who wears short shorts? (and other clothing issues)

[thanita]

It's funny but true, lots of women's stuff is not designed by women. Some manufacturers figure if they makes something in a "girly" color it will suffice. Fortunately, there are some companies out there that do cater to real women.

As for the short short phenomenon, some manufacturers also figure that women will be perturbed by a tan line, and have been coming out with bike shorts with pretty short inseams. While these may work better for short women (and for people who don't like tan lines), for lots of us they just aren't practical. As an aside, it's interesting that the baggier men's clothing gets, the tighter women's clothing gets. Maybe there is a material shortage and more to one means less to the other? Ha ha.

Anyway, it is easy enough to get bike shorts in any length. Offhand, I can say that Pearl Izumi, Cannondale and other major brands make them. One of my favorite brands for selection and fit is Terry - they have a variety of lengths, nice wide waistbands, and real-life sizing (based on women's bodies, not prepubescent girls. Not that there shouldn't be bike clothes for girls, too).

That said, I have a pair of short shorts. I like them when it's really hot and, I grudgingly admit, I'd rather not have a tan line above my knee (ah, I'm a victim of my culture!). However, I've yet to find the shorter inseam that doesn't have the crotch creep that Firefly speaks of, but I'll certainly share when I do! End point? "Fashion" and fitness don't always meld. There's a reason racers wear a certain inseam. Know what to expect before you buy.

[boob]

Use sunscreen with the long shorts.

[pmweller]

A year or so ago I won some Cannondale clothing. If only I could afford to buy this stuff! I won the Vertex shorts, Vertex sleeveless jersey (with daisies on it) and some socks. I did some research and the shorts are like $70US. So a little out of my price range. But wow, they are *so* comfy!

Performance has some decent shorts. I get the Performance Women's Elite CoolMax shorts. They are regularly something like $55US, but I wait until they are on sale.

When it comes to shorts, I've found that for the most part, you get what you pay for.
Have others found this to be true?

Also, unfortunately, cycling shorts are a "specialty" type of item, i.e. not something the general public demands, and therefore are pretty expensive.

My biggest problem when it comes to clothing is finding decent fitting gloves. I wear AXO Descends, but a men's small. The ladies sizes didn't fit me quite right. I seem to be inbetween sizes. The men's small isn't too bad, the finger length is good, but the palm width is too much. I have extra in the between-thumb-and-index-finger area. I like a glove with little padding, but lots of kevlar like fabric on the palm. And then some good grippy stuff on the tips of the fingers. Anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks, Pam

[thanita]

Gloves are yet another item that are hard to fit because sizing and cut varies between brands. Lotsa brands sell "unisex" gloves, and most women will fit an XS or S BUT lots also find that when the palm fits, the fingers are too short and when the fingers fit, the palm is too big. Best bet: try some one before you buy.

Anyway, I have some Fox Inclines (sm unisex) that are great, favorites of the moment - full fingered, really lightweight, plain black and they fit fine.

[thanita]

I'm sure a lot of "women's" stuff would fit some guys better and vice versa. I think a lot of it is pure marketing "magic" (or bullshit, same thing). Which makes how companies market to women vs. men interesting. It seems in many cases that marketers give women what they think they want, not what they really want. BUT I could be wrong.


Question:
How many women out there would be more interested in a line of bike stuff that was plain, natural colors, brown, greens, etc. (like lots of guys' mtn. bike stuff) instead of that tired silver blue and other "womanly" colors?

[boob]

I'm not a woman, but I'm quite obnoxious so I'll answer that question. I like bright clothes! I don't like earth tones.

[unclefuzzy]

Originally posted by angelo_caduto86
Do gloves fit anyone? I am not sure if this is totally a woman's issue.

No doubt! I prefer long finger gloves, no matter if they're hotter or not, I just like them. Problem is, is that my fingers are so long that I can't ever find any that fit. XXL and XL are just a measure of the girth of the hand, not the length. I usually just suffer with too short fingers untill I stretch them enough to fit. Not too long after that, I poke holes in the fingertips...Goles usually last two seasons for me.

