I keep wearing out my bibs in the same place...

dilatory

I'll preface this by mentioning I only buy cheap bibs so far. Tenn outdoors and DHB ones. After about 500-600 miles or so they start bobbling and wearing thin in the same place, around the right butt cheek where the liner stitching meets the leg. Is this the nature of cheap bibs, bibs in general or something I am doing?

I've avoided buying more expensive ones as I've been losing a lot of weight but now as I approach my weight goals I am thinking of spending a bit more - but not if they only last 3 weeks before showing signs of wear!

fleshtuxedo

Hard to picture where you mean but could it be from saddle or saddle bag?

dilatory

I'm assuming it's from the rubbing on the saddle,I don't use a saddle bag, there's no stiching or anything on the saddle and it's smooth. I would almost describe it as where butt-cheek meets inner thigh. I assume it's just friction wearing them thin but 3 pairs of shorts have all worn in the same place. Could I be cycling weirdly? I get no pain in the area where it's rubbing, infact I try to pay attention to it to see if I am sitting weirdly even but can't really spot anything.

sungod

is it the saddle clamp?

it only takes slight grazing contact to cause wear, you may not even feel it, but after thousands of repetitions stitching/fabric may become worn

dilatory

sungod wrote:

is it the saddle clamp?

it only takes slight grazing contact to cause wear, you may not even feel it, but after thousands of repetitions stitching/fabric may become worn

It might well be! Just ran to check and the paint is worn a bit on the right side saddle clamp, just at the end of it and it seems to be the right sort of area. Maybe I have a slight lean that I don't notice and it catches a few times every so often, over the course of time it rubs thin. Might stick something on there to check that's definitely it, some tape or something.

You're a genius! Thanks.

passout

I had this from the velcro straps on my saddle bag.

herzog

Another vote for saddle clamp. I had the same thing, but solved the problem by using a bit of gaffer tape around the edges of the clamp (thereby smoothing the edges out). No problems since.

on-yer-bike

More expensive shorts, the correct size might have more compression to hold your muscles in better and keep them away from the seat clamp.

keef66

Another perennial eater of shorts is the stitching on the Charge Spoon saddle. Tends to be both sides though.

mikenetic

If the clamp has been polished by your leg moving that'll do it. I've switched away from Fizik Antares as a result, it's so heavily narrowed through the nose and centre that nearly all clamps stick out a bit, with subsequent rubbing.