Hi Jay — I'd love to be one of the people who can ride all day in cotton canvas shorts in the summer or chinos in the winter. I prefer the casual look of some cutoffs and just being able to hop on the bike. But for long rides they just don't work for me. I'd love to ride 50 miles around trails with friends in Dickies like the Riv guys but my ass will not allow it. For anything longer than errands I much prefer proper cycling shorts.
I've ridden Brooks B17s and a vintage Brooks Pro for the past several years. I am a *very *sweaty person and in Virginia the summer humidity can be brutal. When I wear cotton canvas shorts they get soaked and then they get grippy and stick to the saddle. Not only does this prevent me from sliding around to change positions it also seems to damage the finish of the leather saddle. I find cotton shorts and pants to be quite uncomfortable for me during the rest of the year. I really enjoy a pair of wool cycling shorts without a pad or chamois. I got a pair from Kucharik before they closed. I wear them with Andiamo synthetic briefs without a pad. Sometimes I'll wear them with wool boxers from Merino Skins / Riv but when paired with cycling shorts they bunch up too much for me. I have a few pair of vintage wool Italian tights and shorts that all have leather chamois, these work well for me. But the best by far for the hot, humid Virginia summers and the fit of my Brooks Pro is a pair of Ground Effect 1000% nylon bibs with a synthetic pad. I got mine for free on eBay (seller error in my favor) and I think they're The Ringleaders <https://www.groundeffect.co.nz/products/ringleaders-nylon-lycra-bib-bike-shorts>. They're basic bibs but made in New Zealand which is a bonus. I'd like to try a pair of their Tournado bibs, too. In warm weather I like to lubricate my under carriage with coconut oil to prevent friction and chaffing. It makes a huge difference and I'm really glad I figured it out. I also use coconut oil on my feet when I wear my Bedrock sandals as it helps reduce blisters and burns from the straps on long walks, hikes or long rides. Safe, edible, anti-microbial and petroleum free! On Friday, January 24, 2025 at 5:02:50 AM UTC-5 Marc Irwin wrote: > I went back to Brooks leather and also VO leather saddles over 25 years > ago after trying "the latest greatest" whatever. I quit wearing cycling > shorts at the same time. I did find over the years that merino wool > underwear is more comfortable than cotton, but I'm still too young for > diapers. > > Marc > > > On Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 6:26:32 PM UTC-5 Jay wrote: > >> I was curious to get some views from those with leather saddles and >> whether you wear bib (padded) cycling shorts, underwear with shorts/pants. >> If underwear; is it wool, synthetic, other; do you care about seam >> placement; tight/compression fit, loose; or do you not think about this at >> all (just ride in whatever)? >> >> I recently ordered a Brooks Team Pro Special and would love to not have >> to wear padded bib shorts (despite having like 10 of them). I'm certainly >> going to try riding with some synthetic compression long boxers (I have a >> few pair) and winter tights, as it's that time of year. I'll also try with >> a few models of bib shorts I have. >> >> Long rides on hot days are not always the best, for me, with bib shorts, >> due to chafing. I rarely get actual saddle sores (not since switching to >> the C17). >> >> When I started cycling over 20 years ago, after a couple years into it, I >> got a B17 saddle. After some trial-error with set up, it was fairly >> comfortable. I was always wearing bib shorts, but I still laugh at one >> time in the winter when after riding for two hours I realized I wasn't >> wearing bib shorts, just underwear and winter tights. I later got a Brooks >> Swallow, and then for some reason switched to plastic saddles and only >> tried Brooks again in the last 18 months. I tried a B17, twice maybe, and >> it seemed too large and impacted how I pedalled. I then tried a C17, and >> it was pretty good in that I was well supported, pedalling was fine, and >> with padded shorts it has been the most comfortable saddles I've had in the >> last 10 years. I want to see if I can eliminate chafing/sores and figured >> I would try the Team Pro Special (hoping the width/shape works better for >> me than B17; I'm rather skinny). >> > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/eb01d4c8-c083-4722-a99b-f3f4993de3c0n%40googlegroups.com.
