Cycling Shorts
Size Chart.

Bib shorts should fit like a second skin, snug all the way around with no loose folds and no pinching at the waist or thigh. The leg grippers should hold without digging in, and the chamois pad should sit flat against you. A loose pair will chafe and let the pad move, so if you are between sizes, size down for bibs rather than up.

Wrap a soft tape around your natural waistline, roughly at belly-button height, keeping it level and snug but not squeezing. For bib shorts the waist number is the main guide; measure your hips at the widest point too if your hips are noticeably larger than your waist, and use the higher size.

If you are on the boundary between two sizes, size down for shorts and bibs. They are meant to be compressive, and a snug fit keeps the chamois in place and prevents chafing. Only size up if you carry more around the hips than the waist, or if the brand is known to run small.

Bib shorts have shoulder straps and no elastic waistband, so they stay put and avoid pressure on your stomach when you are bent over the bars. Waist shorts use an elastic waistband instead. Both use the same waist-based sizing, but bibs also depend on your torso length, so taller riders should check the brand height guidance.

Quality Lycra bibs relax a little on the first few rides and then hold their shape. They should feel firm when new, not baggy. If a new pair already feels loose, it is too big: the compression that keeps the pad in place and supports your muscles will be gone within a few rides.

No. This chart is a mens or unisex cut. Womens bibs and shorts are cut for wider hips relative to the waist, a different chamois shape and, in many bibs, a drop-tail or halter design. If you are buying womens shorts, use the brand womens chart based on waist and hip.