Tights and bib shorts - will I ever find what I want?

[Dogtrousers]

Altura 'Cruisers' available in summer and winter weight and Ladies/Mens versions.

Not sure they are any more for men at least? Looks to be final clearance on ladies around the web too, no longer on the Altura site for instance

I think @vickster is right. Altura winter cruisers are definitely no longer available, which is a terrible shame. Not sure about vanilla non-winter cruisers, which do still seem to be available here and there, but only women's, so they do seem to be on the way out.

My last pair of Altura winter cruisers, which had iron-on patches over iron-on patches, became oil rags last year.

I've switched to Ronhill Tracksters (over ragged cheapo padded shorts) and they are a good substitute. However, because they are not made for cycling & are cut low at the waist, and because of my aero belly, they do tend to gradually ride down so I wear clip-on braces with them.

Note my use is just for winter wear. I somewhat reluctantly switch to shorts in summer. I burn very easily so this inevitably means slathering on SPF 50 vile gloop.

 

[scotsbikester]

As a 70+ male in leggings most days at home I can tell you the comfort of these things are great. Waist bands on trousers are a form of torture in comparison.
For a longer leg take a look at Lovall and Trail Pursuit. Yes I wear, carefully selected for seam placement, underwear underneath when cycling.

Many thanks. I'm not far behind you, age wise. And I have various underwear, Saxx and Dilling, that has never caused a problem friction wise. Though the Dilling tends to wear a bit fast, considering how much they cost!

 

[vickster]

That's a shame, I've worn them whilst cycling for 20+ years

Think they pretty much got discontinued about maybe 7 years ago! I've got two pair of the ladies winter cruisers, one was picked up very cheaply a long time ago on clearance, I still wear them over shorts/3/4 or tights in cool weather. They are quite baggy on the legs.
I also have some old thinner Karrimor running tights for less cool days that are tight, plus padded tights for winter. My cycling legwear drawer is very full!

 

[Kingfisher101]

You're better off asking the store, they will be able to give you more specific answers re size etc.

Many thanks for such a specific reply*. A few questions

1.I would prefer to wear whatever I get all year round. How are these in warm weather? I'm not a "high intensity" cyclist, but I try not to hang around either. And obviously I'll get warm on a hill.

2. Do you wear briefs/boxers/knickers underneath?

3. I'm 5'10" 12 stones. What size do you think would suit?

*other posters' more general replies are also valuable.

 

[scotsbikester]

You're better off asking the store, they will be able to give you more specific answers re size etc.

Thanks. I've ordered a pair of medium. There are umpteen reviews on the Alpkit site, and it looks like medium will be good for me. And they do free returns if not. Lots of people say they use them for cycling, so they look like the thing.

 

[Alex321]

I'm afraid I may have confused some posters, who thought I was a woman. I'm a man.

But it got me thinking, women, and men, are we really that different? I mean, "if you prick me do I not bleed", as the bard said? Anyway, philosophy aside, do the obvious, er, anatomical differences matter that much?

There does seem to be a bit more choice in women's tights/leggings type things.

Here's what made me think along those lines. I teach. In a girls school. If the girls have got PE/Games later in the day they will often be wearing leggings/tights to class. Now, they are close fitting and look like the sort of thing that would suit. However, saying anything at all which signals that I've even noticed a pupil's clothing is a very very bad idea - "oh, those leggings you are wearing, are they comfortable? Do they chafe at the groin at all? How high is the back? Is the crotch a diamond shaped patch? " - would pretty soon get me into the head's office, or worse, obviously.

So I went to the website of the school's uniform supplier. And noticed that they sell unisex leggings, including in the large sizes suitable for older pupils, which would fit me. We have an associated boys school. Our older pupils (both boys and girls), certainly six formers, are, ahem, usually fully physically developed. Some of them are taller than me. So I assume that these unisex things work. I could have a quiet word with one of the games staff, which is marginally less creepy than talking to the pupils, but still a bit weird.

But it got me thinking. Apart from aesthetic differences, how different are these products for men and women? I know men are supposed to have a longer trunk relative to leg length (or is it the other way around?), so that might matter for bib things. But if I'm getting separate tops and bottom that shouldn't matter.

The biggest difference in leggings/trousers is that for a given waist size, women's hips are usually wider. The unisex ones manage by being stretchy enough to cater for that.

 

[Reynard]

I'm a man. Apologies to mislead (not deliberately)

No worries!

Of my lycra leggings, I have a Nike pair that I don't even know whether they're men's, ladies or unisex as I picked them up in a charity shop. And I've some Elle Sport ones from TK Maxx that are aimed at us girls - with pink trim and a narrower waist with respect to the hips. But they both do a job of work. I'd suggest to pop into a relevant emporium and have a look / try some things on.

As for underwear, yes, definitely. Commando = shudder LOL! Here's where I've got a specific recommendation - Decathlon's seamless running briefs. Yeah, they do men's ones too.

