Commuter Shorts

[dbb]

@KelOnWheels 22817 wrote:

Y’all must not sweat much I wished I was wearing technical clothing on the Metro this morning :p

What is this Metro thing you reference? I recall some form of public transport before I began cycling but that is in the fuzzy, distant past.

[jopamora]

I like the shorts from Race Face, Fox, and Zoic

[KelOnWheels]

@dbb 22837 wrote:

What is this Metro thing you reference? I recall some form of public transport before I began cycling but that is in the fuzzy, distant past.

It’s that thing I have to take until I build up to riding 5 days a week. It’s loud and smells bad and people stand too close to you and everything’s sticky. :p

[vvill]

I’ll either wear lined MTB shorts (I also like Fox ones too and I like what I’ve seen of Zoic ones but never owned a pair), or some other clothing over bike shorts, if I don’t want to be seen wearing bike shorts. I don’t like riding without the padding of bike shorts.

I have a couple pairs of these (because they’re so cheap). They’re not fully technical but not cotton either. And I have some Old Navy gym shorts as another option as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Matix-Shapiro-22in-Short-Mens/dp/B0062Y6WSM

I only graduated to proper bike shorts last year. Before then I always just wore lined MTB shorts, and yes, without underwear.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@jopamora 22839 wrote:

I like the shorts from Race Face, Fox, and Zoic

Can no one make bike shorts for less than $40? Everyone mentions saving money by biking, but everything I see suggests many people spend more on gear than they previously spent on gas (yes, I’m exaggerating a bit).

[GuyContinental]

@ShawnoftheDread 22846 wrote:

Can no one make bike shorts for less than $40? Everyone mentions saving money by biking, but everything I see suggests many people spend more on gear than they previously spent on gas (yes, I’m exaggerating a bit).

Oh they can make em for less, but sell them? Noooo

Seriously though, lots of people on this board ride more than 500 hours a year-$100 for proper 10 panel shorts is a small price to pay for superior comfort. (You could be paying $250+ for Assos gear). FWIW the difference between a $40 short and a $200 short comes down to construction, material and design- double seams, better chamois, more anatomically correct panel placement, more resilient fabrics. Is there marketing hype too? Sure but there is a difference between adequate and truly nice as well.

Things I don’t skimp on-
Bike shorts
Seat
Gloves
Helmet
Shoes

I may be riding a beater bike but any part of it that touches my body will have good gear attached.

[acc]

@Tim Kelley 22831 wrote:

See–doesn’t it feel good to admit that?

Now, who else?

http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/147144/anguish-7741111.jpg

I clearly remember holding up my first pair of bike shorts and innocently asking, “Uh, what exactly do you wear under these?” I think this was right after I asked if my road bike came with a kickstand.

All I will say is when you start combining chest straps with bib shorts, something else has to go too. Otherwise it just gets too complicated.

[consularrider]

I had to ride to an alumni event last week in the District, meaning I had to be in “business casual.” Luckily, we had decent weather (I blow these things off if it’s raining) and I could easily ride in a polo and khakis. However, five miles there and then eight miles home reminded me why I wear bib shorts unless I absolutely have to wear something else. I do have one pair of baggies with a padded liner, but I’ve only worn those a couple of times this year. I prefer to wear a pair of cargo shorts over my bib shorts when I’m trying to de-emphasize my transportation choice (or sometimes when riding in foreign climes). I find it’s amazing what I can catch the leg opening on.

And Tim, have you ever felt the desire to provide counseling for perfect strangers after you’ve been riding behind them and can’t help but watch the underwear line on their cycling shorts? Oh wait, you’re not behind anyone for that long, right?

[txgoonie]

I see girls wearing thongs under their shorts quite routinely. Let’s forget that there’s no possible way to hide panty lines under lycra, so why bother? I can conceive of nothing more uncomfortable to wear while riding than thong underwear. Cuckoo!

