Knickers for the super short?

[FreudianSlip]

Hi there,

I know there are some ladies on the petite side here, and I was hoping someone had good recommendations for short cycling knickers. I don't think I'm ready to go out in tights yet, so I'm looking for something with a slightly looser fit.

I am a whopping 4'10.5" tall and my inseam tops out at 25.5". Are there any good labels or stores (online or otherwise) that offer really short knickers/trousers? I'm having a hard time finding anything.

Also, I have some stretch pants in polyester, cotton, and spandex. Are those okay for the interim while I shop? Or is cotton a bad thing to sweat in?

Thanks! Alas, I think I'm at the bottom of a rather steep learning curve :o

cheers,
amanda

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Amanda,
since you are just starting out riding again after many years, you'll want to do fairly short rides at first (less than 10 miles maybe?). Any comfortable stretchy pants might well be just fine for short rides. Plenty of people regularly ride in comfortable street clothes. (Remember how when you were a kid you just jumped on your bike for a quick ride no matter what you were wearing?) :p

Expect your body to maybe be sore in lots of places for the first week or two....mine sure was after not not riding for about 38 years. (!!!) :o
You may want to get biking bottoms with a chamois pad once you start riding longer miles.
Be sure to wear biking gloves to protect your hands if you fall/skid on asphalt....and wear your helmet always!
Have fun. :)

[Crankin]

I have found that buying cycling knee warmers are the best thing that approximate knickers for my 5' 1" height. However, I do have a pair of padded cycling knickers. They come down to just above my ankles. So, there's no thermal lining and they do leave some skin showing. Basically, there's a small window of temperatures I wear them in... between 55 and 65 degrees. I know that others wear knickers in temperatures down to the 40's, but I need the thermal lining of tights below 50-55 or so and at that temperature I also like my rear to be warmer.

[FreudianSlip]

(Remember how when you were a kid you just jumped on your bike for a quick ride no matter what you were wearing?) :p

I actually do remember that. I was a terror on a Big Wheel. I'm hoping to rediscover that sense of gleeful freedom :p

No problem on the helmet and gloves; I'm a safety freak, so those are lined up and ready to go. I actually have a pair of chamoised (is that a word?) bike shorts, courtesy of the Blackbottoms sale, so I was looking for something to go over them for now. It's good that the stretchy pants might work while I continue to shop.

Syndirelah and Crankin, do you have any recommended brands that you or your friends wear? I'm thinking of checking out REI this weekend. I'll definitely look at knee warmers while I'm at it. I'm not too crazy about those chilly mornings either.

Thanks, everyone! This definitely gives me a place to start.

amanda

[shootingstar]

Hi there,

I know there are some ladies on the petite side here, and I was hoping someone had good recommendations for short cycling knickers. I don't think I'm ready to go out in tights yet, so I'm looking for something with a slightly looser fit.

I am a whopping 4'10.5" tall and my inseam tops out at 25.5". Are there any good labels or stores (online or otherwise) that offer really short knickers/trousers? I'm having a hard time finding anything.

Also, I have some stretch pants in polyester, cotton, and spandex. Are those okay for the interim while I shop? Or is cotton a bad thing to sweat in?

Thanks! Alas, I think I'm at the bottom of a rather steep learning curve :o

cheers,
amanda

You are petite ...maybe breaking a record here so far. I'm 5'1" with an inseam of 27". (Measured to just above my foot arch.)There are some other ladies here with same height also.

Would be better that cotton stretch pants had some polyester as a blend. But it might be tough for something not too costly. I've been wearing cheapo black stretch pants for years for cycling, as illustrated below.
http://jean.thecyclistwebhouse.com/Vancouver_Island/image020.htm No, they're not padded. I'm pretty strange/atypical since I can cycle for many kms. unpadded.:o Some of these photos cover a 300+ kms. trip that we did on Vancouver island a few years ago. I'm still like that.

Only in past 6 months bought my lst pair of true compression spandex long tights for cycling. Yes, they were right size and discounted, but 4 inches too long. :) I'll be wearing them once the cheapos fall apart.

Occasionally I do check out the teen's section, but usually find for bottoms, just not cut for a woman's mature body, which usually has curves...no matter how small her body maybe. She still has deepening in her hip shape, etc.

Unlike you, I don't wear knickers, not even off the bike. Just a personal preference. Doesn't really complement me. So either it's long tights or longer walking shorts if weather is cool.

[shootingstar]

Checked out this site after not seeing it for past few months:

http://www.terrybicycles.com/product/category/on-sale/casual-bottoms

At least, gives you ideas.

[Crankin]

My knickers are Terry, but I would look at Shebeest, too.
The knee warmers are from Sheila Moon, which actually has sizes for their knee warmers.