Do I -have- to wear those silly shorts?

[Nanci]

KSH you do not have a huge butt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Nanci

[pooks]

Is KSH's avatar a pic of KSH? If so, I'm having trouble imagining a big butt on that torso!

[mimitabby]

Is KSH's avatar a pic of KSH? If so, I'm having trouble imagining a big butt on that torso!

boy, some of these discussions really do go downhill fast don't they?

[pooks]

Aren't you supposed to go downhill fast?

[Nanci]

I know! She's got like a six pack!! My butt's probably twice the size of KSH :-) (Well of her butt, not the whole her) and I don't think I have a huge butt...

I vaguely remember, when I first got my MTB, I rode mostly with this guy, who was a 6'ish guy, maybe 180 or something, so little bit overweight. (Not a BF). We both started out with baggy shorts. Then he switched to lycra shorts, and he looked _hot_. And he _raved_ about them- how they were so much better. So I got a pair, and OMG, what a difference. I don't think I ever put my baggy shorts back on.

I agree with those of you who say it makes you feel sexy and athletic! You guys have seen my pics- you know that's a joke- but that's how I perceive myself! It's all in the lycra!!

Not to drift too much, but since there are some horse people in this thread- pretty sad news about Barbaro, huh? I hate to say it, but he's a goner now that he's deeloped laminitis. Poor guy- there was the cutest picture of him in the paper today, cuddling with a vet tech. At least they tried. At least it wasn't, oh, here I am at my last race, oh, my leg is broken, oh I'm PTS immediately. At least he got a ton of pampering and all before the end. (No, he's not PTS yet, but he will be).

[chickwhorips]

Aren't you supposed to go downhill fast?

i try but i dont do well. i do better with conversations going downhill. and i doubt if KSH has a big butt on her at all, specially now with all the running.

Not to drift too much, but since there are some horse people in this thread- pretty sad news about Barbaro, huh? I hate to say it, but he's a goner now that he's deeloped laminitis. Poor guy- there was the cutest picture of him in the paper today, cuddling with a vet tech. At least they tried.

yes i agree. very sad. i hate when there isn't much you can do either. the old mare i use to ride had to be put down because of something similar. very sad.

[pooks]

I ordered a pair of baggies that came today (TE rocks -- talk about fast service) but they are TOO baggie. I'm an apple shape with normal legs (no heavy thighs) so even though the waist/stomach MIGHT be okay, the rest of it looks like I'm wearing a square dance skirt or huge bloomers with my legs swallowed up by the voluminous folds of fabric! I could have easily worn a smaller size (even in the liner), even though the hip measurements for the size I ordered were perfect.

I'm going to have to send them back.

OTOH, I've also ordered a pair of boure shorts and I'm holding my breath about them, hoping they fit AND don't look too horrible with my shape. Sigh.

As far as the road shorts go -- how stretchy are they? Are they so tight that if you're a size larger you'd never squeeze into them? Or are they pretty stretchy? I'm asking because if the boures are anything like the baggies I just tried on, I may have ordered wrong again (even though I went by the measurements).

[Nanci]

I think I bought my Primal shorts when I weighed about 140#. They fit me all the way up to 178, and all the way back down, and some of the way back up!! They are pretty adaptable. When I buy shorts, I go by the hop measurement, not the waist, because I'd have to have about 60" hops to match my wiast size! :-) They are supposed to fit snugly, or the chamois will shift around and bunch, and friction is BAD. I think the shorts made with thicker lycra are more flattering for those of us worried about holding in bulges, and the longer the legs, the better, too.

Nanci

[Kimmyt]

Different pairs of shorts are going to feel differently stretchy. I have a pair of cheapo Performance shorts that i like because they are very stretchy and don't leave lines on my stomach (which is not quite a sixpack, or maybe it's a sixpack of jello jigglers?). But then I have a pair of Trek shorts that are much less stretchy and I like them too because I feel that they really 'hide the bulge' and they make me feel great.

