Cycling Clothes and Relative Fit From Model to Model?

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Every time I look online at cycling clothing I wish there were a way to know how X shorts fit relative to Y shorts. I have found that even in a single brand different models can have drastically different fits (I'm looking at you, Pearl Izumi).

So...I got the bright idea that maybe we could have a single thread where we could share our fit experiences with those looking for that perfect pair of shorts or jersey.

To start: I really like the fit of PI's Symphony short, but have been trying to find a pair of similar P.R.O. line shorts. I tried a pair of the PRO Leader shorts, but they were WAY smaller in the same size (medium). The PI PRO short looks similar (wish it had that flat front panel...the PRO In-R-Cool short has it, but those damned leg bands give me the worst. sausage legs. ever.).

So does the sizing of the Symphony short match the PRO short? I wear a medium in the Symphony, but a large in PI's tri shorts, if that paints a better picture of my build/size.

[Catrin]

Good idea Zoom-Zoom! I went short-shopping last week and came home with a new pair of 2011 PI Symphony shorts (love the new waistband and leg grippers) and a new pair of medium PI Elite drop-tail bibs. I really WANTED to get a pair of P.R.O. In-R-Cool shorts - but they were more expensive than the bibs! I wasn't about to try a $145 experiment without knowing if the chamois would work for me or not. So far I've not had much luck with any other chamois outside of the Elite 3D.

I did try on the P.R.O. In-R-Cool shorts in medium - which is what I wear in the Symphony shorts. They appeared to fit the same. I did like the cut of the P.R.O. shorts, and a friend who works at the LBS told me she thinks that PI has changed the leg grippers from earlier in the season. These are her go-to shorts and she said the grippers on the pair I tried on were nicer and they didn't appear to be too tight which was the complaint in the spring.

I still want to try the P.R.O. chamois, but knowing my track record with chamois I don't want to pay that much and find out after a ride that they won't work; trying them on in the store doesn't give the entire story :o

[Jen12]

I'm thinking Pearl Izumi seems to run exceptionally small. I'm generally a small in pretty much anything of a SML system, but I bought one of their jerseys on ebay and it seemed really tiny. Not sure if it's the brand or if I just got an odd style.

I do like Novara bottoms, though. They tend to run true to size.

[zoom-zoom]

I did try on the P.R.O. In-R-Cool shorts in medium - which is what I wear in the Symphony shorts. They appeared to fit the same. I did like the cut of the P.R.O. shorts, and a friend who works at the LBS told me she thinks that PI has changed the leg grippers from earlier in the season. These are her go-to shorts and she said the grippers on the pair I tried on were nicer and they didn't appear to be too tight which was the complaint in the spring.

Dear god, those grippers in the early ones were HORRID. I have never had such an unflattering pair of shorts. I LOVED the top half and the chamois, but the grippers were a deal-breaker. Hmmm...I wonder if our LBS carries the newer ones. They carry PI stuff, but not generally the styles I like.

Jen, PI jerseys run kind of all over the place. Which style did you find to be small?

[Juliegoddess]

Every time I look online at cycling clothing I wish there were a way to know how X shorts fit relative to Y shorts. I have found that even in a single brand different models can have drastically different fits (I'm looking at you, Pearl Izumi).

Great idea, Kirsten! My biggest problem is with jersey fit. Now, obviously I know that as a plus size gal, I'm going to have some trouble. But I'm kind of "borderline" right now between regular sizes and plus sizes, especially in shorts. And I KNOW I'm larger-busted. But DANG...how can most cycling-wear companies call a jersey with a measly 40" bust an XXL??? Come on!

I know women come in all shapes and sizes (I'm a plus-size clothing designer...for heaven's sake, I DO know this!)...but just speaking proportionately, how can an XXL have a 44" hip, but only a 40" bust??? Not ALL women are shaped like pears!

I had spoken and written to Terry several times, as I LOVE their jerseys. I had them actually MEASURE an XXL for me...to see if I could squeeze into it. Nope...the XXL measured only 41". Unreal. I know they have plus size jerseys, but I want the snazzy prints that only come in regular sizes. Pooey.

