# Do women wear bib shorts?



## lawrence (May 17, 2005)

Do women wear bib shorts?

Not to mislead anyone on this forum, I'm a man and a new rider this year. I also am a ride leader this for D rides. Most of my riders are women and I only have a few riders. As a ride leader for many of the inexperienced riders, many of them come to me for advice

Two of the women and I recently traveled together to a Performance Bike store. They wanted to buy some biking clothes, other stuff, and shorts. I suggested to them to buy the bib shorts as they don’t pull down. That's when one of the women said women don't wear bib shorts because they have sports bras and the bib shorts straps would rub and cause problems. It seems to me if it rubs it would be rubbing on fabric. I have bib shorts and during the summer when I wear them and I have no undergarment on, they don't seem to rub against my chest skin. I wear bib shorts for two reasons, so the shorts don't pull down and show my lower part. And to keep the air from infiltrating under. This last is more important when the temps are a little cooler

I don't see any reason why women can't wear bib shorts. Again my original question, do women wear bib shorts? If not, why?


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## theBreeze (Jan 7, 2002)

Yes some do. There are a few women posters here who like them. Some companies make women specific bibs.

Personally I don't have any problem with regular shorts and don't particualry like bibs. Heck it's hard enough to pee on a ride without the added complication of bibs.


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## baylor (Oct 1, 2003)

I only know a few fellow women who use bibs, most are skinny as a rail and flat-chested racer types. 

I've not tried me but I worry about breast interference (don't know how else to say that) and also don't want to have to take my jersey off to pee...


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## SadieKate (Feb 22, 2006)

I'm neither skinny as a rail nor flat chested, and I adore bib shorts - particuarly if I have to wear non-padded tights over because I don't have the multiple waistbands. Well-designed women's bibs place the straps to the sides in front and take to a race back so the straps don't fall off. I'm eyeing the women's Giordana Tenax bibs with the new pad. My husband thinks the pad is nearly as nice as Assos and the price is sure better.

Lawrence, also see this thread.
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=77977


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

*that's what*



baylor said:


> I only know a few fellow women who use bibs, most are skinny as a rail and flat-chested racer types


...my collegiate teammates have said. Two who wear bibs are very slender, straight-figured women. The more curvy ladies say the bibstraps and their busts don't work out so well and stick with shorts.


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## SadieKate (Feb 22, 2006)

Argentius, are you sure that your female teamates tried women's bibs? I've got what has been called a pretty generous "earth mother comfort shelf" and they're fine - unless I wear men's bibs.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

I love bib shorts. I've been wearing the Pearl Izumi WS bib. Descente has come out with WS bibs and I'm going to try those next. 

I can only dream of being as skinny as a rail.


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## SilasCL (Jun 14, 2004)

I think the main reason is if you need to make a pit stop at the gas station or side of the road. A woman would have to take off her jersey while men don't have that issue...

Bustiness aside, this is the main complaint I've heard vis a vis women and bib shorts.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

SadieKate said:


> Argentius, are you sure that your female teamates tried women's bibs?
> 
> Um, I suppose I am not sure. Let me look at the fit kit list...
> 
> ...


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## zeytin (May 15, 2004)

Sadly skinny and flat chested are not terms that describe me however I love bibshorts. They don't interfere with the twins or the bra straps. I would suggest that they are even better for curvy women that shorts because you don't have to deal with the waistband.
If I am doing a long ride and I know I'll have to go to the bathroom I try to wear a full zip jersey as it's easier to get out of in order to go to the bathroom.


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## zeytin (May 15, 2004)

Argentius said:


> How do the women's bibshorts differ in the companies you've tried?


Sometimes the straps are designed with more clearance in the chest area. I wear men's bibs because it's easier to find men's clothing on sale. They work fine for me.


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## SadieKate (Feb 22, 2006)

Argentius said:


> Unless I'm reading this wrong, it doesn't seem like Verge offered a seperate women's cut on the bibshorts, though there was a chamois designed for women.
> 
> How do the women's bibshorts differ in the companies you've tried?


Well-designed women's bibs place the straps to the sides in front and take them to a racer back so the straps don't fall off. Castelli attached the straps in the front almost at the side seam of the short so they came up the sides of the breasts and then cut inward to a racerback like a sports bra. I just checked my Descente bibs and they do the same thing.

If Assos had properly sized their women's roubaix knicker (fondly known as "The Splitter"), I'd have a pair. These just have a single strap coming up the middle. I was suprised at how comfortable that was. Giordana uses the same concept in their knickers.
I wish I knew what the front of Giordana's womens bib shorts were like.


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## lawrence (May 17, 2005)

Thanks for the reply ladies. I will email the two women who I went shopping with. I know there are women bibs but I thought the sizing and fit was different. I did not know they moved the straps a little more to the side rather than down the middle front as the men's bib shorts. That makes sense. I will also copy email some of your comments that you've been happy with bib shorts. If bib shorts are an option for them, I only want them to consider them, they may like them better. I like the bib shorts in the cooler/colder weather as I wear a cold weather undergarment top and the bib shorts keeps it tight against me and in place to prevent any cold weather infiltration.


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## Spinfinity (Feb 3, 2004)

*Sounds like my wife, but she hates bibs.*



baylor said:


> I only know a few fellow women who use bibs, most are skinny as a rail and flat-chested racer types.
> 
> Nothin but Voler shorts for her. She's not a gal who waits for a ladies room.
> 
> Curiously, I got a pair of Castelli Women's bibs on a 70% off rack last fall. The straps are a little weird along my ribs, but the chamois is very comfortable and the LaDonna logo sits under my shirt.


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