Let’s Talk Padded Bike Shorts for Bike Touring

Ian and I have been avid cyclists for years, but when we decided to undertake a 1200-mile tour around Lake Superior, we knew we had to step up our padded bike shorts game. We knew we’d each need some extra shorts to bring on our tour, since riding in wet shorts is no fun. Fortunately we found some super comfortable and well-made bike shorts and tights from Aero Tech Designs. Plus, their clothes are made in the US at their facility in Pittsburg, so you can be assured that the only sweatshop your shorts have ever encountered is your 5am spin class. (Disclosure: Aero Tech Designs sent us some clothes to wear on our tour, but the opinions in this article are our own.)

Why Padded Bike Shorts are Important

Saddles are generally not designed for comfort—they are designed to increase pedal efficiency and ergonomics. While you may be tempted to get a wide, cushy saddle rather than wear padded bike shorts, you need to consider your body’s mechanics. A narrow, performance saddle will allow you to transfer maximum power and use your glutes as you pedal. The narrow long nose also allows you to pedal all day with minimal chafing. In particular if you have a road bike with a more aggressive geometry, a well-fitted performance saddle will likely leave you less sore in the rear at the end of the day.

You should have a saddle that is wide enough to support your ischium, or sit bones, without being so wide it inhibits your pedal strokes. There is actually a lot of overlap between the width of men’s and women’s sit bones—just because you have wider hips doesn’t necessarily mean you have wide sit bones. A good bike shop can measure your sit bones and help you find the right saddle regardless of your anatomy if you are experience a lot of saddle problems. For example, although I have narrower hips, when I had my ischium measured I found out my sit bones are on the wider side, meaning a 155mm saddle is right for me.

Because performance saddles have minimal cushioning, padded bike shorts can keep your sit bones and downstairs mix-up comfortable on long days on tour. A quality pair of shorts that fit you well so the padding is in the correct place will make your tour much more pleasurable and help you avoid dreaded saddle sores. Our Lake Superior Circle Tour had us riding an average of 57 miles per day, with days as long 104 miles. We were grateful to have well-fitting bike shorts to keep our butts nice and comfy.

Aero Tech Women’s Bike Shorts Review

Men’s and women’s bike shorts are usually quite similar except for the chamois pad inside the short, because different anatomy requires different protection. Men’s chamois often has a cutout running through the center of the pad, while a women’s short will offer padding in this area. Some women’s shorts are designed to accommodate wider hips or thicker thighs, although this is not always the case, so you will need to find a pair that fits your particular body. I also love how Aero Tech offers sizes from XS to 5XL, which is unusually inclusive for a cyclewear company. Every body belongs on a bike!

Women’s Elite Padded Bike Shorts

I love the Women’s Elite Padded Bike Shorts for long distances especially in hot weather. The fabric is extremely smooth. I have one pair of solid black shorts and another pair with sporty pink leg bands and an AeroCool mesh panel that wrap up from the legs and around the back for ventilation. At first got the shorts, I was worried about the mesh being a bit immodest, but it’s very dark, and it wraps around your back, not your butt. The fabric on the chamois pad is woven with carbon and silver ions to create a natural resistance to bacterial buildup. This is perfect for touring, because bacteria in combination with abrasion are what cause saddle sores.

One thing I know about these shorts is that they are extremely durable. I crashed my bike while wearing these shorts. I tore a hole through my bike tire and ripped up the ankle of my bike shoe. Even though I also slid 15 feet along rough asphalt in these shorts, there was only one tiny snag in the fabric on the thigh.

The wide waist-band on these shorts is perfect, because they don’t roll over as you ride. Even after very long rides, the shorts stay in place. Besides the colored accents, these shorts also have reflective details on the sides of the legs.

Women’s FIT 5-Inch Thrive Padded Cycling Shorts

I really like the shape of these bike shorts—it stays in place with out bunching or feeling too tight. In particular, the extra wide waist band is super comfortable. Usually I have a problem with waistbands rolling over (and I don’t want to wear bibs, because I don’t want to have to take my shirt off to go to the bathroom.) The extra wide waistband stays in place without rolling over and without cutting into my belly.

