Recommend me some (non-figure hugging/public scaring) shorts

Nuggs

Hi All

My first bike in 10 years will be purchased in the New Year (the home credit committee (aka SWMBO) has signed-off on a Roubaix Comp ).

I'm just getting a kit list sorted and I'm stumped on shorts.

I really, really don't want lycra all by itself. I wasn't built for it and if I do even think about it, I should be arrested and locked up for the good of all humanity... :shock:

So, can anyone recommend some decent baggies with a good technical liner?

Thanks!

alfablue

I have Endura Humvee's in short, 3/4 and full length, they have a detachable liner, are well designed and durable. I prefer the 3/4 length best. Good value at £40 I reckon!

Monty Dog

Whilst the Humvee outers are good, the liners are pretty poor IMO - the lycra makes you sweaty and the pad is poorly shaped - dump the liners and buy some decent undershorts like Helly Hansens

ruby644

I used these shorts in the Summer and really liked them...

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.a ... r%20Shorts

Gary D

Monty Dog is right about the Humvee liners. My wife has a pair and the chamois in them is useless!!

I have a pair of the Endura MT-500 baggys and they are much, much better although a tenner more at the moment on Wiggle.

I would recommend them. I tend to wear the liners under non-padded bib tights in this weather and they are great.

Gary.

andyp

Be a man and get some lycra shorts. They are designed to cycle in and, frankly, who gives a tinker's cuss what other people think of how you look!

Droops

You'll look more of a berk on a Spesh Roubaix in baggies than you will in "proper" cycling shorts. My Lusso Coolmax are pretty good (proper) shorts.

alfablue

Droops wrote:

You'll look more of a berk on a Spesh Roubaix in baggies than you will in "proper" cycling shorts. My Lusso Coolmax are pretty good (proper) shorts.

I tend to agree with this!

drenkrom

When I ride the road bike to some place where lycra may not fit in, I usually just put one of my pairs of Kona freeride shorts. They don't have their own lycra and chamois inside so I can put on my real cycling shorts under them. They have no seam where you don't want one and the look will make you fit in with any group of 15 year-old MTBers you come across. You may alienate roadies, but making them eat your dust is the best response to the quizzical looks.

allaction

At this time of year you want a long pair, which are more flattering than lycra shorts as you can have them a little baggy and will disguise the lycra effect. When it comes time to wear the short ones you'll want to flash your new body off and will be begging for lycra!

buddha

I too am not built for lycra. The thighs of Chris Hoy and calves of Arnie (okay - more like Michelin Man TBH). And usually wear Humvees or Nike dry-fit trakkie bottoms over padded lycra shorts.

Last week though I bought a pair of Ron Hill Bikesters. Not shorts, I know, but a cross between full length lycra and trousers. i.e. a little roomier than tights. Seems a good compromise to me. No warnings from the fashion police. And keeps the knees warm too!

chunkytfg

I just wear bog standard bib shorts with a pair of normal shorts over the top of them. Works perfectly well for me.

Nuggs

Thanks for the tips guys.

I know I should just get out there in lycra, but I'm really not built for it.

I'm 6'5" and when I wear (normal) shorts it's like two pipecleaners sticking out of toilet rolls :oops:

I like the idea of getting some decent lycra shorts and then getting some seamless baggies to go over the top. Then once I've powered my way into the body beautiful camp, I can cast off the baggies like some cheap pupa and go and scare other road users in the most aerodynamic manner possible...

JWSurrey

Foska.com - Cool baggies - I have a pair - Removable liner.
A reasonably lightweight yet water repelling fabric - Plus the advantage of several pockets.

Lagavulin

When I first got my road bike (last September) I was adament I wasn't going to be one of those lycra-clad pillocks.
So on the impending receipt of my stead I ordered a few pairs of Endura Humvees. I've got one pair with the liners and one pair without. The inners are swappable but while I found the inners okay(ish) for mountain biking they weren't good on the roadbike and so removed the inners to took to wearing proper padded underwear.

Things have changed though. It didn't take me long to reluctantly buy a pair of Spesh Squadra shorts, closely followed by some body-mapping jerseys. Then I thought I'd get some Adidas Climacool stuff, then some Northwave gear, some more Spesh, some Gill, oh and maybe have a look at some of that Assos stuff they rave about.
Hell, its been a radical 9-10 months for me, culminating in me breaking my duck a few weeks back when I bought a set of Specialized Comp Winter bib tights - combined with a Northwave skeleton winter jersey I look like a right moron but its functional and I don't care anymore! 8)

Not this weekend but the weekend before I saw one bloke out on a roadie (of sorts) wearing a pair of Umbro football shorts and a t-shirt and thought "what a bell end!".

smoo

Why do you think you're not built for lycra, do I understand from the "pipecleaners" comment it's because you're tall and skinny rather than the other way inclined? You might find when you try some on it doesn't look as bad as you thought, better than a pair of skinny legs sticking out of an oversize pair of shorts anyway, which just accentuates things!

If you're worried though, get a pair of proper bib shorts (much better than ones that only come up to the waist) and wear something like the Ron Hills over the top of them for the winter as Buddha suggests. Never tried the Ron Hill bikesters but they look very similar to the tracksters, which are a great all-round exercise trouser and very fast drying. You can get them in different thicknesses and they are close fitting without actually being skin tight, so they won't look out of place on a road bike while still protecting your modesty By the time the spring comes you'll have got used to wearing the lycra and won't care about casting off the Ron Hils...

Nuggs

JWSurrey wrote:

Foska.com - Cool baggies - I have a pair - Removable liner.
A reasonably lightweight yet water repelling fabric - Plus the advantage of several pockets.

I like the look of those - thanks chap!

JWSurrey

Yeah - They're not as baggy as trendy MTB shorts.
Besides, you can join me and the rest of the "bell-end" crowd:
To complete "the look", I ride my road bike in SPuDs, string backed leather Trek gloves, and hang out in posh bike shops looking like a courier
(mental note to grow goatee and curly hair extensions)
The zipped pockets are particularly useful.
If it gets wet or windy, you can pull the draw-cords round the bottom of the legs, though they're a pretty close fit in any case.

I rather like their "crash test dummy" top too - Nice and bright - just as long as some bright spark teenager doesn't decide to spread me over the highway!

TBH, I ride most of the cold/wet winter in waterproof Endura Stealth tights, which are superb, but I always miss having safe stowage for the cash, especially if up in London - and it scares the girls at the stables who think I look a bit odd!

Rich Hcp

Well said!

I thought, no lycra!

Now I have a vast selection, including Addidas Climawarm bib tights and Edinburgh co operative long sleeve top for the winter.

I'll get a "Skelington" top for the winter

If I look a div, I don't care!