I have a short torso as well, haven't tried any lowrise shorts but find that some shorts have waistbands that are more friendly to my stomach than others, so I tend to just look for those when I shop.

[mimitabby]

I think I bought my Primal shorts when I weighed about 140#. They fit me all the way up to 178, and all the way back down, and some of the way back up!! They are pretty adaptable. When I buy shorts, I go by the hop measurement, not the waist, because I'd have to have about 60" hops to match my wiast size! :-) They are supposed to fit snugly, or the chamois will shift around and bunch, and friction is BAD. I think the shorts made with thicker lycra are more flattering for those of us worried about holding in bulges, and the longer the legs, the better, too.

Nanci

Nancy, where is the hop measurement. Now, you wrote that word twice, made me laugh!

btw, if you really want to feel fat, do your measurements in centimeters!
I about died!!

[run it, ride it]

Even tho you're only on your bike an hour a day, that's like 6 hours in girly-bit time.

Okay, that made my day. And yeah, you guys are starting to win me over on this whole bike short thing. Us runners are just so used to our super-duper short shorts: as the boyfriend classifies, 'ten inches higher than expulsion from Catholic school'. In fact, I'm sure once I see the boyfriend next weekend he'll be vying for friendlier shorts tenfold what I am.

It's good to know there are shorter, lower rise shorts to ease me into this thing! The thongs will be sad, but I think they'll understand.

Thank you so much, everyone, for all the replies! I'm also starting to figure out where I should be sitting in the saddle and how to use these girl-hips to their fullest power.

[run it, ride it]

As a former wannabe dressage rider, I think i can help you. Riding a bike
you actually use different muscles, you don't want to stretch the insides of your leg, you want to have as much power in your strokes as possible.
Your sit bones should be to the rear of the saddle and you should not have to move your butt to pedal at all.
We dont know what kind of saddle you are sitting on, but chances are it would be better used as a book end. Lord knows how many seats we have shredded on this forum. The seat might not be right for you.
your HEELS should be down, not your toes. if your heels aren't down, you need to lower the saddle. the saddle should be as close as horizontal as you can stand it too.

Please read the favorite saddle posts for more info.
Why on earth are you wearing a thong?
if you don't like the spandex shorts, there are lots of other kinds to wear that
will also protect you. I have some blousy ones and some gals wear skorts.
good luck. I am glad you are still riding your horse.

The Dressage transition explaination made a lot of sense to me (if no one else); thank you! I'm wearing a thong because I have no butt and normal underwear just will not stay. And don't get me wrong--I wouldn't have anything BUT spandex! My non-existant butt makes anything else look baggy!

And yes, I'll ride that horse as long as the vet clears him! Nine years and counting. He's an old arthritic man now but still in the best shape of his life--jumping for the first time in years. Couldn't sell him if I wanted to!
(photos, since I heard rumour of horse people in this thread.) http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...Sahs/?start=20

[fatbottomedgurl]

I would mention the Sugoi Evolution short has a fairly low rise-- hits me below the naval... but my derriere is certainely NOT non-existent, so my experience may not count. I love the Ricaro chamois in them. PI sugar knickers/ shorts ar low rise but the chamois is daiper-buttish.

PS I am a thong girl too for panty-line purposes but the thought of a thong on a bike...OUCH

[Nanci]

I tried to get into the thong thing, because they were trendy and looked cute on the Victoria Secret models. My French ex BF (yes, the same one who didn't understand why it was so funny/insulting when he told me I smelled like tuna [after eating it]) said I looked like a sumo wrestler...I don't think he meant it in a bad way, but now thongs and Sumo wrestlers are inseparably linked in my mind...

The hop measurement is when you measure around the widest portion of your bitt.

(Sorry- my nails are getting too long...)

I think bike shorts are trending toward a lower rise, which is good for us short people!!

I love the rise of the Sugoi RS Flexes, BTW. About one inch below my belly button.

Trashy Cats are nicely low rise, and don't go halfway up your back, either. Good luck finding any though.

[pooks]

And if you're not short torso, are the jerseys long enough to cover low rise waists, esp in back?