These shorts also have a 5-inch inseam, which makes them super cute and more attractive for walking around towns while on tour. They are shorter than most bike shorts than I typically wear. Usually shorter shorts tend to ride up and then sit uncomfortably above the muscle on my thighs. The FIT shorts are different though because they have a really nice wide leg band at the bottom that keeps the shorts from riding up, without being too tight. The chamois is a bit lighter weight than the Elite shorts. I’ve ridden in these on long rides, but I think these would also be a great pair for spin classes.

Women’s FIT Century Thrive Cycling Tights

We bike toured around Lake Superior in July, but we still needed to bring a pair of cycling tights for cool and rainy weather, which is common throughout summer. These tights were just the right weight, not too heavy, but just enough to keep you warm in wet weather. They roll up really small, which was perfect for our tour, since with the warm weather, they spent most of the time in my panniers.

The chamois pad on the FIT Century Tights is comfortable, but not too bulky. The waistband is also very wide. You can wear it all the way up like I like to, or roll it over like you would on a pair of yoga pants. I like that that the ankles of these pants stay in place while you ride. They don’t bunch up at the bottom as you move your legs. There are also small reflective details near the ankles—which is exactly where they should be to help drivers recognize your “biomotion.” (For more on biomotion, read my article “How to Stay Safe While Bike Touring.”)

Aero Tech Designs Men’s Bike Shorts Review

Men’s bike shorts are very similar to women’s. Ian prefers to wear bibs, because they stay in place and you don’t have to worry about the waistband rolling over and cutting into your low belly. Bibs are more convenient for men because their plumbing allows them to go without taking their whole outfit off. 

Men’s Top Shelf Bib Shorts

Ian has two pairs of Top Shelf Bib Shorts, both in black so that they match all the rest of his clothes (but if you’re more of a party person than him, you can also get these with fun yellow, red, or blue side panels).  The bibs have eight separate panels, so that they move well with your body. Ian particularly liked how the shoulder straps are wide enough so that they don’t cut into his shoulders when he’s bent over using the drop bars. The back of the bibs is a mesh fabric that prevents over heating, and there is also a rubber leg gripper that keeps the legs from riding up.

The chamois in these bike shorts also seems to be a good balance between cushion and breathability since it is foam rather than gel pad. The pad also has a antimicrobial surface that hinder bacterial growth—exactly what you need on a long bike tour where you will be repeatedly wearing the same clothes.

Men’s Reflective Slasher Padded Cycling Tights

For cool temps, Ian brought a pair of Aero Tech’s padded Slasher cycling tights. These tights are nice because they have large 3M Scotchlite Reflective slashes on the calves—again perfect for highlighting your biomotion to drivers as you bike in low-light conditions.

The tights are very stretchy, while still providing just the right amount of compression to help tired muscles. (Your muscles are pretty much always tired while touring.) Ian prefers bibs, but the wide waistband on these tights is actually pretty comfortable.

Other Things to Know about Avoiding Saddle Sores

To avoid saddle sores, you also have to use your shorts correctly. Bike shorts are meant to be worn without underwear. Bike shorts are designed to wick away sweat and moisture and often have some kind of anti-microbial fabric on the chamois. Wearing underwear, especially cotton underwear, holds moisture in rather than wicking it away. You can also use a chamois cream to provide additional skin protection and avoid saddle sores. Finally, keeping your shorts clean is the best way to avoid saddle sores. This is really hard when you’re on a long-distance tour. We bought a few pairs of shorts to switch out, and we tried to rinse our clothes in the lake as often as we could. UV light can act as a disinfectant, so we would turn our shorts inside out and set them in the sun.

The combination of a well-fitted saddle, quality bike shorts, chamois cream, and good training, you can be comfortable on a long distance tour.

POSTS ALSO TAGGED:

AERO TECH DESIGNS, Bike Clothing, Bike Commuting, BIKE SAFETY, BIKE TOUR PLANNING, BIKE TOURING, Bikepacking, BIKING, CYCLING GEAR, LAKE SUPERIOR CIRCLE TOUR, Reflective Gear, TRAVEL

What are your favorite bike shorts for bike touring? Share your advice with others by leaving a comment!