cycle shorts for women

[sarahpink]

okay i think i am going to be brave and invest in some cycle shorts but im clueless on where to start or what to buy. im not sure if i want the really tight lycra short ones lol in fact i am certain i don't but where does that leave me, do baggy ones still give support? im also fairly small in size and most size 8's don't fit me.

any advice would be much appreciated

 

[Globalti]

Corinne Dennis specialises in women's cycle kit: http://www.corinnedennis.co.uk/

Minx Girl looks a bit more kewl: http://www.minx-girl.com/

(Just going to nip back there to look for a saddle for Mrs Gti.....)

And of course there's always good old Wiggle, whose own brand dhb range is exceptionally good, great value and well made (and I do rather lust after their blonde model): http://www.wiggle.co.uk/search/cycle/7/?Wd=dhb ladies

I personally would strongly recommend a bib short, they stay up better, are more flattering and more comfortable. Baggy is okay if you ride a mountain bike but you'll soon regret it if you ride a road bike, the fabric will flap and get in the way. Have a look at their padded undershorts and have a look for a thing called a skort, which is a combined shorts/skirt. Don't think dhb do one though.

Mrs Gti always wears black lycra and covers up with a pair of Ron Hill Tracksters in all but the warmest weather, a very versatile garment you can also use for slobbing around in and walking and wear with the legs rolled up to the knees like walking or cycling britches.

 

[AliA]

I have just bought some Zoic capri shorts from the Minx girl website. They come with a padded pair of shorts to wear underneath, but are removable so you can also use the shorts for leisure wear. I am fairly small(size 10) and the medium was a perfect fit so you could probably get away with the small/extra small if you are smaller than an 8.
I am delighted with the shorts as, like you, I didn't want to go down the skin tight lycra look, but these shorts aren't baggy either,so I think they are the perfect compromise. They skim your shape, so are flattering.

 

[ChristinaJL]

I second the minx-girl recommendation.

I started off trying a pair of endura baggy shorts (from Evans online store), just below the knee length which have a padded removeable inner. Inner is very comfy, but beware of baggies as they have seams in and can rub in the crotch and on the legs on longer rides, as I found out.

I stick to lycra now - if I'm about town, I wear a bike tunic from terry over the 3/4 length tights (specialized from a bike shop). Tunic I got from Minx.

 

[Fiona N]

I just put a review of Giordana Tenax Carbon Donna shorts in the review forum for just this purpose

It could be that I'm too old to care anymore but I wouldn't swop lycra shorts for baggies for all the tea in china when you're talking rides over 1 hour, say.
I do wear Gore Bike Wear 3/4 baggies for shopping and trips to town but once we're out on a real bike, it's lycra all the way - and skintight jerseys too.

 

[Muddyfox]

Sarah .. if you have a Lidl near to you ? pop in they have ladies baggy shorts with padded liners for £6.99 at the moment, not up to endura standards but they are fine for general cycling

Simon

 

[Maizie]

I personally would strongly recommend a bib short, they stay up better, are more flattering and more comfortable.

If you get a bib short, make sure you definitely get womens! Mens bibs have two straps that come over the shoulder and then would go right over your boobs. Womens bib shorts will combine the shoulder straps in to one that goes down your cleavage.

Though the awkwardness of mens bib shorts on a woman may be cup-size dependent (I'm not sure - I've never found a real shop with womens bibs to try, and I'm not buying any bib shorts until I've tried some on!)


I have Altura lycra shorts and 3/4s. I also have a pair of Avenir shorts that were very cheap from Go Outdoors but they are surprisingly good

 

[SavageHoutkop]

Cannot recommend Minx's Terry range high enough. The liner is sooo comfy. I don't actually have any of the 'shorts' though, I have a skort (sadly no longer stocked by Minx) but also recently got the liner inner itself and a skirt to go over; but you could also put the liner under anything else you might normally wear.
The liner is here

I'm also a normally-just-too-small-for-size-8; the XS is the right size for me (if a bit tight on the thighs).

 

[Fiona N]

... Womens bib shorts will combine the shoulder straps in to one that goes down your cleavage.

Though the awkwardness of mens bib shorts on a woman may be cup-size dependent ...

Actually I don't find it a big deal having 2 shoulder straps - my (women's) Gore Bike Wear bib shorts and winter longs are of this type whereas I also have Giordana winter longs which have the mono-strap. The 2 straps do tend to be at the outer part of the chest/bust on women's bibs compared to more over the boobs on the men's but men's bodies are generally longer than women's so the straps are unlikely to be too short. More problematic is likely to be the padding - a rather different shape for men

Also, some of the women's summer 'bib shorts' are almost a skinsuit as they give up with straps as such and have a lightweight upper body section which is quite high at both back and front - although sleeveless. I've seen women in Europe dispensing with their (often matching) jersey and riding in sports bra and bib shorts without being particularly risque.

 

[yoyo]

I have a Pearl Izumi skort which I find very comfortable.

 

[sarahpink]

well i have actually gone down the lycra route , tried some on in a shop and found them the most confortable. ugh now with awful weather im on the proul for some longer style clothes. ive got some waterproof trousers which are by polaris and really light weight and breathable but just prefer not being constricted by baggy things.