How long is the life on your bib shorts!?
09-01-18, 07:48 PM
#26
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I suspect that my bibs last 3-4 years, depending upon how much I use them. I like some better than others, so they obviously wear more. For me, they tend to wear in the groin and then in the butt.
09-02-18, 04:47 AM
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Funny this should come up today, as the past couple of days I've ridden with my oldest shorts, which are about five years old. They got a lot of wear at first before I accumulated more, but then there was a season where I only wore team kit, so I'm guessing they've seen maybe 80 washings, tops, maybe as few as 50. The pair that are printed dark blue look the shoddiest, since white fibers have come through to the outer surface. Their elasticity has also suffered the most, and they feel pretty flimsy. The other pair have an applied logo, which is cracked and peeling. They don't feel quite as flimsy, but they were slightly thicker to begin with. Not sure how much the chamois has degraded on either, as I don't have a good sense of how dense or cushy they ever were, but they definitely aren't so great now. They're both serviceable, though, and the less frequently I wear them, the longer they last. 
The real bummer is when a new pair gets damaged. I'd installed a bell on top of the headset of the Casati for a ride that required it, and the other day, as I was out of the saddle starting off at an intersection, somehow I got the front of one of my newest pairs of shorts caught on the spring of the striker. As I struggled to untangle it, it created a little hole.
Well, it's not indecent or revealing really - not something anyone is going to even see except when standing around - but unless there's some way of repairing it, no way am I showing up to a group ride with those shorts again. 
Maybe when I have occasion to wear overshorts again, like I used to.... 
The real bummer is when a new pair gets damaged. I'd installed a bell on top of the headset of the Casati for a ride that required it, and the other day, as I was out of the saddle starting off at an intersection, somehow I got the front of one of my newest pairs of shorts caught on the spring of the striker. As I struggled to untangle it, it created a little hole.
Well, it's not indecent or revealing really - not something anyone is going to even see except when standing around - but unless there's some way of repairing it, no way am I showing up to a group ride with those shorts again. Maybe when I have occasion to wear overshorts again, like I used to....
09-02-18, 07:05 AM
#29
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I ride about 2K mi./yr. For the past 3-4 years I've been using Assos bibs. I buy them on sale 'cause that's the only way I can afford them. Usually about $130 ea. I have not seen any appreciable wear or degradation.
09-02-18, 08:13 AM
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Not long after I started this threaded I switch to Assos bibs, been using them ever since with no real sign of wear except the chamois might be a bit softer then when it was new. They have probably 20k kms on them. Don’t mind at all paying a little more for this type of quality and comfort. Worth every cent.
09-03-18, 04:43 AM
#31
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Not a bib person, and I weigh 230 lbs so am hard on shorts. With decent quality shorts (usually seem to be Pearl Izumi and/or Garneau) I will get 2-3 years, 4-6,000 miles out of a pair (washing machine and dryer cleaning) before something starts to go.
I bought a new road bike with a slightly different geometry and a new seat from my long time touring bike, and went to a saddle bag vs. rear rack and trunk at the same time. I promptly wore holes in the upper inner thigh of every pair of cycling shorts I wore, until I noticed on about the 4th ride. I think the change in seat width and maybe geometry meant chubby inner thigh was rubbing on a velcro strap on the saddle bag. New more vertical/thinner saddle bag with different strap setup solved that - seem to be back to normal wear-wise.
I see Assos does have one non-bib pair, after all the recommends here I'll buy a pair and try them out.
I bought a new road bike with a slightly different geometry and a new seat from my long time touring bike, and went to a saddle bag vs. rear rack and trunk at the same time. I promptly wore holes in the upper inner thigh of every pair of cycling shorts I wore, until I noticed on about the 4th ride. I think the change in seat width and maybe geometry meant chubby inner thigh was rubbing on a velcro strap on the saddle bag. New more vertical/thinner saddle bag with different strap setup solved that - seem to be back to normal wear-wise.
I see Assos does have one non-bib pair, after all the recommends here I'll buy a pair and try them out.
09-09-18, 07:12 PM
#32
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For the last 10 years or so I have used only Pearl Izumi. You get what you pay for. I don't pamper my shorts as I wash and dry them with my other cycling clothes. I do hang them up to dry after use before I put them in hamper.
I have 7 pair that I use in rotation. After 7 days of riding I do cycling laundry. I have another 7 pair of bibs too thin to use by themselves that I use under tights in cooler weather.
I am guessing I get roughly 4-500 rides out of a pair of bibs before they are too ratty to even wear under tights. I am fortunate to be able to ride 7-9,000 miles a year and ride in all types of weather and road conditions.
As another post said, it all depends.
I have 7 pair that I use in rotation. After 7 days of riding I do cycling laundry. I have another 7 pair of bibs too thin to use by themselves that I use under tights in cooler weather.
I am guessing I get roughly 4-500 rides out of a pair of bibs before they are too ratty to even wear under tights. I am fortunate to be able to ride 7-9,000 miles a year and ride in all types of weather and road conditions.
As another post said, it all depends.
09-09-18, 11:04 PM
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I ride 2-3 times/wk, so I have time to put my gear through the wash between rides - normal wash, air dry. So, I have one pair of "summer" bibs, and a thicker pair of bib knicks for winter. I imagine I'll get a couple of years out of each pair
09-09-18, 11:14 PM
#34
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spandex rubber threads wore out, the nylon remains. 'shammy' pad keeps from privates showing
they're 20+ years old..
