this forum is the most helpful i´ve been so far, so im wondering if its only for zwift related topics or can we dicuss other things such as bib shorts…
cheers
discuss until somebody says not to i would say. It’s still somewhat related to zwift.
sure can. if you just want nice kit for indoors then if you look around during winter/spring each year then you can usually find unused pro/domestic kit for basically free since teams change sponsors and can’t wear last season’s kit anymore. it usually ends up on ebay or facebook marketplace
outdoors i like nopinz and assos. nopinz shorts are half the price and last half as long
So, i just tried a new bibs i got from Amazon and it fits right BUT there is the different shaping with different foam densities. the problem is that the largest one, with supposed higher density, doesnt match my sitbone which actually lies on the space between shape where there is no foam at all.
when choosing the bibs is this a must or is this just normall with these chamois with several shapes?
i would rather have a 1 shape only which covers everything…
thanks for any insight. at the moment i need a solution due to saddle pain after 1 hour riding (seat height, fore/aft, etc… all in the “right” numbers so far).
cheers
Castelli bibs aren’t cheap, but I finally bought my first pair in '20 sale and they’re so much more comfortable than any other brand I’ve tried.
Now got two with Progetto X2 pad (?) and one with Kiss (?) pad.
I have Lululemon bibs that are indestructible and have had them for years…Unfortunately they do not offer anymore.
My favorite current bib is a Rapha…have to check the model.
I had a pair of Assos shorts that were amazing…until I crashed.
Castelli with the kiss padding is on my never ever buy again list. Ouch ouch ouch.
Saddle also plays a big part. I’m using ISM Adamo TT saddle and usually Assos shorts. That is a comfortable combination for me. For others it may be different.
It’s crazy how expensive the good bibs are.
With so much competition and no many brands can reach a satisfactory level.
I’ve heard from so many different people that most likely isn’t the saddle the issue, but the fit and the bibs. I’m getting also a Castelli one to try. At least I will have played with all variables but saddle, which will be the last parameter to change.
you should not have saddle pain after 1 hour of riding. You need to find a bib short that fits your butt in all the right places including your sit bones. Over the years I have tried several of the better brands and found a couple I really like. I have also found that the better shorts also tend to cost more, but have better materials and better padding. You may have to try out several before you find the best fit for you. Then there is the saddle. You need a good saddle that also suits you butt and again you may have to try out several before success is achieved. I went through a number of them, but finally can ride for several hours without pain. It may be helpful to get advice from a high end bike shop if you have one nearby.
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Local cycling clubs might be an option for kit - bib, top, etc. they’d be taking orders if not already for current year kit… And often have a blowout sale on previous year kit
Sometimes the cycling clubs choose kit by whichever manufacturer is easiest to work with and or cheap, that doesn’t always guarantee quality.
My old club at one point had Champion Systems, that was not very comfortable. They went to Cuore which was better but not at Assos level.
Rapha is generally good and very long lasting.
I like my Endura club kit quite a bit, also Rapha.
Another Assoss fan here 
I only use indoor-specific kit now. My riding is primarily indoors, and the purpose-built design keeps me cool and comfortable. I like LEVEL Velo the best. The owner of the company is Si Bradeley, the ZRL recon guy.
I just saw a video where someone was cutting the chamois to show what is inside.
It was a Rapha one. tbh, i was quite disapointed to see that it was only a simple foam inside.
i thought that the more expensive bibs, would come with some gel like layer and not only foam.
so the main difference is on the sewing, fabric, fit, design and not on the pad itself?
I saw one (that says 4D gel) which really has a silicone pad inside. are these one the comfortable ones? i understand that you dont want very soft that you sink on it, but if the main function is to be tight on our butts and avoid chaffing, a tight sport underware wouldnt do the trick? the softness would be provided then by the saddle itself…,?
All foams are not made alike, but a lot of the difference does come from design, yeah. Placement and shaping of the chamois are important.
The benefit of padded shorts–and bib shorts even moreso–over padding on the saddle is that the padding in the shorts follows you as you move around on the saddle. Putting all the padding on the saddle might leave you with one place on the saddle that’s comfortable, and a lot of people move around on the saddle quite a bit as they ride–climbing vs TTing vs descending, for example.
The pad is actually the easy part. I worked with some designers who had extensive experience with creating top level non-cycling apparel. They were launching a cycling brand and were shocked at how hard it was to design bib shorts that actually fit properly and were suitable for the top tier of the market. It took them a very long time to get it right.
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This makes a lot of sense Tom and might be one of the reason why im having the issue. tbh, i thought that my issue is with the pressure but might be the chafing on the region (im using shorts and not bibs).
i noticed that when i use a tight fit sport underware ( i know we shoudnt) it was slightly better.
what im still struggling is to differentiate if my problem is with the pressure itself or chafing. (or both).
so far no saddle sore (skin infection), but sore nevertheless (like heat).
So, when you mean fit, you mean that the chamois would stay where it should and not moving around?
cheers
