Bibs and Baggies

Looking for a set of bib shorts, clickfast liners aren’t cutting it on longer rides.

Any recommendations?

Willing to spend a bit more if there are comfort gains to be had.

On a similar subject does chamois cream make much of a difference?

Assos are the best, but there are cheaper alternatives that are still good. I quite like my spesh ones.

Be worth doing a search.

I recently got some luso pro gel bibshorts from merlin. My word what a difference!
Don’t know about cream though wouldn’t mind knowing myself.

I was thinking the other day that endurance are missing a trick not making a clickfast bin short. I really like my singletrack baggies but bin short liners would stop excess movement of the liner.

You (generally)get what you pay for (excluding Rapha stuff) so the more you can afford the better IMHO. Worth setting a budget and then looking, at the more expensive end ordering from the USA with current exchange rates can save a few ££’s even with VAT and tax this end.

Chamois cream makes all the………………………………. difference……………………also……………mmmmmmm…………….comforting………………..

Can stretch to a set of Assos uno with a price match I’ve got from evans.

Was wanting to know if there was as good without the name?

Also wasn’t sure about wearing them with baggies

Always found Pearl Izumis are pretty good – last for ages and really comfy. People have said they are as good as Assos (although i’ve never tried Assos) but a lot cheaper.

Skins work well for me.

dhb ones from wiggle seem very well made for the money

Best advice is try some on as there are loads of different ones and they may not fit your bum, only trouble is some feel horrible walking about but awesome on the bike like my giordina ones, feel like a nappy until ruding and then you cant tell you have them on they are so comfy

I’m with RD up there ^ on the comfort of the Giordina bib shorts (certainly on the bike).

I wear mine ‘neath baggies, because …

#1. I like/need pockets (key, camera, food), and;
#2. It [probably / maybe] gives those skinny slippy bib-shorts [some / more] protection from all the stuff sticking out of the hedge when riding down tight, unmanaged green-lanes.

dhb, top end ones are very good and much cheaper than assos.

Third rocket dog – bizarre how they ‘disappear’ when your riding

wore baggies over the top yearday doing 50 miles from Cambridge for my stuff

I’d definately recommend assos. Cost is an issue though.

Gore’s mid range seem really good. It does change from year to year – old Pearl Izumis were super comfortable but the last set i bought don’t work for me.

When I got my first bibs – I was in heaven!

Then I saw myself in the mirror. Then the missus saw me. God that was BAD!

Anyway – I’d echo the recommendations above. My first ever “expensive” bibs were DHB Knowles (£80 I think- no longer made). Then some Giordana (Gel+ I think). Recently I got some Castelli Aero as a present (wrong size, but from Ribble so changed them no probs). Uber comfort. And I need it given my tubby ass!

As for cream – I got some but wouldnt no longer consider using it unless I got chaffing or sores. Which I dont – even after 8 or 10 hour rides. It will in no way help with sore sit bones / achey feeling.

clowner – where did you get the decent price match price? let us know if possible im after a pair too 🙂

Quite like Gore for decent quality without getting into stupid money territory.

Another vote for skins here. The best compression by far IMHO. Oh.. they are super comfy as well.

‘Assos are best’ is oft-repeated but not true IME. I personally find my DHB finchdeans, knowles and aeron pros all more comfy than the nappy pad in my Assos Unos – the pad is comfy enough but it’s just not well shaped, it even creases over it’s so big on mine.

If wearing baggies over bib shorts I have to hold the baggies up with braces (lycra covered hips are a bit slippy for the shorts to cling to). I got some Stihl chainsaw trouser braces and they’re excellent!

Yeah I wish baggie manufacturers would put some silicon gripper dots around the inside waist band, think Oakley do on one of their models but could never find them in the UK. At least if they do slip your ass crack isn’t on display…

What about these beauties?

Seriously though, there are some good deals on pbk at the mo.

http://www.probikekit.com/uk/clearance/cut-price-wardrobe-sale.html

I’ve just got some Castelli Velocissimo bibs – about 85 quids.

They’re very nice indeed – lovely fit.

I got the black and white ones, they make my thighs look like killer whales. 😉

Sugoi RS bibs work for me. Not crazy expensive, but I’ve raced 4000 miles in them so far this year.

I dunno, apart from on really lairy descents where I def like the protection I get from some heavy duty baggies I really dont know what the point of them is, esp at this time of year. Looks you say? Baggies are ugly, and on a 40yr old male, ridiculous.

Good pair of bibs is what you need. Gore are pretty good, Assos much better. Evans had Uno for £85 last year, well worth it if they do that again.

I’ve been a long time Giordana and Assos user under baggies (both are good, but the models I have are quite different in feel), but I’ve just bought a pair of Mavis Stratos shorts, which came with a liner (which can be bought separately) which is absolutely fantastic, if a bit unusual (think fishnet!). I’ve had none of the comfort problems, the pad is thinnish but comfortable even on all dayers, they don’t use any clicky fasteners but but don’t have any tendency to ride up or down or bunch up, in fact they’re just about perfect, though they look a bit strange. Not cheap for baggy liners, but the bibs are out for the summer on the mountain bike.

No Assos aren’t the best, but they are pretty good, Pearl, castelli and Santini. Wont go wrong with any of them, with the santini’s coming out tops!

+1 loving Mavic shorts & liners as above
There was a recent bib shorts group test in CyclingPlus, more detail on bikeradar I imagine:
Best Value – dhb Aeron Pro £75
Best Comfort – Santini Jam £125
Best Overall – Castelli Free Aero £135
Assos, Mavic, Gore, Endura all highly rated too.

Re: chamois cream, am prone to chafing and have recently gone back to simple old Sudocrem – it doesn’t feel that slippery but works really well & is cheap & available in loads of different sized tubs; otherwise I also really liked Elite O3one, but didn’t like Century cream (thick, smells “medicated” & stinks with sweat) or Udderly Smooth (initially v. slippery but too thin, effect wore off quickly).