Women, answer the call of nature while wearing bib shorts

The Pearl Izumi Women’s Drop Tail Cycling Bib Short.

A review by BicyclingHub.com staff member, Melissa, 3/10/10.

A women specific bib short designed for the ultimate in comfort and convenience.

Since I started cycling, I’ve seen my male friends start out in shorts and slowly but surely, all transition to bib shorts. I’ve heard endless raves from them, generally something along the lines of “Melissa, you have to try bibs, they’re amazingly comfortable. I’m never riding in shorts again.” I believe my guy friends rave reviews, really I do. Then why have I not switched to bib shorts? One simple thing…anatomy. When I heard that Pearl Izumi was coming out with a Drop Tail Cycling Bib designed specifically for women to help with this problem, let’s just say my interest was more than piqued.

I ride. I ride a lot. And I bet most women out there know what I mean when I say that anatomy is the impeding factor that keeps me from riding in what I hear is far greater comfort with bib shorts. On any given long bike ride, I’m willing to bet $20 that I have to go to the bathroom twice as often as my male counterparts. (And it’s not that I drink more water than they do, though sometimes I do.)

Sure, I love the idea of not having the waistband of my shorts digging into my waist at the end of my 100-mile rides and charity events. What I don’t love is the idea of having to take off my jersey every time I have to go to the bathroom if I wear bib shorts. Over the course of a ride, the extra hassle also amounts to a lot of extra time too. My male riding partners already complain about how many bathroom breaks I take. Let me just say this….You men have it so easy when it comes to going to the bathroom with bib shorts. Damn you Mother Nature, damn you. However, I think Pearl Izumi has come up with a solution that just may level the playing field, so to speak.

I was super excited to give the Pearl Izumi Women’s Drop Tail Cycling Bib Shorts a good test ride or two. What started out as simple “test riding” has blossomed. Like the best kind of romance, it was a love that deepened as I spent more time with the Drop tail bibs. I road tested these shorts over 90 miles total. For our first outing together, we went on a 20 mile ride on a flat paved bike path on a cool, windy evening that Portland Oregon is famous for in late February. I knew that bibs were suppose to be a lot more comfortable than regular shorts. What surprised me on this short ride was just how much more comfortable I really was. On the second ride, I went on a 40-mile ride, which was mostly flat with several small rollers. What surprised me was how comfortable these bib shorts were even when I was in my drops. The straps fit comfortably across the chest and have never felt too tight or in the way on any of my rides.

I gave the drop tail function of these bib shorts a couple test runs in the comfort of my own home before I went out on a real ride in them. I loved the ease of use with the drop tail. The drop tail portion of the bibs is comfortably constructed, virtually unnoticeable on the bike and seems to hold up well. It was wonderful not to have to take off my jersey in order to use the bathroom! I love the additional time these will save me over wearing normal bib shorts and the additional comfort I receive from them. I look forward to many long rides together in the future with my Women’s Drop Tail Cycling Bib Shorts by Pearl Izumi.

Melissa Cate not only rides but guides our male and female clients towards the best cycling clothing for them. Regardless of gender, call us at 888-817-8060 and we will help you to the best fitting cycling clothing available.