes, and the leg cuffs irritate the back of my leg where they are stitched. My conclusion after 4 years of riding is that cheap is an illusion. You get what you pay for, and paying less money for something that is constantly irritating and uncomfortable is a false economy. Also, alot more precision and hand detailing goes into these things than you might suspect. Can't throw them together with loose tolerances and have them consistently fit well, like you can a T-shirt. Plus, they are manufactured in lower quantity, having less economy of scale.
__________________
...
ManBearPig is offline  
Old 03-19-07, 10:22 PM
  #68  
Senior Member
 
ken cummings's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: northern California
Posts: 5,603

Bikes: Bruce Gordon BLT, Cannondale parts bike, Ecodyne recumbent trike, Counterpoint Opus 2, miyata 1000

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Kyldr if you ever get in the LA/ Orange County area go by the Pace factory/offices. They have a large sales room filled with factory seconds, discontinued lines, and returns from bike shops. Ten to 20 cents on the dollar from their retail prices. 'Til I moved north I got most of my stuff there. Shorts for $10 that are still good 7 years later. Cleated shoes in size 12 for $5. If you ever come to visit the Original disneyland stop by, it's only a few miles from there.
ken cummings is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.