Shorts are superior to bibs

[tsarpepe]

https://www.bikeradar.com/us/road/gear/article/cycling-bibs-vs-shorts-51258/

Maybe this piece has been discussed here already, but my search yielded nothing (or I don't know how to search the forum).

The guy sure is fun to read. I'd be interested to hear what you guys think about his strongly worded opinion.

[Matthew]

I like both but prefer bibs. After riding shorts for decades.

[hoj]

Ridden with both extensively and for me it's not even a question. The answer is always bibs.

[jtbadge]

Sure, until your jersey rides up and you have a line of bare skin to sunburn across your back.

Always bibs.

[David Tollefson]

I agree with everything he said... except he left out wrestling for sports that use straps.

Never have liked bibs. And I've tried plenty.

My only frustration with shorts is what he said - the dearth of the better chamois because the manufacturers put them only in the bibs.

[thwart]

If you factor out 'nature calls', yes bibs. Certainly.

But I don't factor those out. ;)

[David Tollefson]

Sure, until your jersey rides up and you have a line of bare skin to sunburn across your back.

Always bibs.

Yeah, the grippers argument is off - if anything they make it worse. But I've never had a gap unless it was a tri-jersey.

[Louis]

I use both, but everything else being the same, I vote shorts - they're simpler and have fewer complicating factors.

[Ronsonic]

We've discussed this. The correct answer is bibs.

[Hellgate]

Shorts are fine, until you crash in a muddy CX race and as you're sliding, the mud packs into your shorts. Try remounting with 5 lbs of mud down your drawers!

[Seramount]

shorts for me.

[Blue Jays]

Bothersome gaps are completely eliminated by wearing bibs.
Were regular shorts received for Christmas, they would be regifted.

[kramnnim]

My torso is long, bib straps are always too short. After an hour my back feels like I've been carrying a heavy backpack around.

[VC Slim]

I will take any large Pearl Izumi P.R.O. In-R-Cool 4D chamois shorts in good/excellent condition off any bib lovers hands. Top dollar paid.

[ultraman6970]

Shorts now a days are shorter at the belly area, if you have belly the short will fold, etc etc... my 1st set of bibs were "Time Le defi", that thing was just fantastic... never came back to shorts after that.

[XXtwindad]

I like the aesthetics of shorts better. I also think shorts do a better job of camouflaging my junk.

[Bradford]

My torso is long, bib straps are always too short...

For me too. No bibs are made to fit my torso. Cycling is designed around people who aren't shaped anything like me, bibs are just one of the things that doesn't work.

[Tickdoc]

Bibs>shorts every day of the week ( unless you have to poop):butt:

[Louis]

Bibs>shorts every day of the week ( unless you have to poop):butt:

Even pissing (which happens way more often than pooping) is a lot easier with shorts than bibs.

[GScot]

Bibs for me. Bought shorts when I switched to road from mountain biking. Others talked me into to trying bibs and they were right.

[tsarpepe]

Bibs>shorts every day of the week ( unless you have to poop):butt:

I have to poop every day of the week :butt:

[OtayBW]

Even pissing (which happens way more often than pooping) is a lot easier with shorts than bibs.Nope. I sure don't see that. In fact many bibs are cut lower in the front and the access is no problemo if not easier. If you have to drop a deuce, well, take care of that before you go out, will ya? :hello:

[Louis]

In fact many bibs are cut lower in the front and the access is no problemo if not easier.

Perhaps "many," but I'd say of all the bibs I have (at least a dozen) it's around 50-50. Some are either low and/or stretchy so it's not an issue, and some are high and/or stiff to where it's a hassle.

[Pearsom]

My torso is long, bib straps are always too short. After an hour my back feels like I've been carrying a heavy backpack around.

I have the same problem. I have to take my bibs to the local tailor and have him sew in an extra piece of stretchy fabric, 4 to 5 inches long, on each strap!!

[dgauthier]

People who don't like bibs have never worn bibs that fit.

[unterhausen]

I have some mtb shorts that almost work. They feel insecure. I don't see how anyone with a belly can use shorts comfortably.

I agree with the article on the downsides of bibs. I am curious about the women's bibs that have a loop that is only in the front and can be unlooped from the neck.

I wear a base layer all the time. I started because it prevents road rash, and that has worked for me a number of times. I am not as likely to fall nowadays, but I'm sure I would feel uncomfortable without it.

