Terry 2007 Knickers Plus - Where is the chamois supposed to be??

[stpbound]

OK. I know this is probably just stupid, BUT...

I bought a pair of Terry 2007 Knickers Plus in 2X a couple of weeks ago. I was so eager to ride with a chamois (I've been riding up to 35 miles without any padding), that I ripped open the package, took my underwear off, and put them on to ride in.

I'm wondering if they're too big. The chamois feels weird...like when I'm walking it's never really against my private parts (unless I hike the knickers all the way up to my chest)! And, when I'm riding, it seems like way more of the chamois is bunched up in the front against my belly (sort of folded over on itself).

So far, I've not worn these knickers on a road bike and have only used them on my very upright hybrid. Perhaps the extra chamois material will be useful on the road bike when I'm sitting differently??

If I've bought the wrong pair/wrong size, I'm going to be very annoyed with myself since I paid $85 for them and can't return them now since I've worn them.

But, be honest...what do you think? Are they fitting wrong?

thanks,
stpbound

[DarcyInOregon]

Hi stpbound,

My hunch is the knickers are too large for you. When I purchase Terry bottoms, I go by the hip measurement, not the waist measurement.

I own a lot of Terry shorts and the 2007 knickers too. The knickers and/or shorts should be snug, and the waist should be around the area of the belly button. If you have the Terry catalog, it shows the models with the waist right below their belly button. The waists on my Terry bottoms fit me above the belly button and I am 5'8" and proportioned normally.

Sizing is all over the place for the manufacturers of bike clothing. I am several sizes smaller in Terry bottoms than I am in their jerseys, even though I am proportionate with respect to bust and hip ratio. With other manufacturers I am a different size than I am with Terry.

Once you figure out your correct size, you need to remain vigilant that the bottoms don't get too large for you. When you bike consistently and watch your calories, the result is your body will shrink. If you go on a long bike ride and don't realize your shorts are too large, well ouch, it will be a big mistake and your crotch will tell you so. One way to avoid this mistake is to take your hip measurement every few weeks and be aware of what hip size is for the next size down in your bottoms.

I ride a lot and my Terry shorts are my favorite. Here is a hint, not to take away from TE, but the Terry regular shorts on the Terry site are offered in two other colors besides basic black, if you want another color.

With regards to your knickers being too large, what I do with my too large shorts and knickers is I wear them under my winter tights for the added layer, and if the winter tights are the correct size, it will compress the too large shorts or knickers to the body and you can wear them through another season.

Darcy

[Trek420]

Here is a hint, not to take away from TE, but the Terry regular shorts on the Terry site are offered in two other colors besides basic black, if you want another color.

On the other hand....these are on sale and in two colors

http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=17556

[ace]

If it makes you feel any better, I did exactly the same thing with a pair of bike shorts last month...rode around the block in them after ripping tags off, and realized they were too long (I've been rolling them up once, and they're fine).

I think the Terry plus shorts run big- I'm 5'5 and about 225 lbs, and I wear a 1x. My favorite shorts now are the Pearl Izumi attack shorts in an XXL- they fit perfectly, and they're not too long (6" inseam). They sell them on TE.

Sorry for your (financial) loss.....

[lauraelmore1033]

I did the same damn thing, and boy, oh boy, am I annoyed!!!! I went by the sizing chart and bought to fit waist size and and the damn things are way too big! GRRR! Very painful to wear, too expensive not to. Double GRRR.

[stpbound]

I think the Terry plus shorts run big- I'm 5'5 and about 225 lbs, and I wear a 1x. My favorite shorts now are the Pearl Izumi attack shorts in an XXL- they fit perfectly, and they're not too long (6" inseam). They sell them on TE.

Hi Ace,

Thanks so much for your recommendations! Being that we're almost the same size, I decided to order those PI Attack Shorts in XXL. I will DEFINITELY be trying them on with underwear and leaving the tags on until I'm sure that they're good!!

By the way, the customer service at TE is amazing...I called them because I couldn't find XXL on the site. She said that they were expecting 2 pairs in any day. She then saw PI boxes in their receiving area, went and checked to see if the boxes had the Attack shorts, and now they're being sent to me tomorrow! Bravo TE!

[stpbound]

I did the same damn thing, and boy, oh boy, am I annoyed!!!! I went by the sizing chart and bought to fit waist size and and the damn things are way too big! GRRR! Very painful to wear, too expensive not to. Double GRRR.

I feel ya, girl.

Totally off topic...I just wanted to say thank you for your very inspirational post where you encouraged me to buy a road bike and get off my hybrid. I did so, and WOW! What a difference. I took my first ride last night, and I couldn't believe how much the bike just wanted to go! I think I will be able to do the STP 3 or 4 more miles per hour than when I was riding the hybrid (with the same amount of effort!)

So, again, thanks! You rule!

stpbound

[lauraelmore1033]

I'm so happy to hear it! Faster is just more fun when you get right down to it .

[Dianyla]

I totally understand the frustration of an expen$ive mistake.

Even if you can't return them, there are still people who are willing to buy very lightly used cycling shorts. I wouldn't buy something that someone's sweated into for years, but I'd totally consider buying shorts that were used once or twice and then laundered. Of course, you will have to seriously discount it (at least 50% off) but that's better than losing all of the money you paid for it.

[bikerz]

I've had great experience with TE service as well - I called once because I was going to buy some tights, but I had no idea how to judge sizing, since the sizes, expecially in the "X" range, are all over the map. But the woman who took my call was very helpful - she grabbed a pair of the shorts I said fit me, then she got the sizes of tights I was thinking of and help then up side by side and told me which size in the tights was the closest to what I needed - and when they came, they were exactly right!

The other thing I do now when ordering from TE (because returns are so easy!) is I buy things in different sizes and try them on (with underwear, of course!) and keep the items that fit.

That said, you could probably sell them on the forum to someone...

[stpbound]

Wow. Those TE folks are on it! I already got the PI shorts.

I think that they fit well. They're much more snug than the knickers were. I don't have to pull them up to my chest! The chamois is much closer to my body when walking.

Also, the chamois seems to be a more reasonable shape...with the back portion being much wider than the front portion. Seems to make much more sense than those knickers with all the chamois in the front! I have a hard time imagining ANY woman who that chamois would suit! It was so weird! There isn't any chamois bunching up in front. Ahh...

I've tried them on while tooling around on my bike in the alley in back of my house. Kept the tags and underwear on this time! Plan to try the shorts out on a longer ride this week.