Conference noted::bicycle

RE: <<< Note 2928.0 by RANGER::GORCZYCA "So, what's ya point?" >>>

I own two pairs of cycling shorts: a thinnish Bellweather pair about three
years old, and a Performance Century pair about two years old.  Each pair
probably has been ridden about 3500 miles. Both pairs are in OK shape. The
fabric is worn I'm sure, but nowhere near to penetration. The seat padding
still seems OK, though I suppose I could feel the difference between them and a
new pair. 

My bike's seat has a smooth synthetic cover. I'd characterize the width of the
seat as average.
						-- Tom

                              
I started out with the $25-$35 Bellweather, Nike or Hinds shorts. But after I
purchased a pair of Descent (~$75) a few years ago, I have never gone back to
the cheaper shorts. I just find them more comfortable. I have long thighs and
the cheaper shorts just creep up on me when I am riding. Also, the synthetic
chamois on a Descent are made smoother and softer and the seems/stitching are
almost non existing. Since Lyca stretches in two directions, the more expensive
shorts will change the Lycra fabric orientation so it is suppose to fit a
little better. The Lycra from the expensive shorts also will have a higher
thread count so it should last longer. You can usually tell the comfort
difference between the shorts just but trying them on in the dressing room.
I would highly recommend anyone who is doing a lot of riding to try on a
expensive pair before buying a cheaper pair.

All I know is that I have given up on my cheaper shorts and I always ride with
my Descent or PI even if I have to dig them out of my dirty hamper :-( They are
going to get dirty anyway:-)
    
Dave


                              

    RE: .2, better take care of those Descente's, they have gone out of the
    bike clothing business.    Pearl Izumi makes a nice short, and Louis
    Garneau isn't bad either.  
    
    Steve

    The Mountain Bike Buyers guide has a thing on shorts.  Basically, you
    get what you pay for.  The heavier the fabric, the longer the wear, and
    more expense.  8 panels are better than 6 or 4 etc.  
    
    Brian

and I know your favorite bike shop, Chelmsford Cyclery, carries them. It's a
good thing to use any coupons you have for a discount on them. Look in your
local Yellow Pages in the coupon section.

Are you getting ready for this year's MS ride ?

-tom (back from Jackson Hole)

Bummer on the Descente stuff. I guess those Japanese guys (Pearl Izumi) did it
again. Maybe I will go for the Giordana for the next pair. But I don't think I
will need them for a while since I have 3 pairs of Descente. 

I hate to see those Japanese guys take over the Bike business like they did on
the TV's and VCR. But I do agree on the Pearl stuff is top quality.

Dave

    Pearl Izumi may sound Japanese, but the tags on mine say "MADE IN USA".

    And I believe Descente is Japanese.
    
    steve

    I must be luck... I've owned some shorts for about 6 years and still
    use them. Some cheapos too, like C Dale and Performance. I would never
    ever ever wear them them to a race or organized ride :-)...
    
    My personal opinion is  a) this crap is way over-priced  b) if you're
    buying the better brand name articles, e.g. Aussie, Giordana,
    Schnaubelt, etc... you're paying for the name. 
    
    I put a good amount of hours in the saddle. I love Bellweather stuff.
    Joneswear stuff is really crap. I think they make clothing for aliens
    the way that stuff fits. 
    
    MO, don't paying $70.00 for short when you can get the same quality
    (sans the in-name) for at least $30.00 less.
    
    You'll learn...
    
    Chip

    I didn't see the same quality for $30 in a Cannondale that I could find
    in a $80 Descente.  Of course I always bought the Descentes at deep
    discounts.  Fit, wear, comfort all matter to me.  I mean doing a 604
    mile race and not having to change more than once each 24 hours really
    makes a difference.
    
    Btw, I do still have and wear my cheapos, I just save them for the
    afternoon rides and never the all day rides.
    
    ed

    I've had good luck with Hind; good quality, but not cheap.  The
    older shorts that have questionable integrity get moved to winter
    duty and worn under tights or tight+sweatpants.  Kratz
    

    Let me add that, what goes next to your tush and how you treat it
    varies with individuals more than any other part of the bike.  Some
    guys can get away with riding on one of those plastic saddles that
    doesn't even have a layer of fabric on it, washing their shorts
    once a month, and using a nopad short.  Others need at least a layer
    of leather on the saddle and a halfway decent chamois (synthetic
    or otherwise) and have to wash their shorts everyday.
    
