When it comes to cycling shorts, having the same consideration for deciding on what bike to buy is the same as deciding what kind of cycling shorts you need to protect your lady bits. The market is saturated with all types from bib shorts to non-bib shorts promising comfort on the saddle but let’s face it, not all are designed equal.
Considering that cycling can cover such a wide variation of activities, scenes, and styles, it’s no surprise that compiling a post for women about how to choose the right cycling shorts is a big deal. After all, you wouldn’t want to show up to a century ride in a pair of shorts built for a city commute. But whatever the riding you do, there is a short for you. So to help you find the most comfort for your ride, here is what women should consider when choosing cycling shorts.
Bibs Versus Shorts
This answer is an individuals choice but most people tend to fall heavily into one camp or another. Either you find a person who swears by bibs, races in bibs, whose ordinary pants for work would be bibs if they didn’t have to tuck in their button-up shirts, or you find the person who despises bibs with every atom of their being. They won’t be caught dead in bibs and go so far as to make cruel, cruel fun of the people who wear them. Then, there’s those of us who tried both and realize the value of each.
So here’s the deal: both shorts and bibs are awesome in their own way, sort of like chocolate and vanilla or yoga and pilates or Star Trek and Star Wars. They are both incredible solutions to the puzzle caused by a narrow, hard saddle and a lot of miles to cover. Bibs and shorts are so different though. In general, shorts are lighter, easier to take on and off, and tend to be less expensive than bibs. Bibs move better with your body, make you look sleek, and protect your lower back from the elements more effectively.
Con’s of Bibs
Typically, bibs are worn underneath a jersey. If you need to use the restroom in such an outfit, you’ll need to go full commando by removing your your jersey before taking off the shoulder straps. That is the performance downside of bibs, especially for women. For most brands, you have to completely undress to use the restroom, which is a real drag especially when your only option for relief is a super-gross public restroom or a bush. Some companies, like Endura, Assos, Specialized, and dhb have come up with solutions to this problem, but honestly, it’s still more of a pain than shorts – especially if you have a weird phobia about dropping keys, cell phones, and other important items down that oubliette of despair. What is a simple action in shorts becomes a more difficult and slower process in bibs.
Con’s of Shorts
Now that you have the dirt on bibs, let’s talk about shorts. While shorts are cheaper and weigh less, they have their limitations, too. For most of us women, having a flat stomach is not our reality and cycling shorts can squeeze our waists, pronouncing our muffin tops and causing gut pain. With all the solutions from silicone coating and elastic bands, even those cause gut discomfort and rash if they they continually rub against the skin. Not only that, they role down, expose our back side to the elements leaving us with natures tramp stamps, road muck riding up or a sunburn.
That’s the major problem of cycling shorts that bibs don’t have. Some cyclists use shorts exclusively for shorter rides for the convenience but stick to bibs for the more serious stuff. Other people swear by bibs because, honestly ladies, they do hold all the stuff in where it needs to be. Not that I advocate bibs per se, but these things have the capacity to make even the most curvy among us look total badass, and that’s always worth a self-esteem boost.
Chamois
The next major decision point when selecting a cycling short to carry you through the miles is what is called the “chamois.” Historically, chamois was once a piece of soft leather in early versions of cycling shorts to keep some distance between the rider’s private parts and the seat of the bicycle. Chamois cream was intended to keep the leather soft and supple (not cracked and brittle) which, as you can imagine, was much more comfortable.
While we have retained the name of that part of the short, everything else about it, due to innovations in synthetic materials, has changed. Virtually any cycling short you pick up online or in your local bike shop today contains ZERO leather in any part of it. Instead, the “chamois” is a highly evolved and super-specific piece of equipment intended to keep you padded, protected, and as high and dry as you can be on a long bike ride.