Bike shorts with underwear is a much lesser infraction to me however, at least aesthetically, than wearing threadbare bike shorts. Don’t be that guy — do a butt check on items you’ve worn for more than a couple of years.

[DSalovesh]

A discount but still nice option that I like is the Pearl Izumi liner shorts. They sell them to go with all their baggy MTB over-shorts but they work fine without as well. They’re not especially good as your ONLY shorts tho – too meshy except when you’re around a lot of bikers that don’t care – so I wear “normal” shorts over them most of the time.

List price is just $30, often on sale for closer to $20 – the pad design is among the best, IMHO.

[Tim Kelley]

@consularrider 22856 wrote:

And Tim, have you ever felt the desire to provide counseling for perfect strangers after you’ve been riding behind them and can’t help but watch the underwear line on their cycling shorts? Oh wait, you’re not behind anyone for that long, right?

After finishing up a couple extra laps on a group ride awhile back I noticed an obvious underwear line on a female rider as we passed. I made one of the women we were riding with handle that delicate conversation while I skipped ahead out of embarassing earshot. Apparently the rider was very happy to get guidance!

[brendan]

@txgoonie 22865 wrote:

Bike shorts with underwear is a much lesser infraction to me however, at least aesthetically, than wearing threadbare bike shorts. Don’t be that guy — do a butt check on items you’ve worn for more than a couple of years.

Hear hear! And don’t assume those black lycra liner shorts you decided to wear without anything else are completely opaque either. They often are somewhat translucent due to the pinhole venting. Dude! You understand I’ll never be able to unsee that, right?

For my regular around town riding, I usually wear mountain biking shorts (inner liner w/ chamois connected to outer baggy shorts) *plus* one of several pairs of microweight smartwool boxer briefs. Mostly so that if I decide to go on a long ride the next day, I can use yesterday’s shorts without setting off my own personal ick factor alarm. I suppose I could technically wear the merino wool underwear on the long ride, but since I’ll definitely need to wash the shorts, why bother?

Plus, my goodness, merino underwear is comfortable.

Brendan

[ShawnoftheDread]

@DSalovesh 22892 wrote:

A discount but still nice option that I like is the Pearl Izumi liner shorts. They sell them to go with all their baggy MTB over-shorts but they work fine without as well. They’re not especially good as your ONLY shorts tho – too meshy except when you’re around a lot of bikers that don’t care – so I wear “normal” shorts over them most of the time.

List price is just $30, often on sale for closer to $20 – the pad design is among the best, IMHO.

Thanks for the tip. I’m on the cusp between med and large for those – do you know if they run small or large?

[KLizotte]

@Tim Kelley 22831 wrote:

See–doesn’t it feel good to admit that?

Now, who else?

I was clued in ahead of time about the commando bit so have never committed that mistake but I do admit that it sure feels funny getting undressed in the gym at work in the morning amongst all the non-cyclists. It’s bad enough not wearing any underwear but the chamois really takes the cake in embarassment. I’m sure a few of the regulars think I have a bladder issue. I’m pretty sure some of the folks in my apartment building think the same thing when they see me doing laundry in the communal laundry room.

Fortunately when you reach a certain age you stop caring what strangers think…most of the time….

[KLizotte]

@Tim Kelley 22917 wrote:

After finishing up a couple extra laps on a group ride awhile back I noticed an obvious underwear line on a female rider as we passed. I made one of the women we were riding with handle that delicate conversation while I skipped ahead out of embarassing earshot. Apparently the rider was very happy to get guidance!

Glad this incident went well but as a female I can inform you all that not all cycling shorts are designed to be ridden commando. Shorts from places like Lululemon are called “cycling shorts” but are also designed with yoga and running in mind and do not have chamois or flat seams so you have to wear another layer underneath. They are useful if you have short rides and have to walk amongst civilians – not quite so odd looking as regular chamois shorts.

[Author]

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