# Good shorts and shoes?



## FullRageAce (Nov 2, 2014)

I haven't rode in about 4 years and that was on a mountain bike. Went out for a 30 min ride on a allez and the next day my butt/bone whatever you call it is sore. It hurts to sit down and I am stuck at a desk for 9-10 hours. That was JUST a short ride too...would die from riding on a nice 60km ride with no gear.

Any suggestions on some solid shorts that will reduce the effects of road bike seat/ride on my tail? Seen some but not sure which are better, looking to pay under $100 for the shorts.

Haven't picked up any shoes either, noticed they range from $60-$300, are there some good ones that perform well for under $150?
I wear a size 11 in sneakers btw, not sure if size runs different.


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## nsfbr (May 23, 2014)

I've had good success with bib shorts from Pearl Izumi (elite cool something) and one-ten. However, the biggest this is to just get your butt toughened up and make sure you are fit to your bike. 

Shoes are a personal fit thing. I got mine during the offseason at a local place that has a good bike department (Hudson Trail Outfitters - several stores, outdoorsy place) and basically tried on every single pair of shoes they had in my size. I got the ones that felt best. Fortunately, on clearance they were <$100, so I'm good. Oddly, they were from Scott, who makes my bike. I already had a Scott helmet, so now I look somewhat Fredish without trying. 

Most shoes are sized in European sizes, so and 11 is around a 45. That's what I'm wearing even though I usually wear an 11.5 US


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

FullRageAce said:


> I haven't rode in about 4 years and that was on a mountain bike. Went out for a 30 min ride on a allez and the next day my butt/bone whatever you call it is sore. It hurts to sit down and I am stuck at a desk for 9-10 hours. That was JUST a short ride too...would die from riding on a nice 60km ride with no gear.
> 
> Any suggestions on some solid shorts that will reduce the effects of road bike seat/ride on my tail? Seen some but not sure which are better, looking to pay under $100 for the shorts.
> 
> ...


First ride after 4 years off the bike and it won't make any difference what shorts you have - your rear will be sore. It takes a week or two of regular riding to toughen up. Shorts won't help that.

As far as brands for shorts and shoes you'll get nearly as many suggestions as there are riders. Both are pretty personal choices and what works well for one rider may cause problems for another.


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## cnardone (Jun 28, 2014)

As Kerry points out, everyone fits differently and you'll have to try em on. I'll throw this out there anyway. When I went to my local LBS to get shoes, they suggested Specialized Road Sport. I paid $100. They said they were good value for what you get compared to the next couple of levels of spec shoes.

I bought a new bike at a different LBS (redbeard bikes) last month. It came with a fitting. When he saw my shoes were spec, the first thing he said was "Oh good. I like spec's shoes." 

I really like how bibs feel overall, but they tend to be about $20 more expensive than their similar level short. I have not invested in a good pair of shorts / bibs (yet), but the LG Signature Optimum ($50) feels good on my bottom for a good 2.5 hours in the saddle. I've also heard great things about both voler and aerotech designs for reasonably priced shorts.


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## ssdirt29 (Sep 29, 2014)

Your position on the bike and how your saddle fits are more important than shorts. While you're at the shop checking out shorts bring in your bike and have them take a look at it. If you get saddle and position right, you should be able to use shorts with minimal padding. 

It's the shorts and saddles with mega padding that cause numb-junk and impotence issues.


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## skinewmexico (Apr 19, 2010)

My most comfortable shorts are all Louis Garneau with the airgel chamois. If you're a good sale shopper, you can find them at Backcountry.com or Chainlove in your price range. Shoes are pretty much the same to me.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

As Kerry said, a 30-minute ride after 4 years of not riding is guaranteed sore butt. Heck, if I take 2 months off in the winter I'm sore for the first week or two when I start riding again. Gotta break in the pressure points.

No idea whether that saddle suits you, either, or if its angle was optimally adjusted.


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## Shuffleman (Sep 4, 2013)

I agree with what Kerry said.
As for shorts, I like the Performance Ultras. It is a performance house brand and they run about $45 or less if you time it with their sales. I have some other brands that I paid more for but these are my favorite ones. They are also quite inexpensive, which is nice.
Shoes are very subjective. Try some on and see what you think is the most comfortable. I ride with a pair of Serfa Podiums that I bought on sale for $45. I budgeted $125 for shoes and was very happy when I tried these on and liked them. You don't have to spend a fortune on shorts and shoes. Watch the sales and you can get some nice pricing.


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## crit_boy (Aug 6, 2013)

FullRageAce said:


> Seen some but not sure which are better, looking to pay under $100 for the shorts.
> 
> Haven't picked up any shoes either, noticed they range from $60-$300, are there some good ones that perform well for under $150?
> I wear a size 11 in sneakers btw, not sure if size runs different.


