Cycling Shorts rant/question



B

Brian Phillips

Guest
I've always had several pairs of shorts that I rotate, but I haven't bought any new ones for almost
2 years. I've had good luck with Pearlizumi's lasting several years, but when I went out to various
bike shops today, I was disappointed to find what seems to be a new philosophy in the manufacturing
of cycling shorts. It seems they all have a shitload of foam padding now which makes for a lousy
fit. What ever happened to just a piece of chamois in the crotch? Now all the clothing manufacturers
are making their shorts to please the Freds of the world who complain that their butts get sore when
they ride so they need lots of padding? I looked at Descente's, Catelli's, Pearl's and others and
EVERYBODY had added a thick, wide chunk of foam to the crotch of their shorts, compared to what you
could buy two years ago.

Does anybody make shorts without all this padding anymore? Am I just too old school and I'm going to
have to learn to adapt?
 
Look at some of the "store" brands from Performance, Colorado Cyclist and Excel Sports. Another
factor to consider is that the nylon/lycra has more stretch than coolmax/polyester/lycra blends
which can make the thicker pads more comfortable in the former and not the latter.

"Brian Phillips" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've always had several pairs of shorts that I rotate, but I haven't
bought
> any new ones for almost 2 years. I've had good luck with Pearlizumi's lasting several years, but
> when I went out to various bike shops today, I was disappointed to find what seems to be a new
> philosophy in the manufacturing of cycling shorts. It seems they all have a shitload of foam
> padding now which makes for a lousy fit. What ever happened to just a
piece
> of chamois in the crotch? Now all the clothing manufacturers are making their shorts to please the
> Freds of the world who complain that their
butts
> get sore when they ride so they need lots of padding? I looked at Descente's, Catelli's, Pearl's
> and others and EVERYBODY had added a thick, wide chunk of foam to the crotch of their shorts,
> compared to what you
could
> buy two years ago.
>
> Does anybody make shorts without all this padding anymore? Am I just too
old
> school and I'm going to have to learn to adapt?
 
I'm right there with ya, man. I hate all that foam. Get your bike set up right and a half-decent
saddle and you don't need it. All it does when I ride in a pair is wad up somewhere and rub me raw.
I live 45 miles from the nearest bike shop (65 miles from the nearest "real" bike shop), so I kinda
have to rely on mail order. I've been very unpleasantly surprised with what Pearl Izumi has done.
Even the basic "attack" shorts which have always been a good value with a plain thin chamois, have
gone to a thick pad.

Bob C. "Brian Phillips" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've always had several pairs of shorts that I rotate, but I haven't
bought
> any new ones for almost 2 years. I've had good luck with Pearlizumi's lasting several years, but
> when I went out to various bike shops today, I was disappointed to find what seems to be a new
> philosophy in the manufacturing of cycling shorts. It seems they all have a shitload of foam
> padding now which makes for a lousy fit. What ever happened to just a
piece
> of chamois in the crotch? Now all the clothing manufacturers are making their shorts to please the
> Freds of the world who complain that their
butts
> get sore when they ride so they need lots of padding? I looked at Descente's, Catelli's, Pearl's
> and others and EVERYBODY had added a thick, wide chunk of foam to the crotch of their shorts,
> compared to what you
could
> buy two years ago.
>
> Does anybody make shorts without all this padding anymore? Am I just too
old
> school and I'm going to have to learn to adapt?
 
I don't get how you rotate them. Don't your legs get crossed over then? Do you really just put them
on backwards and call that a rotation? I put mine on over my head but I wouldn't call that a
rotation...

"Brian Phillips" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've always had several pairs of shorts that I rotate, but I haven't
bought
> any new ones for almost 2 years. I've had good luck with Pearlizumi's lasting several years, but
> when I went out to various bike shops today, I was disappointed to find what seems to be a new
> philosophy in the manufacturing of cycling shorts. It seems they all have a shitload of foam
> padding now which makes for a lousy fit. What ever happened to just a
piece
> of chamois in the crotch? Now all the clothing manufacturers are making their shorts to please the
> Freds of the world who complain that their
butts
> get sore when they ride so they need lots of padding? I looked at Descente's, Catelli's, Pearl's
> and others and EVERYBODY had added a thick, wide chunk of foam to the crotch of their shorts,
> compared to what you
could
> buy two years ago.
>
> Does anybody make shorts without all this padding anymore? Am I just too
old
> school and I'm going to have to learn to adapt?
 
"KSManning" <ksmanning@NO_SPAMhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:HRdYb.73674$%[email protected]...
> I don't get how you rotate them. Don't your legs get crossed over then?
Do
> you really just put them on backwards and call that a rotation? I put
mine
> on over my head but I wouldn't call that a rotation...
>
>

After every 5,000 miles, you turn them around so your right leg is where the left was and vice
versa. If you're blessed with a third leg, you can figure that into the rotation.
 
