Thigh grippers = fat ooze problem

Hello, all! I'm new here and love this welcoming community! Hopefully someone will have some advice on this:

I have been commuting on a bicycle for a long time but recently got a sportier bike and would like to begin doing longer recreational rides. I found that my bum starts to really get sore so I'm looking into bike shorts/skorts. I bought the Shebeest Cycloskort (love the idea of the skirt covering my tush when I'm off the bike) but the thigh grippers look horrendous. I'm not overweight (5'3" and 125 lbs) but certainly not skinny, particularly in the butt/thigh area. Has anyone tried removing the grippers to get around this problem? Are there any other solutions? It's too bad all my extra padding doesn't cushion my ride :-).

If you haven't worn the skort for long /or even gone cycling much yet, is it possible to go back to store and try 1 size up?

Unless you are an excellent sewer with the proper sewing machine, cutting off the gripper bands and sewing with lycra, by folding the edges under, to still make it stretch, can be a challenge.

Based on the shorts gripper bands I've seen, I don't know see how one can remove the elastic without seriously ruining the lycra/spandex fabric edge.

If you take the grippers off, the shorts will ride up. That's why they're there. The alternative is old-school shorts that go down almost to your knee.

Doesn't the skirt cover all of the shorts? IME, skorts have extra-short shorts, which means the grippers fall high on the thigh where most women have some fat (and you don't have to have much for them to dig in there). To me they're uncomfortable for that reason - and also for that reason, the grippers have to be extra-tight to keep them from riding up on your "triangular" adductor muscles. But because of the skirt, you're the only one who sees it.

You might want to try regular length shorts instead of skorts. If you like the idea of a skirt, there are lightweight skirts that you can wear over any shorts.

I had to buy about 8 different brands of biking shorts to try on in order to find ones that weren't like tourniquets on my thighs. I'm not fat, but I do have some middle aged fat on my thighs- nothing 'abnormal'. The Terry T-short (long) and the Shebeest Ultra-D fit me great and didn't have the Elastic of Death around my thighs.

Yes, it is possible to find ones that fit right if you try on enough different brands and styles. I suspect most bike shorts are made with slim proportions in mind, not pear shapes like mine.

Thanks, all. I think I will return the skort and go for a longer short and find a skirt to go on top!

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Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl, edited by Kali Durga

I am positive that most bike shorts are made with slim proportions in mind, not pear shapes like ours.

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I have a dream, a dream of outdoor/athletic gear designed for real women!!

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Originally Posted by Kalidurga

I have a dream, a dream of outdoor/athletic gear designed for real women!!

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Yeah sister!

My experience mirrors Lisa's. I'm not fat, but I don't have the thinnest thighs. Some shorts, regardless of length, just looked better on me than others. I must have tried six or seven of them before I settled on my favorite, the RS short by Sugoi. They cost a lot but they're worth it. I tend to like the higher end shorts because the material seems to "lock and load" better.

TE has a generous return policy. Just make sure you try the shorts on over undies first.

Have you thought about Ground Effect nicks? They don't have really really tight grippy stuff on them.

www.groundeffect.co.nz

Nice return policy too!

My answer to the "sausage thighs" effect is to buy the longest shorts I can find - the look is more flattering to me when the elastic is closer to my knees, where there is somewhat less sausage to be compressed by the elastic. I shudder at the thought of me in those 6 inch :eek: inseam shorts! Also less exposed thigh = less thigh to slather in yucky sunscreen ;) ! Once you get used to riding in your lycra attire that fits you comfortably, you will find less and less that you worry about your looks in it, and more and more about how much you enjoy riding! tokie

I'm a big fan of the Shebeest Shindigger, which lands just below the knee and has no Elastic of Death, as Lisa so colorfully put it! I also like not getting the big-time tan line that comes with a standard bike short. The chamois is just about right, too. (For me.) Fits well, no diaper butt. I'm 5'3" and about 118 lbs.

I haven't worn a skirt over mine, but the Shindigger might look pretty cute with one of the Sheila Moon ballet minis or a short reversible Terry skirt.......A plain black wrapper skirt might be oh-so-chic as well. :D

Here is a list of shorts that we carry with no elastic grippers at all, of varying lengths.

http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodLG_1050295.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodDS_10107_2.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodDS_10110.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodCN_9F270.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodDS_10111.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodGI_WSHTFRCA.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodSM_4762.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodSU_38104F.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodLG_1050290.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodLG_1050301.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodLG_1050299.html (plus size!)
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodSB_2276.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodDS_10104.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodDS_10107_1.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodLG_1050243.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodLG_1050220.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodGI_WBIBFRCA.html (bib!)

When you look at any pair of shorts on the website, the product details box tells you all sorts of info, like the type of gripper, inseam length, type of waistband, etc.

Susan

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Originally Posted by Kalidurga

I have a dream, a dream of outdoor/athletic gear designed for real women!!

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Good luck finding any two women who agree on precisely what that is. ;)

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Originally Posted by Susan Otcenas

Here is a list of shorts that we carry with no elastic grippers at all, of varying lengths.

http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodLG_1050295.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodDS_10107_2.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodDS_10110.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodCN_9F270.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodDS_10111.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodGI_WSHTFRCA.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodSM_4762.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodSU_38104F.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodLG_1050290.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodLG_1050301.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodLG_1050299.html (plus size!)
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodSB_2276.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodDS_10104.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodDS_10107_1.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodLG_1050243.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodLG_1050220.html
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodGI_WBIBFRCA.html (bib!)

When you look at any pair of shorts on the website, the product details box tells you all sorts of info, like the type of gripper, inseam length, type of waistband, etc.

Susan

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Wow, thanks for putting that list together! Wonderful! :)

(and I'm still trying hard not to cringe every time I read this thread title...."fat ooze...) :eek: :eek:

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Originally Posted by Susan Otcenas

Good luck finding any two women who agree on precisely what that is. ;)

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I was thinking the same thing!

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Originally Posted by GLC1968

I was thinking the same thing!

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Great minds...

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Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl

the Elastic of Death around my thighs.

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I almost started laughing when I read this... because it's too real!

I too am not overweight but some shorts are absolutely hideous on me - elastic of death... that's it!!!

Thank you to all who contributed to this thread and to Susan at TE for posting a list of shorts that don't have leg grippers. I just ordered a few of them to try them out!