To some extent you get what you pay for. There is a point of diminishing return. And fit/feeling is subjective. 

I usually decide how much I want to spend, then try something at that price point. If you have $100 to spend on shorts, you can pick from a huge number of different ones. Go to online retailers or your LBS and pick the pair you think look good. Try them. Gain knowledge and experience. When you are ready to buy your second pair, you have a basis for evaluating your next decision. 

As for shoes (and saddles), way too subjective to get much in the way of internet recommendations. US shoe size is different from cycling shoe sizes. You can get a good range, but there is not a definitive 1:1 equivalence. Additionally, cycling shoes should fit differently than street shoes. You have to go try them. 

I have never had shorts that I hated to the extent of refusing to use them. I have had saddles that I would not ride for more than instantaneously knowing they were wrong. In any case, my a$$ hurts for the first couple weeks of riding each year.


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## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

I am a big fan of bib shorts now. Giordana in particular. Keep an eye on the Clymb and similar sites and you can get them for under 100. I have also bought less expensive shorts I really like. Descente are great if you can find them. Garneau and Sugoi are ok IMO. I do not like Canari and unlike the above poster, I hate Performance brand clothes. 
Shoes. Get ones that fit you. A Boa closure is a nice plus. I prefer Specialized but they fit me.


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## obed (Jan 12, 2014)

getting used to riding takes time....as to shorts, like has been said different folks have different tastes in shorts...I have $40 shorts and $150 shorts and to me there is not really much difference in feel...
shoes will be a personal choice too...find one that fits you right an go from there...and the pedals will be something that affects that too...and again it will be a personal preference..


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

I think your saddle and/or fit probably needs some change.

I don't at all agree that being sore on a ride of only 30 min. to the point you can't sit comfortable on an office chair the next day is at all normal or to be expected after a 4 year break.


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## robt57 (Jul 23, 2011)

crit_boy said:


> To some extent you get what you pay for. There is a point of diminishing return.


Which has brought me to the following strategy regarding short after decades.

Winter time on line buy the most expensive marked down the most and buy 2-3 pair and hope the subjective fit works out well.

In the 90s I found some Garneau MSRP $155.00 short I liked to the maximum effect. On sale for 80.00 online. Liked them so much the LBS got me 3 more. And luckily new version/model about to be released he got them for me for 55.00 a pair. I have worn thru those, but the cost plus shipping deal I had at that LBS for fixing his computers worked well for both of us.  Especially when I got the Zipp 404s.


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## pickles (Nov 21, 2014)

wrt shoes, I got lucky and found a pair of Giro Espadas in my size at a closeout price from my local bike store. They were under $100 and I'm very happy with them. 

This may be obvious, but you need to figure out what type of pedal you will use before you get your shoes. The person from whom I purchased my bike used Shimano SPD type pedals that take the smaller 2 hole cleats. I changed the pedals out for SPD-SL pedals that take the larger 3 hole cleat. When I was shopping for shoes there were a few of them that would accept both a 2 or 3 hole cleat but most of them were one or the other.


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## mikiek (Aug 18, 2014)

Get a fit OR read up and do it yourself. That's what I did. It was a lot of fine adjustments over about 1 month, but now the bike is almost like it isn't there when I ride.

I would wait on shoes until you get your butt in shape and your ride comfortable. Shoes can complicate the picture while you are fitting.

If you still want shorts and are on a budget, Nashbar sells what they call a liner. It's pretty much like a pair of shorts with chamois except the material is more like a fine mesh. Then you just throw on a pair of work out shorts on top. I got mine on sale for $19. They have held up very well.

I am not affiliated with Nashbar, nor will I profit if you decide to go that route.


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## Guod (Jun 9, 2011)

mikiek said:


> Get a fit OR read up and do it yourself. That's what I did. It was a lot of fine adjustments over about 1 month, but now the bike is almost like it isn't there when I ride.
> 
> I would wait on shoes until you get your butt in shape and your ride comfortable. Shoes can complicate the picture while you are fitting.


I don't agree with this... Your first fit should be done by someone who knows what they're doing. Also, get the shoes and pedals before so that you'll be fitted with them. They don't complicate things and if you will be using them shortly (Ha!) down the road, go ahead and get them for the fit.

Bottom line (Ha!) buy the best shorts and shoes you can afford. It's best to try the shoes on prior to purchase, but you could probably do online for the shorts. Bibs>shorts for sure if you can afford that as well. Buy the snuggest fitting shorts too, loose shorts will contribute to chafing.

