Do all bib shorts eat your shoulders?

brownian

I have more pairs of bib shorts than I should have, from loads of different makers. All of them eat my trapezius muscles at the top of the shoulder, adding to the usual neck/shoulder joy that seems inherent in road cycling.

So far as I know, I'm relatively short in the torso, long in the leg (5'8", so not all that tall).

Is it just me? Have others found a decent bib that does not eat the shoulders? Narrow straps, so that the elastic is gentler? Wider straps, so that the load is spread?

Should I take mine into an alterations place and ask them to add an inch of extra elastic? Or hang weights out of the straps, to stretch them while I'm not wearing them? Or go back to half-shorts, though the selection of good ones is limited compared to bibs....

Thanks!!

magicbastarder

the bib shorts that i have issue with are my northwave ones, the sensation of which could be replicated by wearing two cheesecutter wires in a configuration i'm not going to explain in any great detail.
edit: it's not the shoulders i have trouble with.

eeeee

I've never had bibs hurt my shoulders, i never actually feel them tbh, they definitely shouldn't do that! I've a very short body though.
Add an inch or two to the straps for comfort, they'll still hold up the shorts.
That'd drive me mad!

Wishbone Ash

brownian wrote: »

... I'm relatively short in the torso, long in the leg
.....

I'm the opposite yet I have never found shoulder straps to be uncomfortable. I've one pair that slip off the shoulders now and again but that's about it.

Deagol

You're buying bib shorts too small for you OR you have exceptionally sensitive shoulders!

I've never found any issue with any bib shorts, and I have pair of them given me by a shorter friend that are tight but certainly no more than a slight feeling of tightness with them on. And I've just texted a few other cycling buddies and none of them have ever heard of sore shoulders.

brownian

Deagol wrote: »

You're buying bib shorts too small for you OR you have exceptionally sensitive shoulders!

I've never found any issue with any bib shorts, and I have pair of them given me by a shorter friend that are tight but certainly no more than a slight feeling of tightness with them on. And I've just texted a few other cycling buddies and none of them have ever heard of sore shoulders.

you might be right, though I've been following the size guides etc. Tend to buy size L, although I'm only 5'8". They fit my legs and body ok (12 stone).

I might indeed have sensitive shoulders 8-). Might go up a size the next time I buy a pair....

Deagol

brownian wrote: »

you might be right, though I've been following the size guides etc. Tend to buy size L, although I'm only 5'8". They fit my legs and body ok (12 stone).

I might indeed have sensitive shoulders 8-). Might go up a size the next time I buy a pair....

That's stranger again. I'm 5'9" with 32" inside leg / 74kgs and I buy mediums!

Are you buying cheap ones? I tend to buy high quality Assos or similar stuff. Latest pair I bought have wide shoulder straps and are totally comfortable.

I presume you wash them after every cycle? (Thinking of bacterial or fungal growth on them causing skin irritation).

Other than that, perhaps drop the bib shorts and go with just plain cycling shorts, they're slightly uncomfortable around the belly but I wear them on very hot days as you get more ventilation around the body core.

And if you're getting neck / shoulder pains can I ask if you've ever been fitted? Best ~€50 you'll ever spend!

eeeee

brownian wrote: »

you might be right, though I've been following the size guides etc. Tend to buy size L, although I'm only 5'8". They fit my legs and body ok (12 stone).

I might indeed have sensitive shoulders 8-). Might go up a size the next time I buy a pair....

Hmmm strange.
Maybe wear a base layer underneath? Might help with the sensitivity? Or pop some pads in underneath? A good quality microfiber cloth under each strap at the shoulder might help distribute the weight?
I'm taller than you but am long of leg, and I wear a medium. I've to take straps in sometimes but I'm a bit of a spider human I think!

magicbastarder

i wear medium typically too, and am somewhere between 5'7" and 5'8"

mr spuckler

I wear medium as I'm fairly skinny but at 6' 2" and with no meat on my bones my bibs still don't tend to cut into my shoulders!

