bibs?

[kgorrell]

Anyone have any thoughts on bibs or suggestions on what kind/brand to try? I really would like to try a pair and wanted to see if anyone had reviews of specific brands that they liked/disliked.

Katharine

[Aquila]

I have Pearl Izumi women's bibs (I got them at TE), and I love them. I've never tried any others, though, so I can't say that others aren't better.

I really like the length on the leg and the way the shoulder straps don't dig in or get in the way. The chamois is smaller than the shorts I'd been wearing, and surprisingly comfy for me. (I hadn't expected that the smaller chamois would be comfier, I guess.) They seem to be wearing okay, though I don't ride as much as some people.

[LBTC]

I have 3 pairs of bibs now - only one of them is women's specific. I've found it really hard to find them at a reasonable price and have ended up buying store colours from two different stores - they are size XS and they are either "unisex" or mens, I'm not sure which. I absolutely love to ride in them!!! It's great not having a waist band digging in. I have a pair of Gore bib tights that I recently got and haven't had a chance to ride in yet - maybe tomorrow, it is pretty cool out these days.

For me, the bibs are pretty easy to fit as I have a very short torso. I would be afraid that the shoulder straps would cause too much pressure on my tight trap muscles if I had a taller torso.

I tried on a pair of Louis Garneau womens bibs and they were a car wreck! The should straps could be taken right off and re-attached with velcro. When I tried them on I checked to see what would happen if I undid them to pull them down and yikes - I couldn't even put them back on without stripping down completely. I guess not every design works.

Best of luck in your search!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[TxDoc]

Anyone have any thoughts on bibs or suggestions on what kind/brand to try? I really would like to try a pair and wanted to see if anyone had reviews of specific brands that they liked/disliked.

Katharine

I have a few team bibs, two of them were made by Cannondale for Health Net, very nice comfortable bibs. Assos bibs are really nice too.

[kermit]

I have two pair of bibs and I love them. Super comfy. I would check out www.velowear.com. They have womens specific and the prices are reasonable.

[Velobambina]

I wear only bib shorts now (during spring/summer/fall). Most of my regular non-bib bike shorts have gone into retirement.

One additional sad thing about winter is the scarcity of reasonably priced bib tights and bib knickers for women.

[Bluetree]

I wear only bib shorts now (during spring/summer/fall). Most of my regular non-bib bike shorts have gone into retirement.

One additional sad thing about winter is the scarcity of reasonably priced bib tights and bib knickers for women.

^^^ ditto everything VB wrote.

The only non-bibs I haven't chucked are EO's tights/knickers. The only women's bib knickers I've been able to find are by Assos and they were very expensive. (I wish Soooooo much that EO would make bibknickers!)

My team kit is made by Velowear and the chamois is thin, very good for racing, but is not the most durable. I also like the Giordana Tenax bibshort (sold on TE), which is thinnner than most other American brands.

For tights, I have the Gore womens bibtights and the men's Assos. The latter is too warm for anything except the coldest temps, and their sizing is based on height, rather than overall size. If you don't get a heart attack over the price at, they make a chamois-less version that makes them essentially unisex. You just wear them over your favorite shorts.

[crazycanuck]

OOoooo..oooo oooo!!!!

Ground effect has bibs!!! OOOOoo...

[momof4greatkids]

I wear only bib shorts now (during spring/summer/fall). Most of my regular non-bib bike shorts have gone into retirement.

One additional sad thing about winter is the scarcity of reasonably priced bib tights and bib knickers for women.

+1 I tried the Voler bibs and I love them. I am now in the process of switching all my bike shorts over to bib style because they are just so much more comfortable than regular shorts. Even with the bathroom hassles, the benefit outweighs the burden.

Bib tights for women are scarce, but I ended up ordering the men's version from Voler. Fortunately it hasn't been cold enough to try them yet, but they are well constructed w/zippers at the bottom. The chamois is discreet and seems to be up to the job.

I am fairly long waisted, and I've never had a problem with the straps cutting into my shoulders. The straps on the Voler bibs are made of really comfortable, stretchy material.

