noodle soup

He's a PM fan, so that should tell you there's no chance of reasoning with him. If you ever had the "pleasure" of meeting Peter Mooney, you'd understand.

noodle soup

Some people here think I'm an opinionated ***hole, but most of them have never met Peter Mooney.

Seattle Forrest

Everyone can see the shoulder straps through your jersey. 👍

noodle soup

...and why should we care about that?

MoAlpha

Peter’s a close personal friend of mine. Opinionated? Sure.

Seattle Forrest

Cycling vanity

Honestly, I feel a little goofy when I'm looking in a mirror, but the other 99.99999% of the time I don't care either. Besides, if you're going slow enough that people can see, you don't deserve them anyway.

caloso

I find them to be more comfortable. YMMV.

CAT7RDR

For me, likely because I move a lot on the saddle and my shorts shifted and rubbed too much on the saddle, bibs last longer than shorts. Bibs are friendlier to my constant shifting and wear better because they move better with my hips/thighs. I also like my colder weather 3/4 bibs better than wearing thermal tights over shorts. Much easier movement in the knees so I do not feel like I have added resistance.

On my Gore bibs, I even accidentally discovered a butt crack pocket I can stuff a soft shell jacket in if need be for extra storage.

WhyFi

You do realize that your choice of shorts with suspenders is just a wee bit anachronistic and not really the topic that others are discussing, right? And why are you taking it so personally when someone insults shorts, something that you'll only wear with modifications so that they're more like, oh, I don't know... bibs?

noglider 

Oh yeah. When my wife saw me in them for the first time, she said I look like a weight lifter from 1915.

atwl77

Main thing for me is that shorts hold their position by being tight around the waist. Bibshorts move that role over to the shoulder straps. Less pressure around the waist is more comfortable, especially on very long rides.

Seattle Forrest

You're talking to a guy who races penny farthings.

canklecat

You're not missing much if you're already comfortable with shorts. Save your money for jerseys, shoes, helmet, other kit.

I switch between bibs and shorts. No big difference between 'em in ride comfort for me. But it probably depends on physique. Some folks may prefer bibs depending on how shorts fit their waist -- not girth, but waist length, hip bone shape, etc.

In cool weather I've mostly been wearing capri length bibs that reach just below the knees -- saves having to wear knee warmers. They're inexpensive Spotti brand and very comfortable. The mesh elastic suspenders are very stretchy so it's easier to tug down to urinate without needed to bare a shoulder and slip the suspender off the shoulder.

And I have a set of Black Bibs, cost about $40 I think. Also very comfortable, no real complaints. But the suspender elastic isn't as stretchy and I do need to slip the jersey off one shoulder and slip the suspender down the shoulder to fish out Frank and the Beans.

But usually I prefer some very inexpensive Przewalski shorts. The pads are the best I've ridden and the compression feels good on the legs and lower back. I wish the leg length was an inch or two longer, closer to the knee, but for $15-$20 I can't complain.

The main advantage to bibs? I have a few Pearl Izumi Pursuit aero jerseys. Outstanding values and the snug fit does help, especially on windy days. But they run short in the waist and will bare the midriff and lower back on some riders with shorts. Bibs are better for those jerseys.

And the suspenders are handy for securing my house key. I use a Velcro strap around the suspender to hold my house keys, so I'll have 'em if I get separated from my bike in an accident. I always keep my keys and mini-wallet on me, not in the saddle bag. Most of my jerseys don't have zipper pockets so the suspender strap and Velcro leash are handy.

canklecat

Especially with that handlebar mustache with waxed tips, and tattoo of a ship.

SethAZ 

Nobody wants to see your butt crack. You may have the type of body that isn't prone to your jersey hiking up high enough during a ride when you're bent over the bars hammering away for this to be an issue, but for many of us, wearing bibs is what prevents our coin slot from making an initial public offering. It may sound like I'm joking, but I'm not. I, for one, won't ride in cycling shorts: it's bibs or bust. Oh, and they are more comfortable for the reasons others mentioned, eg: not tight around the waist, etc.

BCDrums

I have not had a junk security issue since I switched to Boure shorts about 10 years ago.

Ah, yes, coolness. I am not afflicted with it. I think of this guy:



I am surprised to hear about this. Have never seen the phenomenon and don't participate. Am not a plumber.
That sounds, um, frightening.

BCDrums

Sorry for the re-hash. My error, should have searched first.
I find Peter quite pleasant, even funny. Never asked him about bib shorts.

noodle soup

Luddite and curmudgeon describe him well.

MoAlpha

Fair enough. My relationship with him is at the family level and we've lived in different cities for 30 years, so bikes don't come up that often.

ridelikeaturtle

They're warmer and snug, eliminating any cold spots or draughts, with a lot of overlap w/your jersey and base layer, which is ideal for Spring and Autumn (or in Ireland, year-round) temps.

Sy Reene

So.. to tally a score if there is such a one.. bib shorts are positive or ok for everything except going #2 . Shouldn't the question be "what's good about non-bib shorts?"

sdmc530

LMAO..... the first time my young nephew saw my dad wearing them he said,"grandpa are you starting a wrestling carrier today?"

Bah Humbug

I had vaguely heard of the name, but figured he was in some old-man band like The Who or whatever. Looked him up out of curiosity; he's obviously not who I expected.

Bah Humbug

And how often are you going #2 while kitted out for a ride?

WhyFi

This was one of my thoughts, too. Maybe I'm fortunate, maybe I'm relatively young with a strong constitution, or maybe it's my diet, but it's exceptionally rare for a **** sneak up on me. Morning coffee, morning dump - good to go.