Okay, rant over. Bottom line...I'm designing and making my own jerseys!

[zoom-zoom]

Every jersey needs to fit exactly like Twin Six, just sayin'. Seriously. Their medium feels like it was custom cut for ME! I wish I could afford one of every one of their styles. :D

[azfiddle]

I have a medium Twin Six and 2 medium Terry jerseys, which all fit me very well. PI is all over the place- 2 that fit great, 2 that are really too tight in the bust, some of the fitted ones I can't even get on, and one I tried on that was way too big. The large size in the fitted styles are proportioned wrong for me.
I'm short with a short waist and relatively generous bustline.

Shorts seem to be more consistent- size small works for me right now in Giordana, PI and Performance. I have one medium in Shebeest that doesn't seem too large. I hate the grippers on the Performance (Ultra)! I don't even notice the gripper on the Giordana shorts.

[jessmarimba]

On the other hand, I have two pairs of Shebeest shorts and one is XS and one is M.

I love them both, they are superbly comfy, but I wouldn't feel comfortable ordering them since I don't know if the size difference is because of the different styles or just the individual fabric cuts. (My oversized behind tells me the XS is a fluke but it doesn't help me gauge their sizes any better).

[OakLeaf]

Every jersey needs to fit exactly like Hind, just sayin'. Seriously. Their small feels like it was custom cut for ME! I wish they still made cycling jerseys. :D

Fixed that for ya. ;)

[indysteel]

I have a Hind long sleeve pullover in bright orange that I use mostly for running and hiking that I love, love, love. Are they no longer in business or just not making certain types of gear anymore?

[shootingstar]

I'm thinking Pearl Izumi seems to run exceptionally small. I'm generally a small in pretty much anything of a SML system, but I bought one of their jerseys on ebay and it seemed really tiny. Not sure if it's the brand or if I just got an odd style.


Overall, I would agree that Pearl Izumi jerseys tends to run abit small. I am small or extra-small myself. Without the jersey being tight on me. (I can't stand tight jerseys while cycling.)

I don't see anything wrong that certain manfacturer's lines run small or larger or whatever. We're all different sizes and shapes.

There is a potentially large market of women (for cycling wear) who would fall into my size category..outside of North America. But for current sales, it's interesting....maybe Pearl Izumi has a great market niche somewhere in the world that we don't quite know which there are women who would be buying smaller/tighter fit.

[nscrbug]

I have a hard time fitting comfortably into ANY Pearl Izumi jerseys. Even their XL's tend to feel snug on me. Yet I easily own about 8 pairs of PI shorts and tights...the majority in M, and 1 pair (their Thermal Elite tight) in L. I'm not particularly big-busted (38C), so I'm not really sure why their tops never seem to fit me well. Perhaps it's my wider lats (from years of weight lifting and swimming) that are causing the fit issues.

Linda

[OakLeaf]

I have a Hind long sleeve pullover in bright orange that I use mostly for running and hiking that I love, love, love. Are they no longer in business or just not making certain types of gear anymore?

There's no cycling gear on their website when I just looked. :(

[zoom-zoom]

I have a Hind long sleeve pullover in bright orange that I use mostly for running and hiking that I love, love, love. Are they no longer in business or just not making certain types of gear anymore?

Saucony bought Hind...but I think they're pretty much exclusively running gear, unfortunately.

[Susan Otcenas]

I did try on the P.R.O. In-R-Cool shorts in medium - which is what I wear in the Symphony shorts. They appeared to fit the same. I did like the cut of the P.R.O. shorts, and a friend who works at the LBS told me she thinks that PI has changed the leg grippers from earlier in the season. These are her go-to shorts and she said the grippers on the pair I tried on were nicer and they didn't appear to be too tight which was the complaint in the spring.

This is correct. The version they sent us in the spring had leg grippers so tight that we sent them ALL back to Pearl Izumi. I'd imagine they are selling them in their outlet stores right about now... ;) The newer version has a much more appropriately sized leg gripper. That said.... I still won't bring them back in to TeamEstrogen.com. Why? Well, Pearl sent me the updated version to test ride, and while the leg hole opening is indeed much more comfortable, they chose to cut the fabric with a hot knife. That means that they don't have to finish the fabric off at the end (ie. turn it under and stitch it, etc.) BUT, the hot knife essentially melts the fabric when it cuts it (which is what keeps it from fraying) and I feel like this created a really sharp edge to the end of the gripper. I wore them the other night on a 25 mile ride, and had to flip up the gripper because they were irritating me.

