[background music] Manon: Cycling in bib shorts. Most
of us cyclists couldn't imagine riding a bike without them. For you new cyclists out there,
you might not have found the world of lycra and bib shorts yet. They do look pretty scary,
a tight lycra shorts with a big padding section inside them. Weird, I know. The saddle is one
of three contact points on the bike. We know it's important to be comfortable down there. Riding a
bike with a sore bottom, that's never fun. In this video, I'm going to chat all about the ins and
outs of the cycling bib shorts and discuss whether it'll be worth investing in some. Let's go.
Let's start with a little bit of a history lesson. I did do a recent video, Top 10 Clothing
Innovations Within Cycling. So, after this video, why not go check that out. Pre-1930s, cycling
shorts just basically didn't exist. Riders were sat on woolen shorts, on a leather saddle. Now,
that just does not sound very nice at all. In the early 1940s, there was a little bit
of an improvement. There was a leather chamois. Now, you still did need a cream to soften up
the leather, but a little bit of improvement, I guess, better than nothing. It wasn't until the
1980s that the modern chamois we see today became a staple in clothing manufacturers.
Now, we are spoiled for choice. There are so many different cycling shorts to choose from.
One of the main reasons to buy a pair of bib shorts is for comfort. Now,
I don't know many people that have sat on a saddle without bib shorts and thought, oh yeah,
that's quite comfy. It's just not. If you don't find sitting on a saddle very comfortable,
don't worry, you're not alone. The pad in the cycling shorts is designed to make your riding
a lot more comfortable, and give you some cushioning in the right area, and the lycra
to stop any chafing. A good pair of cycling shorts will be padded along your sit bones
and underneath your hips so it distributes the pressure from your sensitive parts.
From high-tech fabrics, it'll keep you comfortable and cooled. Ergonomic padding will absorb shock on
your sit bones. Cycling shorts come in all different shapes and sizes and thicknesses.
It's not just a foam padding in a pair of shorts, there are actually multiple layers that make up a
pair of cycling shorts. A lot of detail do go into these shorts. In this pair of Castelli shorts,
I can see there are actually three layers just by having a look at it like this.
You have this top layer which is in direct contact with your skin, which is quite a nice
and soft material. Then inside there, you have the actual padding itself, and you can feel that
it's different thicknesses in different places, so a little bit thicker on your sit bones toward,
and then a little bit thinner on the outside. Then you have the third layer, which is in direct
contact with your saddle. It is worth spending a little bit more money when it comes to cycling
shorts because it will make your riding a lot more comfortable and a good quality pair will last.
Cheaper shorts tend to have less research and less development into them.
When I first got into cycling, I bought quite a cheap pair of cycling shorts, and I remember the
chamois in them was quite thin and it just wasn't very comfortable. Then I invested in a really good
pair of cycling shorts and I could definitely feel the difference. There was padding in the
right area, different thicknesses which definitely worked for me. A good gripper, the bit on the
bottom of the shorts that will hold the whole shorts in place. Now, if you don't have a good
gripper, or your gripper has worn out, which they can do, you'll find that the shorts will slowly
roll up your leg and they'll become hot pants. The material can bunch up and cause
some chafing which can be unpleasant. Always look for a good gripper in a pair of cycling shorts.
I also chatted to Castelli who make our cycling kit here at GCN, and how they develop their bib
shorts. Now they get a lot of feedback from pro cyclists who wear the kit every day.
No, no, no. Actual respectable pro cyclists.
That's more like it. A proper pro. They actually-- This is something I hadn't
thought about. They reduce the bulk of the seat pad to be more in line with modern day saddles.
So, you could find a saddle and a chamois that fit really well together, but then you might try
a different chamois with a different saddle, and it just might not work as well. That's another
thing to take into consideration when buying cycling shorts. They also said that they have
no seams or stitchings in the top layer of their shorts, which is super important, because
if it did, it could cause irritation and rubbing against the skin, which wouldn't be very pleasant.
There's also an aero stage in the development of the shorts, as well as comfort.
Castelli will spend a lot of time in the wind tunnel developed in their shorts,
making them as aerodynamic as possible. I also asked about men's and women's shorts, and how
they cater for differences in shape and fit. They said it all comes down to sizing, and not just
shrinking the men's shorts to fit a woman, but ensuring there's different paneling to make sure
it's a comfortable fit for a woman, and a woman's specific pad to cater for the female anatomy.
Women who raced bikes in the 1940s to the 1980s wore exactly the same cycling kit as
the men. Women's cycling wasn't actually in the Olympics until 1984. It was in the mid
'90s that women's specific cycling kit became available. Different sizes, different cuts,
and most importantly, a different chamois design. There is a huge variety of women specific shorts
to choose from now. A lot of shorts make it easier for women to have a nature break when you're off
on the bike, and you don't have to take layers and layers of clothing off to go to the toilet.
Some women's shorts will have no bib straps. Some women may like this and some may not. The
chamois tends to be a little bit different in women's specific shorts. This could work really
well for you, or some women like to wear men's shorts and find them very comfortable as well.
Now let's take a look at the main differences of shorts with straps and without. Shorts with straps
will go over your shoulders and hold your shorts in place on and off the bike. There's also no
elasticated waist. This means there is less chance of discomfort on longer rides. Comfort breaks can
be a little bit awkward having to undo layers and layers and layers to get the bib straps off.
The bib shorts with straps tend to be a little bit more expensive than without straps.
Now on to shorts without the straps. These tend to be a little bit more affordable. They make
nature breaks a lot easier as you don't have to take all the layers off,
but then you do risk your shorts falling down or moving around which can cause discomfort.
As well, you will have the strap around your waist, the waistband,
which will dig in a little bit and cause a little bit of discomfort.
Like a lot of things in cycling, cycling shorts aren't cheap. They can vary from £25 to £250.
Not that long ago, we did a poll in the GCN app asking you guys, how much would you spend
on cycling shorts? I have the results here. 3% of you said that you wouldn't buy them at all.
6% said you'd spend £0 to £25. 23% would say £25 to £50. 41%, which was the most, said you'd
spend £50 to £100, and 27% said that you would spend £100 or more, on a pair of cycling shorts.
Now regardless of whether you are an amateur or a professional cyclist,
a good pair of cycling shorts is key to a happy life in the saddle.
I hope this video has helped you understand a little bit more about cycling bib shorts.
One more thing before we go, I think it's time for a poll in the GCN app. Do you guys think it's
worth having a pair of cycling bib shorts? Yes or no. Head over to the GCN app and get voting.
Oh, and this is definitely the last thing now, but you don't need to wear underwear underneath your
cycling shorts. Just to let you know. Okay, bye. [00:09:02] [END OF AUDIO]