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Questions about cyclewear

IMHO, not worth it. 10,000 JPY cheaper is a good way there to another bib short pair. I've never had a tear in my (Castellis) even with a couple of falls I took in 2019. Assos is a great brand, btw. Probably my next pair.
Let me play devil's advocate here: I think it is important to support local bike shops, and for this reason I would consider paying the surcharge to keep them in business. But I wouldn't do it to get a cheaper crash replacement.
 
IMHO, not worth it. 10,000 JPY cheaper is a good way there to another bib short pair. I've never had a tear in my (Castellis) even with a couple of falls I took in 2019. Assos is a great brand, btw. Probably my next pair.

I'm looking at the Equipe S9 but am just still considering because it is really expensive but I think investing in a good bib short will save my ass (literally) in the long run.


The only worry is just that if Wiggle's ships me a defective one and I have to get replacement right away... or if I do crash and need to get it repaired!
And looking at Wiggle dont ship Assos to Japan straight, that would mean I have to use middleman/friend to send it over to me too. Maybe after all savings is just around 5000jpy-ish.
 
That's a valid concern, @Ratchet21. Isn't the Equipe S9 a warm weather bib?. If that's the case, you may want to try a bit more of a local available one first. One of the top bib tights for colder weather is the Sportful, here: https://intheknowcycling.com/best-spring-and-fall-cycling-kit/. They carry that brand at Y's Road, which is where I've bought my last Castelli bib shorts. Sometimes they do sales and that last kit was a summer one, so if you are buying warmer weather gear you might find a nice brand/fit for a discount there.
 
I have never bought any clothing with crash replacement in mind. I also have not ripped a pair of bib shorts outside of racing. If you are not racing, save the money and buy some winter gloves.
 
That's a valid concern, @Ratchet21. Isn't the Equipe S9 a warm weather bib?. If that's the case, you may want to try a bit more of a local available one first. One of the top bib tights for colder weather is the Sportful, here: https://intheknowcycling.com/best-spring-and-fall-cycling-kit/. They carry that brand at Y's Road, which is where I've bought my last Castelli bib shorts. Sometimes they do sales and that last kit was a summer one, so if you are buying warmer weather gear you might find a nice brand/fit for a discount there.

Yea it is a warm weather bib, I have decided to get bib shorts and pair it with leg warmer instead of going for full tights instead because it is more flexible and can be used over 3 seasons (hopefully), while tights have quite limited usage time outside of winter from what I gather.
I was looking for Sportful's wear too but the selection at Ys Road physical (Shibuya and Shinjuku) and online store is very limited, I suspect they didn't stock it in the recent years. Checked out Castelli's bib shorts too in the sales wagon too! But unfortunately the sizing and fit is bad for my body.

I have never bought any clothing with crash replacement in mind. I also have not ripped a pair of bib shorts outside of racing. If you are not racing, save the money and buy some winter gloves.

Good idea! Will keep it in mind! And no, I don't think I want to or can race anytime soon haha.
 
Yea it is a warm weather bib, I have decided to get bib shorts and pair it with leg warmer instead of going for full tights instead because it is more flexible and can be used over 3 seasons (hopefully), while tights have quite limited usage time outside of winter from what I gather.

Good call. Pretty much what I do.


I was looking for Sportful's wear too but the selection at Ys Road physical (Shibuya and Shinjuku) and online store is very limited, I suspect they didn't stock it in the recent years. Checked out Castelli's bib shorts too in the sales wagon too! But unfortunately the sizing and fit is bad for my body.

Yes, they don't have much but sometimes a good find.
 
Went to Assos shop to try the bib short today! I tried the S size because it fits my measurement but the sales staff told me to try XS too, which I don't find any difference at all other than XS being just a little tighter which then he suggested me to get XS because bib shorts will stretch over time so if I get S and when it stretches it might feel a little too loose.

That got me worried because my current bib short fits me comfortably and tight at same time but it got me thinking will it get too loose over time as I didn't try a size lower than that. Anyway Assos bibs felt really awesome but too bad they don't have XS anymore so I didn't bought anything.
 
they stretch to fit your body, they don't stretch bigger than the person wearing them. SFA difference between shorts IMO.

