How to Choose Suitable Bike Pants

Bike Pants – an important piece of equipment concerning the comfort of the cycling process. Stretchy fabric: good for wrapping the muscles of the hips and thighs, with some protection for the exercise muscles (works the same effect as running tights). Here’s how to buy bike pants for your reference!

What are bike pants?

Cycling trousers are trousers that are worn when cycling, they fit snugly and have a padding. Their main purpose is to provide you with shock absorption, diffuse pressure on the hips and reduce the pressure on the perineum. It reduces friction between the inner thighs and the seat and protects the skin of the thighs from abrasions. They also help to immobilise muscle groups and reduce muscle soreness and fatigue. They also help to wick away moisture, reduce wind resistance, prevent falls and kill bacteria.

Classification of bicycle pants

The standard tight fitting cycling trousers with pads are universal for road/mountain bike. It can be described as the best garment. Because these cycling trousers are mostly made of LYCRA fabric, they are stretchy and move freely. High-grade cycling pant guards are made of COOLMAX material with excellent breathability, even in summer when wearing these cycling trousers made of this fabric, you will not grow uncomfortable, not to mention worry about heat rash. They are also very effective in reducing pressure on the pubic area.

In addition to changing your saddle/trousers, you can also apply a cleansing cream to the seat of your riding trousers. (Glycerine based)

Depending on the length of the cycling trousers, they can be classified as cycling shorts, sevens and cycling trousers. In turn, they can be classifies as cycling underwear, cycling shorts, bib shorts and one-piece cycling trousers for triathlon depending on their function. In this one the cycling briefs are worn underneath and the rest can be worn over the other garments normally worn for sport. However, I don’t particularly like the cycling briefs and feel more comfortable wearing them directly.

Generally speaking, cycling shorts are the most common, simple and relatively inexpensive, but they have a waistband area that puts some pressure on the abdomen. This is not a problem with bib shorts, but they can be tricky to get on and off. They also help you to tighten the muscle groups in your lower back, making it easier to apply force. The straps also help to deflect sweat, which is why competitive riders opt for them, and it’s easier to choose short cycling trousers.

Construction of cycling trousers

The fabric of cycling trousers is usually a blend of nylon and stretch yarn, with different textures depending on the ratio. The trousers are mostly cut in three dimensions, with the number of pieces ranging from 4 to 8 or more.

A good seam allowance has a certain amount of elasticity, so when shopping you can pull on the seams to see if they come undone.　　The material of the elasticated leg is also important. Usually the elastic material is rubber or silicone, etc. Rubber has a binding feeling but is cheaper. Silicone, on the other hand, feels good to the touch and does not slide easily, but has the disadvantage of not being very breathable. Some cycling trousers now use high stretch fabric as an elastic, which is more comfortable and less likely to cause skin irritation.

Then there is the padding of the cycling trousers, which is a very important component. Cheap cycling trousers are usually just plain foam, which is not only stuffy and not breathable, but also lacks support. Most padding is now 3D, with different densities and thicknesses of padding to better distribute pressure, and recessed grooves to help wick away sweat and encourage airflow for breathability. The bonded fabric on the upper layer of the pant pad is required to be soft, hygienic, breathable, antiseptic, moisture wicking and perspiration wicking. In addition, the core material of the padding is silicone and high-density, high-elasticity foam, which needs to have a certain degree of support and elasticity.

As the saying goes, there are differences between men and women, and the same applies to cycling trousers. Men usually have longer front and back pads to protect important areas, and narrower left and right pads. Women, on the other hand, have a wider pelvis than men, so they have shorter front and back pads and wider left and right pads. If you are more specialised you will find that cycling trousers will vary depending on the type of sport.

Cross-country, endurance road bike riding, triathlon, etc. The different riding positions, the position of the force pivot points are different front to back and the intensity of the vibrations you endure while riding, which determines the difference in the design of the pant pads, you can choose according to your needs.

How to wear them correctly

You don’t need to wear pants to wear cycling trousers because the fabric of pants is usually cotton, which has good sweat absorption ability and poor sweat wicking ability. The pants themselves isolate the effect of cycling trousers in reducing friction, which not only prevents sweat from being discharged and makes it easier to breed bacteria, but also increases friction, which will cause skin inflammation over time and is harmful.

Cycling trousers should be the right size, not too tight, and not too loose. The correct way to wear them is to keep the leg about 15cm above the knee, so that the whole pair of trousers fits snugly around your body.

How to wash your cycling trousers

The ‘padding’ of your cycling trousers is prone to bacterial growth, so it is important to wash and disinfect them after each wear. The fabric and padding of cycling trousers, although very stretchy, can also be a concern for out of shape deformation. For this reason, hand washing is recommended and if machine washing is used, it should also be set to gentle mode. Also cycling trousers are usually quick drying fabrics, so after washing, just wring out the water by hand and leave to dry, do not use the washing machine to spin and tumble dry.

The function of cycling trousers