Endurance bib shorts and possible saddle

richmarriott

Hi guys and gals

Looking to upgrade my bib shorts and possibly saddle too. I'm planning a London to Paris so need something that's going to be ultra comfortable for some serious distance (well for me).

I've currently got some entry level dhb shorts which have been great for my first year cycling by I assume these things wear out as anything over 30-40 miles and I'm feeling it.

I've not got an infinite budget but don't mind spending a few quid in aid of comfort!

Thanks
Rich

cat_with_no_tail

Going to be damned near impossible for anyone to tell you what's going to be comfy for you.

Bib shorts are very much a personal taste thing. I absolutely swear by my new Assos T.Cento for distance riding (by the way, "kuku penthouse", best name for ANYTHING, EVER!) but my mate says he'd never wear them because he can't get on with thick pads.

Essex Rouleur

Saddle wise try a Charge Spoon, very comfy, only £19 on Ribble at the moment, so not going to break the bank if it doesnt work out.

As for bibshorts, where do you start?! All i would say is buy cheap, pay twice. Its worth paying a bit more for decent kit rather than very cheap.

cattytown

Where do you currently get discomfort on your saddle? what saddle have you got? if you can tell us what you have and where it isn't right we may be able to point in a appropriate direction.

In terms of value shorts, take a look at the Assos outlet.

Paul.

Grill

Cat With No Tail wrote:

Going to be damned near impossible for anyone to tell you what's going to be comfy for you.

Bib shorts are very much a personal taste thing. I absolutely swear by my new Assos T.Cento for distance riding (by the way, "kuku penthouse", best name for ANYTHING, EVER!) but my mate says he'd never wear them because he can't get on with thick pads.

+1 for the T.Cento

StillGoing

This is a subjective thing. What works for you may not work for someone else and vice versa. The old adage of you get what you pay for does ring true, but you can get quality garments without paying Assos prices. I'm quite happy with the Castelli brand although them dropping the rear zip pocket with the summer collection seems odd. I'm quite happy with my Fizik Arione Versus on rides 60 - 100+ in length.

richmarriott

Thanks all! It's difficult to gauge what's best for me as I've only ever owned one set of bib shorts since I started so nothing to compare it against.

The saddle is a stock one from my form - one23 and the bibs I've been using are the dhb ones that were about £50. The discomfort is pretty much around my tailbone (if that's what you call it) so might give thicker pads a go...

Thanks
Rich

cattytown

Do you use the drops much? How do you have your saddle set?

Calpol

When I first started riding I had a bit of coccyx pain. I swapped the stock saddle on my bike to a Specialized Romin and progressively this pain dissipated to the point of not being any issue. That could of course be down to any one of three things
1. I found a saddle that suits my ass
2. My body got accustomed to riding a road bike again
3. A trauma injury healed up - although I don't recall bruising my tailbone at any point.

If you plan on riding a lot, 4 hours and beyond then I highly recommend you invest (yes invest) in some decent shorts. My best ones are Casteilli and the pad is supper comfortable. Dhb aero race are pretty decent up to 3 hours, DHB roubaix leggings are great but the pad is pretty poor/worn.

StillGoing

richmarriott wrote:

Thanks all! It's difficult to gauge what's best for me as I've only ever owned one set of bib shorts since I started so nothing to compare it against.

The saddle is a stock one from my form - one23 and the bibs I've been using are the dhb ones that were about £50. The discomfort is pretty much around my tailbone (if that's what you call it) so might give thicker pads a go...

Thanks
Rich

Thicker padding doesn't always mean more comfort though. Same goes with seats. It could be that your seat is simply too narrow or too wide for your sit bones. If there's a Selle Italia dealer near you that does sit bone measuring, go and get measured or alternatively do it yourself.

http://www.cervelo.com/en/engineering/a ... dles-.html

cattytown

Totally agree - more padding does not automatically mean more comfort.

Getting the right saddle can be a long process. I think I am pretty much there now for me. I have tried all three main Fizik shapes. The Arione lasted one ride - just outright painful for me at the time. The Aliante was a lot better, but I noticed tail discomfort that just wasn't improving, and it wasn't great when in the drops, so I decided I needed a flatter saddle - The Antares seem great so far.

Some of it is trial and error, some of it logic and measurement. Some of it could be simple adjustment - is your saddle slightly nose down at all? Is it right fore/aft?

Paul.