biking at the crack of dawn to eliminate the shame bottom
May 7, 2022 11:06 AM   Subscribe

I gained some weight during lockdown which I haven't yet been able to shake and I also just took up road cycling for the first time. My usual bike was a Brompton, and now that I'm leaning much further over the bars, the combination of my gut and the angle of lean means my nice gym shorts keep getting pulled down, necessitating a lot of hitching up of said shorts at traffic stops to keep my vertical smile from blinding fellow Londoners. Surely there is a piece of clothing I can buy to save me from this embarassment?

No preference on fabric really, though I guess these days it's all lycra? I've never worn it and have no prejudice against it. I'd prefer something that isn't >£100: I'm firmly in the amateur category and it seems a bit overkill to spend so much for a bum crack hider. But who knows, you tell me!
posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (16 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Some kind of bib shorts? Such as https://www.wiggle.co.uk/bib-shorts
posted by chr at 11:13 AM on May 7, 2022 [5 favorites]


A lot of cycling jerseys/shirts/jackets have long tails for exactly this reason.
posted by box at 11:16 AM on May 7, 2022 [9 favorites]


Bibs! You can wear regular shorts over them and take them off at the office. You should have a change with you or waiting in your desk anyway, whether for convenience or emergencies.

Yeah, wiggle is the place to go for budget stuff in the UK. Dhb is a fine entry-level brand.
posted by rhizome at 11:19 AM on May 7, 2022


Bib shorts are the MAMIL track for dealing with belkies, and the dungaree-ness holds then up at the back. There will be mountain shorts, too, with dungaree-braces attachments (UK men's clothing calls suspenders by the term 'braces').
posted by k3ninho at 11:56 AM on May 7, 2022 [1 favorite]


Like box, I came in here to suggest that cycling jersies have longer tails to cover... uh... longer tails.
posted by straw at 12:01 PM on May 7, 2022


Buy a thin long-sleeved T-shirt at a thrift shop and tie it around your waist?
posted by nouvelle-personne at 12:09 PM on May 7, 2022


Best answer: You don't even need bib shorts, if you don't want them. Just regular lycra bike shorts will do just fine and will significantly improve your comfort on the bike otherwise. You can wear them underneath other shorts if the look is an issue for you (some are designed more like underwear for this purpose).

Alternatively, looser shorts designed specifically for biking are available as well, which are cut differently to accommodate riding position (though they are usually designed for the more upright posture of mountain biking).

Any bike shop that sells clothes will have a number of different options.
posted by ssg at 12:14 PM on May 7, 2022 [4 favorites]


Even just switching to dedicated bike shorts might solve your problem - they're generally very high-waisted, especially in back (on preview, what ssg said).

Not sure this is true in the UK but in the US eBay is a great place to find lightly used bike clothing, especially if you don't mind hideous colors and random commemorative jerseys from organized rides and races.
posted by mskyle at 12:16 PM on May 7, 2022


This is not the answer you want, but you can wear any comfortable clothing if you are riding an admittedly expensive, probably heavier, recumbent bicycle.
posted by mecran01 at 3:13 PM on May 7, 2022


Best answer: Fat Lad at the Back (reactions to the name vary) makes cycling gear with excellent coverage, including very-high-waisted cycling shorts and bib shorts. I get most of my cycling wear there.
posted by sueinnyc at 3:52 PM on May 7, 2022


If you’re going to spend money, spend it on decent shorts with a good chamois. Any affordable bike-specific jersey will be good too. You can wear your gym shirts over your bike shorts if you want.
posted by bluedaisy at 7:37 PM on May 7, 2022


Response by poster: Thanks for all your answers. I think undershorts are gonna be my preference and Fat Lad at the Back (FLAB! I lolled) has these that look like they'll do the trick. If not I'll try my local shop. See you on the road!
posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs at 1:12 AM on May 8, 2022 [2 favorites]


Duluth Trading Company is online and has long tailed shirts. Reasonable quality and reasonable prices.
posted by Cranberry at 2:06 AM on May 8, 2022




You don't have to go the MAMIL route if you don't like. There are brands of bike-specific shorts that look like street clothes. I'm fond of Club Ride. They make shorts that are compatible with detachable liners, if that's your thing. Right now this is my fave.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 2:40 PM on May 8, 2022 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: I think undershorts are gonna be my preference and Fat Lad at the Back (FLAB! I lolled) has these that look like they'll do the trick.

Reader, they did not do the trick. The undershorts didn't have the height at the back that I wanted, so after returning them I gulped so hard my adam's apple bobbled visibly and I bought this FLAB bib. And it's pretty good! I don't need to over-padded crotch area which I presume is for long long rides—I find it a bit bulky and uncomfortable—but the bib very effectively covers my lower back when my shirt rides up, and I feel a lot more comfortable on the road. Cheers again!
posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs at 3:22 AM on July 12, 2022 [2 favorites]


« Older Windows 11: We can't sign into your account   |   Bulk photo download from iCloud to external drive? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.


Tags

Share