If you think any of this is silly, just remember, this sport has had specialized shoes and shorts for almost it's entire duration over the past 100 years or so. There's a reason for it. If you don't like it, you can go back to mountain biking with baggy shorts and running shoes. That's not meant to be mean, it's just the way it is. ;D


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## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

mikiek said:


> Get a fit OR read up and do it yourself. That's what I did. It was a lot of fine adjustments over about 1 month, but now the bike is almost like it isn't there when I ride.
> 
> I would wait on shoes until you get your butt in shape and your ride comfortable. Shoes can complicate the picture while you are fitting.
> 
> ...


I also would disagree with this. 

If you really want liners, ok, but 19 is not good. I got Sugoi shorts from Nashbar for $13. I bought a pair of liners from DX.com for $5. The Sugoi's are for the trainer. The liners were a cheap experiment that may use under thermal bibs on a rare occasion. 

And the fit is crucial. If you were having no problems, I would agree with waiting but does not seem to be the case. Being new, trying to do it yourself may make things worse. Not all aspects to fit are intuitive.


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

just ride the bike more.

once you log 300 miles at least then you can ask about changing things.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

The Performance bib shorts are good bang for the buck. You want bib shorts, trust me. 

Shoes and helmets are more personalized. What fits one person great might not work for another. Go to some LBS and try some shoes on.


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## Mr. Jones (Jul 4, 2006)

Kerry Irons said:


> your rear will be sore. It takes a week or two of regular riding to toughen up. Shorts won't help that.


I think that something that's being implicitly referenced here is that shorts will help with chafing issues, but not soreness. Good shorts won't be more padded, but they won't have seams in stupid places.


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## junior1210 (May 2, 2013)

The one thing I've learned about shoes, is that the fasteners can make a big impact on how the shoe fits at different times. Depending on how long you're wearing them, and if you're doing any walking around, it makes a difference (or it did to me anyway). Velcro closures are ok, but I found that if I had to walk any real amount (1/4 mile or more, like while shopping), after a while I needed to readjust the straps. Ratchet straps are good, but it's easy to slightly over tighten, then needing to loosen later when your feet will swell while riding. My best results are currently with old fashioned lace-ups. Once tight enough not to slip, but not too tight, they will stretch just enough to accommodate foot swelling (depending on shoe material), but won't loosen enough to be sloppy on the foot either. Biggest thing is how you're riding though. I use the same shoes for riding and commuting, so my needs are different than someone who doesn't get off the bike except for brief rest stops.


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## Herkwo (Nov 8, 2002)

The BEST Bibshorts I have found are the Sportful Total Comfort Bibs. A bit pricey but well worth the investment. Can be found at Competitive Cyclist for $144. Maybe they'll be cheaper during Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales.
Sportful Total Comfort Bib Short - Men's | Competitive Cyclist


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## gabkr (Mar 30, 2012)

If you keep on riding,it's best not to scrimp on shorts....I never like to pay too much either. Just looking right now: 6pm.com has Pearl Izumi Pro Bibs for $81.99 in M,XL,XXL w/ free shipping.(I have ordered cycling apparel,Croc's,rain gear from them in past) What I find,the bigger sizes seem to be on closeout more. The Pro bibs run a slight bit smaller than the rest of the PI line.


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## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

gabkr said:


> If you keep on riding,it's best not to scrimp on shorts....I never like to pay too much either. Just looking right now: 6pm.com has Pearl Izumi Pro Bibs for $81.99 in M,XL,XXL w/ free shipping.(I have ordered cycling apparel,Croc's,rain gear from them in past) What I find,the bigger sizes seem to be on closeout more. The Pro bibs run a slight bit smaller than the rest of the PI line.


I agree with this. I have gradually become more and more of a bibs snob. 

Used to be happy with Performance and Canari. Now I don't even like them for the trainer. 

For deals I saw Competitive Cyclist had Hincapie's on sale today. I think for 69. A good brand. Have not bought there bins yet but one of the highest quality jerseys I have.


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## FullRageAce (Nov 2, 2014)

So i picked up a on sale jersey for $18, pretty quality it seems. Its full zip, has ventilated sides, 3 pockets on the back.
I am just above 5,7 and fairly broad shouldered. Got a medium based off the size charts.
This thing is tight fitting, I feel a bit awkward in it. Jerserys supposed to be like on a scale of 1-10. (1 being a xxl tee shirt, 10 being a strait jacket)
Its like a 7.


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## Midlifecyclist (Nov 29, 2014)

I've always been happy with Pearl Izumi shorts and Bontrager shoes. Most of all, try on a few and see what fits, what works for you. Especially the shoes. Any point that makes contact between you and the bike is going to be sore to start with. But you'll be surprised to see how fast you get over that. Shorts with chamois are good for longer rides, and cycling shoes help you out as well. Get out there and ride. You're going to have some things you like better, and some things you like less, as your cycling gear gets more complete, but you'll know more and be able to make more decisions from your unique cycling needs and perspective.