[robertbb]

Shorts every day of the week.

And another vote for Pearl Izumi PRO shorts. The old 4D chamois were fantastic, the new 1:1 chamois are just unbelieveable. Similar to Assos with the floating top sheet.

Anyone who thinks shorts slide down and show your back, are unstable, or have any other intrinsic issues simply because they lack straps havn't ridden shorts that fit properly. There's absolutely NO downside compared to bibs - there is only upside.

[soulspinner]

Havent worn shorts in over a decade....fat boys prefer bibs:p

[dpdan93]

shorts always fall off my a$$ :butt:

[Ralph]

Would try bibs except for the "complicating factors".

[tsarpepe]

People who don't like bibs have never worn bibs that fit.

Actually, the article says the very same thing about shorts.

[smontanaro]

Been happy with shorts my entire cycling life. Never saw the need for bibs. Still don't.

[Gummee]

Shorts are fine, until you crash in a muddy CX race and as you're sliding, the mud packs into your shorts. Try remounting with 5 lbs of mud down your drawers!

CX is for skinsuits as road is to bibs

M

[Veloo]

So there's a vote for Pearl Izumi. Any other recommendations for shorts?
I've only ever had 2 pairs and they were not top of the line. Been on bibs for decades but have wondered if design and tech have improved them over the years so they don't pinch the torso and slip down.

[Irishgirl]

I’m shorts girl for convenience...there is a fair amount of disrobing that needs to take place for a quick pee pee stop. I’d also vote for shorts to be a bit shorter in length (some shorts on a short girl can look like wanna be knickers).

I have a few bibs and wear them on longer rides. I find I don’t do any tugging or adjusting.

Just picked up the new Rapha Cargo bibs- these bibs have a side pocket that looks similar to the Lululemon leggings with the side leg pockets. The side pocket will make it easier to access to my phone...which may be a curse and/or blessing.


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[Mzilliox]

I have both, tried wearing shorts on the trainer this year, they dont stay in place. Seems pretty simple physics to me. they fit, or if they dont then none do. I have 4 pairs, one is bound to fit, everything fits me, im mr medium, so im not buying that argument one bit.

There is absolutely no contest that bibs win this. Its not like i want to look stupid out there in them, its that they are better for the thing i do so i allow that i look stupid.

this is an article about a guy who doesnt like bibs.

[benb]

The guy has issues, who has 30 pairs of bibs/shorts? I haven't owned that many pairs in 20 years!

That's something between $3000-6000 in bibs/shorts most likely, and why would you ever need so many pairs unless you're so bad at washing clothes that your bibs & shorts have probably grown into a Superfund site in the laundry basket cause you're too lazy to wash them? Learn to wash clothes and take the saved money and buy a couple more bikes!

I have pretty much always been a bib guy ever since I got over the cost of bibs vs shorts. I rode 2-3 seasons with cheap shorts before switching to bibs.

I think I have 6-7 pairs.. of those I wear the 4 Assos pairs (2 of which go back to 2011) 99% of the time. I'm skinny, Assos fits me. Most of the American stuff, not so much. Most of the rest of them were bad ideas/attempts to find something cheaper than Assos that works. The cost/value equation never works out on anything else for me. I get the cheapest Assos at about $200 they last like 4x longer than a lot of the $100-150 pairs I've tried and they're actually comfortable.

[Alan]

I use AeroTech shorts exclusively and really like them. See link below to the best shorts I have tried. I like shorts vs bibs.

https://www.aerotechdesigns.com/aero-tech-mens-all-day-cycling-shorts-with-reflective-side-pockets/

Alan

[Hellgate]

CX is for skinsuits as road is to bibs



MOh I learned my lesson! The next five years was skinsuit only for CX.

[cderalow]

Sure, until your jersey rides up and you have a line of bare skin to sunburn across your back.

Always bibs.

this is what made me get bibs. one ride where my jersey wouldn't stay put while wearing shorts and a terrible sunburn later. i'm a back sleeper so it screwed me up for a couple of days.

The guy has issues, who has 30 pairs of bibs/shorts? I haven't owned that many pairs in 20 years!

That's something between $3000-6000 in bibs/shorts most likely, and why would you ever need so many pairs unless you're so bad at washing clothes that your bibs & shorts have probably grown into a Superfund site in the laundry basket cause you're too lazy to wash them? Learn to wash clothes and take the saved money and buy a couple more bikes!

