Let's Talk Shorts

• Posted on 14 June 2021
• By KW
• 0

Everyone knows that a good bike ride is the highlight of your day, right?  What if I told you that the highlight of your day could be even higher?  What if it were as simple as pulling on a pair of shorts before your ride?  "Hang on.  You want me to squeeze into a pair of spandex shorts before every ride?"  Exactly.  A good chamois between you and your saddle, in addition to ergonomically designed fabric panels, makes a good ride even better.

Let's start with the obvious.  There are five points of contact between you and your bike - two feet, two hands, one butt (which you could probably count as two cheeks for a total of six contact points, but I digress...).  Which of those contact points do people worry about and feel the most?  Yep.  That one.  Let's talk about why a good pair of shorts takes that out of the equation and lets you concentrate on something else.  Like the scenery.  Or the guy who just passed you on the trail.

So let's look at why the shorts and chamois are a good thing.  We'll start with the chamois.  This is the layer of padding between your... cheeks... and your saddle.  Once upon a time it was an actual chamois, made of leather.  Now they are made of synthetics and designed specifically to relieve pressure and wick moisture.  Many are even specific to male or female riders.  This pad (I'm calling it a pad now, because it's way easier to type) also provides a layer of protection from chafing, and it can be very helpful in preventing saddle sores.

The pad without the surrounding shorts, though, is a bit useless.  Part of the job of the shorts fabric is to keep everything where it belongs.  Your legs are pushing the pedals all day, which creates friction between you and the seat.  The fabric of whatever clothing you're wearing also becomes part of the friction, and depending on how many layers of fabric that is, well, you could be in for some serious discomfort.

That layer of spandex you squeeze into keeps all of that from happening.  The shorts act as a barrier between your outer layer (if you wear one) and your body.  Many people buy a "baggy" style short - mountain bikers especially - and wear a spandex insert beneath.  Road riders mostly wear their spandex solo to keep even the smallest amount of fabric from flapping in the breeze.  

Wearing spandex, whether it's a shorts liner or bibs or bike shorts, does take some getting used to, but that's mostly just putting it on.  It's really way more comfortable than it looks.  That chamois?  Might feel a little bulky for a minute, but you'll get used to that as well.  As far as fit goes, they run fairly true to size, but of course are more form-fitting.  Bibs add another element of fit - as they get larger they also get longer to a degree.  So the fairly short guy writing this, who might be an XL in other apparel, wears a size Large bibs.  Make sense?  Try them on and check it out before you buy a pair.

What are the different styles available, and what is different about each one?

 - Shorts liners are popular with MTB riders because they can be worn under a baggy pair of shorts.  The baggies act to protect legs from scratches from passing trees and things, which won't scratch all the way through to the liner.

 - Bike shorts - the ones you are probably thinking of - are worn as the outer/only layer for riding on the road or the trail.  When paired with a moisture-wicking jersey they are even more comfortable.  

 - Bibs are the bike shorts version of overalls.  The bib and shoulder straps help eliminate waistband rollover and increase comfort by removing that extra seam/point of contact at the waist of the shorts.  These are more popular with men than women for obvious reasons, but many female riders are very happy with them as well.

One more thing about wearing these items, and it will indeed make a difference.  Liners/shorts/bibs are all meant to be the ONLY layer you are wearing.  As in "no underwear" with them.  This means you wash them a little more, sure, but it also prevents the two layers of fabric from rubbing together and causing friction and chafing (we've talked about friction, right?).  So you just wear the shorts by themselves.  It will be fine.

How about caring for them?  Especially if you're not wearing your briefs?  Easy to do.  Many people hand wash them, then hang them outside to dry.  My personal care regimen has almost always been to throw them in the washing machine on a more delicate cycle (not always, though), and pitch them right in the dryer (again, not always).  You can also purchase a specific laundry detergent meant for technical fabrics; most of those also fight odor pretty well, and we all know how sweaty riding can be sometimes.

"But they're expensive!"  Yes, they are.  And they're worth it.  We make no apologies.  Our entry-level shorts are $50 a pair, and if treated well will last for many seasons.  The synthetic pad holds up much better than the old leather ones and is much easier to care for.

"But I'll look funny in them."  Yeah, you might.  There's about six people on the planet who don't, and you're likely not one of them.  But the comfort is worth it, and most people won't actually say anything to your face.

Come in and have a look.  Or even better, check them out on our e-com site.  We recommend that you come in and try them on before you buy, though. 

Hopefully this has eased your mind about what we think is an important part of riding.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact us; we'll be glad to help!