YMMV, and they may not all be like that, but I won't take the chance with our stock here. For now, that short is a no-go for us.

Susan

[zoom-zoom]

This is correct. The version they sent us in the spring had leg grippers so tight that we sent them ALL back to Pearl Izumi. I'd imagine they are selling them in their outlet stores right about now... ;) The newer version has a much more appropriately sized leg gripper. That said.... I still won't bring them back in to TeamEstrogen.com. Why? Well, Pearl sent me the updated version to test ride, and while the leg hole opening is indeed much more comfortable, they chose to cut the fabric with a hot knife. That means that they don't have to finish the fabric off at the end (ie. turn it under and stitch it, etc.) BUT, the hot knife essentially melts the fabric when it cuts it (which is what keeps it from fraying) and I feel like this created a really sharp edge to the end of the gripper. I wore them the other night on a 25 mile ride, and had to flip up the gripper because they were irritating me.

YMMV, and they may not all be like that, but I won't take the chance with our stock here. For now, that short is a no-go for us.

Susan

That's good to know, on both counts. I have a pair of the regular PRO short that is finished off like that...so far it's not bothering me, but I can see where it definitely could if it curled-under a little. Bummer that the PRO In-R-Cool short was never done right in the first place--I LOVE the top of that short and the Symphony Cut short (which also has that same elastic-free top that doesn't cut in around the belly button).

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Oh, and as for the regular PI PRO short...I would say they fit a full size larger than other size M shorts...maybe even a size-and-a-half. These shorts in M fit more generously than the size large shorts I have tried from Sugoi and Giordana.

[Susan Otcenas]

I LOVE the top of that short and the Symphony Cut short (which also has that same elastic-free top that doesn't cut in around the belly button).

Yes, it's a great feature - very comfortable waistband! A lot of our vendors are going that way now. Some of them have swung TOO far in that direction and have not put enough structure in the waists, but most of them are getting it fairly well dialed by now.

[zoom-zoom]

Yes, it's a great feature - very comfortable waistband! A lot of our vendors are going that way now. Some of them have swung TOO far in that direction and have not put enough structure in the waists, but most of them are getting it fairly well dialed by now.

I even have a relatively small waist compared to my big butt. I can't see why companies didn't start doing this years ago. Who needs bibs when we can get regular shorts that are comfy AND easy to deal with when we need to use the bathroom!

[OakLeaf]

See, I really dislike those wide waistbands. Since I have no waist, they just bunch up and put more pressure on my bladder than elastic does.

[grey]

I have 2 pair of PI shorts - the PRO In-R-Cool short and the lesser-model Select. The fit between the two is markedly different. I'd say the Select fits almost on the small side of a medium, and the PRO is on the large end of a medium.

I'm 5'6" 130lbs, for me the PRO is a little too big (I wear them anyway, but they're a tad baggy at the back & crotch, yesterday while starting up from a stop they snagged hold of the saddle & I had to stop & pull 'em up, thank God I was alone, on a deserted stretch of road!). The leg gripper of the In-R-Cool is ok now that my legs have gotten lean, but I can tell you this: if you have so much as a quarter ounce of fat on the part of your leg where the gripper goes, you'll have sausage thighs. I see Susan said they have fixed it, but then used a hot knife so it gets itchy! Good to know.

No complaints on the leg gripper of the Select. It also fits me perfectly, right now.

I like the front panel on the PRO a LOT, especially when hormones or unfortunate eating choices kick in. Wish the Select had it!

Comfort-wise, I find the chamois in the Select & PRO about the same, I don't notice a difference on long (50 mile) rides.

[zoom-zoom]

The leg gripper of the In-R-Cool is ok now that my legs have gotten lean, but I can tell you this: if you have so much as a quarter ounce of fat on the part of your leg where the gripper goes, you'll have sausage thighs. I see Susan said they have fixed it, but then used a hot knife so it gets itchy! Good to know.