If this is the case then I'm glad! Because the sales assistant told me all bib shorts/lycra will stretch to slightly looser fit after using it for a year or so. Also some post online saying that it'll get baggy over time as you wash it so I'm not sure about this since I'm new to bib shorts.
 
I think if you don't wash them in harsh detergents and anything but cold water they won't stretch so much. I throw mine in the wash in a net and they have never stretched out to baggy. Drying in the shade also helps keep their color.
 
If this is the case then I'm glad! Because the sales assistant told me all bib shorts/lycra will stretch to slightly looser fit after using it for a year or so. Also some post online saying that it'll get baggy over time as you wash it so I'm not sure about this since I'm new to bib shorts.
Good bib shorts will keep their shape for quite a while. What stretches after a while is mostly the rubber, e. g. that in the grippy bits on bib shorts. A few things:
- Do not wash sports clothes with fabric softener. That destroys the fabric by e. g. clogging up the microscopic pores.
- Do not put them in the dryer. Ever.
- There are detergents for sports clothes. Among other things, these are antibacterial, which prevents odors.
 
I think if you don't wash them in harsh detergents and anything but cold water they won't stretch so much. I throw mine in the wash in a net and they have never stretched out to baggy. Drying in the shade also helps keep their color.

Good bib shorts will keep their shape for quite a while. What stretches after a while is mostly the rubber, e. g. that in the grippy bits on bib shorts. A few things:
- Do not wash sports clothes with fabric softener. That destroys the fabric by e. g. clogging up the microscopic pores.
- Do not put them in the dryer. Ever.
- There are detergents for sports clothes. Among other things, these are antibacterial, which prevents odors.

I see! If that is the case then I am less worried about my current bib short, thanks so much for sharing your experience! Lots of worrying stuff that I can only learn by trial and error but comments from experienced people helps and reassure beginner like me a lot.

Yes so far I'm using a detergents for sport clothes and I handwash my jersey and bib shorts gently. But I do dry them using the "gentle" setting on Japanese bathroom air dryer (浴室乾燥機), do you think that is okay? The heat is gentler than the sun from veranda.
 
Yes so far I'm using a detergents for sport clothes and I handwash my jersey and bib shorts gently. But I do dry them using the "gentle" setting on Japanese bathroom air dryer (浴室乾燥機), do you think that is okay? The heat is gentler than the sun from veranda.

I think so. This is what I do too and its worked well for my sets.
 
No drier, and I think I said no direct sunlight which also helps them not fade. Just hang them up out of the sun, they dry in next to no time but even better is have two pair. They last much much longer not being washed dried and worn on a daily cycle or maybe they just appear to.
 
No drier, and I think I said no direct sunlight which also helps them not fade. Just hang them up out of the sun, they dry in next to no time but even better is have two pair. They last much much longer not being washed dried and worn on a daily cycle or maybe they just appear to.

Means you won't recommend the bathroom drier? (浴室乾燥機)
It's something like this, you just try your cloth using the ventilation flow of your bathroom, temperature wise its around 30-35c I think, not too sure

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My shorts and jerseys go in the wash with anything else that happens to be in the basket, the commonplace Attack detergent, hang dry in a room with a dehumidifier. Winter bibs too, but I put them in a bag to prevent tangling.
 
@Ratchet21 , I had never realized how complex were the decisions needed to ride a bike till I read all your questions. I recommend a book:

just-ride-book.jpeg

Even better, skip the book and just ride. The thread "November 2020" awaits accounts of your adventures, great or small. Don't be shy! During these adventures, you could have been wearing jorts and a hoodie, for all anyone will care.
 
I just wash it in a net with the rest of my family's stuff. The one kind of gear you need to be careful of is DWR treated rain jackets. They will lose their repellency, and it will need renewing with a special product like Nikwax. If its a Castelli Gabba, 10 minutes in a warm tumble dryer will do it without any other products.

(I'm sure a bathroom dryer is fine)
 
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