Mayberry32

Converted from mountain biking and bought a road bike last summer. I've been averaging 100 miles/ week , woth 53 miles being my longest ride to date. I'm training for a double century in May, about 10 weeks away: 220 miles in 2 days. Will a better bib help on those longer rides? Even at 50 miles, I find my rear is sore the following day. Can someone recommend a few good bibs with ample padding? If it helps, I'm 6'1", about 200 lbs and average build. I tend to wear XL in the bibs I've tried. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Doge

I think any will do for 220 miles. This may be a seat issue. The trend lately has been bigger pads.
My opinion is go smaller pad, better seat, better seat fit. If it is broken in - can't beat a Brooks.
Big pads are like diapers.

TrojanHorse

When you say "sore" what do you mean by "sore" and please don't get too graphic. The usual suspects are that you need a more suitable saddle, or better bibs, or maybe you just need to use chamois butter to help with uh, moisture management. I would say you need to acclimate to riding but it sounds like you've been doing plenty.

My favorite distance bibs are Assos. Second favorite are Castelli with their progetto x2 air chamois or whatever they call it. Some folks will tell you Performance Ultra bibs are good but mine fit a little funky. I think I should have gone one size up.

Whatever you do, do NOT use something new the day of your long ride - you want to debug it before you go on a long ride. Good luck!

Mayberry32

Not overly sore....just sore points on my sit bones. They normally feel better next day after 5 miles are so, but nothing like starting off a ride with an already sore ass. I already use chammois butter and it works to prevent chafing and raw spots. I tried numerous saddles and was fit shortly after I got the bike. I ended up with a Specialized Power. It has a large cutout and a shortened nose. It was the best for me to prevent numbness down under.

TrojanHorse

Well, you might just need to do more, longer rides. Your butt is likely to get sore after a long day in the saddle, you are not a 140 waif like the pro tour guys you know! Make sure you stand up and pedal out of the saddle every now and then to get the blood flowing all through your posterior.

Fox Farm

Have you tried using chamois cream on either the insert or better yet on you? I put a little on the areas that take some chaffing and no problems.

Blue Church2

I'm 6'3" and around 217-220 pounds. I have a performance bike kit, a Zoca kit, and World Jerseys kit and have done 70 mile rides in them without being sore.

You might need a new saddle, and maybe sit bones checked to make sure that what you use will match your bone structure to have the best combo possible. Having a bike fit will also help so you aren't putting pressure where you don't need to.

Maelochs

Yeah, that's a seat issue, not a shorts issue. There is no way to put enough padding into a bib to compensate for having too much pressure on the pelvic loops we sit on, on a bike.

Possibly if you got fit shortly after buying ther bike, you have changed your riding position as you got more fit ... it is hard to get a good fit on a brand new bike in a bike shop, before you know exactly how you will ride it.

I am fat and soft and weak and I can do 50 miles with zero butt soreness. Of course, I carry about 20 lbs of internal seat cushion. But I also have a saddle which really fits me.

Sy Reene

Whatever you end up doing, I'd suggest getting 2 bibs.. ie. a clean one for the 2nd day, unless you have a way of doing laundry the night after the first day.

shelbyfv

I think the sitbone pressure soreness will go away with more miles. Try riding 2 days in a row. Sometimes there is an initial tenderness that will subside after a few minutes in the saddle. The worst problem caused by shorts is chafing, which you seem to have under control. FWIW, what you are planning is back to back centuries. A double century is 200 miles in one day.

thin_concrete

While not at that mileage, I like my Castellis over my Pearl Izumi and Performance bibs as they have a better pad. That said, I agree with others that have suggested it may be a saddle issue.

rpenmanparker 

That is correct. Padded bibs cannot make up for the wrong saddle. Better to have the right saddle and minimal padding in the shorts. And by the way OP, 220 miles in 2 days is a formidiable ride, but it is not a double century. A double century is 200 miles in one day.

rpenmanparker 

And please tell us whether you mean chafed and raw or just muscle sore. Or even sore where a bone supports your weight.

Mayberry32

Thanks for all the replies. I think I'll take the bike in and have a fit done, now that I have been riding a while. I corrected many of the issues I had by minor adjustments in the beginning. But, I don't want to get into the 2nd day of this ride and have to bail because of pain, soreness, etc. the saddle ,overall, feels good. But, that could be it. Thank you for all the replies. I think I'll also check out some Assos and Castelli bibs. I only have 2 pairs and probably need a few more, as I ride more and more.

