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BIG Bike Shorts

Big Men's Padded Cycling Shorts and Bib-Shorts

Big Man Padded Bike Shorts

Big Size Bike shorts have lots of choices as you can see below.  The shorts fall into a few broad Categories depending on type of cycling you plan to do.  You might need a variety of bike shorts depending on the type of cycling you will be doing.  The long distance shorts have thicker chamois padding to get you past the 75 mile mark. Check out Big Man's Road Bike shorts for the spandex, compression fit that supports elite riders.  If you are more into casual riding, commuting, or Off-Road/ Mountain Biking, check our our Big Man's Loose Fitting Shorts. One easy way to save some money is to buy a pair of Big Men's Liner Bike Shorts so that you can wear them under your normal stretchy everyday shorts and pants like a pair of underwear.

If you are working out in a gym doing a wide variety of athletic movements, one very popular garment is the rugged Big Men's Compression Shorts. They have great fit, prevent chafe between the legs and wear long and hard. 

Big Man's Cycling and Bib Shorts

The single most important part of a men's bike short is the chamois pad.

A good chamois pad is designed around the human pelvic region which contains the Ischium bones aka your "sitting bones". The Ischium bones support your body's weight while seated on a bicycle and depend on the density of the chamois pad for proper cushioning. We offer many choices of chamois pads to choose from, ranging from thin to thick. The human pelvic region is the focal point of the chamois pad because your ischium bones (aka your sitting bones) are your body's main contact point with your bicycle saddle. Your sit bones actually support your body's weight in the saddle and we offer many different styles of chamois pads that range in thickness, density and composition (such as foam-based pads and gel-based pads).

Our Aero Tech Designs bike shorts come in a wide range of chamois pads to help you ride longer and feel stronger. One thing they all have in common is the ability to cushion the saddle area. We designed our men's bike shorts and cycling bibs to be durable and comfortable for the long haul. Aero Tech Designs seeks to help your ride longer and feel stronger. Behind this goal is our dedication to various cushion and support in the saddle area. All of our men's cycling shorts and padded bib shorts are designed to be comfortable and durable, regardless of how long your ride will be. Every cyclists' preferences can vary, but many beginner riders as well as long distance cyclists prefer cycling shorts with gel chamois pads. Gel chamois pads have a higher density on average when compared to foam chamois pads and they can provide lasting support for long rides and also more substantial padding for novice riders who are seeking more support.
Many experienced cyclists are comfortable with thinner, foam-based chamois pads. Triathletes benefit from this style as well because they tend to dry quicker and do not hamper the user during the non-cycling legs of the race.

Gel Padded Bicycle Shorts are ideal for beginners and long distance cyclists who need relief from pressure on the rear area. Thin Padded Bike Shorts are great for experienced cyclists who are comfortable on their saddles or for triathletes who want one garment to swim, bike, and run. The thin pads are also ideal for anti-chafe needs. The dense pads we use in most of our Road Bike Shorts are in the elite category and are the best for high mileage and century rides over 50 miles. We also carry padded Bib Short which is a bike short without a waist elastic and is held up with straps or suspenders. Cycling bibs are most often used by experienced cyclists.

Fabric:

Big Man's Padded bike shorts are commonly composed of synthetic, stretchy spandex-based fabric. There are several reasons for the use of this fabric, including compression, moisture wicking and aerodynamics. Aero Tech Designs mainly uses six-way stretch tricot knit nylon or polyester with spandex added. Fabric weights vary slightly, but most are between 5.5 and 8 ounces per square yard. Medium-weight fabric is about 6.5 ounces, while heavy-weight fabrics are closer to 8 ounces per square yard. Nylon/spandex blends usually perform very well on the durability scale and they are more rugged and abrasion resistant. Polyester/spandex blends, on the other hand, excel at wicking moisture, keeping your body cool and performing during multi-season riding. Aero Tech Designs uses these fabric blends because they allow freedom of movement during exercise. The higher a fabric's spandex content is, the greater the muscle compression will be as well. Muscle compression during exercise helps to limit the buildup of lactic acid and prevent delayed onset muscle soreness after your workout is over. Compression also reduces fatigue by promoting blood flow through your muscles during exercise.

Leg Grippers

Aero Tech Designs uses various types of leg grippers on our padded cycling shorts and bib shorts. These grippers help to prevent the shorts from riding up as you pedal. The repetitive motion of your pedal stroke paired with your constantly flexing muscles can cause the legs of your shorts to ride up. This can also lead to fabric bunching up, which can lead to chafing and saddle sores. Silicone leg grippers help to keep the shorts in place to avoid these problems.

Reflective Elements

We design our bicycle shorts to include a reflective element on the moving areas of the leg. This makes the ideal location for a reflective because it is visible for a motorist in low light conditions.

