mindaugas

I've been riding to work in some old gym shorts that are tight but not skin tight like most bike shorts. Out of the 4 or 5 other bikers I see I'm the only one not wearing bike shorts. What gives? Why are they so great? Is it just the extra padding? Does it really help that much?

knobster

Depends. I think they work really well on saddles that aren't designed for comfort. The compression also helps the legs (from what I'm told). On my commute, I run a Brooks B17 saddle and I don't use bike shorts either. I'm not trying to set any speed records and am mainly looking to be comfortable. On the weekend rides, I wear bike shorts, but I'm usually doing between 50-100 miles so the extra padding is desired. Use what's comfortable to you.

JeffS

Good padding is definitely a nice thing to have.

Good varies from person to person though. If you want the padding without the lycra look, you can wear bike shorts under your regular shorts, you can get a padded liner to go under your current shorts, or you can get mountain shorts, which are basically just baggy shorts with a liner attached inside.

A liner would be the cheapest option. Again though, the quality of the pad varies tremendously between models.

mindaugas

any recommendations?

Niten

I use a B17, too, and often wear cargo shorts or whatever instead of bike shorts. As the temperature or distances creep up--I had to ride back and forth across town a couple of times yesterday, and it was hot--I appreciate the wicking and cushioning features of my bike shorts.

mparker326

Fight the temptation to wear spandex.

Nicodemus

Bike shorts were a eureka moment for me.

Try them.

Valpo Hawkeye

As in, "I can't believe my junk is this big" or "I can't believe how comfortable this is"?!?

KingTermite 

Ditto....but I will say it depends on your ride. If you are riding less than 10 miles, you probably won't notice a huge difference. If you ride longer distances, you really need that padding. It's quite a big helper.

AndrewP

Its more comfortable having a fabric that moves with your skin rather than rubbing against it.

pityr

Come to the dark side

hubcap

I like Voler bike shorts. I have picked up a number of pair from Velowear. Comfortable, durable, and not too pricey.

newsace

It's all in your comfort needs (both physical and psychological). Personally, I can't stand to ride more than a couple of miles in anything except "real" cycling shorts--it's just not comfortable to me. At the same time, at 5'9" and 250 lbs., I'm not incredibly comfortable in the way I look when I'm wearing them. For me, the physical comfort far outweighs the psychological discomfort. As evidenced by some other recent threads in this forum, though, some people project their gender identity issues onto others who wear the lycra/spandex clothing, so factor that in if it's something that'll cause you concern.

newsace

+1 on the Voler shorts. Although the last time I checked the Web site, they had stopped selling the particular version I like. Fortunately, I stocked up a couple of years ago, so I've got three pair of them in rotation with a couple of other pair of a different (less comfortable) brand.

mindaugas

hmm, maybe I'll try the baggy mountain bike shorts. I don't think I'd be too embarrassed, I'm 6' 190lbs, I have a gut but that's easy to hide lol. actually the whole reason for the commute is my gut and I sit in front of a computer all day working as IT support. good info, thanks

CliftonGK1

Mine are so great because I'm in them.


Seriously, though... The padding helps with comfort during longer rides. I've got a not-quite-broken-in-yet Brooks, and I certainly wouldn't be doing any 30 mile rides without the padding that my shorts provide.
Even when I'm cruising around town on errands, I wear a pair of bike shorts under my cargo shorts.
A) People don't stare at me for wearing bike shorts in the grocery store, pharmacy, Jamba Juice, book store, etc.
B) Chances drop to almost zero that I'll smack my dangly bits the wrong way when doing multiple mount/dismounts of the saddle in traffic, since everything is held nicely in place. (not much is worse than building up speed to keep up with traffic, and thumping yourself in the nards with the nose of your saddle when you go to sit back down.)

caloso

If I'm riding directly into work on a cool morning, no biggie to just wear my office clothes. And that's on a racing saddle. But any longer or hotter ride means sweat which means wet cotton which means the potential for a rash, saddle sores, or worse. So I'll wear the "full kit" including a proper pair of bibs.

