Descente Strata shorts...Sizing? Fit?

[7rider]

My Strada bib shorts fit great. Nice compression (hmmm...is that "snug"?), very comfy. I didn't have to size up or anything.
The chamois, on the other hand, I hated for the first 3 rides. I gave it a "3 strikes and your out" chance to redeem itself. By the 3rd ride, I could tolerate the chamois, so the bibs stay in use-rotation.
BTW: Strada shorts on sale at STP.
Also...I don't care for the rise on my Bliss capris. I feel like they are constantly too low and I have to hitch them up constantly....

[KathiCville]

Great feedback, thanks! ... My Sugoi and LG shorts from TE will probably arrive today, yayyyy, just in time for the weekend.

[mudmucker]

Great feedback, thanks! ... My Sugoi and LG shorts from TE will probably arrive today, yayyyy, just in time for the weekend.

I am a big fan of the Sugoi RS. I think their FX chamois has changed from last year - in my opinion, for the better. Because of the change in chamois they are now my top favorite short over the Shebeest's I had. I found LG fit me funny.

Post your "findings" when you've tried both out...

[KathiCville]

Well, last night I took three new pairs of shorts for brief, gentle spins around my neighborhood---obeying all of the rules of etiquette to maintain their returnability. The three I tried are: Craft's Master short; Louis Garneau's Neo Power (a TE staff pick); and Sugoi's RS short. All came highly recommended by TE'ers. I ordered Mediums in all three.

For reference, I'm 5'3", about 118 lbs, pear-shaped, age 51. Thighs definitely aren't as slim as they were 25 years ago, but they're not noticeably heavy either. I usually wear a 4P or XS in most 'street clothes.'

Craft Master short. Definitely comfy, but has less compression in the Medium by far than either the Sugoi RS or Garneau Neo Power Short. I got a nice deal on this short last week on Steep Planet (1/2 price) so I'll hang on to this pair as a comfortable 'everyday' short for rides of 20mi or under. Possibly could have gone with a Small, for more compression, but the chamois in the Medium seems to fill the bill. Nice material, good fit overall for someone my size. (I wore them on a 20-miler this morning after deciding last night to keep them. So far, so good!)

Sugoi RS. Loads more compression than the Craft. Paneling pattern prevents unsightly bulging while firmly holding all the relevant parts in place. I wondered if I should have gotten them in Large, rather than Medium, but my BF *thinks* they fit the way they should. I've never worn a serious compression short with a long inseam so it's a novel feeling to have my thighs so cradled. I like the support, for sure, but it probably will take a little getting used to. No diaper butt, yay! The chamois seems to be a good fit. A long ride, of course, will be real test. One thing that does seem a little odd to me---the Sugoi shorts SQUEAK against my saddle. It's obviously the material, but it certainly sounded bizarre as I was pedaling last night! These, I think, are keepers. Hoping to take these for a serious ride this coming weekend.

Louis Garneau Neo Power Short. Of the three, this is the one with the longest inseam and (in the Medium) the most compression. I really like the V-shaped waistband that doesn't cut in. And I like the length. No diaper butt; chamois seems to fit as it should on someone my size. Of the three, this one makes me wonder if I should try it in a Large??? I like the wide band at the bottom of each leg BUT I definitely have a noticeable bulge above the band. Maybe that's fine?? Maybe it's more important that the overall compression be pretty solid, even if it means a less-than-sleek-looking inner thigh?

I don't think the bulge looks bad (just annoying), but I wonder if it's telling me that the short is too tight? Anyone else have these who can weigh in with an opinion? I hate to have TE send me a Large if what I'm experiencing in terms of fit in the Medium is pretty much on the mark.

I'm a little on the fence about this pair, fitwise, so I might hold on to them, try them on a couple more times after riding in the Sugois, and then decide what to do.

In reading old TE threads about shorts and fitting, I noticed that many of the veterans seem to advocate erring on the side of a smaller size in order to benefit fully from the compression. Is that the rule of thumb?

Cheers!