Lifespan of shorts?

[Becky]

"Not staying put" absent some obvious sign of wear is probably more a change in your body than it is in your shorts.

Interesting...I've never worn a pair of shorts to the point of transparency, but I've chucked plenty due to a loss of compression and thus increased movement of the chamois. I haven't really lost any weight, I try them on prior to buying, and the size charts say I'm in the right size, but maybe I need to try a size smaller....

I'm still curious how long others' shorts last them. I'm a data geek that way.

[lph]

I hesitate to chuck anything expensive, I just buy sdomething new and keep the old stuff "in case"

But it is really hard to tell how long a pair of shorts last, since I rotate 4 or 5 pairs, and of those 2 or 3 favourites are in heavy rotation. I agree that they tend to get sloppy and shifty once the fabric has stretched enough. They may be see-through as well, I guess, but I can't see it and haven't been told it, not to my face at least... I see it often enough on other people's butts though!

My winter AmFib tights are easier to gauge, since I only had one pair until they well and truly fell apart. They lasted about 4 winters of daily use.

[Penny4]

Good question....just today before i left on my ride I was trying to check out my backside in the mirror to see if i had any "transparency" issues. I'm pretty sure i looked ridiculous doing it, lol. As far as i can tell, my 2 year old LG's are still hanging tough.

[ny biker]

I really don't know how long my shorts last, other than that they last for years. I have two pairs of Shebeest Century shorts that I alternated for long rides for several years. Eventually they developed lycra leprosy from rubbing on the sides of the saddle, so I demoted them to short-ride shorts for a couple of years and got a pair of LG Neo Power shorts for the long rides. After a year or so with the LG shorts I bought a second pair of them so I would no longer have to wear the same pair for every long ride. This winter I had a coupon for the LBS that was expiring so I used it for a new pair of Pearl Izumis to use as short-ride shorts. But I still have the Shebeest Century shorts and maybe will wear them again.

Before demoting the Century shorts to short rides, I used a couple of pairs of Shebeest SSS shorts for that purpose. The chamois started looking faded on them, and I decided I preferred the more compressing fabric in the Century shorts. But I still have the SSS shorts, though I haven't worn them in years.

[Owlie]

I have two pairs of Sugoi shorts that are 3-4 years old and have been relegated to trainer use, if not the trash. The fabric is still in good shape, but the chamois is toast, I think. I've lost muscle mass, that's true, but I don't feel like the chamois is moving around. It's just not comfortable any more, if that makes sense.

[ny biker]

I have two pairs of Sugoi shorts that are 3-4 years old and have been relegated to trainer use, if not the trash. The fabric is still in good shape, but the chamois is toast, I think. I've lost muscle mass, that's true, but I don't feel like the chamois is moving around. It's just not comfortable any more, if that makes sense.

I have noticed with my older shorts that the chamois looks faded and washed out, and the foam definitely compresses/wears down with repeated use. I don't think I've really noticed them becoming uncomfortable, but that might be because I only use them for short rides when they start to look old.

For shorts with worn spots of fabric, I know some people get more life from them by wearing them only in cooler temps when they'll have tights over them.

[ridebikeme]

On the average, most manufacturers will say that a shorts life span in three years. Of course, at times that all goes out the window because we all are different in terms of how many days/week we ride, how many pair of shorts we own/rotate...etc. I use my shorts year round, so I've always thought that I'd save some of the 'older' ones for trainer use but only do that unless it's going to be a shorter ride. Unfortunately, there is no majic answer here, I've learned to buy shorts in pairs when I find a pair that I like and to do that quite often. For me, a good pair shorts is the insurance that I will go out and ride on the days that I simply don't want to do anything HA!