[road]

Hi everyone,

The move to traditional bikes and clothing from ten years back seems to be fairly over. Even its foremeost proponents have largely moved away from their own re-discoveries.
Thus it seems that even Rene Herse are not doing their cycling knickers anymore; in any case they’re not listed in their shop any longer, even “out of stock”, as would normally be the case were they only temporarily unavailable.
My own first pair (from 2016, under their old  brand Compass) are now beyond repair. And I dont’ find any replacements that don’t have a look far too sporty (like the Endura Humvee, with synthetic-looking fabrics, huge logos, lots of ungainly seams…), or too Victorian, or… Anyway they really do need to have a fairly cycling specific cut, so it’s not just about any hiking or hunting knickers that’ll fit the bill.

These items are pretty essential to my cycling wardrobe, in fact they’re indispensable. So I’ll keep hoping they turn up again on the RH website, but in the almost unthinkable case they don’t, does anyone have any suggestions? At all?

Many thanks indeed,
Martin

Topic

[Rendel Harris]

How about finding some

How about finding some cycling full-length trousers you like – there are quite a few plain looking, okay to wear with a jacket and tie Chino type ones available – and take them to your nearest clothes alterations shop (dry cleaners often do alterations as well), have them take off as much length as suits you and hem them, shouldn’t cost too much? 

[Anonymous]

It’s as much about
It’s as much about practicality as it is about looks.
Wear them with some long socks. Push down the socks and it’s as if you’re cycling in shorts, i.e. ease of pedalling and efficient cooling. At the destination, pull up the socks and it’s almost as if you’re wearing trousers, especially if the knickers have an understated look like the RH. (Same on a cold day in the mountains. Push socks down on the uphills, pull up on downhills; nothing else needed…)
No shorts nor pants come anywhere close. It’s no coincidence imo that knickers were pretty ubiquitous last time cycling was a serious means of transport in everyday life, i.e. until the 1950s.

[Anonymous]

I might try the Rivendell
I might try the Rivendell Cycling Baggies if nothing else turns up.

[brooksby]

I have some 3/4 length plain

I have some 3/4 length plain cotton shorts that I bought on Amazon marketplace.  As is always the case, though, having bought two pairs, by the time they started wearing through they’d been discontinued and – as marmotte27 has found – it is very difficult to find 3/4 length shorts which aren’t nylon-ish cargo pant type things…

[Anonymous]

You’ve summed it up quite
You’ve summed it up quite nicely in your second para. That’s the predicament, these things have pretty gone away again now…

[Anonymous]

It’s knickers as in
It’s knickers as in knickerbockers, i.e. plus twos/fours or breeches.

[OnYerBike]

It might help if you

It might help if you explained a bit more exactly what you are (or aren’t) looking for. There are a number of brands that offer a range of gravel/commuting/general outdoors apparel so something might be suitable. The main caveat is that mostly the options are either “shorts” (finish above the knee) or “trousers” (finish at the ankle).

If it’s a strict requirement that they finish below the knee (3/4 length) then that does narrow the choice. Narrows further if you don’t like the Endura Humvee or anything else too “sporty” but still want a cycling specific cut…

[Anonymous]

Yeah, as I said there was a
Yeah, as I said there was a sort of renaissance ten years ago, quite a few interesting producers of merino jerseys and such kit had sprung up. But now that seems to be petering out unfortunately.

The good thing about Rene Herse is they really thoroughly test their designs and these function really well. The cloth could (have) be(en) a little more resistant, especially for someone like me who uses them all the time, but on the whole they are pretty good.

[Paul J]

Vulpine have padded cycling
Vulpine have padded cycling underwear.

[Anonymous]

Yes, exactly. They’re an
Yes, exactly. They’re an essential part of my wardrobe as in these and a merino jersey I can cycle 20km to an appointment and still look presentable on arriving and generally not feel out of place in an everyday context.

[levestane]

Yes. It may be worth looking

Yes. It may be worth looking at the hill walking sector, but they are not as common as they used to be. One option could be to modify some walking trousers.

[duncanap]

They look pretty cool for the

They look pretty cool for the right bike, it’s a shame brooks don’t do clothes as well as saddles as that would be right on brand for them.

[Sriracha]

Knickers? Are we talking
Knickers? Are we talking about these things…
https://www.renehersecycles.com/compass-knickers-back-in-stock-and-new-sizes/

[Anonymous]

Rivendell you mean?

Rivendell you mean?

[levestane]

Riv have some interesting

Riv have some interesting clothing. 

[Author]

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