Bibs vs shorts

[susanm8048]

Hi,
I have been lurking on here for some time now, mainly in the "favorite saddles" section and have found you all really helpful.

Can I ask you ladies if any of you have tried using bibs ( is that the right term?) instead of regular padded shorts? There must be something good about them as all the pros use them.

And what works well on top? Do you just put a jersey over the top?

Thanks,
Sue

[snapdragen]

I have one pair of bibs, I really like them; no waistband cutting into my pudginess . Wear your jersey over the bibs. Potty breaks can be a challenge, but not impossible.

[mellic]

My preference is regular knicks. Bib knicks do have the benefit of not having elastic around the waist, but they are very irritating if you need to go to the toilet.

[velogirl]

I'm a HUGE fan of bibs, however I only wear them if I'm going to wear a full-zip jersey with them. Having to pull a jersey over my head with all the stuff in my pockets is a PITA. I can just imagine me dropping my cell, wallet, and GU flask in a porta-potty or something. With full-zip, you just unzip and take it off -- no pulling over the head.

Some women don't like bibs because the "bib" is too long for their short torso. I recommend a women's specific bib if possible for just this reason.

I also recommend wearing a light base layer under the bib (will prevent chafing from the straps).

Oh, and I've got a friend who got creative, cut the "bibs" at the shoulder and put velcro on them so she could just un-velcro and pull the straps down without removing her jersey. Cool idea, but she has to have someone else re-velcro them for her when she pulls them back up.