BIB v Pants

[iwannabeabiker]

With the exception of having a "leak". I would appreciate the pros and cons of wearing a bib v pants.
Just from what I see there seems to be a preference to bibs. Why?

 

[elapid]

Comfort. Hands down. Bibs are one of the areas I do not compromise. While my preferred bibs are expensive (Giordana, Assos and 2XU), they contribute a great deal towards a comfortable and enjoyable ride and, IMO, are worth every cent.

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

Bibs have built in suspenders so that your shorts don't slip down off your rear end as you're pedaling, and they keep your base layer from moving around too much so that your nipples don't get chafed like a runner. I'd say the only people that wear shorts (non-bibs) these days are women, for obvious reasons, and recreational cyclists that don't log in any sort of serious mileage or think its too hard (scuse the pun) to pull down the front of bibs to take a leak. Personal preference all the way.

 

[egtalbot]

I became a bib convert recently. I had the chance to get a pair of Santini Genesis bibs online for an insanely cheap price as they were size small on closeout. I reasoned that I could always send them back if they were too small.

Unfortunately, I am now hooked on high end bib shorts. I tried a pair of Pearl Izumi Microsensor Pro, but the chamois was completely inadequate (I do a lot of riding in the aerobars). I have managed to track down a second pair of Santinis for a reasonable price and am keeping my eye out for some Giordanas or more Santini's (Assos are simply too expensive and you can never get them at a big discount).

I don't even do really long rides - 40-50 miles is the max and often I only ride 20. But the combination of the high end chamois and the secure feeling of the bib keeping things from moving around too much has me sold.

 

[brianf7]

2XU compresion bibs are great they flatten your gut squeez the thighs and claim muscle recovery.

Problem in winter when you need to go behind the old Gum tree remove the tights then knicks all a lot of bother when in a hurry

 

[LugHugger]

Bibs have built in suspenders so that your shorts don't slip down off your rear end as you're pedaling, and they keep your base layer from moving around too much so that your nipples don't get chafed like a runner. I'd say the only people that wear shorts (non-bibs) these days are women, for obvious reasons, and recreational cyclists that don't log in any sort of serious mileage or think its too hard (scuse the pun) to pull down the front of bibs to take a leak. Personal preference all the way.

except that when the temperature starts to drop and the wind gets arctic (ie now!), i wear shorts under my unpadded windstopper bib longs. get 2-3 rides out of the bib longs before washing - obviously change shorts after every ride!

 

[iwannabeabiker]

Thanks for your thoughts.....
Pretty much what I thought the choice was going to be, so all good.
Now what brand! Assos certainly seem a high end product and certainly reflected in the price.
Elapid, giordana bibs are quite a lot cheaper than ASSOS. Would you rate them as good? Could you suggest a model to consider?
Any thoughts on Castelli?
p.s. the most important aspect that I'm looking for is the chamois as I have a very boney a##e. cheers

 

[TheDude]

There is a several-page recent thread on this someplace here. Lot's of folks gave their favorites I'm currently wearing Nalini bibs 'cuz they were cheap. They have been pretty good.

 

[elapid]

Giordana Forma Red. I rate them as good or better than the Assos. There is actually a killer deal on them at Competitive Cyclist at the moment. TheDude is right in that there is another thread on bib choices which a search should find. For me personally, I do not like the bulk of the Pearl Izumi chamois and much prefer the Giordana and Assos chamois. The 2XU chamois is very good as well, but not as good as Giordana and Assos. However, they make up for it with compression design.

 

[kiwirider]

Any thoughts on Castelli?

I reckon that their (cheaper) "kiss" chamois is fine. I've had a few pairs of them over time - only ditching them when the shorts are worn out. The Kiss (bib)shorts are pretty cheap over all - I bought my last couple of pairs a Mountain Equipment Coop in Canada for about C$80.

Another brand with a good chamois is Cannondale (and therefore I assume also Sugoi, since Cannondale now own them). I bought a pair of (brand new) team bibs off Kashi Leuchs when he changed team and they were really comfy (nicely padded chamois, but didn't feel like you'd stuck a towel under your ****) and a good tight fit around the legs. They're about C$100 - C$120 depending on the model that you choose - although I think that the cheaper of the two models has the better chamois ...

 

[iwannabeabiker]

Giordana Forma Red. I rate them as good or better than the Assos. There is actually a killer deal on them at Competitive Cyclist at the moment. TheDude is right in that there is another thread on bib choices which a search should find. For me personally, I do not like the bulk of the Pearl Izumi chamois and much prefer the Giordana and Assos chamois. The 2XU chamois is very good as well, but not as good as Giordana and Assos. However, they make up for it with compression design.

Thanks Elapid!!!, 50% off retail is a good deal I haven't seen this brand in the bike shops around Christchurch, New Zealand, but I'll make a few phone calls and see if anyone stocks them. If not, I'll place an order with CC. Hopefully the postage wont be too much.

