Favorite bike/tri shorts

I love my Zoot 7" inseam tri shorts. I pretty much wore out one pair so bad all the "ironed on" decals fell off. I have now bought an additional 2 pairs and am looking to get a 3rd soon.

I can't say enough good things about my Coeur Sports tri shorts. There are lots of cute patterns and full kits, but those all have a 5" inseam. My go to training shorts are actually the Little Black 8" ones. The pad is just enough and the longer length means no thigh rubbing for me.

I have tri shorts that I will use for sprint / oly distrances but I just did a HIM in my Pearl Izumi bike shorts and glad I did. I gotta have that padding for 56 mi. Might cost a few seconds in transition to put them on and then to change to running shorts for the run, but I was comfortable.

I have found Pearl Izumi bike wear to be of very good quality and function. I've bought it all on Sierra Trading Post. Get on their mailing list and they will notify you of sales. I wait for them and buy at 60-80% off retail typically.

Edited by HaydenHunter 2016-06-29 10:08 AM

For just cycling, I'll wear Desoto 400 mi. bibs and a Riviera tri top.

If I plan on running off the bike, I'll wear Desoto Riviera tri shorts.. Not only are these garments tough....but the customer service at Desoto is outstanding.

Nothing but Desoto for me, tried others and the boys were not happy

Orca 226. Not that expensive and really fit great.

Another fan of Desoto Tri shorts - specifically the Forza ones!! Used them all during IMAZ training and the race and no issues! I have 2 older pairs too that I use for teaching spin and they seriously last forever!

I have a few pair of De Soto tri shorts (Carerra and Forza) and a De Soto Forza suit.
I really like the shorts. The trisuit doesn't fit as well and causes a few hot spots (im bigger on top)

This year my tri club got some Zoot tops and bottoms. I have had no problem with them but the fit, feel, and durability of the De Soto gear is better. My new top has already had to be repaired.

i am a 2XU guy all the way..
Shorts and tri suit..

I'm Coeur all the way too. I found them before my 2nd Ironman and haven't looked back since. I wear them for everything. It was a big shocker to me that I am actually more comfortable in tri shorts on longer rides than I was in fully-padded bike shorts. Not everyone feels that way but it works for me.

Amy

Have you gotten anything of theirs this season? My black shorts from last year I wear an L, but I needed to size up to an XL for the new kit I just got.

I have a low end pair of Pearl Izumis and don't like them. Maybe I should have gone with their higher end stuff but I wore these for my first race and they rubbed all kinds of things wrong. Might try bodyglide or try a pair of Zoots. I have a Zoot top and like it. I crashed my bike and went sliding across the pavement and it just scuffed a little.

Desoto all the way. 4 and 7 mm pad for the tri bike and the 13mm pad for the road bike.

Hi everyone! It's Kebby with Coeur sports (using Charlotte's log in). I wanted to share what we've learned and have come to believe about bike and tri shorts.

First, I have to say that we're very familiar with the companies named and they all have really good gear. Also, to a large extent, you do get what you pay for. For a pair of bike or tri shorts, the fabric, the pad, and the gripper make up a substantial part of the cost and if you see a pair of shorts that are really inexpensive, it's probably because one (or all) of those items are lower quality. But...in some cases, that may be ok. Just like you can get away with an improper bike fit for a short jaunt around the neighborhood, an inexpensive pair of shorts is fine if you're not going to be in them very long. At least that is our opinion.

If, on the other hand, you're going to be wearing them for nine, ten, or even 16 hours (hello midnight finish), then the little things matter. So, in those cases, our recommendation is that you look for shorts that have at least these three features:

1. A really good and comfortable pad (aka chamois). Cytech is one of the best chamois producers we've found and it's hard to go wrong if your bike shorts have one of their pads. We're proud to have created the tri shorts with a fleece liner with hidden seams (#Noangrykitty) and are flattered (and a bit sad) that others are starting to copy the idea, but it really does help with chafing.

2. Flatlock Stitches: The best shorts use something called a Flatlock seam where the fabric doesn't overlap. It's a more expensive seam because it takes a specialized sewing machine, but we (and others) strongly believe that it makes a difference when you're riding for a long time.

3. A comfortable waist band: Constriction around the middle is bad in a short race and almost unbearable on a century ride or during an Ironman. We strongly encourage people to put on the shorts and see how they feel when you poke out your stomach. Some of us (yep..I'm talking about myself) have a habit of pulling in our stomach when we try on clothing. For shorts, you want to do just the opposite. See what they feel like when you're a bit full around the middle (trust me, interesting things can happen to the GI tract during a long race).

As I said before, all the companies listed have really good gear, so as long as you check these three boxes, you should be good to go.

Thanks and Happy Racing and Training!

Kebby

https://www.coeursports.com/