As an aside re body proportions, my MTB shorts are men's ones btw, bought because at that time (pre-Covid!), Decathlon didn't do any ladies ones. And yes, they are definitely higher in the waist than the equivalent ladies ones by several inches. Although surprisingly, they're not too baggy at the waist thanks to the adjustable tabs. (And yes, I do have wide hips and a fairly narrow waist.)

 

[gcogger]

I'd recommend a trip to Decathlon, if you have one nearby. They seem to have quite a few options to try, though you'd have to look in the cycling, running, hiking and football sections to see them all!
My favourite unpadded leggings were actually from the Decathlon football section though, sadly, they don't seem to make them any more.

 

[biggs682]

Never felt the need for bib shorts and tights whilst cycling

 

[scotsbikester]

So, update folks. Thanks for the various advice.

I went for the - Alpkit Koulin Trail Tights - as recommended by Kingfisher. I got the medium, but they were a bit snug so swapped them for the large. Top service from Alpkit by the way. The large are out of stock on line, but there's a shop fairly near me. They didn't have any, but could see stock elsewhere in the company, took the mediums off me, ordered the large from another shop, which arrived in 2 days.

I'm 5' 10", 166 pounds. The medium were just a bit tight round the waist (I've got a bit of middle age spread, that's going, oh yes it is!). The large are perfect. These are tights, so even though I've got skinny legs, there's no flappage. They seem well made. And actually I got them at their sale price of £31.99 (now £39.99)

Went out for first bike ride today, 15 miles. Very good, just what I wanted. I'm experimenting with different underwear. Today was Runderwear merino briefs, which seemed OK. The Alpkit tights were very good on the bike. No annoyance at the back of the knee, which I get with a pair of padless bib tights. Which is strange, that non-cycle specific tights are better than cycle-specific. There's two thigh phone pockets (or anything else you want to put in, I guess), and a rear zipped one. All the pockets take the normal sized iPhone 15, though I actually put it in a jersey pocket. They aren't warm, but I've got my Tudor Sports tights for that.

So far then I can recommend them. I might update after I've done a few more miles in them.

 

[scotsbikester]

Slightly longer term update:

Yes, these https://alpkit.com/products/koulin-trail-tights-mens are great. I've not found anything much negative about them.

As non-padded non-bib tights ("waist tights"?) they seem pretty much perfect for cycling, even though they aren't really aimed at cycling.

The waist band is plenty high enough, so no worries about cold back. The cargo pockets hold an iPhone 15 very securely, though time will tell if the pocket stretches, but no sign of that so far

I've worn any number of different knickers underneath, to try out. Any chafing or rubbing has varied according to the knickers, so the little there has been isn't due to the tights, I don't think. I'm on that old favourite, a Brooks B17, by the way.

I'm 5 feet 10 inches, and about 165 pounds. I have skinny legs. The excess weight, for my height, is all around my gut. The medium was too tight, even on my chicken legs, so changed for large, which are perfect. If you have very well developed thighs/calves, you might even find the large too tight. But they are tights, so very stretchy. The waist band is snug, but that's my fault for not getting rid of the gut. But it still doesn't cut in.

Caveats - the usual "you mileage might vary". In my case my rides are on tarmac, and usually no more that 15/20 miles. I've not done anything longer than that yet.

 

[Jenkins]

Slightly longer term update:

Yes, these https://alpkit.com/products/koulin-trail-tights-mens are great. I've not found anything much negative about them.

As non-padded non-bib tights ("waist tights"?) they seem pretty much perfect for cycling, even though they aren't really aimed at cycling.

The waist band is plenty high enough, so no worries about cold back. The cargo pockets hold an iPhone 15 very securely, though time will tell if the pocket stretches, but no sign of that so far

I've worn any number of different knickers underneath, to try out. Any chafing or rubbing has varied according to the knickers, so the little there has been isn't due to the tights, I don't think. I'm on that old favourite, a Brooks B17, by the way.

I'm 5 feet 10 inches, and about 165 pounds. I have skinny legs. The excess weight, for my height, is all around my gut. The medium was too tight, even on my chicken legs, so changed for large, which are perfect. If you have very well developed thighs/calves, you might even find the large too tight. But they are tights, so very stretchy. The waist band is snug, but that's my fault for not getting rid of the gut. But it still doesn't cut in.

Caveats - the usual "you mileage might vary". In my case my rides are on tarmac, and usually no more that 15/20 miles. I've not done anything longer than that yet.

The Alpkits look similar to the Gorewear R3 mid tights (currently £34 with code 15EXTRA) or the R3 Thermo tights (£31 with code) which I've taken a punt on. I've only tried them on at the moment and they don't seem too bad a fit in large (I'm about an inch taller and a couple of pounds heavier than you) and a drawcord in the waistband should help with the cold back, although these also seem high enough.