Fit

Big Men's Road cycling shorts and Big Sized bib shorts are designed to be worn without underwear. In this way, the chamois pad is held tight to the skin, moisture wicking is maximized and the chamois pad contacts your sit bones directly.  Muscle compression also works best when your bike shorts fit snug, like a second skin. When trying on a pair of cycling shorts, they should fit snug so that the chamois pad stays in place but they shouldn't be too tight to the point where they cause binding or discomfort. Another cyclist trick is to use an anti-chafe cream on your skin and all over the chamois pad in your shorts. Use generous portions and reapply as needed during longer rides to keep your skin lubricated during your ride and prevent hot spots from turning into abrasion and chafing. Anti-chafe cream is essential to many cyclists embarking on sustained bicycle tours and long century rides. Road Bike Shorts are to be worn without underwear so the pad is held tight to the skin in the saddle area and you get the most advantage in its wicking ability. Bike shorts work best when they are worn tight so that the lycra spandex supports the working muscles. When you try on a pair of bike shorts, it should not be too tight or binding but fits snug so the chamois pad stays in place.

Panels - Most bike shorts and bib shorts have a multi-panel design. Common designs often include 6 or 8 panels. As the number of panels increase, the rider can achieve a very anatomical and comfortable fit that provides muscle compression.

Inseam - The length of the leg's inseam is a matter of personal preference. We think the short should be a few inches above the knee. Biking shorts come in Tall (about 11 inches), Short (about 5 to 7) and Regular Inseams (about 8-9 inches). Personal preference is the most important part of inseam length, as all of our bodies vary. It is important to make sure that the inseam stops a few inches above the cyclist's knee because you do not want fabric in the back of your knee as you pedal. In addition to regular inseams, Aero Tech Designs makes big men's bike shorts and bib shorts in tall-specific sizing as well as bike shorts in shorter inseams.

Elastics - Waist elastic is important to keep the shorts in place. Wider elastic has less tendency to roll. Some cycle shorts have a drawstring, especially shorts for multiple uses like triathlon and fitness. A drawstring is not essential for road shorts, but may come in handy. Just like leg grippers, waist elastic helps to keep cycling shorts in place as you ride. Wider elastic is less likely to roll or shift as you ride and bib shorts use shoulder straps instead of waist elastic to help keep the shorts from rolling and the pad from shifting during your ride. Other big man's bike shorts use drawstring waistbands instead. If you want to get rid of the elastic on the waist, try a pair of bibs or bibshorts. They have built in suspenders that keep the shorts in place without waist elastic.
Sizing - Bike Shorts need to fit snug

Sizing:

Big Man's Cycling shorts and bib shorts are designed to fit snug so that the chamois pad fits close to your skin. If the bike shorts are too loose, the potential benefits of wearing the shorts or bib shorts will be negated. Aero Tech Designs lists product-specific size charts in each listing and this is true for the other manufacturers that we carry as well. Depending on the degree of compression you're seeking, you may be able to fit into a bigger or smaller size as well. Cycling shorts should fit snug like a second skin. Cycle shorts should fit snug with the pad close to the skin or potential benefits of wearing them will be negated. A correctly sized pair of road shorts is essential to make sure that you get the most out of them. When looking at the manufacturer size chart, you will be able to fit into the size bigger or smaller with varying degrees of compression. We suggest the use of the manufacturer's size chart. If you want the garment to fit you loosely, you can go up a size. Cycling Shorts should fit snug.

Care of Shorts

Big Size Men's Padded Bike Shorts need to be laundered each use. The best way care for road shorts is to machine wash and air dry. We recommend machine washing to remove all of the bacteria from the chamois pad. The goal of clean shorts is to prevent the buildup of bacteria on the chamois pad, which can lead to saddle sores. Saddle sores are a cyclists worst enemy. Air drying the spandex shorts helps the rubber spandex fibers to last longer without drying out.

Men's Padded Bike Shorts are worn "without underwear".

We highly recommend the use and frequent application of an anti-chafe cream for long distance rides. Put the cream on your skin, between your legs and all over the chamois pad. Squeeze a generous portion of the cream on the pad and rub it all over the pad. The lubricant on the pad and your skin will prevent hot spots from abrasion. On long bicycle tours or long daily distances, this cream application may be essential to enhance riding comfort.

Some of our favorite padded big size bike shorts are these:

This page shows styles of cycling apparel we sell for Big Size Cyclists. Cycling apparel for all sizes Buy Direct and Save Big.
All Day Shorts - our most popular design and available in 6X-Large. It has a high end chamois pad with a generous amount of padding. Our All Day Shorts have side mesh pockets with reflective elements to help keep you seen and safe while cycling.
Top Shelf Short - A very popular short with extended size and inseam options. gh quality fabric and multi-density chamois pad for an industry standard bike short available for all.
Classic Short - A great beginner bike short. The main feature of this short is it's a great overall value to see if bike shorts are something you like or not. This short is priced just right and still USA made while using high end components.
MTB Short - A Loose fitting, padded bike short for people who won't go out in spandex. This item is two shorts in one, an internal padded short and an external loose fitting casual short with pockets.
Bib Shorts - A compression garment that reduces muscle fatigue. Bibshorts eliminate the waist elastic and feel like a second skin.
Liner Shorts - Undergarment that is worn as a padded underliner under your casual shorts
Compression Shorts - Fitness shorts that provide freedom of movement and muscle support to reduce vibration and enhance blood flow. Aero Tech Designs