how do you fit cycling shorts?

[radicalrye]

as far as keeping your hands/feet warm (i don't use clip in pedals in winter)
I wear a some smartwool, wigwam or some kind of variation of wool socks. i also wear a winter style boot, but that's just my preference.

for gloves i found i really like a thin ski/snowboard style glove.

I use a swix kind very similar to these and they were really well (unless they get rained on) but for winter riding they keep my hands warm and provide enough comfort for my hands. I also know Pearl Izumi makes a few different winter gloves that are nice but kind of pricey.

I +1 the idea of get the most expensive shorts you can afford in the smallest size

[Catrin]

I +1 the idea of get the most expensive shorts you can afford in the smallest size

The more people say this, the more it drives it in I have been so large for so long that my inclination is NOT to reach for the smallest thing I can fit in - even though I have lost so much weight. I just have to keep drilling this in...

[newtobikesmama]

If it's the smallest you can fit it, do you mean like squeezing your tummy? That makes me think I didn't buy the smallest knickers because I do not feel like my gut is squeezing out the top...sorry if that is gross. :-) I know that I will start losing weight when I can start riding.

[OakLeaf]

Shorts should fit like a second skin.

They're too tight if when you sit on the saddle, the chamois is pulled so tight that your body can't form to it. Depending on how you're built, it can be possible to wear shorts that are too small. Tummy doesn't have much to do with it one way or the other - but it can definitely be a matter of personal comfort in different brands of shorts. Chamois fit and movement is everything.