Baggy Shorts?
 

I'm thinking of doing some bikepacking and it seems to me that baggy shorts would eliminate the need to bring separate bike specific riding apparel and something for around town/camp.

The only riding clothes I own are road specific - bib shorts and road jerseys. I'm ignorant of baggy MTB style shorts and so a few questions...

Worth getting in general given the use case - riding 40 to 50 miles/day and then camp with a few visits to towns?

Do they typically come with compression liners and padding built-in or does one typically have to purchase separate lining?

Snagging on the saddle and flapping in the wind? Given the popularity I assume this is a non issue.

Brand and model recommendation? I don't mind buying something nice and looked at Kitsbow but wow, I thought road stuff was expensive!

What else do I need to know?


-Tim-

I'm partial to the Fox Attack and Attack Pro shorts while on my MTB and my gravel hybrid. The material of the outer shorts on the pro is stretchy and very comfortable. I normally watch for end of season sales and get them in the $80-$90 range.

Most MTB shorts come with padded liners but not all do. I hate riding without padded liners anymore. The chafing on even short rides is *ahem* irritating.

Look at Timmy- ever the hard worker to look the part!

https://www.elevenpine.com
consider these. They convert from compression to slightly baggy to give you options for where you are and what you are doing.

I use Zoic shorts for MTB and really just wearing around on any random day as they are well made and comfortable. They come in different cuts and lengths too.

For a day long ride I would want a quality pad. Whether that means one that comes with the shorts or wearing separate pad shorts is up to you as pad shape and density is individual preference.

if you don't like the elevenpine shorts and want fully baggy, pretty much any quality brand will do well as long as it fits your body.
Zoic, Louis Garneau, Fox, etc are all good.

good luck and I hope you are able to find a way to still be stylish. Pair it with some overpriced cycling branded merino and you will be set.

I have Pearl Izumi Canyon shorts. They're good.

But I don't usually wear the included padded liners on my hybrids. I usually wear the Aero Tech Pro shorts under the baggies. The tan and black pad is thinner and more comfortable to me.

I save those liner shorts for indoor trainer sessions on the road bike.

I've purchased several different things (including a pair of baggy casual riding shorts) from Ground Effect in New Zealand and have never been disappointed.

I like my Zoics as well. You can get them with/without compression shorts. I think any compression shorts will work. I have Zoics and another brand or two. To cut down space, I wash out a pair when I arrive at my nightly stop and have one for the next day, since it might not dry.. For the evening, I have one or two regular underwear. I only one, I will wash those out before I leave my nightly stop and hang on my bike for the day. Enjoy your tour.

I chose to go with a separate padded liner in MTB shorts and yes they do catch on the saddle nose at times and flap around while riding at least mine did.

These days, I chafe about the same in cycling shorts vs. regular unpadded non-cycling shorts. Just in different places, so alternating between the two works well for me, YMMV.

Men's Zoic Ether Cycling Shorts, unlined, cuz I prefer my trishorts. I normally buy size 38" waist pants but for these I like XXL due to my riding position & slight belly. the waist is elastic but also adjustable

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...648b1415db.jpg

these are my 2nd pair. I got the first pair at REI & removed the liner that came with them. used them for years, they are great around a campsite. they dry very quickly

The only baggy shorts I've ever liked at all were the above-mentioned Zoic. Unlined (separate liner I guess is more accurate,) so you can wear whatever you want underneath.

No matter what anyone says, if you're used to shorts/bibs, you will get hung up on the nose of the saddle quite a bit. And there will be flapping.

I find the aesthetic of baggy pants for bikepacking to be as fashion oriented as the use of lycra is for road riding.

If I am just tooling around I will wear anything but if I am riding long distance or multiple days and worried about weight/bulk of gear I tend to stick with the following system (for bottoms only)

2x padded bike undershorts or 1 bib/1shorts
1x nylon athletic shorts for being in public. Small, light, easy to take on off without removing shoes
1x lycra tights or knee warmers (depends on season). For colder weather/mornings
1x wind/water resistant shell pants
1x micro fleece tights. For sleeping in or sudden cold weather

Sounds like a lot but it packs down small and by manipulating that combo I can ride for many days. Two shorts allow you to wash one, wear one each day for proper hygiene.

