Cycling Bibs and Shorts for Women

Yeah, unfortunately some bibs are just too tight for that trick…

Looking forward to an updated video - bummed this one is no longer available.
I am always on the hunt for more comfortable bibs. i feel like the most important element for me is the chamois - it can make or break a ride for me. My favorite brand so far is Rapha but I still feel like whoever is designing women’s bibs has no idea what female anatomy actually is like…and it seems like for some brands, there are like 10 different configurations for the chamois for men’s bibs and ONE for women’s. I realize this is a really personal preference, but we are not one shape fits all, and I find that so frustrating.
Has anyone tried Endura bibs? I stumbled upon them today online and ordered a pair (because they are much cheaper than Rapha on Amazon and hey, why not?) - they offer different pad widths (for your sit bones) and have a zipper in the back so you don’t have to take them off for a nature break. I’m intrigued by the ideas there, interested to see how they deliver on the concept? I’ll post an update after I try them. :nerd_face:

Heather,
Last summer, I bought a pair of Endura with the back zipper on sale, and I love them.
So when another sale came up , I bought a pair of the womens Pro SL bibs.
I like them allot.
Love the Chamois.
Hope they work well for you.

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I wear DHB Aeron Women’s bib shorts from Wiggle (UK brand). They have a halterneck which stretches which allows for toilet breaks without the need to remove any clothing. The back of the short can be easily lowered with the strap still in place. They really work and make light work of toilet breaks. I have a more expensive pair of Castelli bib shorts but I much prefer these ones - I find the chamois in the Castelli is too thick and not very flexible and I have to strip off for toilet breaks. At the moment the DHB are in the sale…might get another pair :slight_smile:

I have started using a brand of bibs from 7 mesh. I do a lot of double centuries and they are great for really long rides. The other thing that makes these bibs great, is they are designed to be able to pull down without having to take off any of your layers up top. Makes for a very efficient pit stop on top of keeping you comfortable all ride long. They are a Canadian based company and they can be ordered online or through REV Cycling

I loved everything about the Endura bibs…except for the chamois. It was torture for me, so I sadly returned them. I don’t think it was a sizing issue either. The zipper is amazing- works exactly the way it’s supposed to.

Those just went on my to try list, thank you! I’m eyeing up a double century in December (all tips welcome), and looking for a bib that will go the distance. I like that they actually showed a picture of the chamois on the website.
My favorite bibs are Rapha, with Velocio running a close second.

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willing to help out any way I can. Pacing and good fueling are the most important things to get through 200 miles

Stacy here are a few important tips for longer rides.

I would love fueling tips. I eat quite a lot on the bike and fall to pieces relatively quickly if I under-fuel. It’s taken me a lot of work over the past few years to figure out what works for fuel and keeps me going. My usual target is 250 calories an hour between drink and eating, but on a century we typically stop for lunch about halfway through and I definitely feel it if we don’t. Should I just roughly plan on eating twice what it takes me to get through a century in order to get through a double? I’m afraid that the calorie deficit between what I’m burning and what I’m taking in will add up too fast over 12+ hours of riding.
I’d say training wise I’m rock solid up to about 70 miles and comfortable up to 100, but my longest ride ever was 107miles (with 7K feet of climbing) and I haven’t pushed past that distance yet. I’d like to do at least a 125, 150, and back to back centuries before attempting my first double.

@Stefanie, do you have favorite bike shorts? Enough of them? What brand do you like? Always curious to hear what works for others.
-Angie

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I love Castelli aero shorts @adm0629, they are my go-to for really long rides and I have a few pairs but they are on the spendy side. I have tried Sugoi and SheBeast and they are good for metric and imperial centuries but not longer than that. I got a pair of Pearl Izumi elite pursuit shorts recently that have been pretty comfortable for 3 hour trainer rides but I have not tested them beyond that yet.

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Thanks, @Stefanie ! I always order my shorts small because I have sausage legs :crazy_face: and the barely worn Castelli’s from my old team are working out the best. I just wore my favorite Pactimo shorts for last night’s race and with all the position changes, No Bueno. They never gave me trouble before. :slightly_frowning_face:
-Angie

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I’ve tried tons of different bib shorts so I always enjoy weighing in on this one. I rode my double century in Bontrager bibs and was as comfortable as I possibly could have hoped for that long of a ride. I’m now in the market for another pair, and saving them for epic rides. They also had bathroom capabilities, which was amazing. I peed behind more than one bush during the ride.
My second favorite bibs, which for me are good up to about a century, are my Rapha Souplesse bibs. I buy them on sale because the price is crazy otherwise. They’ve been wearing out more than I like, but to be fair most of mine have gone through 3-4 years of hard multi-season riding.

Everything else that I own comes in far behind those two- Castelli, Primal (in my 30 min on the trainer or less pile even though I love their jerseys), Velocio, Endura (returned), and all of the odds and ends that I’ve acquired. Of note, I’m exceedingly picky and I’ve probably given away or returned more bibs than I’ve ever actually kept.

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@stacypro funny how we are all different. I love my Rapha and Velicio. I too only buy on sale. I haven’t tried Bontrager but want to. I’ve heard good things about Asoss.

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Ooh love a good bib discussion!

Best bibs I have ever found (and I have several pairs) Stolen Goat Bodyline. Beautiful fit and have served me well for rides over 200km and back to back days of 100miles plus for these back to back long days I have alternated the Stolen Goats with Rapha Souplesse which I also like (but not as much as the SGs!) and Castelli Aero. If it would be wise to wear the same make day after day I would, I only change brands each day on those big back to back days so that there are different pressure points each day.

Also the Stolen Goats are half the price of the Rapha bibs -bonus! But the quality is just as good if not better!!

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I have primal bibs and love them. I will check out Stolen Goats.

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I’m a larger sized gal (as in, was a field hockey and lacrosse goalie in my college days) and got into cycling in my mid-30’s and have tried about every possible kit available and have found only the Pearl Izumi P.R.O (they have a thicker chamois, that actually works well for trainer rides) and the Specialized Women’s RBX Adventure Bib Shorts w/SWAT (they have pockets!) to fit properly - both in XXL (disclaimer, I’m an Ambassador for Specialized, they sent me those one’s).Those two have been my go-to for trainer rides. Prior to those I used to only wear Shebeest who’s one of the few companies to offer Plus Sized bibs/bottoms. I’ve tried Terry as well but find those only work for shorter rides and don’t hold up long-term. Know other ride friends who swear by Velocio, they are pricey but I couldn’t get them over my quad. Ride approx. 3K miles/year, don’t race but do more long-distance endurance type rides (mostly road, some gravel).

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Stolen Goat just went on my to try list, thanks ladies! I’ve seen it around and it is gorgeous. I tend to like to buy black bibs so that they go with whatever jersey I pull out of my closet, rather than sets of bibs and jerseys that only go together.

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You won’t regret it I’m sure. I only do black bibs too so I love that SG have some black bibs with just a coloured band around the bottom of the leg so if you want to be colour coordinated you can but it is subtle enough not to be a problem if you don’t want to think about that!

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