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## BaconSanck (Dec 11, 2014)

One thing to think about that hasnt been mentioned is how often are you planning on doing laundry. If you only buy one pair of padded shorts, you can only wear them once till you wash them again. 

Another option would be to get a saddle with A BIT of padding (not a jumbo walmart saddle). WTB Pure V is a pretty good one and will cost around $60ish, albiet its a mtn saddle. I ride with no padded shorts for shorter rides (under an hour) and do just fine. One pair of shorts/bibs will probably run you easily 60 or more.


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## Mandeville (Oct 18, 2014)

Even if you are in shape and you change from the shorts you've been using to another quality brand it may take a couple of days to a week or two to adjust to the new quality shorts.


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## jtmoney528 (Dec 11, 2014)

I have two pairs of Pearl Izumi shorts and I really like them. I am new to biking too so I have not gotten any pairs of bibs yet but I am sure they will be down the road.

For shoes, I recommend you try them on first. I ended up getting some Giro Trans and love them, very comfortable!


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## Natedogz (Aug 25, 2010)

FullRageAce said:


> I haven't rode in about 4 years and that was on a mountain bike. Went out for a 30 min ride on a allez and the next day my butt/bone whatever you call it is sore. It hurts to sit down and I am stuck at a desk for 9-10 hours. That was JUST a short ride too...would die from riding on a nice 60km ride with no gear.
> 
> Any suggestions on some solid shorts that will reduce the effects of road bike seat/ride on my tail? Seen some but not sure which are better, looking to pay under $100 for the shorts.
> 
> ...


Good shorts (I prefer bibs as they stay in place and there's no waste band pressing into my stomach) and good shoes are mandatory.

The previous version of Performance Bike's top level bibs have been doing very nicely, I have four pairs so I can ride several times before doing laundry and rotate through so they last longer. I've tried many brands and these work for me. 
Performance Ultra Bib Shorts

Best chamois cream is Bag Balm, it doesn't take much so don't over lube. 
Bag Balm



jtmoney528 said:


> ...I am new to biking too so I have not gotten any pairs of bibs yet but I am sure they will be down the road.
> 
> For shoes, I recommend you try them on first...


Yes, I settled on Specialized as they fit me best and sell different insoles made to fit their shoes.


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## obed (Jan 12, 2014)

I do not have any real expensive shorts or bibs. I have bontrager shorts and bibs and I have shorts and bibs that are the nashbar brand...I do not ride over 40 miles at a time and they all work just fine for me. Except in really hot weather I prefer the bib shorts feel to regular shorts.
I have set of specialized mtb shoes that feel real good and I have a set of Giro factor road shoes that I really like the feel of too...you just have to see what feels good to you.
The specialized shoes I bought a different insole for them when I had my fit done and that made them fit perfect.
The giro came with 3 different insoles and one of those did the trick for me.


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## kps88 (Dec 3, 2013)

I have those Nashbar liner's as well and they are not really good for longer rides. The chamois is a bit different than every other pair of shorts/bibs I own. The Nashbar shorts would be fine on leisure rides, but not a 2+ hour road ride. (IMO).

no, the shoe advice is not good. a proper fit really has to have the shoes, so he should get them. if you mean get used to the bike and ride it a bit before getting shoes, then that would work fine. but your position on the bike would change with clip ins, so shoes prior to getting a pro fit or doing yourself would need shoes. 



mikiek said:


> Get a fit OR read up and do it yourself. That's what I did. It was a lot of fine adjustments over about 1 month, but now the bike is almost like it isn't there when I ride.
> 
> I would wait on shoes until you get your butt in shape and your ride comfortable. Shoes can complicate the picture while you are fitting.
> 
> ...


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

BaconSanck said:


> One thing to think about that hasnt been mentioned is how often are you planning on doing laundry. If you only buy one pair of padded shorts, you can only wear them once till you wash them again.
> 
> Another option would be to get a saddle with A BIT of padding (not a jumbo walmart saddle). WTB Pure V is a pretty good one and will cost around $60ish, albiet its a mtn saddle. I ride with no padded shorts for shorter rides (under an hour) and do just fine. One pair of shorts/bibs will probably run you easily 60 or more.


recommending saddles is a waste of time. what works for you could easily be an exercise in misery for someone else.

and no, you don't have to spend $60 to obtain decent shorts.

but, don't feel bad about giving out sketchy advice, this thread is chock full of it...


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