Are any of those worth the money? Or should I be looking elsewhere?
Any help would be great.
A side question would be, how would I size a bike jersey? Just the same as T-shirts? I have yet to find a medium T-shirt that doesn’t fit me, but sometimes for hoodies I wear a large (only asian brands).
Cycle shorts I really like are Novara Strada road shorts. They have a lot of padding and are really comfy. I usually get a size larger than what I should get b/c I like the shorts not extremely constraining.
Jerseys…it is different on the brand. I usually wear small t-shirts and sometimes medium, but I usually go with buying a medium jersey. You should probably go to a shop and try on the jerseys you like and see the fitting.
First off, I’d only recommend the baggie style, not the spandex! Second, you never know what your’re getting when you buy clothes online; they may not fit for starters. Second, biking shorts vary wildly in quality. You want to make sure the crotch/butt pad is THICK and absorbant; many of these biking shorts have very little padding, making them utterly usless, or at best, unsatisfactory for long rides.
If you get the spandex ones though then you can wear whatever shorts you want on top of them to make them baggy. That is basically all the baggy shorts are anyway it is the regular bike shorts inside baggy shorts. That way you can wear them with shorts, sweat pants, windbreakers, rain pants, anything.
True, but the baggies I have are adjustable around the waist, and all the plain spandex I’ve seen aren’t. I also slit the leg area of the spandex part under my baggies so they’re not so snug on my legs and won’t ride up as much, lol!
I guess the one good thing about the spandex part, is that is keeps the outer, baggy part from rubbing on your legs when your riding.
I prefer “not-baggies” because you can wear any shorts or pants over them, and I’ve never seen a pair of baggy shorts that have anywhere near as nice padding as the “not-baggies”. I would start with something inexpensive (not the single panel padding though), and work your way up until you’re comfortable.
My favorite “jerseys” are the cheap polyester “t-shirts” made for sports in general. You can find them in Target (or something similar) for 1/3 or 1/4 of the price of a typical bike jersey. I think you can probably size a bike jersey the same as a t-shirt–that seems to work for me.
+1 on the tight ones + whichever shorts or pants you want over them. That’s what I do. Try several sizes in your LBS to figure out the best size, several brands too, since w/ some companies they can run small or large.
I’d be interested in specifically which cheap ones work.
On several of the ones I’ve gotten the stink will not wash out, including some $12 ones by Cherokee at Target and $30 ones by REI:(
For Coker riding I’ve been trying Kucharik shorts with a real chamois pad. The price is reasonable even with the real chamois. They have 6 panel or 8 panel shorts with the chamois.
The chamois is nice for Cokering. You do have to use chamois cream with it and keep the chamois treated well or it will dry out. Old school.
For muni style riding I’m not sitting on the saddle constantly so can get by with modern style cycling shorts with the new tech pads.
First thing I would say is stay away from Ebay if you care about fast shipping! Most internet “stores” have a delivery guarantee, such as Amazon, who promises to ship out your order in 24-48 hours in most cases. Ebay hasn’t any such guarantee, since you never know who you’re buying from, and if there is any conflict in the payment process, who knows how long it’ll take for your order to arrive.
I’m going to second (or third or fourth) the advice to avoid the integrated shorts (“baggies”). Lycra shorts are much more comfortable as they hug your body and keep “everything” in place, whereas integrated shorts don’t. If you’re conscious about your looks, you can always slap on a pair of trunks or whatever over top of the lycra shorts.
I’d also second the advice to try on a few pairs of shorts in a store before ordering… sizes do vary between manufacturers and unless you know your size well, it’s a crap shoot when ordering online.
Same here. Performance bike has a number of shorts available for $30 USD or less that fit me quite well and are semi-comfortable for long rides (after all, is anything comfortable after three hours in the saddle?)
FWIW, Performance bike has a sizing chart online, and it’s pretty accurate. Even though I’m a large in most gear, their chart sizes me to a medium, and my medium shorts fit me perfectly.
We’ve found the most comfotable, functional mix to be a high quality pair of spandex bike shorts (with the new tech pad) and over these, loose fitting board shorts (Quiksilver, Rusty, et al, all available for cheap at places like Ross and other outlets). Chepo bike shorts will work for short tech muniing, but once the trail gets over 10 or so miles long, it’s best to bite the bullet and spend some money on one really good pair of bike shorts. I save these for the long rides and use cheapos for everything else.
I find the integrated shorts too thin and they fit funky. Try the bike short/board short combo and you’ll never go back.
Well given how completely uninformative that web site is, I’m surprised the JC post did not include more details on how specifically to order the chamois shorts, and which shorts specifically you have tried with good chamois results. You know there are people out here–not just me–that hang on your every product recommendation.
That’s a matter of personal taste. I find them appropriate for road riding, but less useful for the trails, where pockets are much nicer to have. And apparently some people would rather die than be seen in spandex bike shorts. I was part of the first generation of unicyclists at the conventions to wear bike shorts. We got laughed at at first, until people started trying them. Then they shut up. I was also in the first generation of people to use Camelbaks at the big conventions. They laughed at us then too, but only for the first few hours.
The only downside to wearing conventional shorts over bike shorts is the possibility of thick seams in the crotch. Choose your regular shorts carefully and you can find great combinations. Use the wrong shorts and they’ll make a pair of high-end bike shorts feel no better than Fruit of the Looms.
With integrated (“mountain bike”) shorts, I have found a full range from funky fit/thin padding to excellent. Shop carefully and you may find something that works for you. But the combination of spandex bike shorts and conventional shorts over them (or not) is the most flexible, allowing you to mix and match.
A loose outer shorts over traditional spandex bike shorts is functional for muni. The outer shorts protect the spandex shorts from getting ripped when you fall on your butt. Ripping spandex shorts gets to be expensive.
For road riding it’s just a matter of personal preference and whether you want to have the casual look or the serious road bike racer look. For very long Coker rides you may find it more comfortable and less bother to forgo the loose outer shorts and just wear the spandex shorts cause the outer shorts can bunch up and cause discomfort on a long ride.
I had no idea people hang on my every word. Now that I know that I’m going to have to pepper my product recommendations with references to proper espresso, proper beer, and proper music.
Kucharik is popular with some on the randonneuring circuit. Classic cycling clothing available in wool, available with a traditional real leather chamois, reasonable prices, and old school flavor.
A real leather chamois has some advantages but is also something that requires maintenance and attention. The leather takes longer to dry so if you’re on a tour or riding every day you’ll need a few extra pairs cause you won’t be able to wash the shorts and have them air dry by the next day. Modern synthetic padded shorts can generally air dry in a day or so. Leather chamois shorts take longer. You also need to use chamois cream on the pad to keep it soft and healthy.
I have one pair of the 6 panel shorts with the real chamois and one pair with the ultra suede pad. I’m trying them to see how they work and how I like them. I don’t like the ultra suede pad for cokering. The pad is too “gritty”, you can feel the fabric weave after sitting on them for a while. The real chamois has been nice so far but I haven’t tried it on any long rides. If the real chamois option continues to work out I’ll be getting a few more of the shorts. The real chamois option is only $12 more than the basic ultra suede option. Quite a deal especially considering that very few companies are still offering an option for the real leather chamois.