My wife has the opposite problem, she can't fit any small enough. She also likes the more unisex designed stuff in 3/4 to full finger.

Marty~eek! am I even supposed to look in here?:D

[susan]

as i usually wear neutral colors, of course i'd love the option to buy mtbiking clothes that are neutral as well. and i think the key word here is option. it's erroneous to assume that women like bright colors and men like neutrals---and unfortuately evidence that this assumption persists across the board for sports/outdoor activities in general. for instance, i have small feet (6 1/2 "women's") so i'm stuck choosing shoes from the women's line, and unfortunately for running shoes this means selecting the best among the worst of colors (e.g., pastels and hot pinks). i did, however, find a trail running shoe by merrel that are olive green and black that fit me, but as for road running shoes? sol...

[The Gordo]

My wifey has taken to the sport quite well after only a year. But she is running into the same problem discussed here with shorts and as well the saddle.

I built her bike with a Trek Female specific seat in the inception and it hasn't been as bad as the old Vetta TT she first rode, however there could be some improvement in the seating department. Ironically, the Trek was the only female specific saddle in the four bike shops that I went to.

Also, have any of you girls tried the Shebeast (?) clothing line? If so, do you have anything to say about them? If you were to have only one pair of shorts, what would they be?

Aces:
The Gordo

[The Gordo]

My wife says that the Specialized Body Geometry (female specific) gloves are small and pleasant and should cure your wifes ills on the glove dilemma.

[thanita]

It's hard to recommend a seat, I've gone through 4 or 5 before I found ones that I like. The standard Juliana seat is incredibly comfy, and I've also had good experiences with WTB saddles (both "unisex" and "women-specific" models). But - saddles are very personal, your wife may prefer saddles that aren't "women's," who knows? Unfortunately, other than poaching friends' bikes, we can't really test saddles before we buy.

There are lots of nice shorts out there - my favorites of the moment are Terry T shorts, super comfortable. Then again, there are the new DirtRag skorts, a fine choice!

Why don't you have your wife check out the forum? Easier to advise, eh?

[Janeva]

Hey Thanita!

I'm commonly referred to as "The Gordo's Wifey".

I'm rather new to the biking sport. . . (and to message boards as well). . . but I will try my best to describe the trouble I've been having with my saddle.

The two that I have ridden, make my pelvis tilt forward, causing me to roll my back, and thus causing minor lower back pain- towards the end of a ride. Gordo's tried angling the seat forward and backwards to compensate. . . but nothings worked. I feel like my pelvis would be happier if it could rest vertically. . . but the Trek saddle thinks otherwise.

I've heard other women sing the praises of "the right chamois pad" in the right shorts. . . will make the ride more comfortable. . .even on a deficient saddle. . . .but I don't own a pair of shorts. . . (having only ridden for a year). So where should I invest my money. . . Shorts or Saddle. . . (or god forbid both $$$$)? My birthday is coming up. . . so I think my husband was vying for advice on a present. . . but I really don't have the experience to tell him what I want or need in a saddle or shorts. . .

I love riding with him. . . it's the only quality time we get to spend together. . . I just wish it wasn't such a pain in the ass!

Please Advise-
Janeva

[wooglin]

Pardon my male interjection, but no one's mentioned Voler shorts (velowear.com). If you can handle lycra, at $45 a pair they're very cheap for the quality. I know a couple of women who are real happy with them.

Janeva--IMO you need both. Good shorts and the right saddle. And/or maybe a more upright position or shorter cockpit on the bike?

[thanita]

J:
Yes, you need both! You've been riding for a year, that's a long time to have been without. The chamois' primary function is to alleviate chafing and the saddle's is to provide support (although these functions overlap) so trying to choose on or the other is like choosing between good coffee beans and good water. The saddle = beans.

