White Bibshorts. Why not?
I've never owned a pair of white bibshorts. I never did because I was told you simply never should.
But why not?
I question every rule thrown my way. Most of the time, rules make a lot of sense. But sometimes, you come across a rule that doesn't make any sense (at first) and you just have to test it. The Velominati's Rule #14 specifically states that shorts should be black as much as possible. This rule does seem a little outdated in 2020 especially when you consider Mathieu van der Poel's choice of kit at the 2019 Amstel Gold Race :
Tighty Whities - a winner's choice?
I was sold on the idea of white bibshorts after watching MVDP's win. If he can rock it, so can I.
I called up my manufacturer and asked him to make me a pair of tighty whities. To make it classy, I had him print the logos in a tasteful silver colour. This being a white bibshort that can get translucent when wet, I used a lycra that was 10% thicker than the lycra in my standard long distance bibshorts.
I didn't particularly enjoy the thicker lycra, but I doubt my wife would have let me leave the house if it wasn't as thick.
I was nervous on my first ride. I sweat A LOT. Singapore is ridiculously humid as well. My skin is also a deep delicious brown. A combination of factors that shouldn't work at all with White Bibshorts.
But...it did.
This image was taken after a 60km ride in the late morning. Apart from a little road grime, it looks fine!
This white bibshort is fast becoming my favourite piece of kit. I love pairing it with the loudest jerseys in my wardrobe and being an object on the road that drivers simply can't ignore. I also really like the classy silver "RW" logo on my thigh. My only gripe is the thicker lycra that makes the bibshort a bit too compressive. I am learning to live with it and it is motivating me to lose some weight from my generous hips.
I know that there is a tiny community of white bibshort lovers out there in the world. An under-represented and under-served community that might have been secretly hoping for a quality pair of white bibshorts.
Perhaps in late 2020, I will produce a white version of The BIB for this community.
Do you like white bibshorts and secretly wish more companies would produce them? Are white bibshorts a hard pass for you? I'd love to hear from both sides of the spectrum on this. Leave a comment below!
28 comments
is this still a live possibility or did you kill it? I’m all about a pair of tighty whities…
Definitely would buy white shorts but thinking in combination with other colors or patterns.
I have often worn white bibshorts on my solo road bike rides. Why, because it is eye catching and goes with a number of different jerseys that I own. I have been caught out in a freak storm while wearing them an the only person who really noticed some transparency was me. Anyhow, I would easily order a pair from you guys.
Love it!. I have a few white bib shorts. They are my favourites. Screw the people who stares n makes stupid remarks about them. I would wear these for every ride.
thank goodness!!! Your making white bibs. I have worn out my pearl Z bibs in white. I can now get more and better product.
Thanks.
PS. Im 6foot 4inches
Out of the 22 comments so far, here’s the breakdown :
YAY : 8
NAY : 9
NEUTRAL : 5
This white bibshort is a personal project and I made it for myself. I did put it out there to see what the fans make of it. While the response has been overwhelmingly “NAY”, there is a small and vocal group of “YAY” who’d probably really want to own a pair of these. You can expect this to be launched in a limited run for this niche audience.
A number of you have suggested breaking up the expanse of white with black stitching, stripes or patches of other colour. I disagree with this because it would be a cop-out on my part and represent a severe lack of commitment to making an eye-catching full white bibshort.
A few of you have asked about how these hold up to dirt. Only time will tell and I will have to put a lot more miles in less than favourable conditions to see how it will eventually look like. I will also rub chain grease on it and see if the grease streaks come off in the wash.
@JOHN, @GLEN : The cycling “Rules” are not laws and are not legally binding. As such, they can be broken. I completely agree with the both of you that these rules are representative of a certain viewpoint and I’d like to think the people who wrote them never meant them to be taken too seriously in the first place. Like all things in cycling, the rules are part and parcel of our collective culture and even though I choose to ignore most of them, I do enjoy having them as part of the overall culture (hope this makes sense).
@RYAN : I had a shopkeeper take that photo for me just to check if my posterior could be seen. I’ll update this blog with a front shot once the shorts are laundered.
Love them and white bibs in general. I would love a pair for the hot and humid summers in my part of the world. Of course, I also love your “not popular” KOM bibs, so what do I know?
I’d wear white but not the way those look, something has got to break up the white avalanche on the lower back/above the butt area!! I had a pair years ago from LG I believe and they were great, all white except for the black stitching, broke it up nicely.
I had a pair of white non bib shorts that lasted for years and remained great looking (Northern California, no winter riding). They had black stripes down the outside of the legs and black piping, but I did like MvDP’s white kit better, I think.
Generally speaking, I think “The Rules” are a giant crock of feces intended to exclude people and give others an excuse to judge them. I would love to have “F—- the Rules” printed on one of the sleeveless jerseys I rock …
… that being said, wow those all-whites look really weird. I mean they are just a vast expanse of blindingly white material; MVDP’s shorts have team/sponsor logos to break them up, but those bibs are just eye-catching for all the wrong reasons.
Another thing to think about is that white tends to fade with washes and become a kind of weird, grimy-grayish white, over time. Maybe that’s a good thing, maybe that’s a bad thing, but if you’re buying tighty-whitey shorts, you probably dont’ want understated.
I can totally see a market for these (after all, I willingly wear sleeveless) but it wouldn’t be for me. Woof.
Never liked the idea arbitrary rules being enforced for no other reason than opinion. If you want to wear them, go right ahead! It doesn’t change the fact that I may smash you or I’ll get smashed by you on the local climb. Just go and enjoy riding bikes!!
no way!
white lycra generally doesn’t last as long.
now i would be interested in a pair of black bibshorts with that thicker lycra.
(we don’t all have Singapore’s climate ;-) )
H E C K Y E S i’d order and enjoy RW white bib shorts!
NO! With great power comes great RESPONSIBLITY. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should … yikes.
Hell I think they look great! I have over 40 pieces of kit and I don’t own any white ones… sign me up I’m always willing to give it a try… in summer 😂 no wet roads for me lol
No! Wouldn’t last 5 minutes on Yorkshire lanes. Last thing you need in horse poo up the back, you would get some strange looks, but might stop the close passes!
I come home with dirt/mud on my clothes after every road ride. I’m not sure hiw long white would stay white. On that extra thick lycra, maybe the more critical areas could get the thick layers and other areas get the normal stuff.
White head to toe!! Sign me up! It’s classy, clean, and unique!! Throw out the fear factor!! Sounds like a great ride in the fall. If you build them we will come!! Hell yeah!! Nothing but positive things to say!!
White Bibshorts? Nah, I will stay with the classic, plain, and always black. I never even get matching bibs with my jerseys, but hey, that’s just me. Now about those bibs with pockets…
If they are such a “yes” why didn’t you face the camera in the photo? Just sayin… ;)
Let me know when they are available!
White bibshorts? No NO NO!
Most of my riding is on the lanes of SE England, which are not well maintained. Given the inevitability of having to stop and remove my rear wheel to replace a tube at least once in any ride over 100km, and my unbreakable habit of then wiping my hands on my leg…. you get the picture.
Maybe if I was riding on indoor tracks, but never out on the roads.
Just no, Yuva!
Hell Yes I’ll wear white, top and bottom!!! And as soon as you make em, I’ll buy em… so hurry up please! As a fan of Mario Cipollini, there’s probably not too many styles I wouldn’t wear.
Thanks Yuva!
I have a pair of bibs with a white crotch area. Only wear them when I am sure it will not rain! Ok on fit young guys.