PI Bib shorts & grippers

[Catrin]

I have three pair of PI Elite shorts, and ONE of those are giving me huge problems with the grippers. Huge rash, inflammation, looks really bad. The problem is that these are my bib shorts that I dearly love otherwise.

One assumes that all of the Elite shorts would have the same gripper? But, for some reason, only my bibs are a problem. They are a little short for me as it is, is there some way of dealing with this outside of rolling them up? I really can't replace them at this time, and I love the no-waistband thing.

I originally thought it was my sun block, but I forgot it today and the rash was worse than ever... Oddly enough - it is only on the top of my thigh, don't the grippers go all around?

[crazycanuck]

I have a small suggestion...You know you can roll the gripper part up & it doesn't affect your cycling..I have quite a few pairs of PI big nicks & just roll them up once.

Just a thought...

[Catrin]

They are so short anyway...I did roll them up after 3 hours or so, but it was so bad by then that it did not help. My thighs look just as bad this morning but at least they are no longer swollen...

I guess I am just perplexed why this only happens with one pair. I can roll the edges up and wear my baggies over my bibs now that it is getting cooler - but that defeats one of the purposes of having bibs to begin with - nothing to pull down in the corn field

[Becky]

Have you contacted Pearl Izumi yet? Maybe they can provide some insight...

These are the silicone grippers on all 3 pairs?

[Catrin]

Have you contacted Pearl Izumi yet? Maybe they can provide some insight...

These are the silicone grippers on all 3 pairs?

The grippers all LOOK the same, and they are all three PI Elite shorts or drop-tail bibs.

I think that turning the leg up yesterday may have been a mistake. Sure the skin was getting irritated, but I forgot to put on sunscreen yesterday. Because the PI Bibs are so much shorter than my other shorts, the exposed skin has not seen the sun, at all, for a long time. The sun was quite bright yesterday though it wasn't very hot....

I apparently mixed in a whopping good sunburn along with whatever contact reaction I had with the grippers - that is the only reason that I can think of why it is still warm to the touch...though not very painful, thankfully.

I've a 30 mile ride scheduled tomorrow, I don't think I will be wearing my bibs for it...

Good thought about contacting PI, they might have a thought. Seems to me that if I was sensitive to silicone that the others would cause a problem as well - perhaps they might switch them out for me? I know, I am dreaming, but you never know

[Becky]

Earlier this summer, I got a wicked sunburn right under the silicone gripper of a pair of Terry shorts. It was this little patch about an inch wide and ~4 inches long- very funny looking! I think that, although I vigorously lathered on the sunblock, the gripper moved and rubbed it off. I didn't realize this until much later...post-burn

Just thinking out loud here... The fact that the others don't bother you makes me think it's not an allergy or sensitivity...