Oppinions please on what to wear for epic tours. I have a brooks b17 saddle if that helps.

I’m thinking the likes of gore and endura are overpriced crap and that my money would be better served bying good quality hiking brands instead which have more field experience/durability.

Just lycra ,put shorts over the top for lunch stops etc ?

How muscular is your arse?

That’s EXACTLY what I do. I wear either Quecha (Decathlon) hiking shorts or normal everyday shorts over waist high cycling shorts for touring. I buy triathlon shorts as they have less padding and are shorter, so they don’t show. So when you stop in a town/cafe/pub/museum etc you look like a normal person, not a cyclist.
I also tour on flat pedals, in normal trainers or sandals (especially if it’s wet). It’s not a race, so why look like a racer? 🙂

Gore (baggy) shorts are certainly not cheap, but imo they are not crap. They are very well designed and made, which makes them decent value for money in my books. I have many ‘hiking’ brand shorts, but I don’t think any of them would be much good as a long distance bike short (wrong cut, pockets in the wrong place, legs too short etc). I like Endura too, though they are a step down in terms of manufacturing quality. Many bike baggies are designed to be worn with a separate lycra inner/short underneath (which is exactly what you are suggesting anyway?!?). Both Gore and Endura sell baggies without inner shorts so you could wear your own choice anyway (I happen to favor Endura liners for the fit, which are also pretty cheap).

Also I have worn bike baggies for long hikes before as in some ways I like them better than many of my hiking shorts (TNF, Marmot, Mountain Hardware, Haglofs etc). I wore my Endura Humvess for most of the trip when I did the Inca trail a few years back.

You sure it’s not the price that’s clouding your judgement? 😉

How are you getting on with your current “non” epic tours? Have you discovered anything about your current choice of shorts that makes them inappropriate?

TBH, I prefer just to wear lycra. It dries quickly, provides warmth and support and has the “ever so slight at my speed” advantage of being aerodynamic and non-flappy. Could be my touring isn’t as epic as yours though and you therefore have different requirements.

Bibs are better under baggies if you’re going that way, as you don’t have two waistbands vying for attention.. Makes a nature poo more complicated though!

Lycra here.

Still single also.

don’t think any of them would be much good as a long distance bike short

You’d never notice the difference. They’re fine.
Touring = normal clothes in my book. I even wear a button up shirt sometimes, a Craghoppers one.
Our tours are usually around the 300 mile marks, FYI

don’t think any of them would be much good as a long distance bike short

You’d never notice the difference. They’re fine.

I’ve tried them over short distances, even then they don’t (make good bike shorts), so are not fine. Your arse may have different requirements to mine 😯

Coincidence.. I just posted elsewhere about good non-bike shorts for touring/bikepacking etc. I was thinking of something to use w/o padded shorts as a try-out. Wondering if there’s anything using oiled/wax cotton or something like that. Weather-resistant and doesn’t soak up a load of water as well as more breathable. I usually use thin baggies and lycra shorts for trips but extended periods in close-fitting chammies is part of the cause of sores due to the warm/damp. mmm nice eh.