Hi (and belated Happy New Year).

What do you guys wear from the waist down? For bike packing trips I mean. Proper Lycra "cycling shorts"? MTB Baggies? Something else?

ootini wrote:Hi (and belated Happy New Year).

What do you guys wear from the waist down? For bike packing trips I mean. Proper Lycra "cycling shorts"? MTB Baggies? Something else?

Lycra bib shorts. Then if it's wet (nasty wet) lightweight waterproof baggies over the top. If it's cold then either leg warmers or possibly full length bib trousers.

Most of the time - Unpadded baggies + commando.

Very cold - unpadded 3/4 bibs + baggies.

Very hot - I might break out the unpadded lycra hot pants. I'd advise not riding with me when it's very hot.

Struggle in trousers, as I feel restricted. This is in day to day life too, so generally wear shorts all the time.

Quite personal relly.

Bibs all year round, be they short length or 3/4 in Spring - often the Gore X-Alp bibagies when just out for rides local. Overtights when it's cold. Only really wear baggies when it's socially deemed necessary. Waterproof shorts over when weather is appalling - like really, really bad.

FWIW - one pair of bib shorts for the entire Tour Divide - washed once. Rinsed a few times.

Shorts unless it's cold. Boxers underneath, rarely padded inners

If it's cold I'll add some waist leggings underneath

Don't wear any bib lycra for bikepacking

Might change to waterproof shorts or trousers if it's planned for rain, but sometimes just get wet

whitestone wrote:

ootini wrote:Hi (and belated Happy New Year).

What do you guys wear from the waist down? For bike packing trips I mean. Proper Lycra "cycling shorts"? MTB Baggies? Something else?

Lycra bib shorts. Then if it's wet (nasty wet) lightweight waterproof baggies over the top. If it's cold then either leg warmers or possibly full length bib trousers.

What he said

whitestone wrote:

ootini wrote:Hi (and belated Happy New Year).

What do you guys wear from the waist down? For bike packing trips I mean. Proper Lycra "cycling shorts"? MTB Baggies? Something else?

Lycra bib shorts. Then if it's wet (nasty wet) lightweight waterproof baggies over the top. If it's cold then either leg warmers or possibly full length bib trousers.

What he said

Lycra bib shorts with knee or leg warmers as required if it's cold. If I'm going to be in lots of social places (cafe/ferry crossing) I might wear my MTB baggies over the top.

In winter I tend to wear waterproof baggies over the top unless it's dry and has been for some time. At my bivi site I can just take off the baggies and the muddy leg warmers and I'm clean enough underneath to get into me sleeping bag.

Padded undershorts with baggies on top. If it's particularly cold, full length cycling trousers instead. Has yet to be cold enough for me to require knee warmers (this weekend might have me change my mind).

Almost never wear bibs unless I'm training on the turbo (I find most of them a massive pain to take a leak whist wearing so I'm not a fan for all day rides).

Bearbonesnorm wrote:Very hot - I might break out the unpadded lycra hot pants. I'd advise not riding with me when it's very hot.

Unf... so sexy.

Another advantage of leg warmers is that if you have to cross a stream then they are easy to remove and dry out, much harder and potentially more awkward with full length bibs.

Richard: the Assos bib shorts have a low front

Bib shorts, possibly with ron hill trackster type trousers or tights over the top if cold or as a bit of protection from scratchy bitey stuff

Moder-dye wrote: as a bit of protection from scratchy bitey stuff

Therein lies the only other reason to wear baggies unless you are a ne'er do well from the 'hood.

A combination of:
Brigdale ankle socks/1000 mile socks/Merino mid socks/Merino knee socks.
Helly Lifa/Ron Hill tracksters/Leg warmers/Aldi padded tights/normal baggies/3/4 baggies.
I own four pairs of padded shorts but mostly favour AK Merino boxers.

Tights with baggies over the top in winter. Pulling the bottoms of the tights over the Sealskinz (ie Sealskinz under tights) is a decent way of stopping water running down legs into shoes. Sometimes pull the bottom of the tights over the shoes too if it's mega wet.

In the summer usually just a pair of trunks and half a pint of Ambre Solaire Intense Bronze Oil.

Baggies and the right boxers. ---- padded shorts for long rides, decided I'm better off without.

RedWhite bib shorts with (in order of coldness) either Castelli nano-flex knee warmers (water repellent) or merino leg warmers, or pad-less bib tights, Howies or some wind stopper ones.

If it's very wet then over shorts, gore light waterproof ones. If it's very very wet then water proof pants, endure or inov8

Can't wear trousers, they keep having ano argument with my drive train and I'm not sure who keeps winning....


Mostly terrain dependant, then weather dependant.

For mountain bikepacking trips and touring singletrack I'll wear my endura 3/4 shorts as the knee coverage and tough material helps during falls or bushwacking. Short trips I wear padded liners, longer I find I'm better without. As it gets colder I either add knee warmers or running tights underneath.

For road bikepacking and faster trips, or on the mountain bike over just gravel and towpaths I'll wear padded bibs, light and comfy and no flappy material at speed. The chamois is a bit useless after too many days though even with rinsing, don't have the heart to unpick it out a pair though and unpadded tights rarely have bib straps.
For cold I add knee warmers.

For more relaxed touring I wear either running or hiking shorts, no chamois at all and occasionally add running tights underneath for warmth at gentle speeds.


Irony I find is the longer distance the trip the less "cyclist" I dress and just wear generic outdoor clothing. Exception is pushing distance on the road bike but those usually don't involve camping.

Baggies and bamboo (sometimes merino) boxers / pants.

Knee warmers anytime I feel the need for a temp boost or believe the insulation will protect the joints.

Knee warmers anytime I feel the need for a temp boost or believe the insulation will protect the joints.

When I was having physio on my knee, the physio said that the fact I had leg warmers on when it 'went' might have contributed towards it, as the tight material may have prevented my knee from fully adpoting a happy position and instead, pushed the joint somewhere it wasn't happy ... bit like anti-Kinesio tape. Makes you think dun't it.

TBH, my old Endura ones are so well used they're more like a pair of Nora Battye's tights I think I've worded it a bit wrong earlier as well, I use them to keep my knees / joints warm because I assume that's better for me and makes them less prone to injury (much like "warming up" for any exercise).

Hey ho, always two sides to a coin

Merino boxers, waterproof shorts and gaiters when its wet, long johns under if its cold, 3/4 thin enduras if its hot, keeps the sun off the knees. for the recenit Morocco trip the 3/4s all the time and a spare pair for off the bike they pack so small and the long johns under higher up.