These look nice. Thank you.


I'm sort of working through all this now, what I want to pack. That's why I asked and I really appreciate your response.


-Tim-

I usually wear lycra bibs, but I do sometimes wear Pearl Izumi Boardwalk shorts with the Versa liner (sold separately). They aren't as baggy as some and they look more like regular shorts.
https://www.pearlizumi.com/US/en/Sho.../p/191118035FF

I too like the Zoic Ethers. I'm a little guy so I like that they offer a 9" inseam version. For the price they're great--so much cheaper than many boutiquey "gravel" shorts. I use separate Canari gel liners that I've landed on as working for me. I wish they were a tad more streamlined though, so my most recent fave shorts are Outdoor Research Voodoo 10" shorts. Not bike-specific, but super comfy on the bike--great stretch--and great for hiking, camping, casual, etc. Plenty of secured pockets. They're more streamlined a fit than the Ethers. The 10" length is spot on for me. The only downside is they don't have the elastic/waist adjustment of the Ethers, so they may require a belt.

Clean skin, clean shorts. saddle sores less likely.. wear what you like..

I like mtb shorts for the perfect flask-sized pocket on the leg.

this wins the thread!

In my life I have held my 4 1/2 year old daughter in my arms as she died and watched a wife of 17 years walk out, abandoning her children and leaving me to raise two little 7 and 11 year old girls by myself. There's more, but my point is that there is little you could ever do or say to upset me.

Even so, I've decided long ago not to expose myself to people who intentionally try to rob me of peace and so I'm going to add your screen name to my ignore list. To be clear, I will never again see anything you write.

I don't hate you or think you are a bad person. I do hope you live the life your avatar speaks of and that we see each other on the other side.

-Pax Tecum-

-Tim-

My heart just got ripped out

Being able to laugh at yourself and the witty comments of others is a true joy.

The lack of a sense of humor is no way to go thru life.

Were posts in here deleted? Did I miss something critical? Because it seems like a real dark turn was made, and I feel like some subtext is missing.

https://www.bikeforums.net/20696409-post331.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/20696725-post332.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/20702316-post334.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/20720239-post344.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/20723781-post354.html

It's too bad you won't see this response and apology. Had I known the reasons behind your comment I wouldn't have made light of them. So I'm sorry.

To defend myself a little bit here. The context of your quotes were made in regards to drinking and riding bikes. My cycling community regularly has "social" rides where people bring a drink for the halfway stop. And nothing bad ever happens.

Your comments about booze seem to pertain to not drinking at all anywhere in life. And that's a totally different thing.

Making light of someone who would immediately leave a group ride if someone else drank is totally different than making light of someone who has experienced tragedy. None of us knew this, and there's way we could have.

So I'm sorry, I wish I would have known the real story.

Er... anyway. Back to the topic at hand, I have a few comments here:
- I've owned two pairs of Zoic Ethers, on both, ALL of the zippers ended up failing. They use very thin and cheap zippers. Also, I don't like the "dad's cargo shorts" look, but that's just me.
- Too many baggy shorts are super-long surf-short length enduro-bro style, have loud patterns/logos or have somewhat useless pockets all over them. Also, the prices charged are larcenous. I recommend going to REI and getting a nice pair of simple stretch-fabric hiking shorts and wearing a pair of bibs under them.
- If you really want cycling specific overshorts, I like the Chrome Natoma, which are ridiculously expensive but just about perfect.

Yes. For the past 20+ years, I've ridden mostly in Spandex but a couple years ago I thought I'd try baggy shorts. For me, they definitely have their place. When I'm touring/camping, I like them because I don't like being in public with my junk highlighted in spandex. And at the end of the day, I can wear them as regular shorts without the padded inner. Also, the two pair I have have zippered pockets that are oriented to rest normally when my thigh is horizontal. They are a good place to carry flat things like a (thin) wallet.

Where I don't use them is actually mountain biking because, much to my disappointment, they do get hung up on the saddle through technical sections. I would never use them on a regular road bike because they will flap in the wind and cause drag. But when modesty and off the bike comfort are called for, they're perfect.