Cycling Shorts, love em or hate em?

[aicabsolut]

bib shorts with med-to-long inseam.

You can breathe, your leg muscles are supported and compressed, and i think they are more flattering minus the tan lines. But who am i kidding, you should see my glove lines!! I have large inner thighs from a lifetime of horseback riding plus the tendency to carry extra weight in my hips and thighs. You'd never catch me in a pair of tri shorts. A lot of women's shorts don't fit me right anyway--too high in the rise and baggy in the butt and crotch area. Men's bibs all the way.

[salsabike]

Boure knickers don't have elastic at the end of the leg.

[Zen]

Sugoi RS- for $125.00 they'd better be good! I can't imagine what is so special about them? If I could try them on and ride for 30 miles I might buy them, I'm still searching for the perfect short...

[kjay]

Hooray for Boure knickers. I will never wear shorts and will always wear knickers, hot or cold, rain or shine. They are much more comfortable than shorts for me, as I have plump legs. Also, they're probably not all that much hotter than shorts in hot weather, as there's only a few more inches of material.

[Crankin]

The Terry Bellas are high compression, have a flat waist and the grippers are not so grippy. These shorts do hold you in more than the regular Terry T shorts. I tend to like 7 or 8 inch shorts, but on my short body, they are a bit long. When i wear regular shorts or a short skirt, my tan lines are obvious, but I don't care, I am proud of them! Although I am pretty thin, my upper thighs are not rock solid. The shorts with a lot of lycra do a much better job of keeping a smooth look.
I also have a pair of the Shebeest triple Ds. They are a bit shorter but still flattering. However, I have had problems with the chamois every once in awhile. I had to wash them 3-4 times when they were new so they would stop giving me saddle sores. Now, it seems like every few times I wear them, the chamois is rubbing in the crease of my legs, like its all of a sudden become too wide.

[crazycanuck]

Camel toes=your crotch area has a camel toe bend...


Anywho, if you don't want the "grippy bits" on the shorts you can always try a pair of Ground Effect Mojos on. www.groundeffect.co.nz (go to products & click on women's) They're plain & not meant to be flattering. I'll post a pic of them when i get home.

I've never worn any other brands because of the "grippy bit" on the legs and have grown to love my ground effect items.

C

[GLC1968]

I wear lycra shorts to the gym for other activities (or yoga pants) but they are chamois-free. I've never had the camel-toe issue, but I always wear underwear with those types of 'bike shorts'.

I've worn my real bike shorts on occasion for weight lifting after a spin class, but I wouldn't make a habit of it. They are comfy on the bike....not so much walking around in a gym.

[yes, please]

i wanted to protect my skin as well as my pride when i decided to buy PI knickers. they were about 55.00 and i just love them. they are very comfy and make me feel a bit less like the fat of my thighs are all over the place. i really like them a lot. shorts are just too much for me. ugh! so, my advice is get a pair of knickers. i can't imagine that shorts are much cooler in warm weather, and for me, it is worth it to save my self respect... good luck!

[boy in a kilt]

Ok, this has been driving me nuts for years.

Why are women's cycling shorts so much shorter than men's?

Is it more comfortable? Is it just a stupid fashion thing? Or is it just is what it is, like women's shirts opening to the left and men's opening to the right?


(The apron on a kilt also opens to the right...)

[Eden]

Some people are concerned about the tan lines..... (I've even seen people with short shorts roll them up further). Personally I find if the shorts aren't long enough the bottom edge can rub against my saddle and be quite irritating. I don't like them knee length either, but have no interest in the 4 and 5 inch inseam shorts, tan lines or no.

[Rumblefish]

I admit to not wanting to be caught dead in bike spandex earlier this year and opted for a skort as my first cycling bottoms. I have however come to love my shorts (PI breakaway shorts are my favorite so far)...and the varying tan lines that ensued

I know it's more about how we feel in the shorts, but honestly I don't think people look bad in bike shorts no matter what size they are. I think it's more important that you're on the bike and enjoying yourself while doing something good for your body. and ok ok...I guess this is biased since I spend more time oggling other peoples [B]bikes[B] instead of their shorts! I definitely get bike envy more than shorts envy....