Don’t Leave Home Without… Padded Bike Shorts

Before we start, there needs to be a disclaimer here: for the majority of our riding holidays, you will be riding in modern English, Western or endurance saddles, which are quite comfortable and probably don’t need extra padding. But if you are at all concerned about how your backside will cope with multiple hours in the saddle each day, this is the blog post for you.

We’ve heard through the grapevine that instead of purchasing a seat saver, some of our globetrotters swear by padded bike shorts for those long days in the saddle. Personally I have never ridden in these, but it’s quite ingenious if you think about it, and I take my hat off to those resourceful globetrotters! Cycling shorts are cheaper than seat savers and since they fit your body, not the saddle, you don’t need to worry about whether your gear will be compatible with the horses’ tack.

For those of you who aren’t saddle fit, consider slipping on a pair of padded bike shorts underneath your riding clothes when facing six or seven hours in the saddle each day. They would also come in handy when riding in Mongolia, where the saddles are harder than you might be used to. You can also find bike shorts that are water resistant, so they add that extra layer of protection when riding in unfavourable weather conditions.

Cycling Deal, HiBike and REI have a number of options to browse through to make sure you get the right pair for you.

Padded bike shorts would probably not be appropriate when riding in hot weather, such as on The Kimberley Ride or our African holidays. And remember, this is just a suggestion we’ve heard from some globetrotters – we’ve personally never ridden in these ourselves.

***Oh and don’t forget to check out our GT Apparel online store if you’re keen to invest in some new gear ahead of your ride!

 

Image credits: wk1003mike/Shutterstock.com.