Awaqa909

I've been cycling a couple times a month, about 5 miles. On my cheap road bike. I'm slowly building up my cycling gear. I just got another "Baleaf Men's Bike Cycling Underwear Shorts 3D Padded Bicycle MTB" and am wondering when I should get a top and cleats. Though I kinda have a problem with cycling clothing. I'm not sure if the shorts I have are supposed to be underwear or what. I usually wear them commando, with basketball type shorts over them and a t shirt. I see cyclist riding without my basketball shorts. I just find it... well embarrassing. They're kinda revealing and it looks like there's a giant pad stuffed in. (male here) At least with my shorts. How did you get the confidence to wear nothing over your bike shorts? I feel like they're the speedo of the shorts world...

Thanks,
Awaqa909

sheddle

Exposure therapy is effective for a reason. It doesn't take too long to get over it once you actually do it.

UniChris

Simple - keep wearing the overshorts.

Until someday out on the trail you decide they are too much bother and take them off. Maybe you put them back on when you return to town. Maybe you start rides wearing them and take them off when you get outside of town. Eventually you no longer give a chain ring what others think, but only care about your own comfort, ability for sweat to evaporate, etc and wear them into a pub lunch stop with barely a thought.

But that time will come if and when it is right for you. As long as what you are wearing over them is thin, breathable, and dries fast it is no big issue.

T shirts are pretty bad. You don't have to go full fitted jersey kit but get some wicking poly running top at least, again, because of how it handles sweat. Long sleeve can have some advantages - evaporative cooling works pretty well and it reduces the sunscreen need.

Tight kit is for roadies who go fast, care about drag, and need to look the part. But breathable kit that does the job is for everyone - and at least in the shorts area, a loose base layer does not do the job.

BlueBike83

I doubt that padded shorts are even necessary for 5 mile rides... for the looks: you’ll get used to it :-)

A proper bike jersey is actually nice. Pockets for keys, phone, debit card and other necessities, breathable and long enough in the back.

Fahrenheit531 

Wear whatever's comfortable for you.
Done.

Jon T

Not familiar with them but if "underwear" is in the product description, well, sounds to me like they're underwear. Ride on, friend, and tell everyone they're responsible for their own therapy.
As for the cleats--how "cheap" is your bike? By the time you add cleats, shoes and proper pedals, you could easily surpass the worth of the bike. I'm just sayin'.....
How'd I get the confidence to wear the kit? Well, I just put it on and rode. Nothing to it. After 30 yrs of wearing a kit, it isn't any different than wearing any thing else. Having no shame in my body helps too. At 64 years of age, I don't give a rats azz what any one else cares. I dress for comfort and function.
Jon

Wileyrat

What you're using are liner shorts and are meant to be worn under something else. I used them with gym shorts on my mountain bike until I built up a collection of worn out cycling shorts that I wear like liner shorts. I go full lycra on my roadie.

Also, you're supposed to go commando in cycling shorts.

superdex

Those are underwear. (please) don't wear them by themselves. Instead, get some 'real' cycling shorts and that will help.

Basically, at some point, you just get over it. Or not. no big whoop.


(and yes, you go commando under the padded shorts)

caloso

No underwear under bike shorts. The pad is supposed to go up against your skin.

scotton

When you start going far enough and fast enough to realize that the two parachutes strapped to your thighs are slowing you down, your give-a-crap meter will reset to zero and you will get some tight shorts. Shortly after that, you will feel every flap of your shirt is a wasted watt and you will start shopping for tight jerseys. Face it, if you are on a bike, 90% of Americans already think you're a dork. Might as well lean into it and be a fast dork. The pros aren't wearing skin suits to show off their spaghetti arms and ridiculous quads, they wear them because the enemy is wind and tight clothes are armor.

livedarklions

Top level pros get paid a fair amount of money to wear stuff so people will say that pros wear stuff to make them faster.

OldTryGuy

I wouldn't be surprised if " Top level pros" wore cycling clothing long before becoming a PRO and $$$ or any other currency did not factor into their choice of clothing.

I never had an issue putting on Padded Cycling Shorts since way back then there was much less padding bulge and was not overly endowed. Makes no difference now at all since my bilateral orchiectomy for PCa. (Prostate Cancer)

berner

Wearing skin tight bike shorts is a sign you are comfortable in your own skin and masculinity. On the other hand, shaving legs, not so much.

livedarklions

Please look at the post I was responding to. I'm entirely tired of the "pros wear this, so...." arguments because you really can't sort out real need versus sponsorship for why the product is being used. I'm doing all my long-distance riding in cargo shorts so I obviously don't care about whether people wear paddling or not, but "don't wear something over your shorts because pros wear skin suits" is a really dumb argument.