I have regular bike shorts now.. bike tour kit, 3, not bibs ..
they're 20+ years old..
I have regular bike shorts now.. bike tour kit, 3, not bibs ..
09-10-18, 12:31 PM
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Alright, somewhat old thread and I'm committing SACRILEGE here by admitting this: but my COTTON .... YES COTTON cycling shorts last about 1 yr/3000 miles. I wear THE ONLY COTTON CYCLING SHORTS WITH A CHAMOIS PAD MADE!!! (That I'm aware of and my online research confirms). They're "Canari Core shorts" 90% cotton/10% spandex. No they aren't "Bib shorts". They fade to brown, the stiching around the chamois at the back of the shorts rips and the synthetic chamois flattens to 1/2 thickness to the point of being shot after about 1 yr/3000 miles. But they cost only $20 !!! Contrary to popular belief cotton is 'just fine' as a cycling clothing material. So what if it absorbs sweat!? As long as you're not riding in EXTREME HEAT/HUMIDITY you won't sweat enough to flood the shorts, and they don't 'retain body odor' (That's B.S.), maybe just the underarms of Tshirts, but that's if you wear them for days w/o washing them. MAN these shorts are COMFORTABLE and have enough spandex to hold their shape snugly enough but not TOO snug. I wear regular thin cotton Tshirts on under 30 mile rides where I don't need to carry food items in jersey pockets. I know I'm gonna get sneers from the 'Bike snobs' for admitting this but I don't care. I just LOVE the feel of cotton against my skin. Lycra/spandex just feels like I'm wearing plastic clothes. I never liked the feel. I PREFER Merino wool but its WAY TOO EXPENSIVE and I'm a tightwad$ so I wear cotton. So does Lon Haldeman, the famous RAAM winner. He PREFERS wearing regular cotton Tshirts riding his bike and I GUARANTEE he's a MUCH BETTER cyclist than you or I.
09-10-18, 12:36 PM
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I have a pair of Performance bibs that I've had for years, probably 7 or 8. They're about ready to be tossed now though. I've found that by rinsing them after riding and line drying them inside out in the sun until they are just dry and only machine washing them after about every 5 rides really prolongs the life. Salt in your sweat really eats away at them so rinsing right away gets rid of that and the line-drying in the sun provides disinfection.
09-10-18, 03:45 PM
#37
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Woolite, not detergent.
Gentle/Delicate cycle in the machine. Might as well get your money's worth from that expensive front loader.
Mesh wash bags protect the garment while in the machine. $37 wash bags from Rapha are neither fashionable nor necessary. Walmart wash bags will do, or Target if you feel the need to upscale.
Drying clothes in the sun doesn't disinfect them.
-Tim-
Gentle/Delicate cycle in the machine. Might as well get your money's worth from that expensive front loader.
Mesh wash bags protect the garment while in the machine. $37 wash bags from Rapha are neither fashionable nor necessary. Walmart wash bags will do, or Target if you feel the need to upscale.
Drying clothes in the sun doesn't disinfect them.
-Tim-
09-10-18, 04:18 PM
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The real bummer is when a new pair gets damaged. I'd installed a bell on top of the headset of the Casati for a ride that required it, and the other day, as I was out of the saddle starting off at an intersection, somehow I got the front of one of my newest pairs of shorts caught on the spring of the striker. As I struggled to untangle it, it created a little hole. Well, it's not indecent or revealing really - not something anyone is going to even see except when standing around - but unless there's some way of repairing it, no way am I showing up to a group ride with those shorts again. Maybe when I have occasion to wear overshorts again, like I used to....
Well, it's not indecent or revealing really - not something anyone is going to even see except when standing around - but unless there's some way of repairing it, no way am I showing up to a group ride with those shorts again. Maybe when I have occasion to wear overshorts again, like I used to.... 
09-25-18, 03:57 PM
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for me it was when my riding partner said hey I can see your butt through the large hole in your shorts......
09-25-18, 09:32 PM
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I came up on a rider tonight who was having a chit chat with is buddy. Due to car traffic I had to sit behind them for a couple of minutes. His shorts were see-through too. Definitely not a good sight. I was tempted to say something as I rode past them but held my tongue. I'm sure (hopeful?) his riding buddy will tell him.
09-26-18, 07:20 AM
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Woolite, not detergent.
Gentle/Delicate cycle in the machine. Might as well get your money's worth from that expensive front loader.
Mesh wash bags protect the garment while in the machine. $37 wash bags from Rapha are neither fashionable nor necessary. Walmart wash bags will do, or Target if you feel the need to upscale.
Drying clothes in the sun doesn't disinfect them.
-Tim-
Gentle/Delicate cycle in the machine. Might as well get your money's worth from that expensive front loader.
Mesh wash bags protect the garment while in the machine. $37 wash bags from Rapha are neither fashionable nor necessary. Walmart wash bags will do, or Target if you feel the need to upscale.
Drying clothes in the sun doesn't disinfect them.
-Tim-
09-26-18, 03:34 PM
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I have had very good luck with pearl izumi and primal shorts. Has anyone had the opportunity to try the Oakley bib shorts yet?
