Spandex

Welcome to  Mountain Bike Monday at WanderingJustin.com! In each Mountain Bike Monday, I offer some mountain biking wisdom. Sometimes, you’ll get a gear review. Other times, a handy riding tip or three. If you have a question for Mountain Bike Monday, send it to wandering.justins@gmail.com.
Nearly every new rider gets really put out by bike shorts. “Do I have to wear Spandex?” they’ll whine. “Why are they so expensive?” usually comes next. The answer to the first question is “yes, you do.” The answer to the second is “‘Cause they’re doing a hard job – supporting your miserable, stinky undercarriage!” Here are a few things that might add some detail to these short answers.
1. Yes, you really need to wear bike shorts. They have a pad in the butt to make sitting on a bike seat more comfortable. They’re also made from materials that wick sweat away so it can evaporate. That means less heat and less chafing. It’s way better than wearing jeans!
2. Dude, please don’t wear underwear with your bike shorts. My brother tried taking up biking. I think he stopped after the relentless mocking I gave him when I caught him wearing tighty-whiteys under his bike shorts. If you wear undies (boxers, TWs, thongs, whatever), you defeat the wicking capability of your shorts. You will stay wet, making you feel like you’re wearing a diaper. If you’re into that sort of thing, fine!
3. I consider $80 for a pair of Castelli shorts money well spent. But to me, throwing $35 down for [...]