aggarcia

I would like to try this Tour de East 288 next Saturday also. I am in the 14-15 mph range ( maybe faster, but I am still waiting for the sensor for my bike ). I am up for the whole tour. I commute to work via my bike so I tolerate the weather and am used to several hour rides. There is an HEB just past the JCC heading east right?

jehan60188

yah, that's what i've got; i mean, it's not /significantly/ hotter, but it's an extra layer, so it just traps in heat; I notice it after I remove the headband more than while I wear it, like "i could've been cooler"

kwrides

Correct. The JCC is by the footpath across the bayou just west of the HEB.

kwrides

Yeah, you're right. In heat like this, I have to take it off and wring it out sometimes too.

jehan60188

Had my first long(ish) ride this weekend, just tooled around the bike paths in GB park for an hour. It was fun, but my bottom started to hurt. I think it's a combination of my poor form, and the lack of padding. Looks like I get to buy those super-cool bike shorts!

Tex_Arcana

What did you do? Did you ride Briar Forest all the way down to Hwy 6 ? Did you ride Terry Hershey? Or did you pack up the bike with the car and drive down there?

kwrides

Don't cheap out on those shorts. Buy a good pair the 1st time!

jehan60188

i drove to the equestrian park (though, i didn't see any horses...) and then just got on the bike path from there

thanks, how much can i expect to spend? should I try them on? what should i look for?

yeamac 

Wish I could go this Sat, but I have company coming Friday, spending the night for my daughters birthday party the following morning. Y'all leave bread crumbs and I'll follow them some other time.

kwrides

Don't ask me, I'll tell you to buy Assos

jehan60188

hmm, yah, i think i'd like to spend about half that...

aaronechang

Honestly the best cycling shorts I've worn are the $20 ones from Academy (Insport). I have a pair of $60-70 Mt Borah shorts but I much prefer the Insports.

jehan60188

what features/qualities make the academy ones better?

aaronechang

The thing with the Mt Borah shorts is that they were just unbelievably tight and constrictive. And I am not a big guy, either (5' 10" 140 lbs with a 31 inch waist).

The Mt Borahs are 90% micro-poly (whatever that is) and 10% spandex, whereas the Insports are 80% nylon and 20% lycra spandex. The difference was almost night and day when I tried on the Insports - there was much more give and it felt a whole more comfortable. I've worn the Insports for about a year now and they've been great. The padding is sufficient for long (5-6 hr) rides and they wick away moisture very well.

Unfortunately, once you try on a pair of cycling shorts (or tell the salesperson that you tried it on) they're not going to let you return it. So I'm stuck with the Mt Borah shorts and the store won't take them back even after I told them I thoroughly washed them after wearing them for a few mins.

kwrides

Please don't take offence to this, but have you ever tried road shorts or bibs with a chamois made by a real cycling company like Assos, DeMarchi, Casetelli, or even Pearl Izumi? Good bibs are 85% chamois, 5% fit, 5% shorts material, and 5% comfort of the grippers imho.

I would never recommend a bib that costs less than $75. Ever. And honestly, I would recommend getting into the $100 minimum if you really want to be comfortable over any 30+ kind of distance.

I've never worn them, but several folks in the Road forum recommend the Hammer Nutrition branded Voler bibs as a good cheap alternative and I think they're less than $100.

Unfortunately, now that I've worn Assos, I'll never go back to PI.

Think about it, if there is one place you want to protect and not go cheap, it's your taint

kwrides

But then again, I did say, "Don't ask me, I'll tell you to wear Assos", so maybe I should shut up

I just hate seeing so many posts where people say over and over, "Wow, I thought my <pick a budget brand> shorts were awesome, but then I broke down and bought a pair of <pick a higher end brand> and WOW, what a difference!!"

aaronechang

No, I have not tried any of those shorts / bibs that you have listed, and quite frankly have no intention of paying $100 to try them out.

