In our Tech Q&A series, we tackle cycling queries – no matter how trivial – with insights from the BikeRadar team and some trusted industry experts. This time, a former BikeRader staffer wants to know what mountain bikers wear under their MTB trousers.
As a keen roadie turned e-MTBer, I have an embarrassing question. Are most of the people in MTB trousers wearing padded shorts/underwear or roadie bib shorts underneath?
Matthew Loveridge (former BikeRadar staffer) Forest of Dean
With the growing crossover between cycling disciplines, this isn’t an uncommon question.
The answer is that most MTBers will be wearing some form of padded layer under their baggy shorts or trail pants.
Of course, there are some riders who don’t choose to wear padding, preferring to brave it out for a few rides until their saddle moulds to their backside.
Often, they’ll have some form of body-hugging underwear on, to avoid the chafing that can arise from seams.
As a note for female MTBers, regular underwear tends to have a higher cotton content than padded liners or bibs, so you’re less likely to develop thrush or other infections if you aren’t able to change your padded shorts on long and/or hot rides.
Some MTB shorts come with padded liner shorts, sometimes attached via poppers or loops of material.
Unlike standalone, road-style bib shorts, which are designed for comfort over long periods in the saddle, these tend to have only a thin layer of padding, because mountain biking tends to be more dynamic, with riders moving around more on the bike.
Without upper bib straps, they can cut into the waist, and sometimes the legs aren’t long enough to overlap with knee pads, leaving a visible gap, which is a bit of a fashion faux pas. Some people also find the feeling of a knee pad gripper on bare skin uncomfortable.
Traditional roadie-style bib shorts are increasingly being seen in mountain biking, with the popularity of gravel riding seeing more crossover between disciplines.
These shorts tend to cover more of the torso, relieving pressure on the waist and the lower back, and are available with a greater variety of padding styles, making it easier to find something that fits your anatomy and saddle.
With cheaper bibs, it can be difficult to enjoy a wild wee without undressing fully, but higher-end designs tend to have features to avoid this.
Bib shorts are generally longer in the leg than padded liners and made of heavier fabric.
This can mean that on a hot, summer ride, a pair of mesh-fabric liner shorts is more comfortable.
However, in mucky winter riding, you get added protection from splashes when tucked into a pair of bibs.
Our top recommendations for men’s liner shorts are the standard Troy Lee Designs ones that come with their Skyline trousers and shorts, which have a good fit, length and durability.
Rapha’s Trail liner is also great, once you’ve moulded it to human form. Fox liners can be on the short side.
As for bibs, we’re fans of those from Sportful and ASSOS, plus Leatt’s MTB-specific MTN 3.0 or 4.0 (sadly, no longer available in the UK).
For women, we’ve found the Petrichor Projects bibs super-comfy, along with Velocio’s Adventure cargo bib shorts and Iris’ Escape bibs.
Do you have a cycling question you want answered? Every month, we’ll select the most interesting questions and bring you an expert-level response from our unparalleled access to the greatest minds in cycling, both on the BikeRadar staff and across the industry. Send your questions through to podcast@bikeradar.com
