The importance of having the right cycling shorts
Sportswear apparel is important when you are a person who leads an active lifestyle, not just for cycling but all sports. With cycling, specifically, the right cycling shorts will make or break your cycling performance.
Cycling is a sport that requires you to be comfortable and not restricted in any way. Therefore, sports apparel you should choose should be lightweight, stretchy, and have a lot of wiggle room.
The main purpose of cycling shorts for men is to provide comfort, that’s it! They are designed especially for the male body and their needs for optimum cycling performance. When cycling, your thighs will usually rub together as you peddle. Cycling shorts protect you from the friction that is caused.
Cycling shorts
There are a few important things to consider when choosing the correct pair of shorts. The shorts should be comfortable, provide you with flexibility, and most importantly support your most sensitive regions.
Cycling shorts are made in different colours and stitching designs. Consider getting a dark colour as dirt won’t show on your shorts should you hit a puddle of dirt on the road. Colourful shorts are not uncommon, they usually highlight certain parts of the shorts. Avoiding buying white cycling shorts because they tend to become see-through as one sweat.
Padded shorts
The most important design feature that every cycling shorts should have is padding. The padding from the shorts ranges in thickness. You can either get one with thin padding or thick padding.
The shorts are usually made from a mix of spandex, lycra, and nylon fabrics. This allows the material to be as flexible and as breathable as possible. The padding is around the genital area to protect your genitals and make it comfortable to sit on the saddle.
What are chamios?
Chamios are common among cyclists. They are, however, not shorts. They are the padding in the crotch area. Now, you might feel a bit uneasy walking into a bike shop and buying something as intimate as a crotch padding but they provide support especially for men in cycling.
The padding is made from a foam material which will vary in density, i.e 2D or 3D foam padding. The primary aim of this is to provide support to your sensitive regions and also alleviate any fabric friction in those areas.
Bib shorts or regular shorts
Cycling shorts for men are designed in two variations. The first design is the regular shorts which start from your waistline to your mid-thigh. They have grippers on the waist and around the leg opening, which are made out of silicon to keep the shorts in place.
Bib shorts, on the other hand, are cycling shorts that have supporting straps that go over the shoulders. They do not need to have grippers because they provide much more support than regular shorts and are much more preferred by cyclists.
You can choose between either one, but bib shorts provide more comfort because they don’t have grippers on the waistband that might be too tight at times. Consider buying regular shorts if you are going to be in and out of the loo.
Cycling shorts and underwear
As weird as it might sound…cycling shorts are not designed to be worn with underwear. Most underwear is made out of cotton and that creates a warm environment that causes discomfort when cycling.
Underwear creates heat and humidity, especially when your body temperature rises due to exercise and you may be in a hot environment, causing you to sweat a lot. Wearing cycling shorts on their own eliminates this problem as they cater specifically to address this with breathable fabric designs.
Maintaining your bike shorts
When you are cycling more especially in warm weathers you are bound to sweat. Cycling shorts are very tight fitting and they soak up all of the sweat. It is advised to wash the shorts after every use.
A simple machine wash is sufficient but also remember to turn the shorts inside out so that it gets washed thoroughly. Drying is just as simple, you can either tumble dry it or hang it outside and line dry it. Make sure that the shorts are completely dry before you wear them again.
Pricing
The price range of cycling shorts varies from R300 up to R1000. You can find high-tech shorts from your nearest bike store or any sportswear store. Some might argue that cheaper shorts might not be of good quality compared to the ones that are a bit more pricey.
Undoubtedly, you do pay extra for branding, designs, and quality, but it all depends on your price you are comfortable with. Keep in mind that if you do decide to buy the least expensive pair of shorts, it might be less flattering so you might want to spend extra because it will be worth it.