I have pretty much always been a bib guy ever since I got over the cost of bibs vs shorts. I rode 2-3 seasons with cheap shorts before switching to bibs.

I think I have 6-7 pairs.. of those I wear the 4 Assos pairs (2 of which go back to 2011) 99% of the time. I'm skinny, Assos fits me. Most of the American stuff, not so much. Most of the rest of them were bad ideas/attempts to find something cheaper than Assos that works. The cost/value equation never works out on anything else for me. I get the cheapest Assos at about $200 they last like 4x longer than a lot of the $100-150 pairs I've tried and they're actually comfortable.

I've got 10 pairs of bibs. gives me enough to wear a pair for my morning commute and a clean pair for my afternoon commute, and have a couple days of extras. hand wash, line dry, means they can take more than a day for the chamois to fully dry out, especially during the summer when we hit the humid months.

It took me 3 or 4 brands to find a chamois that really fit me down there properly. I went though some pearl izumi, gore, assos and finally wound up with Rapha.

so yes. 10 pairs of bibs is an easy $2000, even with some bought on sale.

but any sort of item I'm going to wear for 1-12 hours a day, I'm going to spend money to make sure it's comfortable for me. because there's nothing more obnoxious than being uncomfortable because of some clothing item.

[cfox]

Bibs = Spanx™ effect. Priceless. So, bibs.

[dgauthier]

Actually, the article says the very same thing about shorts.

Your comment sent me back to read the article again. :)

Unless I'm missing it, he doesn't really talk specifics about fit, but only says shorts and bibs should be "second skin tight." Then (surprise surprise) he complains bibs pull up on his crotch and the straps dig into his shoulders and rub his nipples raw. They even squeeze his stomach and chest! Obviously, his bibs are *too small*.

Bibs should be tight enough that the material isn't loose or baggy, but not so tight they dig in, bind, rub, or cause discomfort in any way. One should immediately forget one is wearing anything, like being naked.

When bibs fit, they don't need to be "second skin tight." They just cling lightly, applying the same even pressure everywhere. That's why bibs are better than shorts: shorts that cling lightly everywhere need to be tighter at the waistband to hold them up.

[fellowsun]

Tried both; much prefer bibs. The waistband-less feeling of a bib is supremely comfortable in my opinion.

[makoti]

I’m shorts girl for convenience...there is a fair amount of disrobing that needs to take place for a quick pee pee stop.


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I have seen ads for bibs that have a zipper in the back for nature breaks. Never tried them, so can't vouch for comfort, but they seem like a good option.

[pdonk]

I used to hate bibs, hated that the straps were not long enough, hated the extra layer of fabric on my back, hated the extra fabric on my stomach - really hated everything about them. Then I got a pair that fit and now could not imagine road riding in shorts.

I find it odd that jerseys have become so short that bibs are required, maybe it is in response to my comment about having double layers of fabric?

For mountain biking, I'll stick with shorts, partially due to $$$ if they get snagged.

In terms of brands I like - love donkey label (3 pairs I paid for) amazing chamois, just the right compression and the torso is long enough for me, like biemme (10 pairs I have gotten as part of charity team kit - wear them from time to time), HATE Hincapie (had 6 pairs for free over time - all in the dumpster after the event as the chamois and fit were horrible), disliked older (8 years or more) Louis Garneau, Sugoi and castelli.

In terms of shorts - I have probably have 3-4 pairs of sugoi that are really good.

[Duende]

Bibs for road riding

Bibs under casual shorts for all day rec/gravel riding.

:)

[cmbicycles]

I use AeroTech shorts exclusively and really like them. See link below to the best shorts I have tried. I like shorts vs bibs.



https://www.aerotechdesigns.com/aero-tech-mens-all-day-cycling-shorts-with-reflective-side-pockets/



AlanThey make decent tall sized bibs too. I'm 6'5" and the straps and legs are good lengths for me... comfortable too.

[notsew]

Dude has all those bibs and can't buy a pair that fits. weird.

#bibs4life

[KonaSS]

Fake news, click bait, etc.

Fine if he and others prefer shorts. To each there own. Some guys like boxers, some like briefs. But I would bet the vast majority of serious cyclists prefer bibs, and it isn't that we are being hoodwinked in the name of tradition.