The only ones that were ever partially problematic were a pair of Castellis years ago but right now I own DHB, Santini, Garneau & La Passione bibs with no issues.

brownian

Maybe I just have very tight shoulders - I do get a sore neck/shoulders when I ride with half-shorts too, but not to the same degree as bibs. And shifting the straps off the shoulder (or just tucking them into the body of the shorts - forgive the style disaster!), reduces this discomfort a lot.

There's no skin sensitivity (neither above nor below) - it's simply the pressure/weight on the trapezius muscles that gets to me. Regular laundering, absolutely.

For what it's worth, I usually wear La Passione, POC, or Red & White. All size L. I did have a pair of Assos once, but they were so sore on the shoulders that they 'went away for a little holiday'.
And, yup, I've been bike-fitted (cost me a little more than 50e, but certainly worth it). I'm sure my core could be stronger, and I could/should carry less weight on my arms (and elsewhere, for that matter), but it's specifically the strap question I was wondering about, today.

To my surprise (I expected a chorus of 'yes, me too, but just man up!') this is not a general issue, so.

jamesd

I always wear a base layer under the bibs

JMcL

Mostly not in my case - I'm 182cm and wearing large at the minute in most ranges. The one major exception would be the Altura shorts that Halfords were ****fing for next to nothing last autumn. They do come up tight and I find I have to adjust them to get them comfortable. That said, I did 5 hours on the bike with them a few weeks ago and they were grand. I'd think it'd be a mistake to size up jsut to get the straps to fit. I've lost a bit of weight over the past 6 months and the XLs I would have been wearing previously now tend to be loose and prone to chafing around the bits

Deagol

brownian wrote: »

Maybe I just have very tight shoulders - I do get a sore neck/shoulders when I ride with half-shorts too, but not to the same degree as bibs. And shifting the straps off the shoulder (or just tucking them into the body of the shorts - forgive the style disaster!), reduces this discomfort a lot.

There's no skin sensitivity (neither above nor below) - it's simply the pressure/weight on the trapezius muscles that gets to me. Regular laundering, absolutely.

For what it's worth, I usually wear La Passione, POC, or Red & White. All size L. I did have a pair of Assos once, but they were so sore on the shoulders that they 'went away for a little holiday'.
And, yup, I've been bike-fitted (cost me a little more than 50e, but certainly worth it). I'm sure my core could be stronger, and I could/should carry less weight on my arms (and elsewhere, for that matter), but it's specifically the strap question I was wondering about, today.

To my surprise (I expected a chorus of 'yes, me too, but just man up!') this is not a general issue, so.

One thing that stands out to me - perhaps your bike fit was badly done? Maybe go for another with a different guy. I had the laser system done and I also had a cycling coach do one. Results where a bit different, but I found the laser system to give me better comfort and better times over repetative routes.

If you've eliminated all of those then it can only be a couple other things?

1) Bad technique, maybe go for some coaching? Perhaps you're cycling technique is bad and it's putting undue stress on the shoulders.

2) Body shape - we aren't all yellow pack - exactly the same design. It might be your skeletal or muscular system is a bit different compared to the more average of us?

brownian

jamesd wrote: »

I always wear a base layer under the bibs

Me too - at least until 20 minutes in, when I discover it's actually too warm, and then put it in my jersey pocket for the duration. Either way, I don't think this leads to greater compression on the shoulders...those mesh base layers are so thin that they aren't adding any much bulk.

Macy0161

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I'm the opposite yet I have never found shoulder straps to be uncomfortable.

I'd be the same, as in long body relative to my height. Have a few that are tight on the shoulders stood up straight, but none that have caused discomfort.

Unknown Soldier

brownian wrote: »

you might be right, though I've been following the size guides etc. Tend to buy size L, although I'm only 5'8". They fit my legs and body ok (12 stone).

