undercrackers - ah oui? ooh non?

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kedab

kedab

Veteran
Location
nr cambridge
i have been wondering for some time now and in a totally innocent way - do cyclists, leisure/commuter/sporty/pro, wear pants of some description under their lycra or do they go commando? it's a genuine question :blush:

i've been commuting for 5 months or so now so i'm still really a baby and these things tend to baffle me! i've got a couple of full team wear kits (they make me go faster obviously) and the bib shorts and their chamois 'man nappy' have been a god send and i rarely ride any distance without pulling them on. i have however, always pulled on a pair of normal men's 'pants' beforehand - i'm not supposed to go out without pants on am i?!

i've just now looked up some 'bike boxers' cos i don't always want to be cycling around part billboard, part condom...it would seem that some are padded, some aren't - but they all suggest they are ideal for those times when you don't want to step in to the lycra, which in turn suggests you wouldn't normally expect someone wearing their lycra kit to also be wearing 'pants' underneath?

as you can tell, i've overthought this and am somewhat flummoxed.
 
ttcycle

ttcycle

Cycling Excusiast
no pants under your padded shorts- the stitching in the pants will chafe and negates the effect of having padded shorts.

Go commando!
 
OP
OP
kedab

kedab

Veteran
Location
nr cambridge
cheers people :thumbsup: always good to check with CC on these matters!

i leave for work in a few hours - i shall do so sans pants, for the first time :blush:

misstilly - i hope you er...get well soon! that sounds rather uncomfortable :wacko:
 
gbb

gbb

Squire
Location
Peterborough
Always wear pants, under padded shorts or unpadded. Generally cover anything from 20 to 80 miles, usually around the 50 mark....never had any problem at all.
There may be a case that in hot weather you'll sweat less in the groin area, i must admit my underwear is soaking in sweat after a hard ride on a hot day, but thats all.
It may be a body shape thing, i'm slim, nothing chaffes, never has, never suffered sores or anything.
 
mrmacmusic

mrmacmusic

Veteran
Location
Tillicoultry
I was shocked when I first read that without pants is the way to go, but I do wonder if type of shorts is important? My cycling shorts (first ever pair) came from Lidl's and whilst they have a certain amount of coolmax branded padding inside, there's nothing that looks like a "chamois" which I have noticed in more expensive gear... they're just all black inside. Should they really be worn without underwear?

Right now I'm breaking the rules and wearing pants, but haven't suffered chaffing or sores (thankfully). Like gbb above, I also find they end up soaking with sweat, but curiously only when I get home at night – not after my morning commute. Weird, but I guess it's to do with temperature :blush:
 
Ian 74

Ian 74

Active Member
Location
Wigton
non=
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bum
 
H

henshaw11

Well-Known Member
Location
Walton-On-Thames
mrmacmusic said:
I was shocked when I first read that without pants is the way to go, but I do wonder if type of shorts is important? My cycling shorts (first ever pair) came from Lidl's and whilst they have a certain amount of coolmax branded padding inside, there's nothing that looks like a "chamois" which I have noticed in more expensive gear... they're just all black inside. Should they really be worn without underwear?
Click to expand...

I've got various lusso bib longs (both heavier thick lycra, and roubaix) where it's just a double thickness of material - the former's only been used on a recumbent but I've ridden in the roubaix set lots, quite comfy even on a Flite (not exactly known for it's padding. That said, some bib longs come in both padded and unpadded versions. Other shorts - bib or otherwise, including some cheaper castelli and gore - I've had have all been some sort of synthetic pad, of varying qualities.

The few occasioans I've has any saddle soreness has wearing (padless) lycra tights under bibshorts, I *think* on a particular saddle that caused some seam rubbing from the tights.
 
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