    Washing is probably as much wear on the fabric as a 50 mile ride
    -- depending on how fat your thighs are :-).  Then what you wash
    them with matters too, and if you throw them in the drier (ugh)
    and you're lucky, the lycra wears out sooner (if you're unlucky
    you get a ball of plastic goop).
    
    ed

    hey, what's that plastic saddle shot spose ta mean? :-)
    
    Chip

    well, some folks just have a, ahh, ahh, a less sensitive HBI, that's
    all.
    
    ed

    -1 Oh, so now I'm insensitive, eh? Keep it up Ed... :-)
    
       Chip

    Well Chip, I've always heard you were a hard ass.  :-) * many!

    Sheesh, and this used to be a nice safe note to hideaway in...
    
    :-)
    
    Chip

    Its nice to see that although the year has changed, the players in here
    are just as kind to one another as ever!  No mercy!!!!!!!!!!!!

    we're just trying to make do in Graham's absense.
    
    ed

    Did I catch that right?  Ti-man rides a plastic saddle?
    
    Say it ain't so!
    
    DougO

    -1 but it has Ti rails! that's gotta count for somethin', eh DougO???
    
    :-)

    -1-1... btw, it carbon fiber (weave)... it's my butt that's plastic!
    
    Chip

    Better shorts last longer and are more comfortable - my vote is for
    pearl izumi.  I think the company is owned by Davis Phinney and Connie
    Carpenter-Phinney, so hopefully, I'm correct in thinking I'm supporting
    the old US of A.
    
    I was wearing out a pair at the inner thigh - it turned out to be the
    velcro where the seat bag attaches to the seat post, due to one of
    those cutaway saddles.  Maybe that's the cause here.

    -1 interesting how opinon goes. i find Pearl Izumi stuff to be very
       poorly made and try to avoid it.
    
       Chip

I'm pretty new to the sport and I've relied heavily on recommendations from
other people in the sport.  Pearl Izumi stuff came highly recommended.  The
stuff seems to fit very well and is comfortable, but alas I cannot yet comment
on its durability.  What is the life expectancy of clothing?  What other brands
are ones that people have had good luck with?  I've heard good things about
Performance house brand and Bellweather also.

Tim

    chip - what do you wear instead?  I've based my opinion on Pearl Izumi
    mostly on comfort.  The only other quality shorts I've had were Aussie,
    and the chamois wasn't very helpful padding-wise

    Just my tuppenth (having bought a new pair of shorts yesterday).  
    My only parameter when buying shorts is the lining.  It positively has
    to be be real shamois.  I have looked at other linings but everytime I
    have shelled out (and it is often more) for other lining I have been
    upset by the lack of comfort.
    
    Of course shammy needs love and attention, and shammy cream is getting
    harder and harder to find.  Also if you buy a cheap pair (which is all
    that I can find) the shammy wears out quite quickly (I went through a
    pair last summer in only 3 thousand miles).  But for comfort I have yet
    to find anything better.  I am just looking for a pair of high quality 
    shorts to replace my old club shotrts which after 5 years have finally
    given up the ghost....                         

    .26 I always try and get Bellweather stuff. Aussie shorts are okay,
        but I think their shirts are junk. They fade quickly and pill
        easily.
    
        The Bellweather stuff comes in a few price ranges as well, but so
        do some of the others.
    
        The stuff Schwinn does is pretty good. I have some Paramount shorts
        I was given for riding for Gamache's and really like them. I never
        bought another pair becuase I have about a dozen shorts kicking
        around right now.
    
        Descente's were nice, but got too pricey (and are history now).
    
        I had tried the real chamois (.27) but I personally didn't find
        them any more comfortable, they were more expensive, and required
        maintenance (which okay if you're not lazy like me).
    
        Chip

    if they're still kicking around you should wash them better.  :-)
    
    ed

    wash them? what's this... wash... them?   :-)
    
    Chip  

	FWIW, Pearl Izumi is located in Boulder, CO.  My cousin is a
	graphics artist for them, designed some of the fabric patterns
	they used in last year's catalog.

