Shorts vs. bibs?

Redliner said:

Most of the pros I see wear bibs. Is there an advantage over shorts?

Unless my ride is under 25 miles, I automatically reach for the bibs. The tremendous additional comfort of not having a wasteband, not worrying about showing crack after you've flattened out your back while cranking in the drops, and the general better fit you get from using bibs, I feel, is worth it. That said, there are disadvantages to using bibs as well, usually of the bathroom variety. Many bibs are cut low enough in the front, that you can sort of crouch, etc., for fairly easy access. Some -- notably several Castelli designs -- are not, and require you to do some contortions to slip your arms out of the sleeves, etc. Of course, others may have different opinions.

Redliner said:

Most of the pros I see wear bibs. Is there an advantage over shorts?

Bibs = performance training and racing
shorts = recreational and touring

I wore a bib for the first time last weekend and I've got to say to me they feel more comfortable. That being said I haven't had to deal with the bathroom issue yet and I can see it would definately be a bit more of a problem in the bushes at the side of the road.
Bone

How do you guys feel they are comparatively as far as heat dissipation? It would seem to me that they ought be considerably warmer on humid August afternoons; but I guess that I wouldn't see the Pro's wearing them on long climb stages if they were.

Slider77 said:

How do you guys feel they are comparatively as far as heat dissipation? It would seem to me that they ought be considerably warmer on humid August afternoons; but I guess that I wouldn't see the Pro's wearing them on long climb stages if they were.

summer shorts have mesh bibs.

ed073 said:

summer shorts have mesh bibs.

oops guess I should have said those warm February afternoons for you guys Down Under. 🙂

Slider77 said:

oops guess I should have said those warm February afternoons for you guys Down Under. 🙂

lol

true

Slider77 said:

How do you guys feel they are comparatively as far as heat dissipation? It would seem to me that they ought be considerably warmer on humid August afternoons; but I guess that I wouldn't see the Pro's wearing them on long climb stages if they were.

The bibs tend to sit off my chest/abdominal area when i am looking even remotely tucked onto the handlebars, and i feel this actually helps with heat disipation as the bibs hold some moisture and provide a cooling effect. With one pair of bibs i have realised that the front doesnt touch me all the way down to the nether regions so i find it wise to never train shirtless while wearing these knicks in the company of others! They are definitely worth the cash for the extra comfort throughout all seasons.

While I know that bibs are probably better and more comfy around the waistline, for some reason they drive me absolutely crazy. It irks me to have something up on my shoulder like that, and I'm constantly fooling with it. I think I'm probably a bit obsessive compulsive, but I just can't seem to get comfy in a bib.

I've always worn shorts, but converted in the last month after wearing a bib for the 1st time. Wife was w/phonak at the tdf (another story, lucky lady), and sent home a bunch of those guady kits. Tried on on and thought wow, these are lighter (very light mesh) and more comfortable than I would have thought, and having no waist band feels really great! It's almost like the waist/abdominal support decreases gradually, and you don't notice a transition. Benefit is a gentle tug upwards around the waist, that turns into a firmer tug as you drop lower/drop your back. Rode in them, and it felt sooooo great (and soooo green).

I'm a short-to-bib convert.

RC2 said:

I've always worn shorts, but converted in the last month after wearing a bib for the 1st time. Wife was w/phonak at the tdf (another story, lucky lady), and sent home a bunch of those guady kits. Tried on on and thought wow, these are lighter (very light mesh) and more comfortable than I would have thought, and having now waist band feels really great! Rode in them, and it felt sooooo great (and soooo green).

I'm a short-to-bib convert.

I always wear mountain bike shorts and a dri-fiy (or similar) t-shirt. No spandex for me.

Bibs bareback are the only option for the road.

(Hasn't this thread been resurrected a few time too many?)

ed073 said:

Bibs = performance training and racing
shorts = recreational and touring

Nah, that ain't true. If bibs are only common on more seasoned riders, that's only because the newer folks haven't taken the bib-leap so far. There's no performance advantage that makes bibs better suited to racing versus training, or viseversa for shorts -- bibs are just tremendously more comfortable in most situations.

The gentle upward tug improves the fit, keeping the seat of the pants where it should be; even better, the lack of a snug waistband means no spandex cutting at your gut when you're bent over.

lokstah said:

Nah, that ain't true. If bibs are only common on more seasoned riders, that's only because the newer folks haven't taken the bib-leap so far. There's no performance advantage that makes bibs better suited to racing versus training, or viseversa for shorts -- bibs are just tremendously more comfortable in most situations.

The gentle upward tug improves the fit, keeping the seat of the pants where it should be; even better, the lack of a snug waistband means no spandex cutting at your gut when you're bent over.

It's not law....just how shorts are purchased. I've worked in enough bike shops for long enough to know what people want shorts for and that was most concise way to sum it up.
You don't need experience to wear $150 racing shorts, just a reason to buy them.

Redliner said:

Most of the pros I see wear bibs. Is there an advantage over shorts?

In my case, bibs have always caused chaffing of my nipples. Not pleasant.

cydewaze said:

While I know that bibs are probably better and more comfy around the waistline, for some reason they drive me absolutely crazy. It irks me to have something up on my shoulder like that, and I'm constantly fooling with it. I think I'm probably a bit obsessive compulsive, but I just can't seem to get comfy in a bib.

perhaps your bib-shorts are a size too small, causing more pressure than needed? 🙂