 

[kiwirider]

Thanks Elapid!!!, 50% off retail is a good deal I haven't seen this brand in the bike shops around Christchurch, New Zealand, but I'll make a few phone calls and see if anyone stocks them. If not, I'll place an order with CC. Hopefully the postage wont be too much.

They're available in NZ - I was in Capital Cycles in Wellington two Sundays ago and they had Giodarna stuff there. Sad thing is tho that, for all that you'll want to support local retail, you're most likely to find that they're still cheaper from the US ...

 

[iwannabeabiker]

They're available in NZ - I was in Capital Cycles in Wellington two Sundays ago and they had Giodarna stuff there. Sad thing is tho that, for all that you'll want to support local retail, you're most likely to find that they're still cheaper from the US ...

Thanks Kiwirider. Just had a look on their website. Unfortunely they do not show their Giordana range.
You're right though! Highly likely they are much more expensive than what we can get into overseas. With the kiwi dollar being so strong at the moment the cost to buy from the likes of competitive cyclist [even including postage] is so much cheaper. Sure there is a risk of wrong sizing but I think its worth the risk. You would think the distributors in NZ would be experiencing the same benefits from a strong kiwi dollar. Perhaps they are..Perhaps they are passing it on to the retailer....Is the retailer keeping the additional margin? I know that most of the 2010 bikes are cheaper than the same 2009 model and this is basically due to the exchange rate.
I guess it's just like anything on 2 or 4 wheels - it's the parts and assessories that contain the big margins for the dealers..
DISC - I did purchase my Addict from a LBS but when I see some of the bike specials on competitive cyclist I could have got more bang for my buck [given current exchange rates of course] if I purchased from them.

 

[kiwirider]

Thanks Kiwirider. Just had a look on their website. Unfortunely they do not show their Giordana range.
You're right though! Highly likely they are much more expensive than what we can get into overseas. With the kiwi dollar being so strong at the moment the cost to buy from the likes of competitive cyclist [even including postage] is so much cheaper. Sure there is a risk of wrong sizing but I think its worth the risk. You would think the distributors in NZ would be experiencing the same benefits from a strong kiwi dollar. Perhaps they are..Perhaps they are passing it on to the retailer....Is the retailer keeping the additional margin? I know that most of the 2010 bikes are cheaper than the same 2009 model and this is basically due to the exchange rate.
I guess it's just like anything on 2 or 4 wheels - it's the parts and assessories that contain the big margins for the dealers..
DISC - I did purchase my Addict from a LBS but when I see some of the bike specials on competitive cyclist I could have got more bang for my buck [given current exchange rates of course] if I purchased from them.

Mate, don't start me on NZ pricing ... Suffice to say that I put the blame squarely on the importers - I've been shown enough invoices by bikes shops to know that they're not getting a great margin. It's a shame - you want to support your LBS, but the greedy ******* between them and the manufacturer makes it hard to do in most cases ...

Anyhow ... will put the soap box away before I get in trouble - I made similar comments on the Vorb site based on my experiences in Canada and got fair arseholed by a couple of the self appointed "moderators" there ...

On the topic of the bibs - I've got to talk to the folks at Capital tomorrow (actually about a couple of pairs of Castelli shorts they're getting me) and if you want I can ask about the Giordana's and PM you with what they tell me ...

 

[vladkips]

Once you go bibs you never go back.


My prefs are Castelli and Assos, but I've never tried Pearl or Giordana.

 

[iwannabeabiker]

Mate, don't start me on NZ pricing ... Suffice to say that I put the blame squarely on the importers - I've been shown enough invoices by bikes shops to know that they're not getting a great margin. It's a shame - you want to support your LBS, but the greedy ******* between them and the manufacturer makes it hard to do in most cases ...

Anyhow ... will put the soap box away before I get in trouble - I made similar comments on the Vorb site based on my experiences in Canada and got fair arseholed by a couple of the self appointed "moderators" there ...

On the topic of the bibs - I've got to talk to the folks at Capital tomorrow (actually about a couple of pairs of Castelli shorts they're getting me) and if you want I can ask about the Giordana's and PM you with what they tell me ...

Thanks Kiwirider. Would appreciate it if you could ask about the Giordana's.

FYI - Here is the cost of shipping ex Competitive Cyclist.
international shipping charges based on an order with non-oversized items:
$1-$99: shipping charge $36
$100-$499.99: shipping charge $38
$500-$999.99: shipping charge $44
$1000 plus: $50
and only US$210.00 for a complete bike.
So if I only purchased 1 bib [$119.00] plus $36.00 postage it would be approx NZ$215.00 landed to my door.
Its a shame I don't need anymore gear at the mo because the postage is based on value rather than weight. Well shoes but I'm really nervous about getting the exact size.
Anyway I'm off to Dubai in 2 weeks to watch the Rugby 7's [freebie trip] and I see there's a good bike shop there [Wolfi's]. Already enquired abt a Storck. Waiting for some pricing but I don't really need another bike just yet... More interested at the price so I can compare to NZ prices..