If you can - go to a bike shop. Try on a few pair of shorts to see which brand fits you the best. Try to get a mid level short (tend to have more "technical," comfy chamois and better fit/durability) as opposed to an entry or "recreational" short. Some brands I am happy with (although there are more out there): PI, Voler (I actually like and ride the DR short a lot, which is "unisex"), and Terry. I'm thinking of their non-baggies here.

Then - see if you can sit/tool around the parking lot on a variety of saddles. If they're cool they'll help you with this. If they're not cool or they don't have any saddles that interest you, here are some brands/models that have worked really well for me: Juliana Tangor (so comfy but a bit wide in back), Juliana Callista (nice shape for manuevering, not as cush); WTB Lasershe (good support, light!) or WTB SpeedShe (considerably more plush than Laser) and the "unisex" version of these have made me happy too. Serfas DD women's saddle was a nice combo of light, trim shape and plushness, too. Saddles are hard to fit, but you'll find yours. Make sure you don't limit yourself to "womens" saddles (some of them are pretty scary barcolounger things). And a good starting position is saddle parallel to ground (no wierd tipping up at nose or tail).

Hope this helps, lemme know what happens.
T

[thanita]

Oh yeah . . . one other thought. If you don't ride often except for one or two long rides a month, you're probably going to experience a bit of discomfort even with the plushest chamois and most nirvanic saddle in the world. Not saying that this is your case, but I've noticed that I need to "break in" my body after being off the bike for some time. And even after long rides/races, backache and crotch creepiness are fairly common. ;)

[unclefuzzy]

I'll have to get Lisa to a shop to try some of those out here soon.

On the saddle front, Lisa's gone trough a few saddles, including the Bontrager version, a nice Velo w/Ti rails and is now on a WTB 'unisex'. Her favortie so far is the WTB. Nice supportive nose with a cutout filled w/gel or something. She may even be able to offer your wife a clue on fit, she's very attuned to the way her body works(she's a therapist by trade), and may be able to offer an opinion to a solution. I'll talk to her about it.

marty

[Janeva]

Thanks Thanita. . . & UncleFuzzy. . . .Maybe I can find a shop in this city, with more than one female specific choice; though it sounds like the WTB "unisex" is the next one to try.

And I would value your wife's opinion as well, unclefuzzy. . . let me know what she says.

Thanks again!

Janeva

[Janeva]

Thanita,

Thank you for the saddle suggestion! The WTB seems to be the most comfortable choice, thus far. After a few rides. . .I can honestly say it's the best.

The Gordo bought me a new bike for my birthday. . .and it is so very cool! It's a Cannondale Cadd 3 frame with the BBQ Black paint job. . . (like the design on the commuter bikes they were selling this spring).

I fell in love with the paint job. . . on a commuter in a Chicago Bike Shop. . . but since it was "WAY Out of Range" price wise. . .and wasn't set up for the type of riding we do. . . that bike was out of the question. Or so I thought.

So a week before my 'special day', Gordo brought me into the garage to unveil the most beautiful bike I'd ever seen in my life! He requested the Cadd 3 frame with the BBQ paint job. And it even has my initials in the serial number. He thought of everything!

So when we went to get the bottom bracket tapped. . . there was a new shipment of the WTB She Speed saddles. . .so we picked one up to give it a try.

My first time out on the bike was quite an adventure. . . to say the very least. (Gordo tells all in the "Drunkin' Weridois".) Since I did live through the event. . . and all is well. . . the ride was quite enjoyable. . . all stalking aside.

You are correct in my riding methods. . . I am the guerrilla rider. . . I ride once. . .maybe twice per week. . .and it's all or nothing. I'll go three days without getting on the machine. . .and then rush into a twenty mile ride. So I suppose it would be pretty silly to expect that my arse wouldn't hurt at all. . .but the WTB saddle as reinforced my lofty ideals.

Thanks Again for the suggestion-

Janeva (aka Rachel or The Gordo's Wifey)