How good are Bibs?
07-06-14 | 08:28 PM
#26
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From: Evanston, IL
Bikes: Mosaic RT-1, Trek Boone, Cervelo R3 Team, Surly Cross Check, Bike Friday Pocket Rocket
Bibs have been scientifically proven to be better than shorts.
07-07-14 | 06:03 AM
#28
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From: Lebanon (Liberty Hill), CT
Bikes: Canyon Aeroad, CAAD 12, MASI Gran Criterium S, Colnago World Cup CX, Guru steel & Guru Photon
Bibs have been scientifically proven to be better than shorts.
(Oh **** now I've done it.)
07-20-14 | 05:41 AM
#35
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From: NYC, duh Bronx.
Bikes: Salsa Ti Warbird- 2014/ November RAIL52s
07-20-14 | 01:58 PM
#37
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From: Near Portland, OR
Bikes: Three road bikes. Two track bikes.
Because of the cut and straps, bibs are fundamentally better at keeping the pad in the right place when you ride. It's the difference between using compression around your waist to keep the pad in place and using your shoulders. Most people find a small, downward tug on the shoulders more comfortable than compression around their waist.
Other than that, fit determines comfort. I've had comfortable shorts and uncomfortable shorts. I've had comfortable bibs and uncomfortable bibs. As you get more serious about cycling, you will tend to start wearing bibs (unless you are a woman, where opinion is split between comfort and ahem... nature call accessibility; also women have wider hips compared to their waist, so the waist of their shorts don't have to be as tight as on a man's to keep the shorts in place) because bibs lack a waistband and there is something other than your hips to keep the pad in place.
The correct option for the OP is to decide whether he wants to experiment with new clothing. Try a set of bibs; see if he likes them. Or, be satisfied with shorts. It's really nobody's business but his own. Myself, I've always found the waistband annoying; I switched to bibs long ago and never looked back.
Other than that, fit determines comfort. I've had comfortable shorts and uncomfortable shorts. I've had comfortable bibs and uncomfortable bibs. As you get more serious about cycling, you will tend to start wearing bibs (unless you are a woman, where opinion is split between comfort and ahem... nature call accessibility; also women have wider hips compared to their waist, so the waist of their shorts don't have to be as tight as on a man's to keep the shorts in place) because bibs lack a waistband and there is something other than your hips to keep the pad in place.
The correct option for the OP is to decide whether he wants to experiment with new clothing. Try a set of bibs; see if he likes them. Or, be satisfied with shorts. It's really nobody's business but his own. Myself, I've always found the waistband annoying; I switched to bibs long ago and never looked back.
__________________
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
Last edited by Brian Ratliff; 07-20-14 at 02:03 PM.
07-20-14 | 02:30 PM
#38
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Joined: Jun 2014
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From: Dayton OH
Bikes: 2013 Trek One Series
Been thinking about bibs myself, would like something to keep things in place better as my shorts slip down when I stand up so I tend not to stand up as often as I'd like, just not sure about fitting them.
How do you determine the size? I don't want to go in and try on something and find I'm stretching them too much to put them on. Do you go with basically the shorts size and usually the bib part ends up being long enough to fit?
How do you determine the size? I don't want to go in and try on something and find I'm stretching them too much to put them on. Do you go with basically the shorts size and usually the bib part ends up being long enough to fit?
07-20-14 | 02:51 PM
#39
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From: florida
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07-20-14 | 03:12 PM
#40
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From: Ontario, Canada
Bikes: Me: Trek 7.2 FX Disc, Pinarello Rokh Her: Electra Townie 3i
Because of the cut and straps, bibs are fundamentally better at keeping the pad in the right place when you ride. It's the difference between using compression around your waist to keep the pad in place and using your shoulders. Most people find a small, downward tug on the shoulders more comfortable than compression around their waist..
07-21-14 | 10:39 AM
#41
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From: Near Portland, OR
Bikes: Three road bikes. Two track bikes.
How do you determine the size? I don't want to go in and try on something and find I'm stretching them too much to put them on. Do you go with basically the shorts size and usually the bib part ends up being long enough to fit?
__________________
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
07-21-14 | 10:43 AM
#42
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Joined: May 2002
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From: Near Portland, OR
Bikes: Three road bikes. Two track bikes.
Some manufacturers are starting to figure this out it sounds like.
__________________
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
07-21-14 | 11:30 AM
#45
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Joined: Jun 2012
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From: Long Beach, CA
Bikes: Trek Domane 6.2 Project One
I'd worn shorts for years, and when my latest pair wore out I figured I'd try bibs since many cyclists rave about them.
Well, I tried two different brands and didn't like either pair. The straps reminded me of being in a car with the seat belt cinched too tight, and I've since gone back to shorts for good. BTW, I don't get the "cycling shorts falling off my waist" thing. I've NEVER had an issue with that (of course, being 6'02" 160 lbs may have something to do with it--my belly is flat as the Kansas plains).
Well, I tried two different brands and didn't like either pair. The straps reminded me of being in a car with the seat belt cinched too tight, and I've since gone back to shorts for good. BTW, I don't get the "cycling shorts falling off my waist" thing. I've NEVER had an issue with that (of course, being 6'02" 160 lbs may have something to do with it--my belly is flat as the Kansas plains).
07-21-14 | 11:53 AM
#46
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From: Near Portland, OR
Bikes: Three road bikes. Two track bikes.
Or, you know, as long as we are buying new things... bibs. But to each his or her own, yea?
__________________
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
07-21-14 | 12:07 PM
#47
well hello there
Joined: May 2005
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From: Point Loma, CA
Bikes: Bill Holland (Road-Ti), Fuji Roubaix Pro (back-up), Bike Friday (folder), Co-Motion (tandem) & Trek 750 (hybrid)
I insist you wear bibs.
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Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
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Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
07-21-14 | 01:13 PM
#48
Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 45
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From: Oklahoma City
I switched from shorts to bib shorts. I like the bib better no chaffing. I am a pound or 2 shy of being a clyde and I found that shorts that fit the waist don't fit the legs. A large pair of bibs fit perfect no rolling down at the waist. They are cut low enough to pull the front down to squirt over. I only tried them because I was having problems with my tail from riding even after switching seats, I checked out the pad in my shorts I had worn for over 5 years and found I wore the pad out of them right where I was bothered. So I bought the bib and don't think I'll ever switch back.