For anyone who gets to France, the Decathlon stores carry some very good 
clothing at reasonable prices. ...

    
    Hi,
    
     I'm new to the biking scene.  Does anyone have a number to call to get
    a Pearl Izumi catalog.  I've done lots of miles running the last few
    years.  I have a Pearl Izumi wind breaker for winter running.  I can wear
    a shirt and the jacket in nearly all winter weather and run outside
    without getting cold.  The jacket is incredible for resisting wind.  I
    plan on using it for rides with my wife as long as the snow and ice
    don't fly.
    
     Also any local places to buy Pearl items for biking, we are in the
    market for shorts/pants & gloves.  I live in Dracut, Foxco, is a very
    good bike shop (Dracut, MA), but limited selection of cloths.  Is 
    Buckika's in Salem fair with prices?  There prices were 20/35$ more per 
    bike than Foxco (Specialized-Hard Rock & Rock Hoppers).  The sales tax 
    was a mute point, Foxco ate it on our new bikes, Univega 503 & a Hard 
    Rock).
    
     All inputs are welcome
    
    Mark 

    O'neils in Worcester has a complete mail order business and carry
    the full Pearl Izumi line.   508-798-0084.  They also have a 800 number
    but I forgot what it is.
    
    steve

    Oneil's --- (800)638-6344.  Inet --- [email protected]
    
    They also have a fair selection of "sale" clothing, if you want to make 
    the trip.  Several brands (eg. Giordana), including Pearl I.
    
    Bill

Buchikas will match the price of a bike as long as it's a local bike shop. 
They are also an authorized Pearl dealer so if you needed to order stuff, they
can do that. 
                                                               
The Specialized at Buchikas are higher then the shops in Mass but with State
Tax, it should come out about even. They have been selling a lot of the Gary
Fishers this year and those should be price more competitively. 

Dave                                                               

    
    I picked up two pair of webbed gloves at Buchikas at lunch.  They are 
    also running a sale on all bike shirts & shorts.  25% off maybe 25-50
    pair of shorts in stock, less shirts but still a selection.
    
    Both the bikes  we bought (Foxco Dracut, MA.) had no sales tax.  The price
    was $10 less than Buchikas for the Specialized.  Then my bike (Univega
    503) he dropped the price $50 for a 1/2" in scratch, then another $40
    when I picked it up last Friday.  The 96's are out with a lower price,
    he gave me an option of another $40 off or equipment.  We took the
    equipment, 2 helmets, and a Blackburn pump.  I was pretty impressed.
    I suspect he sweetend the pot when he realized we had three kids 13, 10
    & 8 all riding K-Mart brand bikes.   Overall I'm very impressed with
    the service at FOXCO. 
    
    Mark
    

What sort of maintenance of bike shorts' synthetic padding is recommended? Do
you treat the padding with anything to keep it soft?

I've got a pair of shorts with maybe 6000 miles on them, and the padding is
pretty stiff in the areas where pressure is applied on the saddle, but the rest
of the padding is fine. Another pair of shorts with perhaps 2500 miles is
similar but not quite as stiff.

Is there anything I can do to restore the old padding's suppleness at this
point? For new shorts, should any regular maintenance (besides washing) be
done? 
						-- Tom

    It just sounds like the material has been worn and compressed from the
    miles/hours put on them...
    
    There used to be a company that offered replacement pads, but I haven't
    seen them in quite some time. Too bad if the rest of the shorts are in
    good shape.
    
    The material around the inner thigh is the palce where mine wear. The
    pads seem to outlast that area.
    
    Chip

    I'm too cheap to buy "good" shorts that are worth repairing but I know
    some of the guys I bike with have their shorts refurbished.  
    I could probably get the info on this if desired.
    
    -Larry

For what it's worth, I'm not really keen on having the padding replaced unless
it were really inexpensive and easy. The fabric and elastic in the shorts are
worn somewhat too, such that I don't want to invest much in them.
						-- Tom

PS. I bought a new pair of shorts over the weekend, and wore them this morning
to work (on the bike :-). Golly, new shorts are comfy!
						-- Tom

    re:  comfy!
    ESPECIALLY if they are good quality!!!  Good shorts are worth the
    money!