voler and sugoi - the 2011 sugoi RS women's bib are freakin' amazing (on road/cross or in aero), and i LOVE the voler diamante pad on my cross bike!

i'd be a third to request women-specific 400 mile bibs. the only reasons i haven't bought the 400 mile shorts are:

a) i only wear bibs or trishorts
b) i'm short through the torso, so men's bibs generally have straps that are too long

re: the forza shorts. i have shied away from buying any of these because i have a pair of 2008 carrera shorts with the invisipad, and the seams at the edges of said pad are in exactly the wrong place on my v-flow max saddle. i had a REALLY unpleasant time figuring out that i couldn't wear those shorts to ride and took months to heal from the damage done by them. since the forza line shorts all seem to have the same pad seam placement, there's no way i'd spend a dime on them only to end up in severe pain. others' mileage may vary, but i know i'm not the first to bring up the interaction of pad seams and wider saddles like the cobb and adamo models.

cheers!

-mistress k

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ill advised racing inc.

I wear Voler. I can't quite bring myself to shell out for Assos. Maybe if I were riding huge miles all the time.

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

thanks for your input. I wish you would have contacted me about your issue with the short back then. The sound like they were possibly defective. Anway, the Carrera shorts you bought in 2008 is very different from what we offer now. The design is different, the pad is different, the stitching is different, and the thread we use on the stitching is different. The Forza shorts are completely different than the Carrera shorts as well.

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Emilio De Soto II
Maker of triathlon clothing, T1 Wetsuits, & Saddle Seat Pads and AXS since 1990
emilio@desotosport.com http://www.desotosport.com

my only objection was with the seam placement - i have the same problem with 2 pairs of sugoi tri shorts and the v-flow max saddle. i understand the forza shorts are a completely different item, but the seam placement looks the same as on my old carreras (from the photos i've seen, anyway). i have nowhere to try on locally (all 3 ontario retailers are 1-3hrs away) and cross-border shipping sucks for exchanges, so i haven't wanted to risk it.

cheers!

-mistress k

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ill advised racing inc.

I have a Cobb V-Flow Plus saddle. I ride steep. I recently purchased the new Forza Long Distance tri short. I rode 110 miles in them yesterday and I'm paying dearly today for the reasons you mention above. I love the fabric! I love the pad! BUT...when in the aero position the stitching at the edge of the pad and the stitching on the seams joining the front/back to the legs of the short (this seam line is probably the worst offender) feels like a serrated knife is trying to separate my legs from my torso with every pedal stroke. Sadly, they are going back :-(.

Love the Pearl Izumi drop tail. Not compressive, but nice not to have to strip at a rest stop...

I have a terrible time with the sugoi shorts. Their seams are HUGE! DeSoto not so much. Unfortunately our team kit is Sugoi, but I will never buy a pair of their shorts outside of a kit for a team I'm on.

I've been okay wearing the sugoi shorts this year with the Adamo saddle, but I still prefer desoto's forza because they are so much snugger. Sugoi's size small is saggy on me (especially when they get wet from rain or sweat), and desotos size small is very very snug. They aren't going anywhere so no chafing etc...

I just bought the Forza Long Distance Tri shorts - I did 2 rides of 20 and 45 miles and had the same issues - I use an Adamo saddle, and the seam of the shorts rubbed at one spot on the saddle and left a pretty good welt on my inseam. From a cosmetic point of view, the fabric where I was sweaty turned to a lighter color, so I had slotchy patches, especially around my thighs - I stopped at a convenience store to refuel and was embarrassed to go in. Also, I had applied chamois butter like I always do, and it seeped through the fabric. I've been wearing the 2XU tri shorts and will stick with them until I find something that works better.

Unfortunately, I only have one pair of women specific bib shorts, Champion Systems (team kit). Unless I *really* slather myself in Beljum Budder, I get hurt. All my other bib stuff is men's cut, hand me downs from my husband when he buys them and finds out they're a bit too small.

Generally, I prefer less padding. The Champion Systems performance pad is really too thick and there is just too much stuffed down there to avoid injury!

My team uses the Sugoi custom RS bibs. They fit a bit big but I find their XS super comfortable. Sugoi's women's RSE bibshorts are *really* comfortable. The straps sit really wide as they cross in the back which is surprisingly comfy and doesn't budge at all. They have quite a few panels that make them fit super snug, and the material and chamois are nicely breathable yet "firm" enough to feel like everything is being held nicely in place. Definitely worth the $200.

I've used custom Champion System bibs and am pretty unimpressed. The chamois is uncomfortable and the fabric goes see-through far too fast. I also have Atac shorts, the chamois is OK if you like minimal padding but they stretched out like crazy really fast.

I have been babying my Hind bibs forever (since you can't get them anymore). All my other bibs are men's (Castelli and Cavalo).

I really want bibs for my IM though or at a minimum black (instead of blue Carrera) shorts.

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http://harvestmoon6.blogspot.com
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katasmit

Emilio,

Great to see you soliciting input from real women!

I have loved DeSoto's longer running shorts (used to be Tuesday and unisex) for years and recently had to try the men's version because that is all you offer any more. They work in a small, but are a bit baggier than even I like. So maybe a longer running short for those of us that like them......at 53 you should be be happy I don't wear short shorts anymore.

I have several pairs of the 400 mile shorts and recommend them to clients and customers ALL the time, but most of your women's line seems to be designed for 20-ish fitness models......yes, the college girls love the stuff.....but there are a whole lot of us that just want a bit more coverage.

On the retail floor when someone mentions skimpy tri clothing, we assume they are talking about DeSoto. That is probably good for photo shoots, but there are a lot of real people out there who want to wear your fabulous technical apparel too.

FYI, I wear a SM in tops and bottoms.

G

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It's a little like wrestling a gorilla.........you don't stop when you're tired.........you stop when the gorilla is tired.