As it says what’s the view on the best padded shorts (ie. is it worth paying good money) also any ones that particularly suit old blokes on a an MTB – don’t suffer from a sore backside particularly but the days in the saddle are getting longer

Howies bib shorts are very good, Money well spent.

Howies don’t seem to do a short (just a bib short ) ?

Just a bib short and all the better for it.

You may find bibs more comfortable. The braces remove the need for as much elastic around the middle to hold them up which is nicer when in a riding position. Most people find them more comfortable than standard shorts for riding, I know I do.

I rate the dhb ones on wiggle and have both the aeron race and the aeron pro. I’ve done long days in the saddle in both (10hrs+). The pro have a better pad but are more expensive.

I wear Mavic women’s shorts… As liners under my baggies. I find them more comfortable around the ‘nads area as they have less padding at the front. I don’t like cycling with things ‘moving’ left to right like someone’s grabbing hold of a bar of soap and squeezing it so it ‘pops’. Don’t wear them without an outer cover though as they’re a bit see-through!

Sugoi pads work for me so I wear their undershorts under my baggies in the summer and have a pair of their cold weather 3/4s for the winter under a pair of MT500 3/4s

http://road.cc/content/review/85943-howies-leadout-bibshorts may be of interest.

Assos are doing some MTB ones now. I havn’t tried these particular ones but their stuff is usually the best (though expensive).

£35-£70 worth it IMO

Decathlon 700 series stuff is the sweet spot for me. Very good pad, well made and under £50, often less. And they do both bib and short options. They really are very, very comfortable too.

Assos are spot on if you want to splash the cash, the scott ones are really good for the money when on sale at start cycles

Have had great service out of a pair of specialised roadie shorts, nice pad and worn under my baggies

altura gel shorts the “knicks” of choice in this house – long lasting as well

shorts v bibs is a whole debate – tried bibs but not for me too much faff

Why wear baggies over the top though ? are not they pointless?

Protection, one fall or one wet gritty ride and you’ll destroy a set of shorts*.

I race in lycra but most of the rest of my mountainbike stuff is done in baggies.

*I normally get through a set of shorts in a cross season which must be all of 12 hours riding.

Done loads of offroading in lycra and it lasts years not hours

Cheers all shall go and google stuff

Big Howies fan here, always got on with dhb in the past.

Next pair look like they may be “Fat Lad at the Back” though 😳

Funkier good for the money. Proper shorts and bibs are streets ahead of liners and baggies.

Planet X clubman. Great pad and £17.49 at the moment. I’ve just bought two pairs.

Assos are doing some MTB ones now. I havn’t tried these particular ones but their stuff is usually the best (though expensive).

Thought I’d check these out as the missus loves her roadie ones. £241 in Wiggle!!!

Think I’ll pass

Bibs not shorts imo.

DHB, Pearl Izumi, Santini, Rapha all been good although yes, I too can kill a pair in a season. Depends how much you ride and how abrasive your arse/seat is.

Endura are crap don’t touch em.

Endura are crap don’t touch em.

I’ve had years of good service from Endura FS260s and MT500s.

Why wear baggies over the top though ? are not they pointless?

No pockets in the Lycra plus they are not waterproof

On Endura I like their kit, shorts, jacket, socks etc but I thiught their padded shorts where inferior to the Specialised I have now

DHB bibs with the ‘giro’ or ‘tour air’ are now my preference, I still like cheapo decathlon bibs for shorter distances and commuting and recently I have been quite impressed by the planet X bibs I bought a few months ago…

Once they get older and start going a bit transparent, then they are transferred to under the baggies duty for MTBing…

Why wear baggies over the top though ? are not they pointless?

Comfort of a decent bib short with look and protection of a decent pair of mtb shorts? Just an idea. It might catch on…

+1 for Planet X bibs (the 365 ones 3/4 ) real nice quality for £20

bib shorts are good for if your going bi – sans baggy shorts for roadie moments and shorts over for mtb…

dhb from Wiggle are excellent value.

I’ve had years of good service from Endura FS260s and MT500s.

Maybe it’s a quality control issue, I had two pairs of FS260’s lasted a week each before the stitching on the pad gave up, MT 500 (are they the waterproof baggies?) zip broke as it did on their overshoes which were crap anyway like sponges. The normal baggies stitching on the crotch wore out after a few months.

TBH I think there stuff is ok if you ride three times a year.

Edric 64 – Member
Why wear baggies over the top though ? are not they pointless?

Tough fabric on baggies, pockets, mud and winter protection. The Lycra is purely a liner for me, and never should be on show. But then I’m not a roadie 😉

So Endura liner shorts is my recommendation.

Bibs… just wrong 😛 (and annoying if you want to take a leak)

I only wear bibs in the winter mountain biking, good way of stopping that bit of flesh on show at the back and getting caked in mud. In the summer bibs get far too hot for me.

Funkier ones are really good value, loads of padding and comfortable, only had for a few months but holding up well so far.

Bibs… just wrong (and annoying if you want to take a leak)

Recent bib convert… just right, got a selection of 2xu, Champ Systemes and Garneau. Light weight on the straps and fine for summer, not being as high cut at the front as bib tights tend to be much easier to take a leak too.

In praise of bib shorts 😀

Giordana tenet for me. They pop up on sportspursuit.com every few months and I find them very comfy, especially for long multi day bike rides. All the better when they’re cheap!

I wear bib shorts only these days and have found that the more I pay the more I like them and the more I wear them.

I’ve got a pair of Endura FS260s which I wore at least twice a week for around 4 years and they are still going strong.

Currently I’m mostly wearing a pair of Asos 3/4 bibs – with the new pad (I forget the model name). They are the most comfortable I’ve ever worn, oddly costing the most – around £120 I think.