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Wanted: Cycling knickers
Hi everyone,
The move to traditional bikes and clothing from ten years back seems to be fairly over. Even its foremeost proponents have largely moved away from their own re-discoveries.
Thus it seems that even Rene Herse are not doing their cycling knickers anymore; in any case they're not listed in their shop any longer, even "out of stock", as would normally be the case were they only temporarily unavailable.
My own first pair (from 2016, under their old brand Compass) are now beyond repair. And I dont' find any replacements that don't have a look far too sporty (like the Endura Humvee, with synthetic-looking fabrics, huge logos, lots of ungainly seams...), or too Victorian, or... Anyway they really do need to have a fairly cycling specific cut, so it's not just about any hiking or hunting knickers that'll fit the bill.
These items are pretty essential to my cycling wardrobe, in fact they're indispensable. So I'll keep hoping they turn up again on the RH website, but in the almost unthinkable case they don't, does anyone have any suggestions? At all?
Many thanks indeed,
Martin
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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62 comments
Prompted by this thread, I've just bought a pair of the Swrve's. A couple of comments -
- the label on them called them "knickers"
- Brooksby's advice on sizing up was right after all!
Hi, sounds good. Are they the slim type or the regular ones?
Please don't hesitate to keep us posted on your experience with them, I'd especially like to know how they work in wet weather (pedalling when moist, dry times...).
Regular. I've got the 30 inch waist - my normal size - and they're fine but on the tighter side round the waist. Given I can sometimes get away with 28 inch waist, I'd say size up if in doubt.
From previous experience of their range, I expect the waist fit would be similar on the slim fit: my issue with them would be they'd be too tight on my fat thighs! This is not an issue with the regular fit.
I've only ridden a handful on kms in them so far (just to the shops and back sort of riding) and all in the dry - but they've been comfortable and fine.
Thanks a lot for your reply. Let's wait for some rain then
Right - I've now worn them in the rain. Just for a short walk and a short ride. But they performed well - initially the rain was just beading off, and although it did soak through a bit, they dried very quickly. It wasn't really a long enough ride to make a final judgment on pedalling when wet, but they seemed ok.
It appears Swrve are closing down, so whilst they are available at the moment, they may not be for long.
"It appears Swrve are closing down, so whilst they are available at the moment, they may not be for long."
Sigh. And so it always goes...
Thanks for your update!
Perhaps Google what you fancy. Cycling corduroys, cycling jeans, cycling chino's. They are all out there.
Personally I just cycle in my normal attire. Managed my first century last year. I did wear a shirt and tie as well as chinos for that occasion. It was 32 centigrade that day. I do have a cycling jacket and waterproof for winter.
I think there are two pairs of trousers I cannot cycle in. Both have a prominent seam in just the wrong place and give you a saddle sore after 10 miles or so.
I do wear two pairs of boxers on long rides, one pair close fitting so they stay stationary against the skin and one pair looser so they move a bit less than the trouser. Seems to work for me.
Laksen Cottonwood Breeks look quite good for lightweight cotton breeks. They may also do a goretex version.
Well you got there in your last para.
Im very interested in natural fibres for sports clothing, and I'm trying to get rid by and by of synthetics from mw wardrobe. The knickers are one exception for the time being. On the upper body I'm pretty happy to wear merino wool as a inner or outer layer even in rain, as it will stay warm even when wet.
But merino is on the whole too fragile for bottoms, and I'm not sure about wet tweed and cotton for the legs in constant movement when pedalling. I'm not sure I'd invest like here £200 to just try, hence this thread to garner some information.
I know for example that in Japan some perfectionist cyclist go the whole hog and really dress like cyclists from the golden era, but firsthand information about their experiences is hard to come by.
I have a pair of the Laksen breeks you can get them for £98 if you shop about. I haven't worn them for cycling but I have worn them in the rain and they are comfortable. You mention tweed I can say that if there is a breeze good Tweed dries as fast as it is getting wet so you stay strangely aware it is damp but comfortable.
As chino's and cords are both comfortable for me to cycle in I would say try a pair of your own everyday wear and if they are comfortable go for it.
