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Road bike shorts

Tony S

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The worst was a close friend that bought a brand new pair for his dream trip to France. He ended up shorts shopping over there on Day 3......but the damage was done. :(
Ouch. Yeah, never change ANYTHING for a race or a big trip. Broken-in old favorites only.
 
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Nancy Hummel

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^^^ Agree. I have a week long trip to Taos and Santa Fe in September. I want broken in shorts.
 

Tricia

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I wish Rapha's Core stuff actually fit me.
It all boils down to "what fits you"

Phil shared this image when we were talking about how ski clothing fits different people.
Bike clothing can be even more tricky

Screen Shot 2021-08-11 at 6.51.23 PM.png
 

Jwrags

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I love my Castelli Free Aero Race bibs and the pad is nice. I like them better than my Rapha because of the fit. I do like that my Rapha have pockets on each thigh, which is perfect for holding my phone.
 

princo

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I wish Rapha's Core stuff actually fit me.
Not sure if you have checked them out recently, but newer cuts have changed a bit. They are super long. I'm not a huge guy (5'-10", 168 lbs), but with relatively large thighs. A month ago I ordered some of their Core bibs in L and they and were so long that they fit me like knickers. So had to send them back.


Then one year they totally revamped the chamois without changing the name, and it was disastrous. The local PI store manager said she'd never processed so many returns.

That was a horrible change. I'm pretty much done with Pearl Izumi. Bough some bibs a couple of seasons ago and after one season (15-20 wears?) they started to fade in the frontal area. They declined the warranty claim. Had pictures comparing them to some of the previous generation, but it didn't help.
 

luliski

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Has anyone here ever tried Tenspeed Hero bibshorts? I like to wear a fun colorful kit sometimes, and I love their designs, but I've never seen them in any shop. I'm just wondering if the quality matches the price.
 
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TexasStout

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I used to be mainly a Pearl Izumi fan, but over the latter years I've found the elastic they use at the bottom of the legs has not stayed snug over time. I've switched to Castelli top of the line and am very pleased with them. Wish I had tried them sooner.
 
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Nancy Hummel

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Today, the Pealizumi Pros arrived. I did a short ride and really like these as well.
 

luliski

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Today, the Pealizumi Pros arrived. I did a short ride and really like these as well.
That's funny, I've used bike shorts from a number of different brands, and the Pearl Izumis were the only ones I really disliked. The chamois was too thick. Probably a different model than yours.
 

Rudi Riet

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Has anyone here ever tried Tenspeed Hero bibshorts? I like to wear a fun colorful kit sometimes, and I love their designs, but I've never seen them in any shop. I'm just wondering if the quality matches the price.

I have two friends (both women) who have TSH bibs and love them. I believe they're made by Cutaway, FWIW, and the Cutaway stuff is quite good.
 

luliski

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I have two friends (both women) who have TSH bibs and love them. I believe they're made by Cutaway, FWIW, and the Cutaway stuff is quite good.
Thank you, that's very helpful. I may just treat myself to one of their kits.
 

Rudi Riet

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Not sure if you have checked them out recently, but newer cuts have changed a bit. They are super long. I'm not a huge guy (5'-10", 168 lbs), but with relatively large thighs. A month ago I ordered some of their Core bibs in L and they and were so long that they fit me like knickers. So had to send them back.

I'm tall and lanky (6'3", 171 lbs) and the inseam isn't a big deal for me - I like long inseams (my pants inseam is 36", FWIW). What gets me is the overall fit for the large size is too wide (i.e. non-compressing) in the leg and seat, tho the suspenders are pretty much spot-on. For the medium, the fit in the leg and seat is perfect but the straps are too short and dig in, even when on the bike.

The higher-end Rapha bibs fit me a bit better but I can't stomach the price.

As I've said earlier on this site, bibs from Hincapie and The Black Bibs fit me really well. The former are awesome but pricey, the latter are just as awesome and are available in a tall cut in their Plus and Ultimate lines. Sure, the colorways are more limited but black goes with everything (in theory, at least).

I'm going to demo some of Eliel's stuff this weekend and will report back. I appreciate their move to source and manufacture everything here in the U.S., as well as to use recycled materials where they can.

I'm also digging Velocio's latest move to refurbish their gear and resell it at a fairly significant discount (tho the price is still far from cheap).
 

Tony S

I have a confusion to make ...
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the inseam isn't a big deal for me - I like long inseams (my pants inseam is 36", FWIW)
Okay, now I know whose likes NOT to follow. This is yet another reason I don't wear MTB shorts - they all come down to my knees or beyond. Ridiculous. 27" inseam.
 

Rudi Riet

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Okay, now I know whose likes NOT to follow. This is yet another reason I don't wear MTB shorts - they all come down to my knees or beyond. Ridiculous. 27" inseam.

To be fair, I'm not really averse to shorter inseam lengths and will always point out if an inseam is super long.

The fashion in most bike kit these days is long inseams for the shorts and taller socks with 8" to 10" cuffs. Quite a few manufacturers are offering shorter inseam variants of their wares, which helps those who don't want something as long or whose build dictates a shorter inseam.

FWIW, the "normal" inseam version of The Black Bibs is 2 inches shorter than the tall cut. Whereas the tall cut lands about 2 inches above my knees, the regular cut is like 95 percent of traditional shorts and hits 4-4.5" above the knee, which is still perfectly acceptable. The main reasons I like the longer inseam:

1. More compression of my quads; and
2. More UV protection as I have a scar from my 2014 leg surgery that's light sensitive, as well as an aversion to skin cancer (it runs in my family).

Aside from to three pair of The Black Bibs Plus Tall, a pair of Hincapie bibs, and a pair of Hill Killer bibs, most of my shorts are at the 4-5" above the knee level in either a medium or large size. On a less "stilt equipped" build they'd likely hit at the 2.5"-3" above the knee level, which should be OK for many. These include bibs from Craft, Bontrager, Champion Systems, Voler, Cutaway, and Assos.
 

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