How To Wear Cycling Shorts?Some of you may be wondering how you wear cycling shorts. How do I know this? Well a lot of you wouldn’t have typed ‘how to wear cycling shorts’ into Google if there wasn’t some interest. Huh?Now for the hard part. What exactly do you mean when you ask that question? I guess I’ll try to answer the question by describing what makes cycling shorts unique and how that affects their wearing. I look at the function of bike shorts to be simplified into two basic functions.
(As an aside, go to my bike shorts page to learn more than you ever wanted to know about cycling shorts.) Aerodynamic = RevealingThe first function is to be very flexible while being aerodynamic. This is where much of the fear comes. Yes, there are a lot of cycleshortaphobes out there. You see, with aerodynamics comes tight fitting bicycling shorts. This can strike fear in the hearts of both those who wear the shorts and those who have to look at those wearing the cycling shorts. My advice? Get used to it! No, not really. I'm not really that insensitive to your sensitivities. One thing I remember doing was wearing an untucked T-shirt. This covered up some of the exposure and relieved some of my concerns. I found that while it isn’t exactly kosher with hardcore cyclists to not wear a cycling jersey, a long shirt covers a variety of fears. It won’t be long until you’re wearing your cycling shorts like the bold cyclist that you’re destined to become. That All Important Chamois
Cycling apparel becomes highly specialized wherever the body touches the bike. Gloves are specialized, shoes are specialized, and of course cycling shorts are specialized. Arguably the most important aspect of the biking short is the interface betwixt saddle and rump. This is known as the chamois. The chamois is the padded part of the cycling short that covers any irritating seams in the short and provides some sense of cushion. Let’s get one thing straight. You’ll never be entirely comfortable on a bike saddle. The objective is to minimize the discomfort. So how do you wear cycling shorts? Be sure that the shorts are tight enough to hold the chamois firmly enough to your crotch that there is a minimum of rubbing in the nether regions. The 'Bib Short' to the Rescue!A lot of cyclist wear bib shorts for this reason. The suspender-like aspect of the bib short keeps the chamois pulled up snugly. Then you’re left to figure out how to relieve yourself during a bathroom break.
Here’s another tip regarding how to wear cycling shorts. Wear them for as little time as possible. Because cycling shorts are worn without underwear there is a natural buildup of bacteria in the chamois. Some chamois comes with an anti-bacterial substance. Limit Exposure TimeRegardless, keep the time worn to a minimum so that you can ‘air out’ your crotch and minimize your exposure to any bacterial build up. If you wash your shorts after each ride you’ll reduce the bacterial build up as well. So how to wear cycling shorts? Get bold and wear them proudly! And don’t forget to wear them as little as possible. No trips to the supermarket in them.
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