I have just tried the $70 Mt Borah shorts and the $20 Academy ones, and I find that I much prefer the $20 ones. They're comfortable, they do the job, and I can buy a whole week's worth of them for the price of one piece of clothing from Real-Cyclist-Clothing-Co. I'm not a competitive cyclist, just a guy who rides his bike everywhere (sometimes for up to 6 hrs in 95-degree weather).

I would prefer to just wear regular clothes when riding my bike, but I would much rather wear tight shorts than have soggy underwear for the entire work day (if you know what I mean). When I do wear cycling shorts, it's only for rides during the summer days that are 30 mins. and longer. And I always wear baggy soccer shorts over them, because I feel silly walking around in public with tight shorts when I'm off the bike (but that's just me).

You and others may have more stringent criteria about cycling clothing and would be willing to pay much more than $20 to find something that fits those standards. But for me - the $20 Academy ones fit the bill. To each his own.

kwrides

Agreed, and again, no offense intended, just trying to provide the asker with both perspectives.

aaronechang

No offense taken, don't worry.

I just wish more places would accept returns on stuff like cycling shorts. I understand their position - that they can't really resell a used cycling short or piece of swimwear. But it really sucks to be out $70 for something that you can't wear. Personally - I just assume the worst with every pair of cycling shorts that I buy and give it a thorough washing before I wear it.

If anyone wants a (washed) barely-used pair of medium Mt Borah shorts, just PM me.

yeamac 

^^^ regarding the cycling shorts issue, my riding partner wears cargo shorts (with all the pockets) and underwear and a cotton T-shirt. Those sweat and salt rings sure ain't pretty. He rides 100+ mile rides regularly without issues. I would think $20 cycling shorts would be a step up from that.

Tex_Arcana

Doh! Your partner wears just about the same thing I do. Well, for my first century I did wear a jersey I found for $8 in a thrift store.

I do enjoy all the discussions about Assos and Butt Cream and thank the gods I don't have to worry about that stuff. That I seem to get along somehow without all that. Your partner and I must not be serious cyclists since we don't squeeze our buns into a tight wrapper with plenty of condiments.

kwrides

If I did that for 5 miles I would be hamburger. It has nothing to do with being " serious "

I'm amazed at how fast people go to this, "I don't have good shorts so I must not be a serious cyclist" argument. Apparently not wearing spandex comes with a huge chip to put on your shoulder. In fact, I was so sure this chip would come flying out that, without reason, I apologized for disagreeing, TWICE.

You can understand that for reasons of comfort some people wear tightie whities without a problem, and some go to boxers, and some go to tight boxers, etc.. etc., right? And you also understand that some people need to wear a knee brace when playing sports and some do not. So why can't you understand that some people are comfortable with something rubbing on their hot sweaty taint for 50 miles and some are not? It has nothing to do with "serious". If you think you're cool because you don't need cycling shorts, good for you, but quit with the "oohhhhh, you're a serious cyclist " when 99% of people riding a bike for speed or distance do in fact need a little help.

Just sayin'.

H-Bear

Tex_Arcana

Actually, I was refering to how some of the "Full Kit" crowd can't seem to be bothered to give a nod to someone like me that they see riding the MUPs in my white polo shirt and black cargo pants leisurely riding down the path on a blue and white Del Sol SPF7 comfort bike ( with step through frame cause it's my wifes bike ).

Like today. I decided to go for a little ride down Braes Bayou. I rode out to Scott and turned around then decided to see what the Columbia Tap was like. Got downtown and thought, "I've come this far might as well make a loop of it." I rode down Capital until I reached Buffalo Bayou and rode on the north side of the bayou. Long story short I rode in Memorial Park and made a nice interesting 40 mile loop. Nothing serious. I stopped three times to sit in the shade, drink water, and read my book. Got in just before noon.

I traced my route on Bikely: https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Urban-Bike-Trails

Rex G

That sounds serious enough to me, Tex!

FWIW, I was out in the Westheimer@SH6 area Saturday, in the car, and scouted Briar Forest from SH6 to Voss. I recorded the distance from 6 at various cross streets, and also noted that Briar Forest seemed quite bike-friendly in that stretch. I will have to enter the distances later, as it is time to shower and dress for work.