[benb]

I've got 10 pairs of bibs. gives me enough to wear a pair for my morning commute and a clean pair for my afternoon commute, and have a couple days of extras. hand wash, line dry, means they can take more than a day for the chamois to fully dry out, especially during the summer when we hit the humid months.

It took me 3 or 4 brands to find a chamois that really fit me down there properly. I went though some pearl izumi, gore, assos and finally wound up with Rapha.

so yes. 10 pairs of bibs is an easy $2000, even with some bought on sale.

but any sort of item I'm going to wear for 1-12 hours a day, I'm going to spend money to make sure it's comfortable for me. because there's nothing more obnoxious than being uncomfortable because of some clothing item.

Sure I get how you get 10 in the process of figuring out what works. The # gets inflated as you buy more trying to find what works and then don't get rid of stuff cause who wants used bibs/shorts, and they cost a lot of money so you don't want to throw them out.

But there's a big difference between 10 and 30, and this guy seems to have figured out what he likes a long time ago if he has strong enough convictions to write an article.

I might actually have 8. I'd have to go look. But I wear the 4 pairs of Assos unless I have no choice. The others are just in there cause I tried something and it was a bad experiment.

That said for me I think the position of my cleats has way more to do with comfort than brand of chamois. Bad cleat position = sitbones rocking around in the saddle = bad news.

[GScot]

I have seen ads for bibs that have a zipper in the back for nature breaks. Never tried them, so can't vouch for comfort, but they seem like a good option.

I pictured a vertical zipper going right down the middle. :banana: That can't be right.

[cderalow]

Sure I get how you get 10 in the process of figuring out what works. The # gets inflated as you buy more trying to find what works and then don't get rid of stuff cause who wants used bibs/shorts, and they cost a lot of money so you don't want to throw them out.

But there's a big difference between 10 and 30, and this guy seems to have figured out what he likes a long time ago if he has strong enough convictions to write an article.

I might actually have 8. I'd have to go look. But I wear the 4 pairs of Assos unless I have no choice. The others are just in there cause I tried something and it was a bad experiment.

That said for me I think the position of my cleats has way more to do with comfort than brand of chamois. Bad cleat position = sitbones rocking around in the saddle = bad news.

I've probably had closer to 20 pairs at this point. I've got 10 pairs of various styles of rapha that are in my regular rotation.

others have been relegated to the bin.

[benb]

Yah I've definitely had 20, maybe 30 pairs, but I doubt I ever went above 10 max.

I had quite a few disappointing pairs that didn't last more than a season or two.

[DarkStar]

Stopped wearing shorts in the mid eighties, never fit properly.

[makoti]

I pictured a vertical zipper going right down the middle. :banana: That can't be right.

I actually think it was/is, but it's high enough to not be an issue (I think). No matter, if I was a woman looking for bibs, I'd look here: https://velocio.cc/collections/womens-bibs-shorts-tights/products/womens-signature-bib-short

[mtechnica]

The only way shirts are superior to bibs is if you have to take a dump and don’t want to take off your jersey.

[Elefantino]

It really doesn't matter one way or another.

[Irishgirl]

The only way shirts are superior to bibs is if you have to take a dump and don’t want to take off your jersey.



The typo in this conjures odd visuals...


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[GOTHBROOKS]

george costanza takes his shirt off when he goes too.

[mtechnica]

The typo in this conjures odd visuals...


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Sorry I can’t rely on my phone I guess. Also add having to pee along with dump for the sake of completeness ;)

[rnhood]

My torso is long, bib straps are always too short. After an hour my back feels like I've been carrying a heavy backpack around.

Same here. I've given up on bibs. Shorts work great for me, and that's what I stick with.

[R3awak3n]

The only way shirts are superior to bibs is if you have to take a dump and don’t want to take off your jersey.

yep. exactly.

[buddybikes]

Riding with insulin pump, shorts are only way to go. Tried weaving 24" tubing around bibs but didnt work comfortably

[johnniecakes]

I prefer bibs but ride what you like. Doesn't change my world either way

[bikingshearer]

Havent worn shorts in over a decade....fat boys prefer bibs:p

^^^This.

I also agree with the "ride what you like" philosophy. You hate bibs? Then don't wear them. But one has to wonder: Why, BITD day when bibs did not exist, did so many pros have suspenders holding up their shorts?

[David Tollefson]

But one has to wonder: Why, BITD day when bibs did not exist, did so many pros have suspenders holding up their shorts?

Wool.