Bike Shorts Buying Guide

If you're serious about biking,  then  you can't go without a good pair of bike shorts to increase your comfort while riding.  Also known as cycling shorts,  these babies will keep you moving fast by reducing wind resistance and compressing your legs to combat muscular fatigue.  Even better, they protect your skin from all the friction that can occur with fast, repetitive pedalling, and they draw sweat away from the skin to cool you down and prevent chafing.  Some nifty bike shorts even have a bit of padding in them if your seat  isn't giving you all the support you need, so you can't go wrong.  If you want to be the next Lance Armstrong, the first step is looking like him.  

Regular Shorts

Wearing your everyday shorts  and underwear  while riding can make a leisurely ride seem like an eternity of pain and discomfort.  Since regular shorts, pants and underwear have a lot of exposed seams, they are likely to chafe and place pressure on your skin as you ride.  Also, these items are often less breathable, causing a build-up of sweat that can cause rashes and further aggravate chafing.

Types of Bike Shorts

Bib Shorts  These cycling shorts are form fitting and are usually made out of Lycra or similar materials.  They are held up by a bib (like a set of suspenders or braces) instead of an elastic waistband.  Bibs are much more comfortable when riding because they don't dig in the skin and cause chafing like their elastic waistband brethren, and they also usually have large sections of netting to help evaporate sweat and cool down the rider.  Most bib shorts have sewn in seat pads for extra comfort.

Baggy Shorts  Baggy cycling shorts are just that--baggy.  They look like casual shorts, but are actually designed for riding, equipped with a special liner that hugs the legs and eliminates sweat.  These shorts are often referred to as mountain bike shorts, as they are more acceptable during this type of riding that does not necessarily require tons of speed.  Baggy shorts are great if you often commute using your bike, as they look like normal shorts that can be worn around the grocery store as well as on the trail.  Like bib shorts, these too have sewn in seat pads.

Major Manufacturers

• Bellwether 
• Borah 
• Cannondale 
• Danskin 
• Endura 
• Patagonia 
• Pearl Izumi 
• Wedgewood 

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