Colleen

[RoadRaven]

I would love ASSOS bibs, but as Bluetree said, they are sooooo expensive.

I use mens bibs, they seem to work for me, and I don't have any issues. They fit ok... shoulder straps not a problem.
Brand? Just whatever is cheap/on sale.

We have buy most of our clothing (bibs, shorts, jerseys, gloves) and bike necessities (like tyres, tubes, cleats etc) online on sale from Torpedo7 and ProBikeKit.

[jillm]

Can anyone suggest bibs with a thin chamois??

Thanks!!

Hello, I just briefly skimmed the thread, not sure if anyone has recommended Boure. I have a pair of their knickers that at the time I ordered them I considered having them alter them to BIB-knickers for an extra $20. The chamois is nice and thin (to me at least). Very comfortable. And not an outrageous price.

If you want I'll send you a photo of the chamois

[Bluetree]

Voler does make women's bibs, especially for custom orders.
I prefer men's, though. They just fit better, if I can find them in small enough sizes.

I like Voler's women's bibs, which go down to XS. I know then men's bib have a different chamois (I don't know how many of these options are available for non-custom orders). From our team ordering site:

VOLER COMPRESSION FABRIC FOR 2009
New Elite compression fabric for shorts and skinsuits features improved breathability, reduced wind drag and increased sun protection

NEW IMPROVED MEN'S PAD FOR 2009
The 13” Ion SL is more comfortable for 2009 with higher density foam. The seamless design uses multi layer bonded technology for the most advanced pad in our line.

WOMEN'S-SPECIFIC PAD
The 10” Diamante pad was created specifically for women. The seamless, multi level, dual density foam construction is perfect for all riding conditions. The ultra soft, antibacterial MircoXfine fabric is also fully perforated for additional breathability.

Disadvantage... complete undress if you wanna pee

Not really, but full-zip jerseys are the key. Unzip, hang your jersey on a hook (or if need be hold it in your teeth) and do your business. It doens't take much longer than shorts, with ten times the benefits. If you don't have a full-zip jerseys... it's a royal PITA (hence, I no longer purchase anything without full-zip).

Hello, I just briefly skimmed the thread, not sure if anyone has recommended Boure. I have a pair of their knickers that at the time I ordered them I considered having them alter them to BIB-knickers for an extra $20. The chamois is nice and thin (to me at least). Very comfortable. And not an outrageous price.
If you want I'll send you a photo of the chamois

I ordered a bibshort from Boure once and was pleased with their customer service. They will offer to make you a custom-fit tight or short in any way you want, not just length.

Problem was... I hated their bib-short, which simply had straps sewn onto a regular pair of shorts. The whole point of a bibshort is to eliminate the waistband, IMHO. To me, that's like painting a bike pink and calling it WSD. I sent it back.

[aicabsolut]

I like Voler's women's bibs, which go down to XS. I know then men's bib have a different chamois (I don't know how many of these options are available for non-custom orders). From our team ordering site:

When I got my Voler shorts, they used the same pad for men's and women's. Honestly, the pad wasn't the problem with them. Rather, the butt in the women's was too curvy, which then got saggy. With the bibs, I'd have to order up a size to get the straps to fit. Men's XS is tall enough and small enough in the hips and butt. I did use my BF's men's S skinsuit a lot this year. It was a little big (with some chamois shifting issues), but it worked out ok in the cold cold races, because I could easily fit one warm LS baselayer on underneath, and for a race in 34 degrees and 30mph winds, I managed 2--one underarmour heatgear LS baselayer and one coldgear. hah. It was plenty tall for me at 5'7" and change, so XS would be ideal.

Another problem I have with women's bibs in general (such as with Hincapie or ChampionSystems) is that the pad is often really really wide in the middle, which gives it (even when thin) an awful super maxipad kind of feeling. Men's ones are a bit narrower, and while I sometimes have a problem getting enough cushion on my sit bones, there's less bunching going on in the middle. That and with extra curvy cuts (often putting me between an XS and S) and too short inseams for my liking on the women's shorts, I go with men's. Men's jerseys also fit me better, so maybe I'm abnormal.