TimothyH

I agree with those who say ride more. Muscles get stronger, skin gets tougher and the area in general gets used to long days in the saddle.

lupy

I think it might be the saddle. I thought I was comfortable on a specialized romin, but I chafed like crazy! I spent $200+ on bibs and it didn't help. I was going through cream/glide like crazy. I finally switched saddles (a few times), and I don't have those issues anymore. Its annoying as all get out trying to get a new saddle, but assuming you have a good trial program its cheaper than buying bibs all the time. That being said, if performance ultra's fit you properly they are awesome for the money! I'm not a huge fan of the way the fold over the top (a little stiff), but I still like them. The LG's I have are super soft and not as fluffy. I like them most for shorter rides. My favorite that I own is sugoi. I haven't tried all the brands, but thats my take. GL!

tarwheel 

Bibs shouldn't make a bit of different with regard to saddle discomfort. They are preferred by many because they don't bunch up at the waist or slide down. Saddle comfort is more related to quality and thickness of the pad, as well as chamois cream. Also, just conditioning your butt to riding more miles if you are ramping up.

rpenmanparker 

OP is not comparing bibs to standard shorts. He is talking about the shorts area of the bibs. It wouldn't matter which type he wore.

Drew Eckhardt 

Perhaps, although you might have saddle shape issues and your butt probably has yet to toughen up.

You do not want ample padding.

Cycling your weight is supported by your ischial tuberoisities



With nothing else in your anatomy solid in the area, you will sink into any short/saddle padding until your sit bones come to rest on something firm. With ample padding in short or saddle that will compress soft tissues in the area including important things like your pudendal nerve. The compression is worse when you have extra fat with more weight pushing down and additional built-in padding (I've ridden with 70+ pounds of middle-age spread).

I like my Boure PRO shorts for rides out to 9-12 hours but expect they'll work for longer - my patience for riding didn't outlast daylight until middle age, and I didn't notice until this year. They use a flat synthetic leather chamois without appreciable padding so there's nothing to sink into. Shorts in the 1990s were made the same way and worked as well.



My Voler Black Label shorts have an Elastic Interace Technology (they also make pads for Rapha and Assos) pad with 120kg/m^3 foam in the sit bone area so I (at a 135-137 pound riding weight) can't sink far enough to cause problems, although I still prefer the Boures for long rides.



(Both come in short and bib form, have return guarantees, and are made in America with direct sales only. Boure does custom for 20% more if your shape differs from average).

Otherwise I wouldn't try to ride any significant distance in modern diaper shorts - contemporary Pearl Izumi/Louis Garneau/Performance shorts have all been less comfortable after 2-3 hours than more traditional shorts are riding sunrise to sunset.

eric1971

If you are going to check out Assos, be sure to purchase from the factory outlet. Don't pay full retail price.

https://www.assosfactoryoutlet.com/

I've been very happy with my Assos bibs on long (up to 100 mile) rides.

Dan333SP

I don't know how your positioning is on the bike, but the Power saddle in particular is designed for riders who are using an aggressive hip angle. Think someone riding almost in a time-trial position on a road bike- flat back, hips rotated forward, ect.

If you're relatively new to road biking, chances are your saddle to bar drop isn't deep enough to really allow you to ride that saddle the way it's intended to be ridden. In that case, you may well be better off with a different saddle like maybe a Romin or a Toupe.

I love specialized saddles and I'm on a Toupe 143mm saddle now, the Romin is a little less flat from front to back. Having a longer saddle lets you slide around more and change the pressure points, which in my experience leads to a reduction in numbness.

Maybe go back to that shop and see if they'll let you swap it for a few different models to find out whether any of them work better.

Ultimately, we all eventually realize your butt is just going to hurt at a certain point, there's no miracle other than a recumbent.

Mayberry32

One more question, and I'll leave you all alone. Where do kost order their bibs online? I've bought from Nashbar before and had good experience. Anywhere else? Another bike related site, amazon?

GuitarWizard

Assos > all else

LAJ

Home Page - Bouré Bicycle Clothing

bored117 

I find Sugoi Formula FX(E) works wonderfully for me when I can't constantly put too much power... (longer rides). They feel thicker than some but that goes away after some ride and never had chafing or major discomfort on any of my ride with them... I have 2 well used ones and 2 brand new I am keeping in back stock once one of them wear bit more