To Bib or not to Bib...

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Scruffmonster

Über Member
Location
London/Kent
That... is the question.

Or, more to the point, are there many here that forgo padded shorts?

I'm doubting the wisdom of them. The pad is tiny, it compresses to about 1mm under weight. Does it really do as much as we are told? I've ridden lots without a pad and never got sore or hurt.

Anyone care to add their tuppence worth? Only useful after 2(?) Hours? Only good if intending to cycle x consecutive days?

Leaving all things we believe to the side. I'm looking for peopels experiences.
 

sabian92

Über Member
Eh, I wear them as once I did 12 miles in normal boxers and I couldn't sit down for a week afterwards (seriously, not joking!). Walking was agony and I was red raw "underneath" as it were.

Bought some padded bibs, not looked back since.
 

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
It depends.

The received wisdom is pad is better than no pad.
The received wisdom is bib is better than plain short.

I commute in padded bib shorts five days a week. Hour (max) each way. Fresh pair every day, best one's for Fridays natch.
I find bibs are more comfortable than plain shorts but that has nowt to do with the pad.
On cold days (below 8 - 10 degrees at 07:30) I wear unpadded bib longs over padded bib shorts.

Several times I've ridden 100 miles in unpadded longs or unpqadded bib longs on a broken in Brooks and, the next day, got back on the bike and rode it 100 miles back again (Having washed the longs in the mean time).

If I'm doing back to back 100+km days on road I wear padded bib shorts
If I'm doing back-to-back 100km days off road I wear padded shorts under baggies. (and I've been known to wear padded bib shorts under baggies)

If I'm going down the shops or to the pub or round to a mates I just wear street.

I think getting sore is more down to personal hygiene, a bad habit I think is to sit around for ages in your padded gear before washing.

I think getting hurt is more down to how well your saddle fits your arse.
 
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jonny jeez

Legendary Member
I wore non padded shorts for a week and picked up some light chaffing, which caused me to have to sit "funny" on the saddle for a ride home.

Wore the padded shorts the next day and had no problem, back to usual confort.

I wear longs (no pads) over my shorts too when its chilly.

generally the pad seems to remove the possibility of saddle soreness but sculpting itself between me and the saddle, but it doesnt provide padding against impact, so to speak.

So, if you want to avoid bruising...ride more and get used to it... a pad wont help.

However, if you want to increase comfort, try a pad.
 
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Scruffmonster

Scruffmonster

Über Member
Location
London/Kent
These replies are mostly following what I believe... [All assuming that you're set up right]

A pad doesn't do as much as many may say, but it probably adds a few percentage points of comfort, which is fair play. The point that led me to the question was my friends comeback of;

"If they didn't do anything, the Pro's wouldn't wear them"

I then countered with;

"Triathletes ride 120 miles with a sliver of a pad that's soaking wet for the first 15 minutes"

I find my Tri suit with minimal padding waaaay more comfortable that my Endura/Decathlon Bibs. Sure, I could find that Brand X has a better pad but my kit isn't cheap. It doesn't cause problems but I'm wondering how much stock to put in the pad in general.

I now think, if it doesnt rub your skin, it wont hurt. I'll have a crack at pad free for a few days and see how I go.
 

J.Primus

Senior Member
I cycle every day in builders trousers and boxers without any problems. Granted my commute isn't very far but even when I do cycle a distance I've never had many issues. Obviously that's not the same for everyone but just my personal experience.
 

HorTs

Über Member
Location
Portsmouth
I wear bib shorts with padding more for the practicality of the materials rather than the padding.
 

Lee_M

Guru
also bear in mind the quality of the pad, I have some decthlon padded and they're ok, but I aso have some Lousi Gaerne and they are awesome - anatomically built as opposed to just a flat pad, and supremely comfortable

they were however awesomely expensive

[off topic]but not as expensive as the £350 top I saw in the pinarello shop on saturday!![/off topic]
 
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Scruffmonster

Scruffmonster

Über Member
Location
London/Kent
But unlike pro cyclists they don't do it every day for a month.

You miss my point.

Neither do we. We may commute every day, but not for multi hour stints at full tilt. We have more in common with the Triathlete than the cyclist.

I don't necessarily think that a super duper pad is needed for an hour of cycling, and I think your body can recover for the trip home adequately.
 

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
You miss my point.

Neither do we. We may commute every day, but not for multi hour stints at full tilt. We have more in common with the Triathlete than the cyclist.

I don't necessarily think that a super duper pad is needed for an hour of cycling, and I think your body can recover for the trip home adequately.
we have fatter arses than the sort of triathlete how rides 120 miles in an event. I think we have very little with triathletes unless we are one.
 
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Scruffmonster

Scruffmonster

Über Member
Location
London/Kent
we have fatter arses than the sort of triathlete how rides 120 miles in an event. I think we have very little with triathletes unless we are one.

I don't know what point you're making. If you think how fat your bum is has any effect on the comfort of a pad, you don't know what the purpose of them is. Lose or Gain 3 stone and the pad will work in exactly the same way.
 
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