Just as women's bicycles differ from men's bicycles, women's cycling shorts have distinctive features that make the riding experience more comfortable. When shopping for women's bicycling shorts, consider your priorities. Some styles offer high-performance fabric great for long rides, while others stick closer to a budget cyclist's expectations. Finally, aesthetics should count for something, so look for women's cycling shorts that show off your assets while helping camouflage problem areas.
Performance
When seeking performance in women's cycling shorts, leave cotton shorts behind. Lycra is a cyclist's friend, providing a tight, comfortable fit. For the environmentally-conscious woman, some shorts now feature Lycra combined with fabric made from recycled materials. The best women's bicycling shorts have features such as mesh panels and inner cells that promote air flow and wick moisture away from your skin.
Comfort
It's a fine line between finding women's cycling shorts that offer sufficient compression and support, but that also do not squeeze you too tightly.You should feel no pinching or chafing. Quality bicycle shorts have no interior leg seams and feature flat stitching. The molded seat pad, called a chamois, should not have any uncomfortable stitching holding it in place. Look for a soft elastic waist band. More expensive cycling shorts typically have a high thread count, resulting in a softer fabric.
Style
When you think of cycling shorts, you do not often think of style. For example, many top-of-the-line shorts feature reflective panels around the back, which is a great safety measure but does little for aesthetics. That said, certain details make women's cycling shorts look better. Choose a pair with leg grips that do not squeeze your leg. If you want pockets, find a pair with pockets that lie flat against your body. For a little style, consider cycling shorts that have a skort style coverup. For an excellent fit, opt for styles with eight or more panels as opposed to the standard six. Even the simplest pair of black women's cycling shorts gets a style upgrade with contrast stitching.
Price
For budget cyclists, shopping for women's bicycling shorts can seem prohibitive. As of February 2011, performance cycling shorts cost between $50 and $200. Do not cut corners and buy a pair of men's shorts on sale, as the padding is in different spots and the cut is different. Instead, shop for discount cycling shorts at the same time you would shop for a discount bicycle, typically at the end of summer. If you live in a university town, autumn may be prime purchasing season, so try waiting until the end of autumn.
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