Just like people, chamois come in all different shapes and sizes, and they also come in male versions and female versions. Chamois for men are longer, narrower, and tend to have less material in the middle of them, whereas women’s chamois are slightly shorter, wider, and have a bit more padding throughout. These structural differences are intended to provide each rider with protection where they anatomically need it the most.
Beyond a chamois’ “gender,” its size is also an important consideration. Do you refuse to stay in the saddle longer than an hour? Then, it stands to reason that you don’t need a chamois designed to go hundreds and hundreds of miles. You can get away with something much less aggressive, which is going to 1) cost you less, and 2) not be as bulky. If, however, you’re all about the long rides, you’re going to have to resign yourself to the fact that you are going to need a high-quality chamois to help you through the ride (unless you like sore sit bones, but that would be strange).
So, how can you tell a high-quality chamois? Here are a few things to consider.
Design: As mentioned before a women’s chamois design is going to be different from men’s chamois. Taking into account the different bone structure and anatomy, these anatomical considerations in their design respect the positioning of sit bones and pubic bone over the saddle that is specific to the type of cycling you do. The padding takes into account the particular morphology of women’s external genitalia, protecting them from irritation, chafing, and other pathological conditions with their technological foaming, antimicrobial and moisture wicking fabrics.
Stitching: Make sure that the chamois has been sewn into the garment without leaving too much exposed thread as it can rub against your skin and cause irritation or chaffing. There are two common chamois stitch techniques to prevent irritation – zig-zag stitch on the edge of the pad and a cover stitch that covers the edge of the chamois. Any break in chamois threading means it will unravel, making them shift on your ride.
Foam: The padding of chamois ranges form thick to thin foaming and the positioning of the chamois is designed to provide support in certain pressure areas. Most chamois have almost a memory padding. This doesn’t mean that chamois record the things you might be saying on a long, hard climb. Instead, this refers to the resiliency of the chamois to “bounce back” after you spent a good six hours pounding it down to nothing in the saddle.
A great way to get a feel for this aspect of a cycling chamois is to read reviews of various products. What you will find is that women’s brands are especially knowledgable in knowing what is best and brands that have been around for a while typically have landed on a chamois that works well for a specific purpose. Several of the brands I personally love: Machines For Freedom (bib shorts and tights), Lexi Miller (shorts), Pearl Izumi (best bib tights that answer natures call) – they may be considered a higher-end short calibrated, tested, revised, and tested again to protect its riders.
Going Commando
Cycling shorts are designed to be worn commando. Whether male or female, please leave the intimates at home when you’re headed out to explore the world by bike. This is actually a pretty important point: because modern chamois are designed to wick away moisture and protect you from the saddle, putting another piece of fabric in there – one, very possibly, NOT designed to deal with the specific demands of riding a bike, can result in not only painful skin chafing, but even infections. So, use the cycling short for the cycling and then immediately shower and change when you’re done.
Read more on how to prevent and treat female saddle issue here.
As a rule of thumb, I always hand wash my kit with in the shower with me and hang them to dry so they do not build up bacteria or odors. Read more on caring for cycling kit here.
So, there are shorts, bib or sans-bib, for the racer (the Castelli Free Aero Short), for the ultra-endurance cyclist ( the MFF Endurance Bib Short, the weekend road warrior (Pearl Izumi PI Black Bib Shorts, and for the person who doesn’t like tight cycling shorts and wants the chamois comfort (Pearl Izumi Canyon Short). And then there are shorts that offer style, comfort, padding, and protection for all cycling activities (the Lexi Miller Little Black Cycling Short, read why I love these).
There are vast numbers of shorts available to accommodate your version of cycling that combines function, comfort, and style as an expression of what cycling means to you. The bottom line is that, if you want to road bike, you’re going to need a cycling short to protect your lady bits. The great news is that there is a short out there for you, waiting to take you on the next great adventure.
Cycling Shorts I’m Wearing: Machines For Freedom MVP bib tights/ Lexi Miller Little Black Cycling Short,