Cheapest I could find https://www.williamevans.com/products/sale/laksen-cottonwoods-mens-breeks?colourid=5728&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwztOwBhD7ARIsAPDKnkB4Yqu-fkDmZ_i3Sc_4QleaqFjL__J2zW-rZwT0G3HKqdR387KRFM8aAinyEALw_wcB
These are technical ones with a waterproof membrane https://www.fieldsmiths.co.uk/clothing/trousers-and-breeks/laksen-bransdale-ctx-breeks-in-olive-green__158?currency=GBP&chosenAttribute=2249-36&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwztOwBhD7ARIsAPDKnkAfD9RsvT6SaKjXLJzFp0mjYVO96LyWE8XxieL4pPjkoaMrdvcG8lwaAhxdEALw_wcB
I also saw some Grand Bois ones but could not seem to find an outlet locally.
There are tailor made ones such as these https://www.spencers-trousers.com/product-category/breeks/ I think they would take your ones and cut them the same if you ask them to and price is not too bad for Tailor made.
Sounds interesting, thanks for sharing your experience.
Tudor Sports York Plusses on Condor?
https://www.condorcycles.com/products/tudor-sports-york-plusses?variant=...
Interesting product, though not quite what I'm looking for (they lack the "dressed" look I'm aiming for).
A friend of mine has got himself a pair of Hilltrek breeches, they look good. I'll see what he says about the Ventile in tems of fit for cycling, comfort, weight and especially feel when wet...
https://www.velocitycyclewear.cc/
https://www.swrve.co.uk/collections/trousers#
https://www.giro.com/c/mens-bike-apparel/
Thanks,
Can't find anything on the giro page. The swerve has already been posted, asI said, could be an alternative.
Citation from the velocity page:
"Women’s specific, cycling specific capri trousers – that look just as good on and off your bike".
While men have to look shite, both on and off? Ironic how the "women care less about the activity than about how they look doing it" stereotype plays out here...
I suspect that getting something like cycling chinos, and having them altered, may be the best option here. In my neck of the woods, the alteration would be around £10 probably including a clip.
Other things I can see that may do the job are:
Zip off hiking trousers?
Plus 2s or Plus 4s?
But the spec will be different to cycling clothing, depending on the sport.
My habit has been to buy cycling clothing then use it as day-to-day.
Hmmmm.
Sport Pursut have a small selection of what they call "convertible" / "zipoff or z/o" trousers - as usual decent brands 50-70% off, but these are zipoff long shorts rather than below-the-knee so might not meet the requirement.
Prices from about £16 down from £50 to £50- down from £110.
https://www.sportpursuit.com/clothing/trousers-shorts-tights?sp_nav=ct-6...
"I suspect that getting something like cycling chinos, and having them altered, may be the best option here."
Yes, that's another option.
Any good - https://www.swrve.co.uk/products/durable-cotton-3-4-reguler-fit
Very nice, but you definitely need to go up a size for them to fit properly
Why?
They're quite a slim fit.
I'm not sure those ones are - they also do a slim fit version, but these are regular fit (or reguler according to the URL)
(I've got a pair of their regular fit jeans and they are regular fit.)
Hmm… (sets reminder to check the label on his pair)
(edit) - turns out mine are indeed slim fit. That explains a lot (not sure how I accidentally ordered 'slim fit' instead of 'middle-aged man fit', but hey…).
Thanks. Have these on the radar amongst the things to look into if the RH dont turn up anymore. Thanks also about the fit issue
How do they dry after a ride through the rain?
No idea, I'm afraid. I have got (and am currently wearing) a pair of their 3/4 length jeans, but not got the cotton ones. I am now considering buying a pair, though.
For a while cycling was the new golf. So maybe Golf knickers could be the new cycling knickers? They are at least, ahem, hi-vis...
https://www.royalandawesome.co.uk/mens/golf-plus-twos
We really need to fix this terminological abuse.
Knickers, like pants, belong on the inside, not the outside.
We are not Superman.
And we are definitely not Usonian. If we were, about 4x as many of us would be dead.
Yeah well, terminology here follows the US usage, the equivalent English terms seem to be confined to the tweed run or Etsy these days.
Since when? Knickers are ladies' underwear. What else would they be?
Actually the US first came up with the term knicker(bocker)s to describe 3/4 length trousers in the early part of the 19th century (derived from Dutch immigrants to New York who carried on wearing kneebreeches long after full-length trousers became fashionable) and it was later adopted by the British to describe ladies' undergarments of the same style, so our cousins across the pond do actually have the earlier claim to its use.
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