Ladies (and gents who can speak for their ladies) - what shorts are you wearing for long days in the saddle? I will be embarking on a 225 mile one day ride in late August. I wear a lot of Castelli shorts but I am open to anything. I recently purchased a pair of Mystery Bibs from Pactimo and while the upper half of the bibs is great, the lower half is terrible (chamois not flexible, leg bands ride up and bunch). I know Pactimo has a 12 hour bib but I am hesitant to purchase (the chamois on those is different than the pair I got). I just read that Specialized sizing is all over the place and people who weigh more than me were buying XS’s! I know bibs would be the best bet for a ride like this so the shorts are always in place, but then I am looking for ones that unhook in some fashion. @ambermalika any suggestions???
@schultzy31 - My wife is a big fan of Terry cycling clothing.
My longest ride was a 107mile one and I was in one of my Betty Designs kits with shorts not bibs.
Velocio do fly bibs that allow easy access but I haven’t used them. I HATE my dhb bibs with the magnetic clasp. I have some MEC bibs that also unclip and I quite like them; they’re several years old now though so not sure if you can still get them. I also like my WYN Republic bibs but haven’t used them for longer rides.
I have liked the higher end Louis Garneau bibs, and they make ones that unhook.
For ones that don’t unhook, I like Voler black label (high end with a good price) and Cuore Silver bibs. I haven’t liked Pactimo bibs, they fit me wrong…too big in some places and tight in others.
I use all these bibs for 3-5 hr rides.
Endura Women’s FS260 Pro DS Bib Shorts
Comfortable and a zip makes pee breaks a piece of cake. I have completed a 240km race with no chaffage in these
I forgot about Terry brand. Would you please ask which style she has?
May I ask what size you wear/height/weight? Hips is not even a measurement on the size chart. Does one leg unzip or both?
Endura Size Medium, 65kg 5ft 9
The legs don’t unzip. It’s a u shaped flap around the chamois. Hard to explain but really easy to use and you don’t feel the zip when you are cycling
My wife wears Betty Design also. She says they are comfortable. Longest ride 155 miles.
Another vote for the Endura bibs! Longest ride in them was 120 mi. The zip flap is so nice.
I am 5’5” and 57kg and have a pair in small and medium (took a chance on the mediums during a baller clearance sale). Both are very comfortable and fit great around the legs, with the medium having more room around the waist.
My wife and I only wear La Passione (www.lapassione.cc), she rode a number of mountainous fondos last summer and very happy/comfortable experience (apart from all the mountains 
)
if you love Castelli ones (or Sporful, they are the same) my suggestion is to keep these
good alternative are pads by https://www.elasticinterface.com/it/ and their customers such as (expensive) Assos, Rapha but also others cheaper (my wife love also https://www.marcellobergamo.it/)
Honestly for long distances like this, go with what you know works. If you like Castelli and haven’t had issues with them, that may be your best bet. That said, you do have quite some time to try others, and given the need for bathroom breaks, finding bibs with easier access than Castelli might be a great idea! (I raced in Castelli one year and know they are comfy but NOT easy access.) I’m currently sponsored by Athlos Sports, and I love their Split Zero bibs. They have a wide band (comfy AND no sausage leg) that keeps them in place, and the bib straps stretch easily, enabling you to just pull the shorts part down as needed with the straps in place, without zippers or clasps or anything like that. Simple and easy. I’m 5’10" with a long torso and wear size M, and the straps have plenty of stretch for me. I raced Dirty Kanza in these last year and loved them (didn’t finish - long story but I made it 140mi after a bad crash - wrote about it on my blog). Mavic Women’s Sequence Pro Bibshort is another favorite - these have a rear zipper you can’t feel at all AND it makes pitstops so so easy. I like the flat chamois in these as well, and the bib straps feel nice and light but keep everything in place. I wear a M in these too. Another aspect of the Mavic bibs is they are nice and long. Many women’s shorts tend to be a little too short, and for a long ride like that you’ll want the coverage to protect you from the sun, as well as to avoid riding up etc. I can’t really speak to the other brands mentioned here (last time I raced in Voler was for Webcor in 2007), but I have heard good things about Cuore from many women. I really think if you feel comfortable doing a few days of long (3-4h) rides in a row, that will be plenty to feel confident the shorts will perform as needed for even 200+ miles. If you’re comfortable after 4 hours, you’ll be comfortable after 8. You may also want to keep a spare pair on hand at the event, which may be a vote for a less-expensive option. Honestly, cost is not always correlated with quality, especially for shorts as they are such a personal choice! Good luck!
@schultzy31 - She says that she been happy with all of their clothing.
I believe I read in another post that all chamois are made by two different companies…Is this correct?? Do you have any further information on that? I do not see Castelli on Elastic Interface or Sportful? Thanks for any further info!!
I should have noted in my original post that I will be in need of new shorts this year and because I have never rode so long, I was wondering if I am missing out a luxury I do not know about! I read through the posts regarding men’s shorts and there were no references to Castelli. My LBS carries Castelli and Specialized so I am able to at least try those on. I am hesitant to buy shorts from Europe as I have friends who bought stuff that did not fit at all and they were stuck trying to sell it themselves.
I appreciate honest feedback from you all and I am willing to try something new or stick with what I got. I do plan to have extra shorts in my sag wagon so that I can change/try different shorts if needed. I have plenty of time to try out new product and look forward to doing so!!!
It makes sense that apparal companies dont all try to make their own chamois but they I’ve worn Assos, Rapha and Castelli and only wear La Paasione now as I find them more comfortable, better sizing and lower price
Edit: getting this back to ladoes shorts my wife also has worn Assos and Sportful, she prefers the fit of La Passione
My partner is happy with DHB Blok, for 6-7 hours of indoor riding a week as well as 5-6 hours long outdoor rides. What has made the biggest difference in comfort is a wider saddle (155 mm) with a large cutout and appropriate saddle height (many people have a high saddle, get impaled by it and look for remedies instead of just lowering the saddle).
I don’t think there only 2 companies that make pads.
Castelli & Sporful make the pads directly as I know
Elastic Interface make pads for a lot of brands (some as MB are not shown because use their pads not as exlusive): https://www.elasticinterface.com/it/brands/
I’ve been really enjoying MAAP and Tineli. Both have great online stores, good designs and very comfortable.