"Brian Phillips" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I was disappointed to find what seems to be a new philosophy in the manufacturing of cycling
> shorts. It seems they all have a shitload of foam padding now which makes for a lousy fit. What
> ever happened to just a piece of chamois in the crotch?

It might not be as bad as is seems in that the foam compresses after being used a few times, so the
whole thing won't be as thick as it is when new. At least that was the case with some shorts my team
had a few years ago -- we jokingly called them diapers the first time we tried them on, but after a
couple ride/wash cycles they were normal.

JT
 
"Brian Phillips" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've always had several pairs of shorts that I rotate, but I haven't
bought
> any new ones for almost 2 years. I've had good luck with Pearlizumi's lasting several years, but
> when I went out to various bike shops today, I was disappointed to find what seems to be a new
> philosophy in the manufacturing of cycling shorts. It seems they all have a shitload of foam
> padding now which makes for a lousy fit. What ever happened to just a
piece
> of chamois in the crotch? Now all the clothing manufacturers are making their shorts to please the
> Freds of the world who complain that their
butts
> get sore when they ride so they need lots of padding? I looked at Descente's, Catelli's, Pearl's
> and others and EVERYBODY had added a thick, wide chunk of foam to the crotch of their shorts,
> compared to what you
could
> buy two years ago.
>
> Does anybody make shorts without all this padding anymore? Am I just too
old
> school and I'm going to have to learn to adapt?

Check Voler. The team I ride with uses them and they don't have the diaper like pad that the
previous Castelli Squadra kit had.

Glenn B.
 
Brian Phillips wrote:
>
> I've always had several pairs of shorts that I rotate, but I haven't bought any new ones for
> almost 2 years. I've had good luck with Pearlizumi's lasting several years, but when I went out to
> various bike shops today, I was disappointed to find what seems to be a new philosophy in the
> manufacturing of cycling shorts. It seems they all have a shitload of foam padding now which makes
> for a lousy fit. What ever happened to just a piece of chamois in the crotch? Now all the clothing
> manufacturers are making their shorts to please the Freds of the world who complain that their
> butts get sore when they ride so they need lots of padding? I looked at Descente's, Catelli's,
> Pearl's and others and EVERYBODY had added a thick, wide chunk of foam to the crotch of their
> shorts, compared to what you could buy two years ago.
>
> Does anybody make shorts without all this padding anymore? Am I just too old school and I'm going
> to have to learn to adapt?

All that **** is way overpriced anyway. Don't bother with it. Buy the cheap stuff instead. The pads
are thinner on the cheepees; it won't have a full diaper feel, and if you wreck it you won't feel
bad about it. Sometimes the elastic isn't as good, but who cares? If it does start to go (and I've
had it go on "good" brands too), you still won't feel bad because you can buy 3 pairs for the price
of one Castelli.
 
Those foam pads are bacteria farms and cause more sore butts than they prevent. aguy
 
Try Nalini - I got a new pair, and they became nearly flat after the first ride.
--
Bonne route,

Sandy Paris FR

"aguy" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de :
news:[email protected]...
> Those foam pads are bacteria farms and cause more sore butts than they prevent. aguy
 
On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 11:48:49 GMT, "B. Lafferty" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>It helps to launder them frequently.

Like after every use? Doesn't everyone?
 
On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 01:21:11 GMT in rec.bicycles.racing, "Brian
Phillips" <[email protected]> wrote:

> No. Like I said, I "rotate" them.

blecch! yuk!

did you know that they are meant to be washed after *each* use?

do you "rotate" your dirty underwear, too?
 
but now with those shorts you can get one of those cool all carbon sadles that look so
comfortable!!!

On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 21:12:30 GMT, "Brian Phillips" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I've always had several pairs of shorts that I rotate, but I haven't bought any new ones for almost
>2 years. I've had good luck with Pearlizumi's lasting several years, but when I went out to various
>bike shops today, I was disappointed to find what seems to be a new philosophy in the manufacturing
>of cycling shorts. It seems they all have a shitload of foam padding now which makes for a lousy
>fit. What ever happened to just a piece of chamois in the crotch? Now all the clothing
>manufacturers are making their shorts to please the Freds of the world who complain that their
>butts get sore when they ride so they need lots of padding? I looked at Descente's, Catelli's,
>Pearl's and others and EVERYBODY had added a thick, wide chunk of foam to the crotch of their
>shorts, compared to what you could buy two years ago.
>
>Does anybody make shorts without all this padding anymore? Am I just too old school and I'm going
>to have to learn to adapt?