Winter Bib Tights: Chamois / No Chamois

[Rick]

Why do most winter bib tights have a chamois ?
Since bibs are heavy and expensive, and it would be more difficult to wash them after every ride, it makes sense to me to wear my regular shorts with chamois-less tights over them.
Is it just me, or what am I missing ?

I always have to look around quite a bit just to find bib tights with no chamois.

[btompkins0112]

I have a few set of tights that do not have chamois that I wear over my regular bibs.....I sourced them locally, but I think they were Sugoi if that helps.

[kbbpll]

And why no wind block near where my boys live?

[Monkeyboy3333]

Both Assos and Castelli do padless tights. I have some Assos ones with windproof panels on the knee area and they are superb in everything that the UK has thrown at them thusfar ( not an ad just my 2p's worth) I would like protected junk, my gut used to offer that protection on the bike but I have slimmed down a bit!

[lannes]

2XU thermal compression tights are pretty good for winter, wear then under the bib knicks

[em3]

....yes, real winter bib tights have NO chamois, and they should also include stirrups! I always wear shorts under winter tights.

Seems like they are becoming harder to find. I own chamois-less winter tights from Assos, Rapha, Giordana, Gore and Craft, all of which still produce the chamois-less tight. The Gore Oxygen SO are hands down the best of the bunch.

EM3

[eurperg]

Just from my personal experiences:

Rapha winter tights - not for real winter, maybe 5 degrees celcius, even when using pro team thermal bib shorts underneath. Nothing is wind proof.

Rapha deep winter tights - heavier fabric and wind proof panels but still no wind protection in crotch and lumbar region, so they are useless when it's winter with a capital W. Returned these immediately.

Best so far: Gore Xenon SO padless windstopper bibtights. But I think they have discontinued these? Only the chamois version available everywhere...

Next on my list: Mavic inferno. The specs sound good and looks better than Gore. I love Gore bike wear fit and function but they're always so damn ugly.

[Rick]

Thanks for the feedback and recommendations. I thought maybe I was in an extreme minority for preferring padless tights.

I have one pair of nice padless tights from PBK, but they are getting old and threadbare, so I have been extending their range by wearing knicks and/or knee warmers under them. It is time for a new pair. I feel like it is never too cold to ride as long as there isn't ice on the road and you have good clothing.

[xcnick]

I cut the chamois out of some winter tights and they worked perfectly over bibshorts! I did this after finding that tights with a chamois seemed to be cheaper than those without

I now prefer the Assos T607 bibshorts with good legwarmers though.

[giant man]

I'm glad you can get bib tights with chamois in now, because when i started cycling (a long time ago) you could only get ones without, and I never understood that.

Why would you want to wear bib shorts underneath your bib tights? Very odd imo. Two layers instead of one, madness!

[mdeth1313]

I have about 6-7 pairs of bib tights, of those 2 have a chamois. I commute to work before dawn and in the early spring temps can be below freezing on the way in, but warm enough for shorts on the ride home. No chamois is a lot more versatile for me. It also allows me to use shorts w/ a chamois I like.

[andyindo]

I have a pair of Assos ones without a chamois. I hardly ever wear them as I hat having two layers. I just find it more uncomfortable compared to one layer. They are warm though.

[eurperg]

Two layers instead of one, madness!

One layer is madness when it's freezing. When it's -5 to -10 degrees celsius, I wear merino longjohns as a third layer.

[Rick]

Why would you want to wear bib shorts underneath your bib tights? Very odd imo. Two layers instead of one, madness!

One very simple reason: I wash my shorts after every ride. But bib tights are typically much more and heavier material. So daily washing/drying would be a real chore. With no-chamois tights you can wear regular shorts underneath and only have the one relatively thin extra layer of tights under the chamois. Then just wash the shorts.

[kbbpll]

One layer is madness when it's freezing. When it's -5 to -10 degrees celsius, I wear merino longjohns as a third layer.

Whew, glad someone else does it. I thought I was unmanly. Merino longjohns, shorts with the chamois I like, bib tights no chamois with stirrups is my preferred gear below 5C. I just need to cure the frozen johnson problem. Does anyone make tights with windblock down there? All I need is a triangle below the jacket level. Let's face it, Mr. Bill is an extremity. Winter cycling gear takes care of all the other extremities except the important one.