 

[scotsbikester]

The Alpkits look similar to the Gorewear R3 mid tights (currently £34 with code 15EXTRA) or the R3 Thermo tights (£31 with code) which I've taken a punt on. I've only tried them on at the moment and they don't seem too bad a fit in large (I'm about an inch taller and a couple of pounds heavier than you) and a drawcord in the waistband should help with the cold back, although these also seem high enough.

Thanks. Yes, those do look very similar. I'd be interested to hear what you think of them after you've worn them on the bike a few times.

As it happens, the only padded bibs I have are a pair of Gore padded bib shorts, which are fine, except I'm not that fond of pads when I'm off the bike, and bibs have a bit of nuisance value in them. But they certainly seem well made.

UPDATE. What the hell, I've just ordered a pair. That's a very good price for Gore, and I can always return them if they don't fit. I'm always slightly wary when manufactures talk about "mid" temperatures, as in "ideal for spring or early fall". I worry that they'll be too warm for the summer, but then remember they may be manufactured somewhere a lot warmer than the UK. Their "mild" might be more like our "warm".

 

[teeonethousand]

I assume that since you say say "knickers" you're a girl like me? Forgive me if that's not the case.

Anyways, I have some padded tights from Decathlon. My 3/4 - length MTB tights do have a gel pad, which is as thick as I'd want it. Winter roubaix leggings have a lightweight foam pad, which IMHO is far more comfy, as I largely ride unpadded if I'm not on the road bike. Hybrid and MTB are where I'm at mostly, all on a Charge Ladle / Madison Leia saddle.

So yeah, bog standard lycra leggings / football training leggings / lightweight hiking trousers are perfectly fine, though you will want the ones that have the diamond insert in the crotch so you don't get the seams (and associated chafing) in awkward places. Also, with the latter, make sure they're high waist rather than low rise to avoid, umm, an embarrassing gap between the bottom of your top and the top of your bottoms...

Should be plenty of options in Decathlon, TK Maxx or Sports Direct to suit - doesn't need to be anything fancy schmancy.

So, my usual cycling bottom half is a pair of Tudor Sports tights. They aren't that tight though. But they are a bit thick for summer, or anything too strenuous.

What I like:

Full length tights, because I like to keep my legs covered.

What I don't like:

Bibs, because it's a faff.
Pads. Most of my rides are short-ish. And I just don't seem to need them, my arse must be a perfect match for a Brooks B17. And you can't/shouldn't wear normal knickers briefs or boxers I'M A MAN! with pads, and they take ages to dry.

Some of you may have different tastes, but go with me on this.

What I want is thin-ish, non-bib, tights. "Waist tights" I think they're called. Without a pad.

So questions:

1. Are the Ron Hill Tracksters thick? How do they compare to Tudor sports tights?

2. Are there any other things like the Tracksters available?

3. Has anybody used running/training/hiking type tights on a bike?

Thanks for any tips.
PS, I'd quite like bib shorts without a pad, though this has been asked before and the answer seems to be there aren't any. Though there are bib tights without a pad, Lusso. I've got some.

PPS I do have quite a few items of cycling gear, so have tried several options.

I bought some ladies brushed tights from the local cheep-sell-everything shop for £3.00 a pair. Originally these were for under my motorbike jeans to act as base layers. I have since cut the legs off one pair and use them as leg warmers on the push bike. They stay up tucked under shorts and roll down if needed and tuck into my socks. I call them my Nora Battys😂.

Would such a pair suit you if warn under any 'regular' shorts?

 

[scotsbikester]

Follow up follow up. So, prompted by

The Alpkits look similar to the Gorewear R3 mid tights (currently £34 with code 15EXTRA) or the R3 Thermo tights (£31 with code) which I've taken a punt on. I've only tried them on at the moment and they don't seem too bad a fit in large (I'm about an inch taller and a couple of pounds heavier than you) and a drawcord in the waistband should help with the cold back, although these also seem high enough.

Posting mainly for Google searches.

So, prompted by Jenkins alerting me to the sale of these:

https://www.gorewear.com/en-uk/r3-mid-tights-100532?variant=5436

(which are even cheaper now)

I bought a pair, in large

Initial review:

They are almost exactly the same size as the Alpkit. Waist band is the same diameter, though slightly lower, and the legs ever so slightly shorter, than the Alpkits. Not a problem as the Alpkit waist band is very high, and the legs long. On me the Alpkit legs had lots of spare around the ankle and the waistband was maybe a bit too high. I'm 5'10", 166 pounds, and I bought the large size.

There's only one side cargo pocket (the Alpkits have two), and it took an iPhone 15 a little more snugly than the Alpkits, though it actually felt more secure, there's elastic round the mouth of the pocket. There's a similar rear zipped pocket.

The Gore feel a little lighter, possibly cooler and a bit more stretchy. Which would figure, as they are "exercise" tights, whereas the Alpkit are aimed at hikers.

The waistband on the Gores isn't as deep (top to bottom) so not sure if it might cut in, eventually.

Will report back when I've actually ridden the bike in them

I'll do another review after I've actually used them.