I might indeed have sensitive shoulders 8-). Might go up a size the next time I buy a pair....

I'm 5'7/8 and about 12 stone, I have a few pars of shorts, mostly size S or M depending on the brand, never ever had an issue with my shoulders. I would wear a base layer in winter but none at the moment.

If anything with shorts, you'd want them to be stretched/tight in most areas, keeping them tight to you and not chaffing.

crosstownk

I've never had an issue with shoulder straps being too tight/restrictive/uncomfortable. Whenever I order shorts I usually err on the side of the smaller size if I'm unsure. So you'd imagine that if they were too small I'd feel it in the shoulders among other places.

I'm 183cm, 80ish kg and wear a small in Endura, medium in Rivelo, and a medium in Verge. I've a medium on order from 2XU so hopefully they will fit like the other brands. I'm a medium in Altura but I've stopped using their shorts as the pads started to become unstuck after six months or so. I've never had any discomfort at the shoulders.

All the above fit quite snug which is how I like bibs to fit. Sometimes a new pair of bibs might be a 'bit' tight but after a few uses and washes they settle in.

Not sure if the above is of any use to you but take from it what you will.

You suggested getting an alterations place to add a bit in to the straps. This might be a good idea with an older pair of shorts that you don't mind butchering. It'd be worth a try - another step in the process of elimination.

Weepsie

I normally wear base layer too, no matter the weather. But even then only ones I had a problem with were sportsdirect ones. Awful in everyway though I still managed a 300km cycle in then

brownian

Thanks, all. I took out the sewing machine and added an inch and a half to a pair of shorts...no major improvement, but some. So, maybe it's my posture...will work on that (it's good for me, anyway!).

fat bloke

I've never had that issue. If shorts are too "short" for me then I'm more likely to feel it down below. I've never had shoulder or other strap related pains.

Jonesy101

never had an issue, prefer to regular shorts, 6ft1 size xxxl from wish.com. 30ish euro for full set of morvelo/rapha etc. cant beat it

MojoMaker

A full set of fake Morvelo/Rapha,. but yeah....

homer911

Long body, never wear bib shorts. Have bought a few wetsuits in my time and the only one that was really comfortable was a sleeveless one that I got an extra 2 inches inserted into the shoulders - so yes, one size does not fit all

smacl

No issues here, which is just as well as I've one very dodgy shoulder after a crash some years back. I'm using DHB Aeron and Galibier bibs, 1.84M tall, 84kg and went for XL in both. (Was 91kg when I bought them hence XL). Also have a pair of the cheaper DHBs which can be a bit of a pain in terms of strap slipping of the shoulders.

brownian

Right enough. Bibs fit nearly everyone but me - so maybe it's not the shorts?

Took a spin yesterday in half-shorts (plus a jersey!). Still sore around the shoulders - maybe my brain is too heavy? Consciously working on holding the body with the muscles in the lower back - but they are not the strongest, and I find myself resting on the hands quite a bit.

Does your bike lend itself to you riding in a more upright position? Might take the stress out of your shoulders.

listermint

badly fitted or adjusted bike.

Its not the clothing, its your position on the bike or wrong size bike.

Id recommend getting that looked at, huge gains in comfort to be had

Large bottle small glass

https://www.facebook.com/AXACommunityBikeRides/videos/1310430979150658/

Deagol

brownian wrote: »

Right enough. Bibs fit nearly everyone but me - so maybe it's not the shorts?

Took a spin yesterday in half-shorts (plus a jersey!). Still sore around the shoulders - maybe my brain is too heavy? Consciously working on holding the body with the muscles in the lower back - but they are not the strongest, and I find myself resting on the hands quite a bit.

Definitely sounds like bike fit is incorrect. Get another done with a recommended bike shop or coach before you do serious damage to something.

magicbastarder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpLTEF3UPJc

just uploaded yesterday.