Descente Strata shorts...Sizing? Fit?
I'm slowly but surely looking around for a pair of seriously comfortable shorts that can go the distance for a century ride in the fall. One of the shorts I'm considering is the Descente Strata. It seems to have gotten mixed reviews here on the TE forums--particularly the chamois.
I'm wondering about fit/sizing compared to other brands. According to Descente's chart I'm probably on the upper end of Small. I'm 5'3", about 118 lbs, pear-shaped, 28" waist, hip 37" on a good day. ;)
I've read elsewhere that the leg opening at the bottom doesn't fit snugly?? I don't like the tight elastic hem of most shorts, but too loose doesn't sound good either. My thighs aren't thin, but they aren't particularly heavy either. I like longish inseams.
Thoughts from anyone who has these shorts?
I'm also pondering Assos, Sugoi's RS, Louis Garneau's Neo Power and Shebeest's S-Pro. (Right now, Shebeest reigns supreme in my closet.) The Sugoi and LG shorts are winging their way toward me right now from TE. :D
Preliminary short report....
Well, last night I took three new pairs of shorts for brief, gentle spins around my neighborhood---obeying all of the rules of etiquette to maintain their returnability. The three I tried are: Craft's Master short; Louis Garneau's Neo Power (a TE staff pick); and Sugoi's RS short. All came highly recommended by TE'ers. I ordered Mediums in all three.
For reference, I'm 5'3", about 118 lbs, pear-shaped, age 51. Thighs definitely aren't as slim as they were 25 years ago, but they're not noticeably heavy either. I usually wear a 4P or XS in most 'street clothes.'
Craft Master short. Definitely comfy, but has less compression in the Medium by far than either the Sugoi RS or Garneau Neo Power Short. I got a nice deal on this short last week on Steep Planet (1/2 price) so I'll hang on to this pair as a comfortable 'everyday' short for rides of 20mi or under. Possibly could have gone with a Small, for more compression, but the chamois in the Medium seems to fill the bill. Nice material, good fit overall for someone my size. (I wore them on a 20-miler this morning after deciding last night to keep them. So far, so good!)
Sugoi RS. Loads more compression than the Craft. Paneling pattern prevents unsightly bulging :eek: while firmly holding all the relevant parts in place. :) I wondered if I should have gotten them in Large, rather than Medium, but my BF *thinks* they fit the way they should. I've never worn a serious compression short with a long inseam so it's a novel feeling to have my thighs so cradled. I like the support, for sure, but it probably will take a little getting used to. No diaper butt, yay! The chamois seems to be a good fit. A long ride, of course, will be real test. One thing that does seem a little odd to me---the Sugoi shorts SQUEAK against my saddle. It's obviously the material, but it certainly sounded bizarre as I was pedaling last night! These, I think, are keepers. Hoping to take these for a serious ride this coming weekend.
Louis Garneau Neo Power Short. Of the three, this is the one with the longest inseam and (in the Medium) the most compression. I really like the V-shaped waistband that doesn't cut in. And I like the length. No diaper butt; chamois seems to fit as it should on someone my size. Of the three, this one makes me wonder if I should try it in a Large??? I like the wide band at the bottom of each leg BUT I definitely have a noticeable bulge above the band. Maybe that's fine?? Maybe it's more important that the overall compression be pretty solid, even if it means a less-than-sleek-looking inner thigh?
I don't think the bulge looks bad (just annoying), but I wonder if it's telling me that the short is too tight? Anyone else have these who can weigh in with an opinion? I hate to have TE send me a Large if what I'm experiencing in terms of fit in the Medium is pretty much on the mark.
I'm a little on the fence about this pair, fitwise, so I might hold on to them, try them on a couple more times after riding in the Sugois, and then decide what to do.
In reading old TE threads about shorts and fitting, I noticed that many of the veterans seem to advocate erring on the side of a smaller size in order to benefit fully from the compression. Is that the rule of thumb?
Cheers! :)