Cycling Skinsuits Aren’t For The Timid

Cycling skinsuits - cycling's most revealing of garments! I’ll bet you’re thinking that the timid and meek of heart aren’t likely to wear a cycling skinsuit. Well...that may be true, but I was also thinking that the timid may not even want to see most Americans wearing a cycling skinsuit.

Just when you’ve gotten used to showing up in public places wearing cycling shorts and a cycling jersey, you’ve now become aware of that most revealing of garments- the skinsuit.

What, pray tell, defines a skinsuit? How does it differ from the other embarrassing clothing that cyclists wear?

Cycling Skinsuits Defined

It’s a onesie. Duh!

Whereas cycling jerseys and cycling shorts can be left to stink up two different closets at the same time, a cycling skinsuit is limited to occupying only one place at one time.

When that one place is the body of many a chubby cyclist, avert your eyes.

Skinsuit Features

Some of the fabrics that I read about are ‘6 ounce, four-way stretch’. That’s pretty thin, and because one of the sought-after attributes is efficient cooling, thin is good. Breathable is good too, although the opposite of breathable is absurd.

How could anyone ride their bike wrapped tightly in cellophane?

Often the lower part of the skinsuit is a thicker material, such as 8 ounce and just as with cycling shorts, there are different numbers of panels to be considered. Eight panels allow for good conformation to the sculptured body. And don’t forget the chamois- your interface to that most barbaric of instruments, the bicycle saddle. I’m finding out that a good chamois makes all the difference.

You’ll need a zipper to squeeze into and out of a cycling skinsuit. If it’s a hidden zipper you’ll maintain that aero advantage.

How About Some Pros and Cons?

Cycling Skinsuits don’t have any elastic around your midsection. There’s nothing to define the boundary between your bellyroll and all things south of your bellyroll. Nothing to dig in- more comfort! Now those may be both pros and cons.

I’ve taken a liking to bibshorts lately. The reason being the suspenders pull up on the short, keeping the chamois where it needs to be. Well skinsuits do the same without the suspenders. That’s a pro.

Con- No pockets make skinsuits impractical for anything other than time trials, crits, and track racing. If you’d like, you can tuck a gel pack up under the leg elastic of your skinsuit, but it’s not as effective as the pockets of a cycling jersey.

Pros- Aerodynamic, comfortable, and cooler all describe the cycling skinsuits.

More cons- can’t use the restroom conveniently and a shaking of some people’s body image.

The Final Skinny on Cycling Skinsuits

I guess we’d have to conclude that the skinsuit is not for the fainthearted. They have their place just as do those revealing outfits that male ballet dancers assault our sensitivities with, but they are definitely specialty items.

This just in…skinsuits bought cheaply online can be used as a good base layer. Now aren’t you glad you kept reading to the brutal end?

Speaking of inexpensive cycling stuff, you can get some excellent closeout bargains at BikeNashbar .

Go to Bicycle Jersey from Cycling Skinsuits