Established in April 2008 by two apparel obsessed friends, Always Riding exists to help you choose and wear the most comfortable, stylish, and technically advanced clothes available, whether you hit the trails or the tarmac. We'll give you a selection of the best brands, make it simple to take a look, and even easier to get them to your door.
Industry watchers have seen for some years now the electric bicycle gain traction amongst various manufacturers. Touted for innumerate reasons as the 'best new two wheeled thing ever' (just like the Segway was), the cycle industry seems to be increasingly lurching towards battery power as the 21st century alternative to our legs (remember those?) in a sort of gradual spiral of laziness that threatens to seal a Wall-E like future for us all. Whether we all end up in matching blue baby suits is for now at least, still an open question, but if companies like Boxx have their way, that reality will almost certainly be assured.
As perhaps one of the most daring designs we have ever seen, the Boxx electric 'bicycle' certainly deserves some accolades for being different. There must of course be a market for this bike (whether that be one customer or 1000 remains to be seen), but for us, aside from the fact that we find the whole electric bike concept an affront to the simple motion and pleasure of cycling, does anyone really want to ride around on what basically amounts to a suitcase with wheels? Hey, maybe the makers are simply frustrated airline passengers, who in one fell swoop have both revolutionised the time consuming traverse of the airport, and invented a whole new sport of luggage riding.
We'd love to know your thoughts, but for now, we're just off to take the hoover for a spin.
If there is one piece of bicycle apparel that has the potential to strike fear into the heart of every newbie cyclist, (or even some pro cyclists for that matter), it is the bib short. Oddly shaped, (bloody hell, what the heck is that pad doing inside?), and lump flauntingly tight, they are nevertheless, a cycling essential.
Rest assured that if you have ever felt a twinge of unease when caught surreptitiously browsing through sets of bib shorts, then you are not alone. In this, as in all cycle clothing matters, let Always Riding demystify the demystify-able; as we present our Cycling Guide to Cycling Bib Shorts - hurrah.
Lycra is your friend
Almost all cycling bib shorts are made of lycra, or derivations of this wonder, stretchy material. Blended with carbon fibre, merged with cordura, or constructed from plain vanilla lycra, this is the core of a bib short. Your non cycling friends may laugh, and your loved one may have to grapple with the stair rail in hysteric disbelief the first time you stride out of the bedroom ready to ride, but remember, it's all about context. Astride the bike, you are rider, a majestic noble soul tainted by hidden passions for French vernacular. Stand more than ten metres away from the bike however, and you're just a guy in lycra out in the middle of the day scaring passers by.
Strap me in Tommy
The bib straps - designed to hold your bib shorts in place, these often wide and soft edged fabric loops are essential in preventing 'loose botty' during your ride - and believe you me, this is to be avoided at all costs. Do you really want your loved one, having only just recovered from first seeing you in lycra, to start emitting gasping sounds of hilarity as you shuffle into the kitchen with Mr Botty on show?
Some of the very top level bib shorts will make you feel a little hunched over off the bike, as the bib straps try to push you into a sloped back racing position. However, this is intentional, as a road rider will spend 99% of the ride on the bike, with a 1% coffee stop break. Just be aware though, some riders do reverse these percentages.
The Pad (or Chamois)
Delightful. As good a word as any for describing the feeling of merrily pedalling along with a comfy chamois between your legs, yet what makes for a good 'un? We've felt literally hundreds of pads, and after much squeezing, we believe it is all done to three things - stretch, material and breathability. Without wishing to distill what is a complex piece of fabric and product engineering into too glib a description, if a brand has got these 3 things right, comfort should follow, take a look:
Stretch - A pedalling motion is complex, and to fully be one with the rider, the pad must ideally stretch in 4 ways to take the two and fro of the cycling position.
Material - Light, dimpled or just plain smooth, a chamois can be constructed from many different layers of material to create the ideal trouser sandwich. Lower end bibs will often house a more rudimentary pad, let's call it a workhorse for shorter rides. Higher end bibs on the other hand, will tote a chamois clever enough to date an Oxford graduate, and offer a level of comfort that nearly always justifies the price.
Breathability - A pad that breathes is your ride Wingman. You may not hear its muffled Americanisms spouting forth from your shorts as you ride, but it's there keeping things on track. On a hot day, you will put out a lot of sweat, and that sweat, along with a whole host of heat, has to travel through your pad if you are to stay comfortable; and that is just what a good bib short pad will allow - breathability.
Give me a leg up
You ride a bike, you rock lycra - you do not wear Hot Pants.
Unless you particular like flaunting your upper thighs to your fellow man, a well proportioned bib short thigh length is what you should be asking from your bib short. As a rule of thumb, the more pro the bib short, the higher that leg will go; to a point that is. In our experience, unless you are really tall, let's say over 6ft 5", and as long as you have bought the correct size, you should always be able to work a good leg length without ever risking hot pant territory. (Stay away from hot pant guy - ah, he's coming over!)
Finishing touches
Like a little salt with a good steak, no bib is complete without the little touches (that doesn't mean you should allow yourself to be fondled by a dwarf - we're talking trims here).
First off is the bottom of the leg inner silicon strip, the essential final flourish to keep the leg in position. Lavishly applied or smartly echoing the brand's logo, you will find the silicon leg grippers at the bottom of every cycling bib short. They may do their thing without much praise, but without, you would be that Hot Pant guy. This might be a good time to point out that bib shorts stay in position a lot better with SHAVED legs, as the gripper loves clean skin contact.
Moving to the exterior, and a nicely produced bib, whether budget or bling, will nowadays sport careful attention to detail. From the brand's logo to the colour stylings, everything should sit well and ideally match with your cycling jersey. In our view, the bib short is an extension of the jersey, so having an eye for style here will pay dividends on the road. No style? Don't worry, just choose a classic black with minimal extras, and then you can match it with anything.
We hope that you have enjoyed our little guide to cycling bib shorts, and if you are now ready to buy a pair, then head on over to the cycling bib shorts page over at Always Riding to browse. Remember, we are on call 24/7, so if you have any questions, from bib choice to bib style, then we would love to help.
Una bonita pero a la vez muy interesante historia. La vuelta en mundo en bici por Charles Brigham es una realidad. Este Norteamericano lleva recorriendo el mundo desde Septiembre del 2007 sin usar ningún medio de transporte motorizado. En unas semanas dejara España y continuará su aventura en Africa.
Bike Tart
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