WOMENS CYCLING SHORTS SHOPPING GUIDE

Many women are taking up cycling as a sport. For this reason, there is a spurt in the market in the cycling accessories especially created for women. As far as wearing a good cycling gear is concerned, it is a balance between the necessity, comfort, and fashion. A good quality gear can improve the performance tremendously, while at the same time a badly fitting sports gear could do more damage to the body than any good.
Cycling shorts are the leg wear worn by the cyclists, also sometimes referred to as bike shorts, are used both by men and by women alike. However, they are not similar in many ways. Womens cycling shorts are tighter fitting with the aim to reduce air resistance and protect the skin. It also takes the moisture away and keeps the skin cool. Earlier the cycling apparel was made of wool but these days new material called Spandex is generally used. The area around the crotch and seat is made of synthetic chamois.
Womens cycling shorts are available in many shapes and styles. . Many cyclists wear them alone with no underwear beneath it but it is always advisable to wear good quality underwear. Some of the womens cycling shorts comprise more than single panel, which makes them and fit better, although they turn out to be more expensive.
Their can be various types of womens cycling shorts. For example, bib shorts, which have suspenders to hold them up instead of the normal waistband. This is preferred because elastic waistband sometimes causes discomfort while riding. Many women cyclists therefore prefer bib type of shorts to the non-bib type. Polyester and Spandex are the basic material for making these shorts.
Similarly, there are baggy shorts that look like any ordinary pair short but have a chamois lining on the inner side. They are more fashionable since they have a sleek design as compared to the other variety of shorts. Womens cycling shorts keep their upper leg muscles or the quadriceps tight. It has no effect on t the blood flow, but provides greater endurance while cycling. Once the cycling shorts are put on, care should be taken that Lycra is worn round the belly button and either kept there or folded down around hips.
Care should be taken while choosing the womens cycling shorts. These days manufactures like Pearl Izumi, Nashbar, Performance, etc make the best quality items. However, while choosing them, do make sure that the support given by them at the seat area is good. Padded shorts generally offer the support as well as make you remain comfortable during cycling, peculiarly during long rides. While purchasing these womens cycling shorts, one must turn them inside out and check out the stitching. The stitching around the padding must of high standard. Some womens cycling shorts come with Gel inside and are considered good. The presence of gel inside helps in isolating the vibrations thus providing comfort during the ride. For those with different or non-standard shapes there are customized types of womens cycling shorts (these are also called specialized bike shorts)