Mogens

I’m not convinced that padded shorts are all that necessary for rides that aren’t very long. I have a pair that I bought for a century, and I’m definitely glad I had them. But I haven’t bothered to use them for rides in the 20-45 mile range. I haven’t had any issues, but then I’ve already begot my brood. If you’re just riding 5 miles, I’d just see how you felt without them.

livedarklions

If nothing else, it's somewhat odd to spend more time changing in and out of kit than actually riding the 5 miles.

fishboat

Save your money, you can wear cut off blue-jean shorts and you'll be fine.

Flip Flop Rider

stuff a banana down there and walk with confidence

indyfabz

Says you. I shave my legs for practical reasons, not the least of which is that it feels better. And I take blood thinners, so I'll every advantage I can get in the event of an injury. When I had my valve replacement surgery they shaved everywhere below my head except for my arms, which is where all the tubes and wires were taped to. Not fun. Had I known I would have told them to finish the job. Finally, after a hard day of loaded touring on wet dirt with no shower at the end of day, it's nice to not have grit stuck to your leg hair. Makes cleaning up that much easier.

livedarklions

Not that I care whether anyone shaves their legs, but I don't understand the blood thinner thing. I would think that would make it a less attractive option as you're going to bleed more when you nick yourself. Why would shaved legs be an advantage in the event of an injury?

Not arguing with you, just curious.

Leebo

Go with a mt bike short. padded underneath. Loose and breezy over short. And you can actually walk into a store or get coffee too.

Thomas15

I have a number of padded Baleaf underwear shorts and a few other makes of underwear shorts. I also have two pairs of Nashbar MTB shorts, these were quite a bit more expensive and have thinner (proper) chamois. I am a little bit of a fanatic about washing my shorts after every ride so I like to have multiple pairs available.

Even for road riding the Nashbar MTB paints are hands down more comfortable and offer more protection. Still, when I use the Baleaf underwear I put something over them and have found that the almost knee length shorts make by Russell and sold at Walmart for $10.00 make a good pairing. The Russell shorts are a light synthetic material and are lose enough to mitigate the "diaper effect" caused by the padding in the shorts.

I have never like the looks of tight fitting multi panel spandex road cycling shorts. However I picked up a pair with padding similar to the Baleaf underwear. First time out I put a pair of Russell shorts over them. Although they are not "high end" shorts the extra length in the leg and tight fit are much more comfortable. I'm putting shorts over the cycling paints in an effort to slowly get used to the idea of wearing those kinds of shorts alone someday in the very near future. I will probably purchase at least 1 pair of good high quality road cycling spandex shorts very soon and not worry anymore about how they look. This line of reasoning would have been unthinkable to me even 6 months ago.

As far as other accessories, yes get a pair of tight fitting cycling jersey. You can get generic shirts off Amazon for about $15.00 After the first time you use these jerseys you will never want to ride in a cotton t-shirt again. Long in the back with elastic to keep them in place and pockets in the back to store things, you will love them

Also, get cycling shoes. You will need new pedals if you are going to use cleats and a clipless pedal system, which you should. Since I have both mountain and road bikes I decided on having a standard so I use mountain bike (SPD) two bolt systems. You can get a pair of shoes for about $50-60 and pedals start at about $45 Shimano 520s. I use two bolt SPD systems on both my road and mountain bikes. In short you certainly will appreciate having the shoes and pedals. It just takes some time to get used to them.

I tell my 25 year old daughter that things like helmets, special bike clothing, gloves, shorts, jerseys and skinny seats are popular with dedicated cyclists for a reason. She is starting to ride her bike more and is resisting getting any of this kind of stuff. This can be an expensive past time but it doesn't have to be beyond the reach of most of us just look around for bargains. Remember though, quality has a price and you will in time appreciate the comfort and utility of good quality cycling gear.

livedarklions

OP--it looks like you are riding about 10 miles a month. Are you looking to increase that? I suspect most people's advice on kit would vary depending on how much you intend to ride.

Metieval

This

I have a multitude of clothing I wear depending on which bicycle, length of ride , destination, stops, intensity etc...

it looks silly to be decked out in bibs, and a race cut jersey while riding my hybrid though. So I just don't, plus I don't really ride the hybrid hard enough to justify it anyways.

I have a pair of baggy mtb shorts that I will often wear over a worn out pair of bibs. They don't flap in the wind though. OR if I am going to ride and be stopped somewhere for a while, I just ditch the bike bibs/shorts

Most importantly, one day a person will realize that the pad isn't about padding, but about friction control. Outside of huge days on a bike, and with a saddle that fits you, decent sweat wicking clothing then you'll find that bike shorts are optional.

World of difference between riding at a cadence of 70 vs 90 or 15 mph vs 20+ mph

on my road race bike it is bibs and a race cut jersey, if people look at my crotch, that's on them...not me!

eja_ bottecchia

Some people will go to any length to get a full Brazilian.

But I do know what you mean. I am the proud “wearer” of seven coronary stents. Every time one goes in, they shave me down there in order to go up the femoral artery. But the arms, oh no, they leave those hairs alone. When it is time to remove all those tubes they yank the tape and my arm hairs with them. OUCH!!!