Ha, can you see why I sold them...I have FAR more than a quarter ounce of squish. :o It's really crazy to me that the regular PRO shorts and the pair I sold you are the same size and sold by the same company...well, the fit on the top half is about the same, but the leg bands--way different!

[grey]

Ha, can you see why I sold them...I have FAR more than a quarter ounce of squish. :o It's really crazy to me that the regular PRO shorts and the pair I sold you are the same size and sold by the same company...well, the fit on the top half is about the same, but the leg bands--way different!

The top half is very different also - the regular shorts fit on the small side of a medium, they almost fit like my small other-brand do (I can only wear the small on a skinny day, and a short ride as they were cheap). The ones you sold me are much looser, and as I ride more gearing up for that century next month, they're starting to become baggy while the leg band is fine now (trust me, they'll be fitting just right by next Spring, except the leg band!)

Don't these companies have models to base their sizing on? We should feel confident in buying shorts (or jerseys) from a company based on how other items in their line have fit, and not be guessing!

[zoom-zoom]

The top half is very different also - the regular shorts fit on the small side of a medium, they almost fit like my small other-brand do (I can only wear the small on a skinny day, and a short ride as they were cheap). The ones you sold me are much looser, and as I ride more gearing up for that century next month, they're starting to become baggy while the leg band is fine now (trust me, they'll be fitting just right by next Spring, except the leg band!)

Don't these companies have models to base their sizing on? We should feel confident in buying shorts (or jerseys) from a company based on how other items in their line have fit, and not be guessing!

OK, that is totally crazy, because I have a pair of regular PRO shorts in a size M that have Fall 2010 on the inside tag and I would say that, if anything, they run on the large side of most meds. PI seriously needs to get their sh!t together with sizing. None of my mediums fit the same as my other mediums. Some mediums from last year were really too big, so I ordered smalls of the same short (Symphony Cut) for 2011 and they are WAY small. The medium PRO Leader short is WAY small...but I've read reviews that the next size larger is massive. Dumb.

[grey]

As you saw though, it's the same with PI's jerseys. The blue one is so generously cut I have to take it in (but it matches my bike, and I LOVE that jersey!), and the orange one is the same in fit as my other jerseys (all of my jerseys are medium, nothing tiny about my shoulders!).

So others can reference:

The blue jersey: http://www.amazon.com/Pearl-iZUMi-Superstar-Pacifica-X-Large/dp/B001G0NE42/ref=sr_1_35?ie=UTF8&qid=1313067840&sr=8-35

Orange jersey: http://www.amazon.com/Womens-Pearl-Izumi-Originals-Sleeve/dp/B00131DTOE/ref=sr_1_111?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1313068039&sr=1-111

[meganm]

I'm thinking Pearl Izumi seems to run exceptionally small. I'm generally a small in pretty much anything of a SML system, but I bought one of their jerseys on ebay and it seemed really tiny. Not sure if it's the brand or if I just got an odd style.

I do like Novara bottoms, though. They tend to run true to size.

I agree on both points!

[Crankin]

I wear the same size shorts in every brand I have tried. Right now I only wear Terry Bellas and Shebeest S Pros, but I also have Sugoi and Zoic liner shorts that came with more casual cycling wear. They all fit me fine.
I have never worn PI because they don't make x-smalls. Or, if they do, no one sells them.
I may be in the market for more shorts as a couple of my Bellas are wearing out. My first inclination is to stick with what I have, but I've been having some issues lately, and it may be the shorts. I don't know. I have my saddle tweaked finally. I don't want to waste money on things that hurt when I ride!
I used to have a pair of Shebeest shorts (they were called Double D?, something D) that I wore on the one century I did. The chamois was a bit thicker than what I usually like, but they stopped making them. I also had some triple S Shebeests, but I found the chamois didn't come up high enough int he front.
Now jerseys, pretty much the same. I always where an x small, except for Shebeest, which I can't wear at all. They are way too big and long. Oh and LG. All of their cycling clothes are made for women at least 6 feet tall.