How long should I ride to wear cycling pants?
The key to wearing cycling pants is not the distance, but the purpose.
If you ride for sports purposes, you should wear cycling pants regardless of the distance. It's like running. No one seems to ask how far you should wear running shoes or how long you should wear a swimsuit when swimming. For riding for sports purposes, the focus should be on what kind of cycling pants to choose. The key to choosing cycling pants is actually choosing the crotch pad. Different grades of cycling pants are equipped with different levels of crotch pads. According to different types of riding, they can be divided into road cycling, mountain biking, mixed sports and triathlon. For road cycling, the riding posture is lower and the pressure position will be tilted from the ischial tuberosity to the pubic bone, so key protection will be provided in key areas. From the picture, you can see that the typical road bicycle crotch pad uses the highest density support foam in the front. The situation is different for mountain bikers. Compared with road riders, mountain bikers usually pedal in a more upright position, which puts more pressure on the rear end of the saddle. The rough surface also increases the risk of knocks and abrasions. Therefore, off-road pads have high-density padding in the area corresponding to the sit bones to provide optimal comfort and performance on any terrain. Another important feature is that they dry quickly. Even on the steepest uphill or the most dangerous downhill paths, the highly breathable pads can still vent moisture. The riding posture of mountain bikes is more upright, so the key protection position is in the ischial tuberosity area. As can be seen from the picture, the crotch pad structure is significantly different from the road crotch pad, and the sit bone position uses a double layer of high-density sponge. As for cross-border or mixed riding scenarios, it is an all-round design with a variety of pads to choose from, with different densities and functions, which can provide comfort and protection in medium and long-distance riding, and pads specifically for extreme situations such as superbike racing or bicycle touring. For example, the cycling pants I have been using, the "Endurance 2.5" cycling pants I chose, use multi-layer sponges in the front and back, which are suitable for various riding postures, but there is no special protection. The triathlon is more concerned with fit and quick drying. |