I_bRAD

That gets you a chamois, but the other two reasons I like cycling shorts is:

1. MUCH cooler and more comfy in hot weather
2. Not as much of an issue with commuting, but they don't hang up on your saddle like sloppy shorts do

zeytoun

Yes, they are much more comfortable on a hard saddle.

They keep your boys in one position so you can go from hoods to drops without hurting yourself.

They are MUCH cooler.

The compression is lab-proven to increase leg muscle stamina.

The thin material dries quickly. I just rinse/hand wash mine in the shower with me after a longer bike ride, wring 'em out, hang them, and they are dry in the morning. (if they are still damp in the morning, I can a) put them in the dryer for 5 minutes or b) wear them damp for extra cooling).

They don't catch on your saddle when you start off from a stop.

mindaugas

I have yet to bump my junk, but it does get squished on the saddle. I had a fun time adjusting it, I ended up angling it a little down and pushed almost all the way back. I bought a cheesy "Lookin" saddle with lots of padding. Its not too big, but it definitely is not a racing saddle. I was looking for comfort since I'm just starting. But I didn't realize it doesn't take long to want more lol. I wanted to do this on the cheap but I'm already above $200 including the bike. I know that isn't much, but I wanted to grab a $75 bike and ride, guess it doesn't work that way.

chipcom 

Padding is for wussy. The biggest advantages to cycling shorts are keeping the 'boys' in place, reducing chaffing and having moisture wicked away from your body. Them shorts with all the thick padding ain't worth a squat on long rides, especially if it's wet/humid and the chamois starts retaining water (which is what chamois do).

For short rides/commutes, either some tight poly boxer briefs or lightly padded cycling shorts under cargos or gym shorts will do you just fine. Just make sure the over shorts don't have some big ole seam junction that is gonna make your 'taint unhappy. For longer rides, you just can't beat a good pair of bibs, with or without shorts over the top.

skanking biker

I had a eureka moment the other day after actually taking a crowbar to the wallet for some "real" cycling shorts. I had previously been buying the $15 cheapos at dick's sporting goods, et al.

BIG DIFFERENCE between a cheapo pair of shorts and good quality shorts. Although cheapo shorts are better than underwear by a long shot

SDRider

Why? It's comfortable, doesn't chaf your skin and the padding is placed right where you need it most. I can't understand why anyone who rides with any regularity wouldn't wear it quite frankly.

andrelam

For any ride under 15 miles the bike shorts are over kill. My commute is normally 10 miles round trip, but even if I have to stop by the new office that was added it adds only an extra 4 miles each way. . Therefore I am not spending any serious continuous length of time on the bike. Regular athletic shorts work just fineI find that on the longer say 20 mile rides, the extra comfort from the bike shorts is noticable. I have a set of Canari Jell shorts that I bought at a local Dicks Sporting goods store for $38 and they work very nicely. I usually find that during the first hour my find may get a little sore, but after a while you just get into a zone and the body appears to get used to the ride. Last time I rode 24 miles with only one quick 4 minutes stop to releive myself and refill my water bottle with cool water from the water fountain. At the end of the ride my body felt very good. My lungs were complaining a bit, but it was the one of the hottest and muggiest days of the year and I later found out there was also a high ozon warning... not ideal breathing weather. The ride was none the less a real pleasure, and it was nice NOT to have a sore rear end.

Happy riding,
André

mcoons

I have a pair of Cars-r-Coffins NEMA brand (NEMA JEWEL SHORTS are what they sell now, but I bought them a few years ago)Mountain-bike style shorts that I like a lot, but they're a bit warm in the middle of summer. I also have some that look baggy, but have a liner inside that has padding. I feel more comfy in baggy shorts for my commute- especially since I ride to the bus...