SheBeest Shindigger Cycling Knicker
May 3, 2010
I really like these pants, let’s get that out of the way. They are super comfortable, very soft and stretchy, nicely cut and flattering, and very cute. I really appreciate a bike short/knicker that isn’t made of shiny spandex and cut so tight that the marks on your skin last for days. I don’t see how that is necessary, but of course I’m a recreational MTB’er no matter how badass I think I am, so maybe there are some super secret reasons that pros and wanna-look-like pros need to have their pants that tight. I know that if you’re a road biker you are supposed to wear a matching set of brightly colored shorts and jersey and if you’re a mountain biker you’re supposed to wear a combination of super trendy baggy shorts and a MTB-specific riding shirt or a wool jersey with a beer logo on it, or something. The MTB look is a little hard to pin down, but there is a look, and you recognize it when you see it. Me, I like to look a little more low key. Matte earth tone colors, minimal logos, kind of an under-the-radar look. I try not to create expectations based on just what I’m wearing. So I really appreciated these tights, which are matte black and look just a wee bit too cutesy cute to be “serious” bike pants, but believe me when I say they suit a serious biker just fine, or at least one without the need to look “pro”. I like that they don’t have a grippy inner liner below the knee or at the waist like many bike shorts. They evidently don’t need it because they don’t ride up anyway. They feel soft and comfortable and not binding. No sausage-casing look here!
However, they do have a downside about which I am going to have to be brutally, completely up front. As in, TMI up front. The chamois on the Shindigger is a bit grabby. If you indulge in Brazilian type grooming, you won’t notice a thing. If you are a little more heavy on the natural foliage, you may find that the chamois just might end up GIVING you a Brazilian. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but the construction of the chamois just seems to grab those short hairs somehow. It seemed to be more of a problem when walking around then when actually riding a bike and it wasn’t bad enough to deter me from wearing the knickers again, but it’s something to be aware of if only for the sake of solidarity (you’re not alone)!
The chamois padding is on the light side; not quite enough for MTB-oriented me to be happy enduring the three hour road ride I used as a testing session, but my usual MTB haunts keep me up and off the saddle enough that I don’t think I’d have an issue out on the dirt trails. If you have tougher seat bones than me, you won’t have a problem. I can only endure about 2 hours of steady saddle time before I’m just plain done no matter what shorts I’m wearing, so I acknowledge that my booty is on the delicate side. I’ll save the Shindiggers for the trail though; for riding around town the padding is just not robust enough.
Minor chamois issues notwithstanding, the Shindigger is a great knicker option; comfortable, relaxed, and just different enough to stand out without wearing shiny neon spandex, all for a great price. Bike shorts tend to be overpriced in my opinion, so anything under the $80 mark will get special attention from me. These are priced well under that mark and they’re good knickers to boot. I’d like to see this matte look catch on with other manufacturers because I’m really over the “shiny” thing and I think a lot of other women are as well.
Comments
Got something to say?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
